Retro Review: 1982 Econobox Comparison

[@NeoGee]

Years ago when I worked in a supermarket a woman came in to pick up some empty cardboard boxes. I helped her take them out to her car which turned out to be a Renault LeCar, I made the joke of asking her if she wanted me to put the boxes in the car or the car in the boxes. She was not amused.

[@christianmotley262]

But now I am, thank you.

[@jameszheng4455]

I would have asked if she wanted "le boxes" in her Lecar...

[@projectdriven4493]

@@christianmotley262 wait….that woman was you?

[@TheBikemaster94]

@@projectdriven4493 yess indeed

[@josephmclean515]

lol 😆

[@scottieray]

The Colt had a temporary spare...that was the same size as the normal tire.

[@Area-cf1gt]

So a full size😜

[@Johnny96ri]

Not unusual in that era-so did my Escort.

[@3656761]

Hard to think these cars are now 35 years old...if you had a 35 year old comparison in 1982 you would have 1947 models being tested....these cars are not as old looking as the 1947 cars were in 1982.

[@darinp5612]

@Whatzzz Wrong. Shows lack of artistic design

[@blackshadow7192]

@Whatzzz I wouldn't go as far as the 80s but plenty of cars from the late 90s/early 2000s aged way better than the cars that followed them.

[@Korunio]

Nice point!

[@777jones]

At least mechanically, these cars are “fairly” modern. A repair garage could still fix them.

[@bonk352]

I agree that cars /vehicles made in the 1940's & 50's seemed just as vintage looking to me now as they did in 1990. It's also staggering to think that 1990 was 30 years ago. Interestingly, to look back at cars from 1980, they just look somewhat dated, but not by no means having that vintage appearance like in the 1950's. In my mind, they still look relatively modern, but they are much less technically advanced as todays cars. This seems to be the difference. Yet from late 1960's/early 1970's, cars in my view started to become and look more modern than 1950's and early 60's cars, with differing styles and colours, etc. However, from mid 80's onwards there was another leap forward in modernity, with examples such as the Vauxhall Cavalier. I thought the next big step were pre millennial cars, such as the mk 1 Ford Focus. Today, I would say the mk4 Ford Focus or Honda Civic and these as with almost all late 2010's/2020 cars are now bristling with technology, which back in the 1980's, we'd have thought was a bit pie in the sky in real life and was something more akin to something like Star wars/Nasa or whatever!

[@mathuetax]

I miss this era of Motorweek, it's SOOo thorough compared to other automotive shows. Plus I love seeing these revisits of old episodes, it's worthy of subscribing!

[@emjayay]

Try Alex on Autos for complete road tests. And Mat at carwow for smart and funny.

[@Bubblun1]

Ah, 1982. Where a cubby hole for your pack of cigarettes was a selling feature.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Bubblun hot coffee on your junk was a good time , it made you a man. No cup holders in sight!!

[@100percentSNAFU]

I had one of those cup holders you hung from the side window crevice in my old Civic!

[@LynxStarAuto]

Steve omg! I totally remember those! My dad had those.

[@jimcarlson6157]

roach clip on the visor too

[@matthewstorm5188]

Back when being a smoker was actually something to brag about.

[@louisberetton9153]

The Renault 5 (Renault LeCar) costs now a lot in France bcs everybody wants one and it is one of the most iconic car with the Turbo version in France. It even did Rally.

[@CAPDude44]

I love the Renault 5

A piece of absolute crap. The turbo version was a completely different car and was never sold in the US.

[@bingoberra18]

I bought my second R5 TS the other day, its a 3 door in purple with 105000km, its in great condition, I got it for 700 euros. What would it be worth in france now?

[@94XJ]

@@bingoberra18 3 francs and a baguette

[@deerlord2363]

@@94XJ LOL 🤣

[@MrMadamS69]

Wow, a blast from the past. My favorite line: "A healthy 74 horsepower"... not so much the good old days!!

[@skylinefever]

My dad's 1987 Hyundai Excel had less. That made it incredibly awful.

[@BokBarber]

To be fair, the car is only 2100 pounds. Less horsepower needed.

[@kiyosenl.3889]

Very lightweight cars tho and less bulky

[@CannonFodder873]

Owned a 1983 Z-28 5.0 High Output...Rated at a whopping 140 horse with 3:73 gears. Quick around the city...definitely NOT fun at highway speeds running 3800 rpm or MORE...lousy gas mileage too.

[@GlockPointer]

Hearty

[@xnopyt13]

I just love 80s econoboxes, they had an important role but are forgotten and finding one is near impossible

[@supazippy3059]

I own a few VW Rabbits and bought them at rock bottom prices. The diesel truck was well worth it for $250

[@robert-oq9jq]

None of them will ever beat the Chevette don't know why Chevy doesn't bring it back

[@johntaurus5399]

I wish the Honda Civic, Ford Escort and Toyota Tercel were included.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

They weren't because they would have blown all of these out of the water in every category.

