Top 10 CHEAPEST American Cars of the '90s!

[@stevescarsfish2175]

When you could afford to be poor

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

If you bought a used car, you'd show it off to your friends and be like: "Check out my new car!!😊"! When I bought my 2003 Saturn Ion 3 with factory equipped cassette, cd player, AND a/c, I called her My Cadillac!!😎😎

[@raymond_sycamore]

I drive a Pontiac Vibe I bought a couple years ago for $1,400. You can still afford it, just won't be a new car.

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

@@raymond_sycamore You got a keeper. I still see quite a few Vibes here in the Chicago Road Salt Belt. Plastic doesn't rust.

[@raymond_sycamore]

@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE the entire exhaust pipe has rusted out on it 🤣😂

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

@@raymond_sycamore N.p. Velasquez Mufflers & Brakes'll fix it!😎😎

[@thatoneguy6555]

My dad was at lowest of lows back in the 90s. His shitbox Subaru was totaled by a drunk driver and he had no car and no money to get a car. His dad came in and offered to get him a car and gave him 2 options: the Geo metro, or the ford festiva. My dad picked the festiva and started to get his life back together. Got better job, got married had kids and now he is set for life, and you could say it was thanks to the festiva.

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

My first Brand New car was a '91 Ford Escort Pony. The 1.9 SEFI Mazda engine is BulletProof. But watching videos of loyal Festiva owners, a piece of me wishes I had bought a First Generation (1986-92) Festiva. Some of their owners are eccentric in a good way.😎🤓 Please tell me your old man kept his??

[@thatoneguy6555]

@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE sadly he did get rid of it as do most people, but he did continue to buy econo cars like his 03 Corolla and then a Prius.

[@Userxxx840]

W dad

[@metalmike570]

Awwwwe, poor shitbox Subaru! Congrats to your Dad, a Cinerella story.

[@boogitybear2283]

Nice! Salute to Pops!

[@Bmovie5000]

I remember a newspaper ad in the 90’s for the Geo Metro. It showed a picture of the car and simply stated, “Hey, it’s better than taking the bus “. 😅

[@maxschlotter4596]

Lmao I’m not sure if you’re kidding or not 😂

[@maxschlotter4596]

Lmao I’m not sure if you’re kidding or not 😂

[@LegacyIvyTerascale]

you wont see an ad like that today all cowards now

[@DEEZEEMTB]

I had a friend that drove a Geo into the ground. Commuted 97 miles each way 5 days a week.

[@cmc5394oparva]

A buddy of mine bought one after some crazy chick he didn't want to date ended up setting his old car on fire in the parking lot at work. The Metro was actually an upgrade from the hooptie he was driving before, so the psycho ultimately did him a favor.

[@kellingtonlink956]

My Ex drove a ‘90 Pontiac Firefly (the non-turbo manual base model). Noisy, frustrating at times and oddly smelled funny… but enough about Her. The car was great. I (we) drove regularly from Toronto to Montréal. I’ve never had a better or seen another vehicle that used so little petrol. Probably around 45(?) miles per gallon - even when driven mildly aggressive. Oh yeah… She (the Ex again) was also aggressive too. Thanks for the video.

[@Hagebuddne983]

Lmao you got me in the first part.

[@InfiniteFacts18]

John 3 16-21! 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

[@mikefabbi5127]

I loved my Firefly too. Would make the trip from Kelowna to Edmonton on a teaspoon of gas

[@richardkaltenbach3961]

I Like The Name GEO METRO Better. I Never Understood Or Got Why The GEO METRO TURBO Was ILLEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES! Now The GEO METRO IS ILLEGAL IN CALIFORNIA AND WILL BE CONFISCATED BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL!!

[@100percentSNAFU]

If you were in high school and/or college in the 1990's, THESE are the cars you and your friends drove. I had two Escorts, an '88-1/2 (yes, the half year designation is important!) and the fancy new body '91 that i bought used in '96. I knew countless people with Cavaliers and Neons, and add to the list Shadow/Sundance (had one of them too), Grand Am, Corsica, Tempo, and even a few Chevettes still kicking around. My buddies girlfriend had a '94 Hyundai Excel, which was a weird one at the time because nobody had heard of Hyundai at the time. These were our rides. Fond memories. You don't see too many of any of these on the road any longer. When I was younger, my dad actually had an '80 Dodge Omni. Believe it or not it was somewhat revolutionary at the time being one of only a handful of domestic front wheel drive cars on the market, and we lived in the snow belt so winters were great trucking along in our Omni while everyone else with their giant RWD land yachts were digging their way out of snowbanks they drifted into 😂

[@justinkase1360]

My neighbor had a Metro when I was a kid, blue with plastic bumpers. One time I rode with him to the store, but we discovered that the underpass close to our house was significantly flooded. There was zero chance of us making it. However, he made sure I had my seatbelt on and hit the gas. We floated/skimmed right across the water to the other side. It was a brand new car at the time...but I guess it was cheap enough that he wasn't worried. There is something to be said about being light weight. I would love to see videos about the comparative weight of vehicles throughout the decades.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

What an interesting story man, thanks for sharing it

[@1337penguinman]

Light weight combined with front wheel drive means pretty much the entire weight of the car is on the drive axles. Which makes for great traction.

[@NikkiWrightVGM]

Still laugh at that scene in Vegas Vacation where the prize cars are a Viper, Hummer, Mustang, and for some reason an Aspire xD

[@tommysmith2719]

Truth

[@jlcii]

For those that "Aspired" to win an actual prize 😂

[@Project_Low_Expectations]

I never noticed that, but you’re right

[@NicholasTaylor-y4v]

haha right?? like why lol

[@InfiniteFacts18]

John 3 16-21! 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

[@Kwall4life]

My first brand new vehicle was a 1992 Ford Ranger XLT 4 cylinder with 2wd, power steering, power brakes and a 5 speed manual. I paid $7,200 for it.

[@hueyfreemaniii6214]

With todays market, it would probably be worth just as much today if it were very clean and sub 100k miles lol

[@john_barnett]

@@hueyfreemaniii6214 even adjusted for inflation it would be worth more

[@aaadamt964]

Ive been abusing those 2.3 5speed rangers since the late 90's. Off road toy, truck, gokart all in one.

[@metalmike570]

Now it's 58 grand!

[@tompotter5981]

I bought a 1992 Isuzu pickup with only a rear bumper for $6,600. I bought it in November of that year and the dealer wanted to get rid of it. I only replaced a headlamp and the fuel filter the whole time l owned it.

