1990 Honda CRX Si

The second-gen CRX is the Miata's sibling that never got the credit. While Mazda was building the perfect roadster, Honda built the perfect coupe. Under 2,200 pounds, a willing SOHC engine, and handling that embarrassed cars costing three times as much. The Si version with the D16A6 engine found the sweet spot: enough power to be fun, reliable enough to be daily driven, efficient enough to pass gas stations without stopping. This was Honda at the height of their engineering arrogance — building cars that made you wonder why anyone bothered with anything else.

These cars were driven hard and put away wet. Finding one that hasn't been modified, crashed, or thrashed is increasingly difficult. Rust attacks the rear quarter panels and wheel arches. The pop-up sunroof models leak eventually. Interior plastics get brittle with age. But a clean, unmolested CRX Si has a purity that's hard to find in modern cars. The patina should be honest — these were meant to be used.

I put real miles on mine. The CRX rewards a driver who pays attention — it tells you everything that's happening with the road. Maintenance is Honda simple: timing belt every 90k, valve adjustment occasionally, and that's about it. Parts are still available, though rust-free body panels are getting scarce. The biggest threat isn't mechanical failure; it's theft. Lock it up. Use a Club. Consider a kill switch.