[@TheBluehornz01]

"Idiot lights" "Over-weight inhabitants"...man, I miss the days where people were not offended by everything.

[@mikeyfisher4256]

Yeah, though it bothers me there is a lack of oriental in this video.

[@xebek]

It's not remotely offensive because it doesn't apply to any singular race, gender, creed or ethnicity. Pretending like "the good old days" aren't like today is fallacious. Besides, "idiot lights" is a common idiom to this day. Nostalgia shouldn't cloud objectivity. Can you point to any significant portion of the public, today, who is offended by any of those terms?

[@19fortynine10]

I still call them idiot lights lol, you fart wrong that amber pos light goes on. And also the days of the ding dong ding dong door warning lol :)

[@landyachtfan79]

Well, I miss the days when not being PC meant "OH, SHIT!!!!! I SWEAR I didn't mean to offend you!!!! PLEASE forgive me!!!" instead of "I am going to say it, & I don't care if I drive people that are important to me away!!!!!!" THAT'S what I miss!!!!!

[@firstevidentenigma]

People should stick up for themselves and others, get over it snowflake.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

I owned a 1980 rabbit in 1982, man for that time! Mine was a 2 doors version. That car was a blast to drive! I loved IT! I was 19 year's old at the time, it was so much fun.😎👍

[@SomethingFunny454]

I loved watching this show every Saturday morning

[@waterheaterservices]

I worked in a VW dealership parts department in 1982. The Rabbit did wonders for our sales; plastic radiator tanks separating from cores, clogged catalytic converters, broken pot metal framed window crank handles, corroded fuse block contacts, broken exhaust system suspenders, ....on and on. We got so we had the part numbers memorized.

[@LynxStarAuto]

AKS 😂😂😂

[@aaronhumphrey2009]

True. My '80 rabbit had a totally rusted out fuse block. Had to Jerry rig all the important stuff to work, but it also made it theftproof . Got 40 mpgs with the 5- speed on the highway doing 70. Handling, braking was decent. It went 150,000 before throwing a rod.

[@barryervin8536]

It's a German thing. I had the same experience as a tech at a BMW dealership in 1982-95. When customerss are lined up to buy your cars because of the emblems on them, you don't have to try very hard.

[@MrTLsnow]

@AKS What year was your Horizon?

[@MrTLsnow]

@AKS I had the 1988 with the 2.2L. I gave it away in 2006. To this day I still have dreams of that car occasionally.

[@Oddman1980]

I had a 1983 Sentra in the early 2000's. It was, even at 20 years old, an excellent little car. It always returned at least 38 mpg and was very dependable. I still remember I had to shake the shifter a bit when putting it in 3rd.

[@cyotacorolla1489]

I have an '82 Sentra still. Paid 300 bucks for it. Won't shift into reverse anymore lol.

[@al1203]

I also had a 1983 Sentra, paid extra for the hatchback and 5 speed. At $7200 it was a good deal. I looked at a Pontiac Sunbird but they wanted $10,000 and the car didn't have carpet, a radio, radial tires and it was only a 4 speed. The Sentra got great mileage and served me well, but I could not get used to how slow it was compared to my old Firebird 400.

[@davewilson7602]

I had an 87, great little car. I got T boned by a pickup and somehow got away unscathed, the cops were looking for who was in it thinking they died before I told them I was in it. Saved my life

[@fortheloveofnoise]

My current car, a 1998 Sentra makes a weird noise when shifting to third...guess some things don't change.

[@RandomGuyDan]

My first college Spring Break roadtrip was from the Chicago area to Clearwater, FL in a brand new '83 Sentra 2-door. 4-speed manual, no radio, the only option was A/C. It held all 4 of us, 2 well over 6 feet tall, plus luggage and we got excellent fuel economy. I have no bad memories of the drive other than having to make sure the small boom box we used as a radio didn't fall off of the dash.

[@jnyerere]

As a history buff this was purely orgasmic to me. This episode was produced 7 years before my birth, yet I am so fascinated by it.

[@789french5]

I orgasm at historical cultural pieces like this as well. KZbin is a treasure trove of random commercials from the 40's-2000's. Born in 1995 and drive a 2003 Civic and honestly cars today are built like shit, planned obsolescence is the name of the game minus Toyota and Honda's with a manual transmission.

[@herrgolf]

"Overweight inhabitants" haha.

[@richardkaltenbach3961]

herrgolf Fat Women Are Called BBWs Or As MGTOWs Say, LANDWHALES!!

[@thearousedeunuch]

69 likes. Nice.

[@warrenny]

When I heard John say that about the testers, I was 🤣🤣🤣

[@frankm7707]

I remembered an old friend bought a Sentra after she graduated from college. That Sentra was like a spaceship to us. 😅

[@TheVintagetamiya]

6:50 I like how the guy pulls off spark plug boot when checking under the hood

[@LynxStarAuto]

TheVintagetamiya he was checking the ignition coil to distributor boot. The only terminal on the distributor that constantly fired is the ignition coil feed. Pulling that wire gave you an idea of the condition of the wires and cap. If it was worn down, chances were the rest of the cap, and wires were not far behind. It was also a window into the distributor rotor; which also fired constantly.