[@thomaslgoodwin3]

I owned TWO Geo Metros and had NO ISSUES!

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

I had a '95 Neon Highline with a 5-speed and hand crank roll-up windows. It was on 13" wheels. But it had a CD player, cruise control and air conditioning. And getting 40mpg wasn't unheard of with it if you drove it carefully enough. It was a good car.

[@100percentSNAFU]

Sounds pretty similar to my '91 Escort... although I had to install an aftermarket CD player myself, and it had A/C and cruise control but neither worked when I bought it used in '96 😂. It was great on gas and actually was very trouble free except for the odd issue of burning up headlamp and tail lamp bulbs, and the wonky automatic seatbelts that sometimes acted like they were possessed.

[@greggc8088]

I worked as a tech, and still do, back in the 90's and those 3 cylinder Geo Metro's got 50 mpg on the highway easy with 51-52 the norm. Funny story-Had a lady come in the shop with her 3 speed automatic Geo Metro complaining that it often wouldn't shift into high gear. The catch was that she weighed about 350-400 lbs and could barely get the door closed on her GEO. I mean she was huge. It wasn't easy telling her that her 3 cylinder was down shifting to second due to load. LOL

[@neal1964]

My mom had a Dodge Colt. No frills and certainly not fast, but a really reliable and solidly built car. I think the fact that she had the five-speed manual helped with the peppiness.

[@mattg7952]

My mom bought one too, an 87. The colt was a Mitsubishi rebadge. Thing never broke down and she had it until 00 when she leased a Tacoma.

[@justclassicglam]

I love that in the 90's, car companies cared about people enough to offer them affordable cars on the lot as well. Now-a-days, the cheapest new cars you can buy on the market will run you 20-25k minimum. Allowing people who are lower income to ALSO own their own brand new 0 milage cars without having to worry the previous owner didn't take care of it or that it would break down was something I wish we still cared about as a society, but it is all about money and making the top 1% rich family dynasties even richer.

[@Kwall4life]

@@justclassicglam government regulations drove up the price of vehicles the past 35 years. Some of those regulations are helpful (Airbags, antilock brakes, etc,) others not so much. Cheers

[@michaelw6277]

Right but there are a few cars available that compete with these for price, when adjusted for inflation. The difference between now and then is the lack of options… but because Nissan Versas aren’t exactly flying off the lot I’m guessing car manufacturers don’t care to compete in the space.

[@milesdyson]

Remember when you could get by on a full time job?

[@rickbackous1041]

You mean back in the day when everyone in the household didn't need their own bedroom, TV, computer, cell phone, play station, every app available, subscriptions to all forms of TV and went to a restaurant maybe a few times a year and didn't travel all over the place staying in hotels and eating out so your kids can play a basketball or baseball game. Yeah, I remember.

[@greggc8088]

@@rickbackous1041 💯

[@joeyjohnsonson4341]

@@rickbackous1041 a full time job today gets you a crappy 1 room apartment with no vacations or eating out. I think you've got it flipped

[@jacknasty6940]

Still can Sorry about you life

[@aquilinorodrigo]

Poor money management. My grandpa earned 7k (different currency) in the 80s, and rent was already 800 a month. How he managed it, I dont know. ​@@joeyjohnsonson4341

[@muddywater6856]

I still see more GEO metros on the road than all the others.

[@ugeballs]

I remember taking mine to a mechanic for a service. I got a phone call saying changing the spark plugs would cost me a fortune because the 4th must be underneath the engine. I explained its a 3-cylinder. The mechanic was stunned. LOL.

[@golfguy25]

I still see the 2nd gens quite frequently in Idaho.

[@silverxstar01]

Really? I never, ever see them. From this list, I definitely see the Saturn most.

[@muddywater6856]

@@silverxstar01 away from the rust belt, they last forever. Living in a remote area, they are popular for commuting. Cheap high fuel milage cars.

[@silverxstar01]

@@muddywater6856 I do live in the northeast, so that would explain it. Would be cool to see a Metro or two puttering around, but alas.

[@StinkzMehaff]

He never misses. Quality content as always

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks man!

[@ella71971]

i agree!!

[@catlover15301]

I had a 92 Geo Metro 4dr Automatic transmission AND AC. If you had 4 people in the car on the highway and were going up a hill, you needed to turn off the ac and floor it. Still would lose about 10mph. 65 to 55 at the top. I usually got mid 30s MPG. But the best was on a trip to MN, going through Chicago doing 75 to 80MPH (you would get run over if you didn't) I averaged a little over 40mpg. It was a fun little car. Tires were 155 sr 12.

[@tall_dude1233]

I know it's not in this list, but I remember when Kia Rio's first came around in 2001. They were $9999 in 2001. Under $10,000 for a new car. Although it was the last car with MANUAL steering.

[@behindthewolfseyes]

My frugality-driven uncle bought one of these as a daily and raved about the mileage. He put over 45 thousand aggressive miles on it in a year and it was starting to rattle a bit. Unc hit a dog doing about 30mph and totaled the car. It was undrivable, with a cracked windshield and some impressive crumpling of the front end. The dog , a cocker spaniel, survived with a moderate limp and left the scene under their own power.

[@metalmike570]

Kia's sister company is Hyundai and they're first hit was the Excel. It deserves to be on the list but anyways, it could definitely be number 11. I had one and I won't forget it.

[@BlueMax717]

I remember when Kia had a “buy one get one free” special. You bought a higher end Kia and you got the 2nd car free. It was the cheapest car they had. No power windows. No extras or anything but you got a free car

[@metalmike570]

@@BlueMax717 Good incentive!! That could be the answer to selling today's ridiculously priced vehicles.

[@hueyfreemaniii6214]

The economy sucks so bad now that I still drive a cheap 90s econo shit box

[@Brian-yk5kx]

Bro I would love to have a 90 econo shitbox. My 06 Ram v6 is reliable and simple but not economical

[@kameronmckinnon5527]

I love my 99 Tercel, cheap to repair run and gets decent mpg will having enough power to go up a hill lol

[@hueyfreemaniii6214]

@@kameronmckinnon5527 I got a 99 Mitsubishi Mirage so I’m barely getting up those hills lol

[@miket.220]

Fix it and baby it, the lack of tech in that car is a BIG advantage.

[@member57]

Wishing I could find one...

