1991 Honda CRX 1.6i 1.6 petrol 16v DOHC

Summary:

Reliable boy racer, lacks character

Faults:

Rust on sunroof. That's it.

General Comments:

This car has never ever broken down, nothing has gone wrong and everything is still original. It is very, very fast if you use the revs, past 5500rpm everything goes mad. The problem is, no one drives like that all the time, and at low revs it really struggles. I can't help thinking my old 1.4 Opel Kadett would out-accelerate it from 2000rpm.

Front seats move far back, good for tall drivers, but you'll still find your shin banging on the sharp edged centre console. Gearshift feels flimsy and imprecise, but the clutch and brake pedals feel superb. Brakes work very well with very little fade. Massive grip levels, but the ride is hard and the car gets twitchy if you push it. If it lets go, there will be no time to catch this one. Steering is wonderful.

Still looks modern after 15 years, and still goes like stink if you rev it, but the complete lack of torque is so irritating that I'd hate to drive one every day. This is a car for having some fun with in the middle of the night, during the day it just frustrates me. Typically Japanese, this car is the sum of its parts and no more. Charm is nowhere to be found.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd November, 2005