[@WQQKIE]

Back when safety didn't matter cars got impressive gas mileage.

[@MallocFree90]

yeah, but just hitting something at 30 km/h you die inside these boxes.

[@LynxStarAuto]

Marco Fiorillo pretty much 😆

[@titanicwhiz]

MPH

[@Ichibuns]

A modern engine in these things would hit absolutely insane efficiency. Someone needs to do this, for science.

[@MRTOWELRACK]

@ Unfortunately, Toyota's parts can be prohibitively expensive for some models. I recommend pricing potential repairs into any vehicle purchase. I rule out many cars on the costs of parts alone (looking at you BMW). However, replacing a bumper, any bumper, seems bad, but at least, the damage is mostly consolidated to just the bumper. In an older car, a collision like yours permanently shortens the car's longevity by bending the frame, forever messing up the wheel alignment, or worse, injuring the occupant. For long-term ownership, softer bumpers are still a safer bet.

[@adriangoede7433]

That generation of Colt was a great car. I remember them well. Both the Mitsubishi Mirage & Colt... for as long as it lasted, only got better with sequential generations.

[@bigw8549]

I worked at a Plymouth dealership in the early 80's when that car was new and yes the Colt was sold as a Plymouth too!

[@adriangoede7433]

@ They carried it as both the Champ & the Colt if I remember correctly. The Arrow was a cool car too. I had a 79 in root beer brown with a white vinyl top.

[@bigw8549]

@@adriangoede7433 I liked the Arrow too. I knew a couple of people that had them.

[@bobtepedino5661]

I really loved my "Twin-Stick" Colt, which actually has TWO REVERSE gear ratios!

[@aschaible04]

Hey look it's my first car, the 1982 VW Rabbit. Bought one for $500 in 1994 when I got my driver's license and drove it like crazy for a good 5 years or so. Mine was also American-made just like the one in this video, but was slate blue with grey interior, not brown/tan like this one. I was still getting 33mpg on mine when I had it, not that any of us cared then with gas at 90 cents per gallon. Air conditioning? Nope. Power windows - how strong is your wrist? Cassette tape player - what's that? Let's drive up to Canada for the weekend, the drinking age is only 19 there!

[@AdolfHitler-xp1nx]

i consider myself ludicrously lucky then, my 1st car was/is a 2001 540i sportwagon 286hp, 343lb-ft, RWD :D

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

16:41-16:47 My favorite line in the whole episode.

[@basharshalabi2129]

Lmao would not fly today

[@jasoniman76]

Anyone else notice around 5:22, It sounds like the Colt is creaking as the people are getting out of the car?

[@snowrocket]

Absent from the test, the FWD Mazda GLC. I had two, an '81 hatchback Sport, and the '85 hatchback LX. GREAT handling cars, good on gas, and VERY roomy inside.

[@omartinoco9930]

And they last a long time.

[@davidp8627]

Also absent from the test was the 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier.

[@5KpGD]

@@davidp8627 and the Chevy Chevette/Pontiac T1000

[@laranaarana]

I owned a two-door Renault Le Car (5) that had a vinyl top that you could open manually. After a year of ownership it started giving me one problem, whenever I turned on the headlights the engine will die. Took it to the Renault Service Department 3 times before I traded it in for a 2 door 1982 Plymouth Reliant K that had a Mitsubishi engine (and yes, it was the i4 2.6L Hemi one).

[@bigw8549]

Those Le Cars were rust buckets. Here in New England they rusted through in just a few years.

[@Skoda130]

That '82 Nissan Sentra was sold in Europe as well. Though it was branded "Nissan Sunny" over there.

[@kevinwoodard6571]

In early (or midyear) 1983, Nissan opened its first USA assembly plant, Smyrna, Tennessee. Some of the Sentra cars were now being assembled there, while others were still being made in Japan.

[@skylinefever]

That is interesting to know. It is my understanding that they built mostly trucks there, because trucks were taxed more heavily than cars. The Nissan Hardbody and Frontier were excellent.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

​@@skylinefever Yea, after the 4th generation, the Sentra mived production to Mexico. My 4th gen 1998 manual transmission Sentra was built at that Tennessee plant...but I would have preferred a Japanese built model.

[@VAR1UM]

18:10 whats up with the water fight and throwing the bucket at the tires? lmao

[@bobbyblack1138]

the tires didn;t perform well.

[@Ostan-jw2bg]

It's just a comedic emphasize of how bad the tires are.

[@brentboswell1294]

If you bought one of these in the early 1980's, the Colt was your best bet. Sturdy little cars, I had friends still driving them in the mid 1990's in college, and one friend who would buy up old Rabbits and Jettas from the classifieds in the paper. A Rabbit of that vintage was pretty well done by the 1990's. Living in the Southwestern USA, the sun destroyed the interiors in Volkswagens pretty badly. My VW loving friend usually got about 3-4 months out of a car before selling it to the junkyard, and accumulated a selection of Volkswagen specific repair tools (wasn't cheap, by the way...)