[@markmartindale7215]

I bought a 1991 Geo Metro convertible (yellow!) new. That car was a blast to drive! No mechanical problems during the nine years and 100K+ miles I put on the odometer. Had it until I collided with a red-light runner on my way home from the supermarket. ❤d that little ride! Averaged about 40 mpg consistently.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Man, how well did the Metro protect you?

[@markmartindale7215]

@@GreenHawkDrive it was a low-speed impact. I came out unscathed. It actually had airbags! Given the age and mileage on the Metro, it was a total loss.

[@raymond_sycamore]

they're never going to give us cheap cars again. They don't want us driving, honestly.

[@Hagebuddne983]

Rightfully so.

[@My_Old_YT_Account]

>You vill own nothing and you vill be happy

[@mf.danger9235]

The entire american infranstructure is built on the notion that everyone would be driving. Sprawling suburbs, cities hours away, no amtrak, even in sprawling metropolises in the westcoast you need a car. The only viable cities you dont need a car are old east coast cities that were built around horses and buggies. Dont get me started about canada, its worse.

[@raymond_sycamore]

@@Hagebuddne983 gfu

[@raymond_sycamore]

@@mf.danger9235 I WANT A CAR. why do all you socialists dream of not driving?

[@marcelgaud]

I've owned Geo Metro's from '95, till 2020.. They were GREAT little cars, (for what they were). The power out of those 3 little squirrels .....wow, was TREMENDOUS! For around town, they were great. On one of mine that I had found, an XFI transmission, had it rebuilt, installed, from Phoenix, to Yuma, Az, I got 74.6 miles per gallon, doing 68mph, with a slight headwind of about 7mph. Going from Yuma, to San Diego sucked though , at times, I had to downshift into 3rd gear (from 5th), because of the slight power.

[@nottiification]

Agreed, the Metro was a fantastic little car. It was roomy inside too. They must've anticipated people complaining about that, because it had tons of headroom & the front seats slid wayyy back into the back seat. I'm a tall guy, the Metro was one of the only cars I've ever had that i didnt have to run the seat all the way back to the stops.

[@HaveGunWillTravel00]

Right after H.s. graduation, my family gifted me a brand new 90 Hyundai Excel hatchback. 90 horsepower and had the nerve to put an economy button on it(which made it even slower)! I tinted it out and luckily, it was the beginning days of big sound systems. I put 2 12's in the hatch and got all kinds of attention lol. My buddy had a metro hatch stick shift. He blew his motor and we practically pulled the motor out without an engine hoist. My back still gives me problems to this day. 😂

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

In 1991 my now ex-g'friend bought what I call the Geo Metro station wagon (5-door hatch). People don't believe me when I say she could spin the tires on takeoff. She drove like red lights and stop signs were suggestions.😯

[@metalmike570]

I don't know why they don't make these again.

[@metalmike570]

@@HaveGunWillTravel00 Th Excel was Hyundai's first hit in the USA. One of the cheapest and strongest little cars, I had one too. The only thing was mine needed a wheel alignment, it was pulling badly to the right. So what does my wife do, she ran it up the curb and hits a pole!! Totalled. She was okay but was shook up of course. These days she drives a Hyundai Tucson, a million times better.

[@danielreigada1542]

The base Escort was a Pony, keeping in line with all of the "horse/cowboy" type names in Ford history. The Mustang, the Pinto, the Bronco, the Maverick, etc.

[@metalmike570]

Did you know that Hyundai Excels were popular then, and should have been on the list. Hyundai says the Excels overseas were called Pony too.

[@danielreigada1542]

@@metalmike570 I *think* that the Hyundai Pony was rear wheel drive and sold in Canada but not here in the USA. The Excel was the model sold here in the USA and was front wheel drive.

[@metalmike570]

@@danielreigada1542 Yet in Canada in would definitely need FWD. Yet you could be right, but I never heard it was rear wheel drive outside of the USA.

[@izntmac]

The stripped version of the Pinto in the late 1970s and 1980 was called the Pinto Pony. That is where Ford originally used the Pinto name.

[@solitaire5142]

I had a `95 Saturn SL-1. Great car, I loved it!

[@maxschlotter4596]

Finally I found a channel that uses model/trim specific photos . Great video, just subscribed!

[@mcarlkv53]

bought a brand new cavalier in 1990...2.2 4 cylinder engine, 99hp....it had no power brakes or power steering, no radio, no A/C, roll up windows,etc...brand new it was $8600...loved it! it was durable and dependable...never had a problem!

[@dupe3d]

$500 cars were my jam, those days are gone. An unloved Honda, $4-600, put a few more hundred into it, great vehicle for a year. I do miss those’d days.

[@SkylineFTW97]

They can still be had, I've done it twice this year alone. Bought a 2009 Hyundai Accent base model (3 door hatch, manual transmission , manual everything) for $375 at an auction. Didn't crank, but it bump started and drove off the lot. I bump started it exclusively for about a week until the starter I ordered arrived ($70 or so, I did the labor myself). Ended up spending a weekend fixing it up and flipping it. And I bought another one just yesterday, a 1996 Infiniti G20 base 5 speed. Got this one even cheaper, $300 at the same auction. And this one allegedly runs and drives. It will need work of course, but all cheap cars do. Back in 2019, I dailyed a 1994 Honda Civic EX 5 speed coupe I bought for $250. It had 273,000 miles, countless dents, a rebuilt title, a tendency to burn oil, and an unresponsive fuel gauge, but it ran like a clock. Even with me treating it like a rally car on my pizza delivery runs. I miss that car.

[@joeyjohnsonson4341]

@@SkylineFTW97 What auctions do you go to? Doesn't sound like you've got a dealer's license?

[@SkylineFTW97]

@@joeyjohnsonson4341 No dealer's license. Only local public and police auctions that anyone with a driver's license can attend

[@SShowkeen]

I just happened upon your video and I was thrilled to see the entirety of it with a smile. I remember driving a Dodge Neon back in 2003. This video brought back memories. Thanks for making it. Very, very informative!

