| Sporty/performance car; Built in Japan |
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| Good condition price range: $1,300 – $4,000* |
1993 Honda Civic del Sol Si
1993 Honda Civic del Sol S
1994 Honda del Sol interior
1994 Honda del Sol
1997 Honda Civic del Sol
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Any del Sol ranks as cheap and cheerful transportation, and might be worth a close look for that reason alone. Naturally, you also get Honda’s well-deserved reputation for quality and dependability.
Overview
Replacing the departed CRX, Honda’s uniquely styled, Civic-based 2-seat “semiconvertible” opens to the sun via a lift-off aluminum roof panel. Sharing front-drive running gear with Civics, del Sol was the first open Honda sold in the U.S. market. A 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine powered the base S model, while the sportier Si carried a 1.6-liter 125-horsepower four with variable valve timing. Five-speed manual and optional 4-speed automatic transmissions were available, and a driver-side airbag was standard. So were power windows and a tilt steering wheel.
Yearly Updates
| 1994 Civic del Sol Dual airbags were installed for ’94. A VTEC edition joined the del Sol lineup, with a 160-horsepower twin-cam engine that featured variable-valve timing. The VTEC came only with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and rode a tauter suspension that included stiffer stabilizer cars and springs, and 195/60VR14 performance tires. |
| 1995 Civic del Sol Antilock braking became standard in the VTEC del Sol, but was unavailable in other models. |
| 1996 Civic del Sol A 106-horsepower, 1.6-liter engine went into the base S model for 1996, with either 5-speed manual shift or an automatic transmission. All del Sols gained a redesigned front bumper and air dam. |
| 1997 Civic del Sol No change was evident for 1997, which turned out to be the del Sol’s final season. |