[@FuckSlowShit]

Na the Nissan Sentra is the best of all still driving a 1985 Nissan Sentra, no see colts on the road no more

[@nocreativity73]

"Or a pack of smokes." Ahh, I was never there, but those were the days

[@gerardpritchard657]

I can't get enough of these retro reviews!

[@dooley1230]

My wife had an '82 Sentra, so early that they took it off a shopping mall floor. It was a good little car, but had a few problems. The headliner pulled away and had to be replaced. The wheels were improperly heat-treated and would warp, and had to be replaced. Finally, the carb would sometimes ice up in cold, winter weather. I once got stuck on the side of the road with this problem. A hot bottle of water from a convenience store poured over the carb, with the intake covered, solved the problem. I don't remember if there was a recall or not.

[@BryanDenlingerKJVM]

My first car was a 1982 Plymouth Champ "twin-stick". Never knew it was made by Mitsubishi, until seeing this video!

[@hollowpoint45acp]

"your cup of rice wine....."

[@Ichibuns]

He just slid a bit of racism, right in there. He could of just called it saki but nope. Gotta love old people lol

[@punchy207]

LOL

[@Thomas-ul3uy]

Nissan Sentra, motorweek does a 100 mile mixed driving and they got 44mpg. Much better MPG without ethanol in the gas

[@Tool0GT92]

It's amazing they had to comment on paint and how the car went together, these were some hard times for cars.

[@DrewLSsix]

Myron Adams japan had good initial quality but serious rot issues well into the 90s. a K car from just a few years later is still relatively common here in the midwest while any 80s era japanese car is a head turner, especially anything thats not enthusiast fodder.

[@KittyNoNo]

DrewLSsix You're absolutely right. The engineering and fit and finish of Japanese cars was terrific. They were fun to drive, economical and everything worked well. However, the materials used (especially the body panels) were not robust, and they seem to have pretty much all disintegrated by now. If I do see an 80s or 90s Japanese car today, it's usually best up and rusty and beyond repair.

[@skylinefever]

If you live where there was no road salt, what killed many odd Japanese cars were their carbs and odd smog devices. Mitsubishis would die from badly designed valve guides. Nissan V6 engines would be destroyed because many people didn't know of the timing belt. I live in Florida, and many of the EFI equipped 1980s Japanese cars are still around. People could usually fix their car by unfolding a paper clip, jumping the correct terminals, and then counting the number of times the light blinks.

[@nobodynoone2500]

@Myron Adams Europe did not have it beter lmao.

[@nobodynoone2500]

@@KittyNoNo Thats odd, I restore old japanese, and never see those issues. The issue are usually poor maint related.

[@leebr2010]

The Renault Le Car would turn more heads today than most exotics :) It truly was one of a kind.

[@eduardopena5893]

And was a horrendous piece of crap. Horrible reliability.

[@justinpino8115]

I had one of those Rabbits. Super reliable but loud inside and lots of rattles. Those light 80s cars were pretty cool though

[@cardo1111]

Always enjoyed this show. John Davis and Craig Singhaus were so young here. Granted it was 34 years ago. That Sentra had no business being street legal with those tires and the poor and downright dangerous braking performance. Love these retro episodes.

[@minimanadam]

Lol I been watching this guy since I was a child and still look forward to it every Sunday on motortrend ! It's great how John has never changed his into or anything ...keep em coming Johnny boy !

[@hugieflhr03]

I still like the old format of this show better than the new. Back in 82 you knew you bought a high end car if you had an auto reverse cassette deck with 4 speakers.

[@randolfo1265]

It's amazing the kind of tiny cars we were prepared to tolerate in those days. I owned a VW Rabbit in 1987 and went halfway across the country in the French one with my dad and my sister in 1982. But I was not the lard ass that I am now

[@100percentSNAFU]

My first car was an '85 Honda Civic 3-door hatch base model. Very similar to these econoboxes. 1.3 litre, 70hp engine, and basically zero options...not even a cigarette lighter or rear window defroster. I don't miss it.

[@callumdonington2227]

It's funny if you still had that car and it had a decent body people would be stopping you on the street to buy it.

[@Pwj579]

Thanks Motorweek, for being a pioneer in tv automotive journalism. Also, love that you have always based in MD, where I grew up . Much love

[@lundsweden]

I still see the occasional Mitsubishi Colt here in Australia. They may not have been a great car when new, but they sure were durable!

[@peep39]

I really miss this show. This was really well done.

[@hawkeye454]

I had an 81 VW Rabbit Diesel, 48 angry horsepower. That was an awesome little car.

[@davidedmonds3883]

Our first brand new car was a colt. Base model all the way. I commuted 2 hours round trip, averaged over 40 mpg. Never broke down, failed to start or gave any trouble at all. Like the show it was silver, to this day, I think it was a big magnet. It was hit while being stopped 3 or 4 times. The roof was the only body panel we never had bodywork on.