[@geraldscott4302]

In 1993 I bought a brand new base model Chevy S-10 pickup (real pickup, 2 doors, long bed) I did get the 2.8L V6 engine, I needed a bit more power than the 2.5L four. But I could have gotten a 4.3L V6, and chose not to. The 2.8L has been just fine. I also got air conditioning. I live in Phoenix, AZ, where it is 110 degrees 5 months of the year. That's it. Not a single other option. It has a manual 5 speed transmission. It came with an AM radio standard. It came with 14" steel wheels and dog dish hub caps, which it still has. I have added a rear bumper and a sliding rear window. I paid under $9000 OTD. I lucked out by getting the 1993. Not only does the original body style look much better than the 1994 Japanese style body, but I got the last year before airbags and ABS. I still have this truck, with 277,000 miles on it. I have replaced the clutch once. It still runs fine. Being in AZ, it has zero rust. I will replace the engine, transmission, whatever it takes to keep this truck going. I absolutely love it. All of the cars in this video is what we desperately need today. They are just normal cars, without all the TRASH technology of the GARBAGE car companies are making today. It is amazing, and downright scary just how far downhill vehicles have gone in such a short time.

[@BassRacerx]

Japanese body style???

[@geraldscott4302]

@@BassRacerx The first gen S-10 is very square. The second gen (1994 and up) is very rounded, and at least to me has a very Japanese look to it.

[@fitnessprobably]

You gonna sell it?😏

[@geraldscott4302]

@@fitnessprobably I will never sell it. I am going to drive it for the rest of my life. I may even wind up doing a V8 conversion on it.

[@Gilgie101]

I got ripped off. I bought a 94 S-10 in 93 for $9200. No air, no radio, no antenna, no rear bumper, 4 cyl. It was in the shop 6 times the first year. By the end of the first year, it had the engine replaced twice and transmission replaced under warranty. After a few more trips to warranty the second year, it started to not need to go to the shop as much. It got really good gas mileage until they changed the gas formula in IL in 98(I think). Went from 30H 25C to 24H 19C. Replaced it with a 2002 Dodge Durango(also basest model) and loved that one to death til a couple years ago.

[@vwkaferman]

Yay neon made the list! My super clean 99 R/T sits in the garage, former Auto X playcar. They might have been throw away cars but they had guts for the day. So much so they dominated in SCCA racing for a good amount of time.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

That’s awesome you still have one

[@peachyclean93]

That's awesome I loved my neon!

[@larrysutton925]

Chrysler actually made an SRT version of the Neon...it was a pretty fast little car!

[@vwkaferman]

Drove the R/T to work today. Came back with a note on the car, dude has an Iceman intake and other parts. Lol awesome. I love/hate driving it. So much fun to drive, knuckleheads on the road not so much.

[@GuitarAudiologist]

My first car was a '93 Festiva L 5-speed. I mowed lawns all summer and bought it in 1997 for $700, with 40K on the clock and in great condition. (Shows how much the value depreciated in 4 years!) It was bare-bones, no AC, no options, no passenger mirror, and if I remember correctly, it had 12-inch tires. They cost about $100 to replace all 4! I made a lot of good memories in that little car though. It taught me how to drive a stick, and I let several friends learn on it too. We'd pile into that thing regularly, and take it to the woods and beat the hell out of it! Reverse-donuts in the sand, and it was nimble on trails. If we got stuck, it was light enough that we'd all get out and just lift it out of the holes! At one point I even put a killer stereo in it with subs in the back, as we all did back then. It lasted me about 2 years until all my abuse caught up with it. In the end at 70K, it was leaking 2 quarts of oil per hour from the rear main seal, and the clutch was shot, surely due to red-lining it racing dirt tracks and other dumb stuff a 16 year old does. Limping it to the junkyard, I stopped by a yard sale, and I ended up trading it for a stereo and $50. My next car was an '87 Crown Victoria, and I LOVED that car. If I were to buy one car again, it would be the Crown Vic. It was like driving a Lazy-Boy on a cloud.

[@bobcantstandzyobitz9778]

Those were fun cars. My friend had one. We drove the heck out of it. It had 400,000 miles when he sold it.

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

My 17 year old does all that crap in his 2013 kia rio with 300k miles. Although his driving worries me, it makes me smile knowing he has so much fun.

[@100percentSNAFU]

Lol, my buddy had a '92 Vic. We called it the couch, because yes it felt like cruising around on a living room couch. It has been his grandma's car, and after a few years of abuse it wasn't used to, it threw a rod and met an untimely demise 😂

[@jamestoepfer7601]

My first car was a 1990 Ford Festiva L. Dad bought it brand new and handed it down to me my senior year in high school. 1.3L I-4, 5 speed manual. No power steering, no power windows, no power seats, no A/C, and no passenger side mirror, but had those badass automatic seat belts. Radio was a dealer option. That car was a tank, and was nearly indestructible. Survived my teenage driving habits like a champ.

[@bobcantstandzyobitz9778]

My piano teacher had a Ford Escort and my friend's father had a Ford Festiva. The Festiva lasted 400,000 miles, and was a manual. When we learned to drive, we revved the heck out of that and drove it like we were trying to break it (to clarify, he bought the car from his father as a second vehicle, so we weren't beating up his dad's car ). It was actually quite peppy. He sold it for 600 dollars after we were done playing around with it.

[@sniklaceladelyk]

My parents bought an '89 LeMans LE, brand new, right before my dad got stationed in Germany. It was the sedan version, not sure about the engine but that little guy would handle the autobahn on the regular without issue. In fact, I don't remember it ever having any major mechanical issues the 6 years we had it.

[@metalmike570]

Maybe it had the V6. Not that small of a car.

[@sniklaceladelyk]

@@metalmike570 it was a sub-compact. Plenty for myself (4-8) and my baby brother (0-4) in the back seat, but it was still not a big car. I don't think it ever came in a V6 though. It wasn't exactly "quiet" on the autobahn, but it handled it beautifully. I'm sure my dad picked it because of it's European/Korean roots, and since we were moving to Europe finding a mechanic wouldn't have been much trouble. He also bought an old brown colored manual 3-series to get around in so my mom could have the LeMans at home for us. THAT car is probably responsible for my love of cars and speed to be honest lol

[@metalmike570]

@@sniklaceladelyk Interesting, then what do you drive now?

[@sniklaceladelyk]

@@metalmike570 I daily a '15 Accord but I have an old Audi TT that's my toy. Stage 3 clutch/flywheel and upgraded cooling with an overboosted turbo.

[@metalmike570]

@@sniklaceladelyk Audi's are luxurious, at least that's what I think I see, it sounds fast. Is it a manual transmission?

[@Bhaerts]

The Pontiac/Daewoo was a rebadged European Opel Kadett. Fun to watch. Thank you.

[@RV-ed3ky]

Yeah. The Fords in the video are actually Mazdas, and the Geo Metro is a Suzuki Swift.

