I own a few relics from the glory days of Japan’s export economy, the period from the Seventies to the early Nineties when that nation built its image supplying the world with affordable, high-quality things—including a Seiko watch I swiped from my dad's dresser and the Pentax camera I used to shoot these photos. Both are landmark items, mass-produced but still sought after today. Japan was producing better goods cheaper than just about anyone else, showing the world that a small island nation, four decades removed from near-complete annihilation, was an industrial force to be reckoned with.
It was on this backdrop that Honda released the brilliant CRX Si.
Chris Perkins
Honda designed the CRX as a minimalist commuter car, nothing more than you needed—not even rear seats. With a sleek wedge body and efficient four-cylinder power, it was the first car in the U.S. to beat 50 mpg in EPA testing. The base car was no penalty box, but when someone at Honda had the bright idea to give the CRX stiffer suspension and a hotter engine, the 1984 CRX Si was born. The U.S.-market Si arrived halfway through the 1985 model year, and while we didn't get the twin-cam head that came on Japanese- and European-market cars, our Si was still a riot.
This is a 1985, an early U.S.-market example, which we were lucky enough to borrow from the Honda museum. It's astonishingly clean, with under 10,000 miles on the odometer. Seeing a car like this, in this condition, you're not sure whether to laugh, cry, or curse the existence of rust. But there's no time to wallow—I've got the keys, and permission to add some numbers to that odometer.
Ninety-one horsepower may seem paltry today, but here it's plenty, because the first-gen CRX Si weighs well under 1900 pounds. Think NA Miata levels of performance and you'll get the idea. The engine is wonderfully smooth and linear, and the five-speed gearbox, while not as tight as a new Civic's, gives you the most satisfying feedback as you engage another gear. You shift just for the sake of it.
For such a pared-back car, this CRX has two notable luxuries: Air conditioning, which produces a noticeable drag on the engine as soon as you turn it on, and a power sunroof. Still, this is a true lightweight, and that's immediately obvious on the twisty roads of Harriman State Park, about an hour northwest of Road & Track's Manhattan base. The suspension is a bit floaty, the car moving up and down with the road, but there’s less body roll than you'd expect. Steering is slow, but with telepathic feel through the stealth-bomber-shaped wheel. You know exactly how much front grip the tires have, and it’s always more than you expect.
We've moved away from this breathe-with-the-road suspension tuning philosophy as cars have gotten heavier. Somewhere, we decided that grip was more important than fun. The CRX Si is a reminder that true handling nirvana (and, incidentally, great ride quality) is only achieved through light weight. This is a simple economy car with a conventional engine and straightforward suspension, and yet, it's a long-way-home joy. It makes you curse every heavy, overly complicated, over-tired modern performance car.
Chris Perkins
It's a shame we've gotten away from this. But I'd rather celebrate the car than lament the way the world has changed. The CRX Si is everything great about Honda—the unconventional thinking, the commitment to excellent build quality, the idea that a practical, affordable car can still be fun. Soichiro Honda had long been retired when this car debuted, but it is very much a product of his company and his thinking.
CRX prices have been climbing for years, with no sign of stopping. I could see this Si easily fetching $20,000 on Bring a Trailer, and I have mixed feelings about that. Hondas like this have been hero cars for years, top-quality engineering in an affordable package. It’s hard to imagine this as a "classic" car, much less an appreciating asset. But when you consider the story, the era, and the experience a good CRX offers, those rising prices start to add up.
And like my old watch and camera, the CRX Si still impresses today.
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The Link LonkNovember 28, 2020 at 12:01AM
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The 1985 Honda CRX Si Is Still Brilliant - RoadandTrack.com
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