[@lewisjob2899]

GOD I MISS THE MID 80s AND EARLY 90s

[@FuckSlowShit]

Early* 80s

[@MrPagefile]

From 1978 to 1987 I worked for a car dealer who had a Mazda/Renault dealership and a VW/Peugeot dealership. I worked on the Mazda/Renault lot and a friend of mine worked on the VW/Peugeot lot. Near one of the dealerships was an intersection with a huge dip. We decided to conduct our own comparison test to see which car had the best suspension: the LeCar or the Rabbit. First we drove the LeCar through the dip at 45 mph. It went "thump-thump" and we barely felt it. Next we hit the dip at 45 mph in the Rabbit and Ka-Baam!!! We had a mechanic put the Rabbit on the lift just to make sure we didn't damage anything. Fortunately, no harm, but we now knew which car had the better suspension. Those torsion bars on the LeCar were amazing!

[@fr8hauler]

You put a helmet on before getting into a 21-second quarter-mile car??????????

[@barryervin8536]

I guess some people don't particularly like to roll over at 65-70 mph no matter how long it took them to get there?

[@jasoncrandall73]

Guess the LeCar driver drew the shortest straw?

[@mikecastellon4545]

Insurance and lawyers

In case the car rolls over!

[@williswhatchutalkinbout4367]

Barry Ervin joke went right by your head....

[@jedironin380]

My driver's ed. school used Plymouth Horizons (Colt), and I owned an '81 Datsun/Nissan 310, 2-dr. hatchback. Fond-ish memories! :) I completely restored/repainted the Datsun/Nissan, and had it for many years. I keep calling it that, because that was during the transition of naming, so everything in the Owner's Manual stated "Datsun/Nissan." ;)

[@Michael0697]

"And even more idiot lights...." Hahahahaha, they wouldn't dare call it that today.

[@JackS425]

"Warning Indicators" they should still call them idiot lights.

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

Jack S Because idiots either ignore or overly rely on them!

[@JackS425]

Shepperd November the oil light means you need an oil change right 😂😂😂

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

Jack S Maybe even an engine change! And the check engine light means check your engine!

[@jedironin380]

From the TV Show "Tool Time:" 'Honey, how long have you been driving around with the oil light on?' 'Well, I thought if it was important there'd be a buzzer or something!' :D

[@JasnoGT]

"Well.. no one builds cars like the French" 🤣 Nice passive jab.

[@phillystyle445]

Best line in a video full of pretty awesome jabs.

[@chieftp]

back when people were selling their 60s muscle cars for peanuts to buy these things. LOL

[@justaname1862]

60s muscle cars....😂😂😂...."Land Yachts" is what they were.

[@knightrdrx]

My dad and mom went from a 65 mustang and a 70 duster to a 89 tercel which became my first car

[@fortheloveofnoise]

@@justaname1862 Yea...60s Mustangs and Camaros were "land yachts" they are smaller than the ones of today.....

[@Gerarghini]

@@fortheloveofnoise yeah and we still call the new ones boats, nothing’s changed.

[@nathanmcdonald610]

@@justaname1862 They might have been big, heavy wallowing land yachts, but its hard not to have fun with a thumping 400hp V8 regardless of what hood its under.

[@driverdad71]

I had an 82 Plymouth Champ (Colt cousin); Loved it! Super easy to work on and 40 mpg all day long with the 4 speed manual. Sadly, the salt we use here in western New York proved too tough. Rotted away by about 1992

[@kellyboyd5889]

I had an'83 Nissan Sentra(MPG model-67 Hp). Excellent little car! Couldn't blow it up. beat a lot of cars it shouldn't, and was nearly indestructible!!

[@emeyer6963]

I remember those MPG models.They had the small spoiler on the trunk

[@tomwebber9377]

I can't tell if this one had AC or not, but my mother bought an '82 standard model with AT and side moldings for $6622 brand new. No radio, no AC. I felt bad because we saw one with AC/AT/Stereo cassette the next week at another lot for $5900. She was really upset! Great car though....drove the daylights out of it for 10 yrs and never had one major issue. Some ass-hat at a gas station shoved a carbon receipt in her tank, but that was all. It never left her (or all of us) stranded. It's probably still alive today.

[@Sawashi32]

Tom Smith I'm not sure what you mean by shoved a carbon receipt in her gas tank. Is that a way to destroy a car?

[@tomwebber9377]

Nah, it was just some a$$hat attendant mad at the world or something. We were on a quick road trip and the car started missing when the tank was at about one-quarter. When they cleaned out the tank, they found a carbon from a gas station. Some people's children.

[@syxepop]

How about the Honeybee 210 or L11 (OG) Sentra stripper models? They only came w/a 4-speed manual, either honeybee-colored (very cheap looking orangey tan) or black rubber carpet and no armrest (just a handle). May had the cheapest looking interior ever (an almost tie w/the Yugo GV there), but they had an almost indestructible 1.4 or 1.5L engine...