[@davidjackson2524]

5:50 Ford Escort, not to be confused with the European Ford Escorts, a slightly different car.

[@danielbilorian2243]

More than slightly

[@Timico1000]

@@danielbilorian2243 Almost completely.

[@KRAMITDFROG]

Let's put this in perspective, though. Using 1994 as a basis since you mentioned that during the Cavalier segment, the average new car cost roughly $19K. That's $42K today. By comparison, you are looking at $48K today, but you're getting way more car and that figure is pushed up by all the expensive EVs, pickups, and SUVs flying off dealers' lots. I mean, we're talking Saturns with one mirror here. Things weren't necessarily any cheaper. Minimum wage was $4.25. In 1996,, I remember I was making $5/hour wearing a shirt and tie to work as a pharmacy tech. They gave me an extra $0.50 because I had a degree in Chemistry. Just some perspective for those thinking things are so dire nowadays because they're told that by the Internet.

[@realityawayfromreality3494]

Things may actually be more expensive these days though. The cost to maintain a car that is full of technological advancements to 200,000 miles is a lot higher than for these simple, often manually transmitted, non turboed, non gdi motored vehicles of yesteryear. The cars displayed in this video have about as much tech as your average riding lawnmower has today. And cost of ownership has a whole lot more to it than how much the dealer charged you for it. Interest rates for vehicles are higher than I remember from the nineties as well. If I remember correctly, Ford, GM, or Chrysler, would give you credit for next to nothing if you weren't an idiot with money.

[@arieljones4595]

You are correct. The Mitsubishi Mirage is a great example. When you adjust the old cars for inflation, they aren't much cheaper. Then take into account all the features the new car has, the fact that it has to achieve better emissions, has to meet stricter safety requirements, etc., I'd say it's a bargain. Now, you could argue that it's the only car in it's class left, but there were many other cheap small hatchbacks just a few years ago. Consumers are also to blame. Believe me, if those hatchbacks were flying off the shelves they'd still make them. They stopped because EVERYONE NEEDS a crossover, which are inherently larger and cost more.

[@TommyMG96]

I have a 94 Chevy Cavalier, 75k miles runs great, 1 previous owner, got it at 46k driven 30k miles with no issue besides a water pump replacement. I got a Base Coupe too!

[@stickynorth]

This video really brings me back since my mom owned a Chevy Cavalier, a Dodge Colt, A Dodge Omni and for a while leased a Pontiac Firefly... So basically most of the 90's when we had wheels it was in one of these cars on the list... She also wanted to buy a Ford Aspire but her credit wasn't good so we probably dodged a bullet/lemon with that one!

[@stickynorth]

And for the record the Pontiac Firefly/Geo Metro here in Canada got around 50 MPG highway and it was super cheap to run since gas at the time was about 39.9/L or $1.30/gallon CAD or under $1.00 USD/gallon at the time... This was 1994/1995...

[@bokesnmokes]

I don't know if I've ever seen one of your videos before, but I have to say I LOVED AMC! I was stationed at the Great Lakes Navy base when I was a young lad just out of high school and brand new in the military and me and my buds had finished training and were all leaving to go to our first ships but first we went up to Kenosha for the weekend because one of our best bros was marrying a girl from there and we were all going to be in the wedding. Long story short he knew what an AMC nut I was and they made sure to drive me down that road! We were all half lit so I was cheering and stomping my feet all excited because I was checking out the factory where my Rambler and Hornet were made. We all got out and danced a little jig under that bridge-tunnel-overpass thing. Man it was awesome. In the years since I've had another Hornet - a Sportabout wagon, in fact, which was the absolute most reliable used car I've ever owned, and a Jeep J-10 pickup truck with the Honcho trim package which I LOVED! I tell ya man, I check on Google every now and then and if I found a good priced Hornet or Pacer in decent shape I just might get me one more AMC before I rock off into the sunset! 😊

[@robjones8733]

Cool story! Good times man!

[@bc5441]

Great video! I agree that it was difficult sometimes to tell how Dodge and Plymouth stacked up. It did seem that Plymouth was the entry-level brand, but looking back to the 60s, Plymouth had muscle car pretenses before Dodge, or at about the same time. And if Plymouth was the entry-level marque, it puzzled me as to why it was in the same division and sold at the same dealerships as Chrysler, the premium offering-except that it gave Chrysler dealers a way to sell to first-time buyers. Dodge dealers had vehicles of every size. As for the Colts and Neons, I think they were priced the same whether badged as Dodges or Plymouths. Apparently it had been determined that the brand nameplate was less important thing in the buyer’s mind. Back in the 70s the Mitsubishi captive imports (Plymouth Sapporo and Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Champ and Dodge Colt) were priced the same and differed in trim and colors. Omnis/Horizons and Aries/Reliants were probably priced the same also.

[@joaquinpinon2872]

Thanks for the great content. I remember those days with a smile on my face. How far we have come. Keep up the good work

[@sorenm6610]

The cavalier is such a fun little car. Easy to drive, basic but sporty (super easy to break into, thankful for the dozens of times i've locked myself out), and just cool

[@100percentSNAFU]

Yugo. Yugo to the Yugo dealership, then a few months later, Yugo to the scrapyard 😂😂😂

[@jcarr0314]

I owned 3 first generation Saturns We also went to the Homecoming in Tennessee summer of 1999 😅

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Right on man! Didn’t they make a special edition for that event?

[@jcarr0314]

@@GreenHawkDrive yeah that had special wheels and black background Saturn emblems instead of red

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

Dude!! ANY First Gen. Saturn I consider to be a museum piece, now!!

[@pacemoccasin439]

It’s just something so special about those first gen Saturns man. Perfect combo of cost, efficiency, reliability and drivability

[@ProJanitor]

I actually spotted a neon this week being worked on at a local mechanic shop.

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

ChicagoLand Road Salt killed all the ones around here.☹

[@ProJanitor]

@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE the last time I saw one before this week was easily two decades ago. Very rare car to find indeed.

[@peachyclean93]

​@@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDEthat's what killed mine!

[@SkylineFTW97]

I had a 1998 Dodge Neon R/T. Even as a Honda guy, I love the 1st gen Neons.