[@license2kilttheplaidlad640]

40 years later people still collect and go to car shows in rabbits , haven't seen any of the other ones anywhere in decades

[@misamisatv]

Hey random stranger scrolling through the comments... Wish you a happy new year

[@Prisoner-jf8vi]

Happy News Years to you and yours.

[@deeteeohbee6794]

Today is May 3rd but I hope you are both having a nice day.

[@BJRyan-bw4ny]

Blessed Beltane (May 1st) to all of y'all

[@sherpaderpa1]

Screw you!

[@oliverdelgado6952]

Happy 1982

[@fernandobarajas3157]

WoW!!! A whole 51 h.p.!! I can't imagine driving a car with that much power. It's crazy to think that in 2023 almost all 4 cylinder engine have 175-200 h.p. or even up to 450 h.p. in an AMG Benz. The optional Mustang 4cylinder has 325 h.p. which is more powerful than any v-8 it had since the 60's...

[@landyachtfan79]

I'd love to see the '86 Sport Truck Comparo.

[@Mekhanic1]

Yes I remember that trend! You were the coolest if you had blue S10 sport back then!

[@landyachtfan79]

Their test truck was a blue Tahoe Maxi-Cab.

[@NESherv]

Yes, pleeeeease. Anything featuring the '86-'93 Mazda B-Series trucks.

[@syxepop]

MW did feature a (85hp) B2200 Plus Cab in that comparo (the topline that year would be a B2600i, with a Mitsubishi-derived [Mazda bought them the machinery to make it] NA-2.6L I4). The B-Series never got a V6 while it was Mazda-designed. Only when they began to buy rebadged Ford Rangers was that they got the 3.0L and 4.0L V6's...

[@coyote102076]

I kind of scratched my head about that. Like, they really did not compare apples to apples there. My uncle owned a B2600 4x4 and I LOVED that little truck. Was like a farm tractor in the snow. That sucker went everywhere. Full size V8 4X4's all off in ditches and stuck in mud and the 'lil B2600 would just drive past / around them like it was a warm Sunday drive. The only Mazda I ever owned was a rebadged Ranger. ( '98 B2500 2wd base model )

[@ahighervibe4086]

I just rented a 2020 Nissan Versa, and as someone who grew up around these anemic turtles of automotive excellence, I was BLOWN AWAY by just how GOOD Subcompact cars have come!!! Do yourselves a favor and go drive one... In a very short period of time (the Versa SUCKED only a generation ago!) Nissan has FINALLY built one hell of a subcompact car!

[@markb3756]

I was totally blown away by the styling of the current Nissan Versa's compared to the first ones! They look so much better. I do hope they improved them in the safety category though. The first ones did very badly in the crash tests. The rental company tried to give me one to drive and I asked for something else, ended up getting the Sentra instead. I just didn't want to die in a Nissan Versa pretty much. LOL!

[@Ithinkiwill66]

Ohhh the go-cart years 😎

[@0159ralph]

When the Nissan was reviewed, It was weird to hear: you can store a set keys or a pack of smokes in drivers side door...

[@cluckinbell1974]

The Colt from 2006-2012 featured a trim level called RALLIART Version R which had 4G15 MIVEC 1.5L in-line 4cyl turbo with 163hp and 21.5kg/f of torque.

[@SunnynPhilly]

It makes me not feel so old that this Video was made a year before I was born. John Davis is still working and making new videos in 2023, and he is surprisingly younger then the president of the United States. 😂

[@chrisfreemesser]

I think I'd take any one of these cars instead of the over computerized "economy" cars sold today. Okay, maybe not the Le Car. ;)

[@griffinsavoy]

Chris Freemesser I'd take the older ones because of their looks alone.

[@manthony225]

Chris Freemesser yeah but 13 inch wheels and 80 something horsepower? It was ok then but driving one now? yeesh

[@griffinsavoy]

manthony225 My Jetta mk2 has 85 horsepower, 13 inch wheels, a manual transmission, and manual steering. Still very fun because the car is so light and it keeps up sufficiently.

[@chrisfreemesser]

manthony225 It's all about the horsepower to weight ratio. Keep in mind that these cars are maybe 2000 pounds, making them 1000 pounds lighter than most economy cars sold today. As such, 80hp was quite adequate, especially with a manual transmission.

[@griffinsavoy]

carzak I won't be getting rid of my '85 and '91 Jettas for new ones any time soon or probably ever, I can tell you that. With my manual one I average about 31 mpg, which I consider to be very good. It's economical enough and fun to drive with 85 horsepower.

[@peewee7405]

In 85 I owned an 84 Colt ,1.6 ,twin stick 4 speed, 2 door. I drove it to work daily which was a 100 mile round trip. It got between 48 - 50 mpg every day. I loved that thing, it was fun to drive.

[@tomwilliams3043]

My first new car was a 1984 Colt for $5200. It replaced my 1979 Pinto. With my Pinto I was jealous of people in Chevettes and Lecars.

[@will2993]

Tom Williams Even though it was a bomb on wheels, you were probably better off in a pinto than in a chevette

[@halohunter5217]

Th Pinto wasn't a bomb, all cars had gas tanks back there in the 70s... Even a 2003 Chevrolet Blazer does.

[@johndaniels651]

The Pinto was a great car! (well, the wagon anyway) German made 4CYL and comfy bucket seats!

[@Yep5.7]

Love this channel! I have been bingeing since Thursday 09/27

[@djkenny1202]

Rabbit. Hands Down. I just like that you could improve it's performance with a strong after market, it is the most timeless. Sentra 2nd due to it's economy and reliability. 3rd Colt, decent driving, I like the hatch with folding seats, they proved reliable..needs to be a Stick.

[@djkenny1202]

Oh yeah, there is.. and only 3 years later it would have been massive as the Rabbit GTI took on the market. Neuspeed was making cams, there was exhaust, headers, suspension upgrades.. still avail for it today.

[@bradnimbus4836]

Neuspeed was making those aftermarket parts for the Rabbit in 1982?

[@djkenny1202]

That is not what matters. In a year the Rabbit GTI came out, you could hop up with aftermarket created at that time.

[@bradnimbus4836]

So, ya gonna give an example of what was available for the aftermarket of that time? Did you own a Volkswagen in the early 80's?

[@djkenny1202]

I don't understand your point? I was 11 or 12 when this car came out. There was an after market for water cooled VWs, but not Sentras and Colts. By the mid 80's Neuspeed, Zender, and Leistritz was busy making high performance exhaust, cams, etc. So only 3 years into ownership these cars could be modified for more fun. Whilst the Sentra and Colt owners are feeling bored.

[@Lucianato2]

I had 2 1982 diesel VW rabbits. Both 4-door, both 5-speed and they got sometimes up to 48 mpg, but then again they were diesel and manual. As an old VW fan, I didn't really care about how fast I got there... I just wanted to get there! :)

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

I used to drive my dads 1982 Rabbit Diesel. The AC compressor bracket always bent and when you turned the AC on and revved the engine it squealed like a pig. It was always fun scaring people!

[@chadharmon5716]

I was a kid when I went with my mom to buy her brand new 1983 Nissan Sentra I'll never forget it that thing took a beating

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

Near the end of a Successful Farming magazine tour through Europe in 1978 we reached Paris. I was only 11 years old but I quickly noticed that 1 out of every 2 vehicles on the Road was a LeCar. The French must have loved that car, though I’m not sure how reliable they were. Then fast forward to 1979 going to The Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota and the new Mustang and Capri looked to be 1 out of every 2 cars I saw.

[@DriveAndBeDriven]

How cool! I really like these Retro Edition reviews! It is just so interesting to see how cars have improved so much! I review cars today and some of the things on these cars would definitely not fly in modern cars today! Keep up the great work! -DriveAndBeDriven "The Quest To Record The Best!"

[@MatrixDiscovery]

Improved? Yes for some, but most of them have not really improved relatively speaking.

[@DriveAndBeDriven]

That is true, but to a certain extent. In some respects, I guess cars have improved since this time period but, in relative to other vehicles in it's class today some vehicles definitely lag behind. Also, cars of today especially in this class, which is now considered the sub-compact hatchback class, seem to be overly done with hard to the touch plastics and droning engines. After all, cars have changed quite a bit over the years as fuel economy and safety are being held to much higher standard than back then. Thanks for replying! -DriveAndBeDriven "The Quest To Record The Best!"

[@2dfx]

You know what doesn't fly in modern car reviews today? Anything negative or critical of the car. Too often the reviewers are just gushing over the car instead of giving an honest review because they don't want to hurt the manufacturers' feelings.

[@DriveAndBeDriven]

I have to admit, some reviewers are like that. They seem to feel bad for the dealer they are with or feel biased towards the manufacturer they are reviewing the car from. While others are the complete opposite. I personally don't feel bias towards any car company. I will always give my viewers honest and unbiased opinions. This is mainly because I want my viewers to make the right choice at the dealer. Thanks for commenting! -DriveAndBeDriven "The Quest To Record The Best!"

[@DrewLSsix]

2dfx. or... if you give negative reviews they stop providing cars and you lose your job....

[@jeffking4176]

This was pretty cool. I will be watching more of these "retro reviews " Thanks for posting

[@nutz4gunz457]

1982 was not a good year for cars.

[@alexsbikesandmotors]

there was the oil crisis and we were still recovering from those new emission laws of '75

[@theniceshort88]

Remember the .75 cents a gallon gasoline? 80's the decade to live.

[@emjayay]

75 cents in 1982 is $1.88 today.

[@MacTechG4]

Los Charlies Oh I 'member!

[@wrinkleneckbass]

I had a 1982 Mustang GT 5.0 and that was a fantastic car. Back then you could buy a new one fully loaded for less than $11k.

[@auxmike]

I had the Renault. Very cool, good looking car. Nice soft ride.