[@nickgee7291]

I love that you and me have the same taste and interest for cars in the era. My first car was a brand new from Mitsubishi Blainville , 2016 Mirage base es manual with no options for $8995 CAD

[@fehlrock]

My dad bought my mom a 1971 Dodge Dart swinger special. Beautiful gold metallic, power steering, power brakes, slant 6 automatic trans. NO RADIO. Over 20 mpg. It would blow the doors of any Datsun or Toyota. Inexpensive wonderful car 😉

[@amamey1]

Memory lane! My first car was a ‘91 Ford Festiva L. My sister and I both learned to drive on that car. Dad got it for $4,995 with a trade-in. It had something like a 9-gallon gas tank, so it was ~$10 to fill it from dead empty. It was a perfect rectangle inside and had amazing acoustics…we have a huge sound system in the truck for a number of years. Lasted 13 years, finally gave it up after our 4th set of wheel bearings seized. Absolutely loved that car!

[@ChrisSpatz]

Don't forget the Shelby GLH Omni(Goes Like Hell) model

[@johnjones393]

The last GLHS was produced in 1986. Even though the Omni made it to 1990, the GLHS did not so it shouldn't be included on this list.

[@ChrisSpatz]

@johnjones393 Was still on the Omni chassis and they went thru the trim levels of the cars it should have still been mentioned. Imo

[@metalmike570]

@@johnjones393 Hyundai Excels weren't on the list and I think it's an oversight. It's an American car im my opinion.

[@ChrisSpatz]

@metalmike570 my sister had 1, 2 door hatchback fugly thing so she had the windows double limo tinted cause it was like being in a fish bowl inside that thing. 1st year she had also think was like a 91' she had. Hyundai has come a loooong way

[@victorm3237]

I had a 1990 Cavalier Z24, it was an amazing fun car to drive!

[@raymond_sycamore]

I miss the days of a cheap escort. I got quoted $2,000 for a half hour last time I inquired. I just beat it instead.

[@milesdyson]

So you opted for a Suzuki swift?

[@the_kombinator]

LMAO

[@raymond_sycamore]

@@milesdyson I'm turning Japanese I am turning Japanese

[@SupaEMT134]

This was an awesome video! Can uou please make a video about cars drom the 1990s? I'd definitely enjoy it

[@suspeh]

Man i love econoboxes, i miss econoboxes, well, in latam, You can still buy/get some. chevy Kadett 🥰

[@WooHoo-itsGaryGnu]

I had a 1986 Escort Pony... It had 4 speed manual, A/C and a tape deck... I was living Large at 16... That hting lasted in our family for 200k miles with one clutch replacement, and 1 alternator and a water pump. It went from me, to my sister in 1988 when I bought my Mustang LX 5.0, My sister drove it until she was 24, then it went to our cousin, she drove it until 1999, it then went to her brother who drove it and killed it in 2002. It was well maintained, minimal rust even being an upstate/central NY vehicle. was great on gas and a fun budget car. Of course as moved to my cousin she started stickering it up and doing some crazy tacky interior mods, to her brother painting it flat black, cutting the springs down and putting much wider wheels and tires on it. IIRC he also fitted a turbo on it at one point, but the one thing none of them touched was the modified audio system I put in it back in 1988 before I got my mustang, the only thing switched out was the head unit so it could have a CD player. That thing was not killable! Even when my cousin blew the headgasket he had it in the driveway pedal mashed to the floor temp gauge peaked and it never blew up, he ended up draining the oil and filling it with a mix of gasoline and water and then floored it for 10 minutes and it went Kaboom. The Escort was known as a TIMEX, took a licking and kept on ticking.

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

I hate to tell you Generation Y & Z'ers this but All of the manufacturers charged extra for passenger-side mirrors on base models WELL into the 80's and early 90's. Even Honda and Toyota. Exceptions probably included Cadillacs, Lincolns, LTD Crown Victorias, and the like. Because back then you Still had to check your blind spot. As such they weren't seen as essential equipment. I DO remember they were optional on late 70's and early 80's Caprices and Impalas. In defense of the First Generation (1981-90) Escorts, there were composite/halogen headlights added in 1985 and another refresh in 1988.😎🤓And in Chicago, if your car had air conditioning AND a cassette player, you were KING Of The WORLD!!😊

[@RomanJockMCO]

Great times!

[@Timico1000]

Same in Europe! Passenger mirrors were an option on most base models (even Audi, BMW and Mercedes) as they weren't mandatory until the late 80s.

[@bc5441]

It’s strange that even BIG cars once had a drivers-side mirror only.

[@Maximus20778]

Wym hate to tell us?

[@U.S.S.SOUTHSIDE]

@@Maximus20778 Well I mean I hate to bust y'all's bubble. A LOT of what's standard equipment on a car today wasn't so in the 90's and even a radio with only AM reception was standard on an '03 Saturn Ion 1. I bought the 3.

[@jameswalsh6131]

Excellent video Greenhawk! I never owned any of these but I do remember the Escort GT and how good it looked. It's amazing to me that the base level prices parallel the current base models. Of course those are so well equipped to those rides back in the day. I would love to see your 80s comparison even if you don't get 5,000 likes but I sure hope that you do!

[@fredschriks8554]

Pontiac Le Mans looks quite good. Just an Opel Kadett.

[@autochatter]

but built under licsence by Daewoo

[@the_kombinator]

I'm surprised it didn't make it here. Then again, I'm the only one with a Daewoo Matiz in Canada ;)

[@Steve-gc5nt]

​@@the_kombinator The Matiz is a great econobox. We had one here in the UK and it was a ballsy little car.

[@the_kombinator]

@@Steve-gc5nt Last time I went to Romania, it seemed that like 40% of the country ran on those ;)

[@Timico1000]

@@the_kombinator It was. I´m not canadian, but i read somewhere that for a short period GM sold some of its cheaper models under the "Asuna" (or Asüna) brand in Canada. The Le Mans / Kadett / whatever was sold as the Optima or Passport Optima.

[@member57]

Not a 90s model, but owned in the 90s, a 1986 Cavalier Z24 Hatchback. One of the few cars I would take back in an instant.

[@lucwolf1]

In Canada we had the Pontiac Fire Fly. It was a dressed up Geo Metro. I put 91,000 miles on it and never replaced anything except the tires. I put a little set of white walls on it. Pretty dressed up. It was a lot of fun. It would go 87 mph with the top up, and 84 with the top down. It had no backseat. There was a passway from behind the driver seat into the trunk, and if two people sat on the floor facing backwards they could put their feet into the trunk. I had a lot of fun with that car. You could not pass anything in it on a two lane roads or death was near. Where I live is very flat, so driving was not a problem, but once I went on a road trip that had a few mountains in it and with the accelerator pedal to the floor and the transmission in second gear there was a huge line of cars behind me. Very embarrassing. I’d buy another one tomorrow if I could.