[@ICrane88]

i've always loved the opening theme to this show

[@mikeyveloster7615]

at 18:12 someone tried helping a little bit too much with washing the tires 😀

[@edgarbeat275]

I thought the spare tyre on the R5 lived under the bonnet!?! I nearly fell out of my parents R5 when going round a bend. Dad grabbing my jumper yanking me back in. Lol miss that car. Squishy roll car lol

[@TheOzthewiz]

@Edgar Beat You want a Squishy roll car? Check out the Citroen 2CV!

[@hutchcraftcp]

We had an 1982 LeCar 4 door and it had the spare wheel in the engine compartment. I don't know why the one in this video had it in the back.

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

@@TheOzthewiz my first car was a citreon AX...they were very 'leany' also.

[@randykroells8049]

I bought a brand new Nissan Pulsar when I was a GI in Germany and me and my friends took it all over Europe sometimes at full throttle ,it never quit till the Minnesota salt rotted it out.

[@pbfloyd13]

my mom had a Le Car back in the day...

[@davesoverthere]

I'm sorry.

[@pbfloyd13]

***** She actually liked it, she eventually sold it in the mid 90s when getting parts became to tough.

[@richardkaltenbach3961]

Thomas Booth I'm Not. I Feel Sorry For Those Limp Wristed JACKED UP PICKUP DRIVERS!

[@recoveringnewyorker2243]

pbfloyd13 Run? No!

[@thomassteely4130]

You should've added the Toyota starlet but I understand why you didn't. It would've destroyed the others. My mother had one for over 25 yrs. Had almost 400k on the odometer when she finally broke down and got a Camry. Great car and fine memories of all 5 of us squeezing into that little car

[@Abraxium]

Late 70's/early 80's interiors are just something special. Lots of oxblood colours, weird materials such as velour and weird details that make it look "grandma-y"

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

I bought a used 1983 Sentra station wagon with 5-speed manual transmission in 1990. It was very practical for camping trips and really did average over 40 mpg. I do not recall any quality control issues and it was amazingly quiet at 65 mph. I drove it about 6000 miles and sold it for what I paid for it. I would be glad to have it back. Too bad the Colt in this test did not have the 5-speed manual. I had a 1978 Dodge Colt station wagon with a 5-speed but it only got about 28 mpg. Hard to find any of these still on the road except for Rabbits, which are becoming collectible and fun & easy to modify. It would be rare to come across a LeCar......maybe someone will bring one to Jay's Garage with a 300 hp engine. 🙄

[@Clearanceman2]

My parents had a 1981 Escort and it was really fun to drive but it was a total POS too. But almost all cars were back then, especially American cars.

[@matthew794]

I like how they did reviews back then simple and informative. I also find them more enjoyable. Not so fake phony and happy.

[@Grit489]

I had a Dodge Omni with a five speed and that thing hauled ass !

[@artistnyc123]

Best looking and most comfortable, the LeCar, by far. Could also plow 3 feet of snow.

[@davidmorris7696]

Had a Le Car, loved the ground clearance, great seats, and reliable for me....but the rust!

[@copeland7225]

“First, from West Germany” That definitely a sentence you don’t hear every day

[@StefanBacon]

This colt review could be a review of my 2014 mirage. It's the only car that hasn't changed much since the 80s, they just made a few updates and improvements to keep it desirable and adjusted the price for inflation, but it still fits most if that description and that's a good thing.

[@omartinoco9930]

The Dodge/Mitsubish Colt seems to have thicker tires than the new mirage. Same diameter.

[@gadgetsgalore]

Please do these comparisons for current vehicles. I miss these in depth reviews you did.

[@dave3657]

I had a Plymouth Horizon with the VW engine and a 5-spd. It was a decent car for the price at the time.

[@stephenhill6003]

Best early late seventies/early eighties econobox, Ford Fiesta.

[@johnmurdoch3083]

Fiesta or festiva?

[@jendel42750]

Having worked for a used car dealer in the early '90s, I never had a chance to sample the Renault or (Mitsubishi) Dodge, but did the VW and Nissan. We had an '84 Rabbit that looked and drove great, and an '85 Sentra that we used as our utility vehicle. It was like the Millenium Falcon: it looked terrible, but drove AWESOME! Jim Rr, while I'm not doubting what you're saying that you sold many parts for the Rabbits back then, it is rather interesting to note that "Consumer Reports'" annual subscriber surveys reported much less problems in their Rabbits between 1982 and 1984. Does that mean the bulk of parts you sold were mainly for the '81 and earlier Rabbits? I'm not doubting what you're saying. I'm just curious to learn.

[@danielwoods404]

I'm really surprised they picked the look of the Colt over the Rabbit.

[@archonblaze]

Had that exact Colt but with a 5 speed gearbox, in the late 90’s. A very reliable car considering the age. It handled very well in city driving. The Astron 1600 engine seemed thirsty considering the capacity, but this may be my bias comparing it to 90’s cars of the time.