[@Erebus-PCFX]

Man, the Saturn SL still looks incredible tobay. A sleek, aerodynamic & no-nonsense body style with the really good Saturn-designed 4-cylinder engine. It would certainly be my pick, even above the super cool base Neon. The 90's were such a nice era...

[@juliangrcuffini]

In the '90s in my country (Italy) you could get a Panda or a Cinquecento (the squared one) without the right side mirror, and I thought it was crazy; to be honest, I didn't expect the same choice from an american car company

[@Hetzer508]

I currently drive an Escort wagon, although mine is a ‘98, and an SE with some options. I love how simple it is, drives like a little go cart, good on gas, and does everything I need it to.

[@averyparticularsetofskills]

Ive sold cars for a long time now and no matter HOW much the cost goes up for vehicles over the years, 70% of people STILL look to have the same monthly payment they did 20yrs ago .... "I want my payments to be $250 ... $300 MAX" 😂 Never fails ! ( btw i pay 275 a month for mine )😐

[@xcaret-ns3pb]

😂😂😂👍👍

[@joeyjohnsonson4341]

You can have that payment... you'll just have it for a whole lot longer

[@helloish12321]

I owned a 1990 Ford Festiva in 2017. Bought for $450 at 305k miles. The best car I have ever had. It was so kind to me. Cheap to run at near 50mpg highway. Cheap to insure. Cheap to repair. You could haul anything in that trunk. Control arms were $12.50 on rock auto and I remember using a $10 timing belt on its non interference engine. I bought new 12 inch tires for $32 a piece. The headlights were made of glass! I miss it often and it was running great when I sold it. Great credit to Mazda for the design of that car and Kia for the manufacture. It was truly a rock solid car. Ford can KMA.

[@dustinknuckles4090]

I had an SL2 Saturn with the five speed. It was not a speed demon but it was a fun car and I got $350,000 mi out of it all original.

[@xltoffroadbear]

I really enjoy these videos! I've driven most of these and owned an 88 Festiva! My Dad owned a Cavalier, sister owned an 87 Escort. I loved my Festiva! My sister paid $7300 for her Escort and I paid $6800 for my Festiva. For perspective, in 1990 I paid $13k for a Mustang LX with 5.0 and in 1994 I paid $13k for an S-10 SS. Funny enough I currently own a Chevy Trax 2RS, fully loaded $27k .

[@ateam8083]

I had an neon acr 4 door Custer purple car that ran 13's all day in the quarter mile

[@the_kombinator]

Considering I got a Hyundai Pony to run a 15.8 at St Thomas, I believe it. :P

[@AnthonyParrilloRI]

I appreciate the time you put into the top 10 videos. They really are great, but nothing wrong with the more focused ones.

[@superchargedautism7693]

My 84 Corolla 87 Chevy Nova 91 Civic wagon and 96 Tercel all didn't have passenger mirrors it was popular on base model economy cars of the time. Tbh I'm shocked my yugo has a factory passenger mirror.

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

Yeah, the poverty-spec Civic (the CX hatchback) was offered without a passenger-side mirror even in the 5th generation model, from 1992 to ‘95. I had a ‘96 CX but it did have the mirror. Base models were sold without radios well into the ‘00s, I recall seeing an ‘06 Civic DX with a blank panel in the space where the stereo headunit would be, so you’d have to opt for a dealer-installed unit or aftermarket.

[@stephengiannone5449]

Motorweek! Love watching the retro reviews.

[@alexlane6522]

Was fortunate to be poor and experience the drive of nearly all of these automobiles lol

[@bobjakubik4381]

Thanks for this! Had me thinking about my two door 87 Plymouth Sundance 😊 and the whole Chrysler K Car era. Good times!

[@JM-gz8me]

The cars of today are forced to meet mandatory safety standards as a result they weigh twice as much as our beloved death traps of the 90s. But honestly I much prefer the death traps. I miss the carefree days before cellphones. People often said about my festiva being a death trap and I said I didn’t buy it for safety I bought it because I liked it. Safety should be a choice made by the consumer not our government.

[@anthonyrowland9072]

A new Miata is only a little bit heavier than the original while also being a much nicer car. You can keep weight down if you want to, they usually don't though...

[@marksweather]

I remember my brand new 1993 2 door Chevy Cavalier well! I got it for just under $10,000. No AC, it did have power door locks, roll down windows. I added a Sunroof (used to love taking that out), and added a massive AMP and Subwoofers in the back. I put over 140,000 miles before trading up to a 1998 Ford Ranger.

[@07Sandia]

Bought the Dodge Neon brand new first year. Horrible car. What didn't break? You don't see them today because they were known for head gasket failure . Had a friend that bought the brand new Festiva in 1990 - so much fun - zero options. The most plain car imaginable. About the same as a VW Bug but reliable.LOL!

[@peachyclean93]

That's weird my sister had a 95 the year that they came out and never had a problem with it! I had a neon for 11 years best car I've ever owned! Sounds like you didn't take care of it!

[@07Sandia]

@@peachyclean93 That's the odd thing - it was my first new car and I was so proud of it - it was even that cool strawberry color, 2 door. The computer went out twice, then the passenger door automatically locked while open and we could pry the lock open so had to drive to the dealer with passenger holding the door, then out of the blue the master cylinder failed and I almost ran over a dog. Luckily my uncle owned the dealership so I traded it in for a Miata. It was only 2 years old and in perfect shape. They told me an older guy bought it and never had any issues at all. Maybe it was possessed - it sure didn't like me.

[@adamtrombino106]

To this day, my 96 Neon was the worst car I've ever owned. Everything you could think of failed or just plain broke, besides the a/c and the transmission. When it ran, it got good mileage and pretty good power for a base model, but once the warranty ran out, I dumped it. That being said, I took care that car above and beyond. Maybe it was built on a Monday..

[@michaelelmore5103]

I had a 89 Escort ES I bought new in 89. I remember getting it for 7500 bucks. I really liked it. It did good in snow and got really good gas mileage. I remember alot of these cars you showed. I remember looking at a Suzuki Swift GTi back in 89. Don't remember what the price was,but found out it was what the Geo Metro was. Except it had a 16 valve 4 cylinder versus the Geo Metro 3 cylinder engine. Another reason you don't find too many cars pre 2000s is because of the "Cash for Clunkers" deal the government put out to get rid of older fuel inefficient cars and trucks. Always wanted to get a Neon SRT4 or a Rampage 2.2. Great video!👍

[@gamewizardks]

Yes! My wife and I purchased a brand new 1994 Cavalier right after we married. When you said that chances are you might know somebody who did, you were right about that.

[@Back2BasicsUS]

“It’s a ford…it’s a Festiva!” Still remember that commercial lol My first car in 1993 was an 1986 Plymouth Horizon. Was a great first car and I drove the wheels off it for 2 years. Water pump went late one night on the side of 95 in north Philly and it was 12° out (so no heat and then it eventually blew up and I had to get towed home). But other than that, never had an issue with it. Sold it to some kid in my neighborhood and saw it around for years after that.

[@Spnlgrl1985]

The first car I bought when I got a decent paying job was my red '91 Chevy Cavalier RS 4 door sedan, and it was so nice. It was so exciting to get my own car and I still have great and fond memories of that car!

[@travislivengood7443]

Grew up with Festiva L in the house. I recall loving that little box and going on road trips in it. I also recall it having zero issues. Ever.

[@SavageHungarian]

One of my good friends got a Geo Metro stick (manual transmission) back in '93. Probably rode home from school with her a couple hundred times in that car. MPG was a huge thing in the early 90s so she actually kept track. I remember she regularly got over 50mpg. It was slow and gutless but it could drive forever!

[@hothatchpa]

Oh man Festiva over Metro any day. Festiva as you probably know, was a Mazda. These little things were like go carts! They turned on a dime and were zippy in a manual in the first couple of gears. The engines just went and went. These far outlasted the Metro and had more fun doing it.

[@BlueEmberDarkHorse]

I like when Carroll Shelby got a hold of those Dodge Omnis and the Chargers....the GLH and the GLHS!...I've seen these things built that they would just burn the front tires off!....the aftermarket is pretty strong for these cars too!

[@christopherbowen1836]

2:01 my dad had a Dodge Neon absolute base model - no power steering, no power windows, no power locks, manual transmission. I got it from him a decade later. Fuel gauge stopped working so you just had to fill it based on when the trip odometer reached 300 miles. 10:43 - before the Neon, my dad owned one of the last Omnis. Absolute tank of a car. Felt sporty even if it wasn't. Once again, specially ordered the most basic package imaginable. Came with a tape player though.

[@TheInkPitOx]

We had a 1990 Civic LX when I was a kid. I picked it out myself when I was 4. The LX was the middle model, having some options, as opposed to the base model DX and the fully loaded EX. I picked it out because it was my favorite color. The only problem we had was the automatic shoulder belts kept getting caught in the visors.

[@cmc5394oparva]

This list was like a flashback to my work and social circle during that decade. At least one of my friends or co-workers had every car listed here, and I had a Festiva that I owned from 94-03, as well as the last model Escort (rebadged as a ZX2) that I owned from 03-10.

[@nickadamson6053]

My grandmother had an 89 Festiva with a 5-speed. We took a road trip from California to Michigan, got great gas mileage and was surprisingly not tortured by it. Kind of wish I had it these days. Super basic, white, grey interior, good little car that would pretty easily burn out in first.

[@Sammydx1]

Now. Your on my level !!! I started driving in 1996. 16 years old.!

[@1001Hobbies]

*I owned BOTH the ASPIRE and the FESTIVA, and liked both.* Both were 5-speed manuals. I got a 1990 Festiva in 1991 that was just unsold. Then they offered a discount on it and I paid $4,700 for the brand new car. It had 63 HP. It had rear window defrost. I got 43 MPG in MIXED driving. I LOVED that aspect about it. I bought it for the gas mileage and since it was a new car I would not have to do repairs on it every other weekend. Also, it got out of it's way just fine, if you know how to drive a stick well. I surprised many V6 mustangs that were made at the time. They could not pull away. Remember, it was a very light car. It was killed by a Buick and that is when I bought a 1996 Aspire. The Aspire had rear window defrost and air conditioning!!! It also had the "radio prep package" (wiring and antennae but no radio or speakers. I installed my own that were better than factory). I decided I did not want a car without Air after the Festiva. I pulled a 14 foot rowboat with this car. While doing so, I would be stopped at a traffic light and when it turned green I would switch off the AC so that I could accelerate away, and once I got to speed I would switch the AC back on. The interior of the car seemed MUCH MORE like a car than the Festiva, though still very cheap, but it looked better. The Festiva's interior screamed "BASIC TRANSPORTATION" rather than "car." The Aspire was a little slower than the Festiva because the Festiva had 12" wheels whereas the Aspire had the "big" 13" wheels, which had more leverage against the engine. I had no problem with either of these cars, except for when I left the Festiva parked on the side of the road overnight, in the dead of winter, facing North, and we had halacious winds that took the temperature down to 80 BELOW ZERO. When I started the car to go to work the cooling system was frozen and the timing belt jumped a few teeth. That was not the fault of the car though, and it was repaired. I should not have left the car facing into the wind out in the open with that kind of wind chill. Other than that, zero problems with these cars. Both were made for Ford by Kia, with a 1.3L engine.

[@InformalGreeting]

This is like turning back the clock to some pretty special times in my life. A lot of firsts in these cars- three of them were owned by girls I dated in high school.

[@Carstuff111]

About a year or so ago, I saw a nearly mint condition base model 1st generation Dodge Neon in the wild. Blew my mind, I literally have not seen one that clean since they were new! I remember wanting one when I was a kid because it was just an honest, small American car. Then I got older, and wiser.

[@Chocolate_dragon]

I grew up with these cars. My parents had an 84 escort hatch. 91 they bought a base caviler. 94 they bought a base metro 5 speed. 96 they got a z24 caviler. My mom drove that caviler from 1996 to 2009 when she bought a cobalt that she still owns. I loved dodge neons in the late 90s and early 2000s. I had a 97 r/t DOHC. Pulled the motor, forged internals, flat top pistons, port and polish, turbo, megasquirt standalone, and a tough clutch. That thing was an absolute monster. I also had a 96 sedan sohc. I bought it with 350k sold it with 480k and my buddy took it to 580k before he totaled it. Great vehicles.

[@scottyg7284]

I was thinking of moving to Canada from Scotland in 1996, a Ford Aspire was $5995 Canadian just Under £3000 Uk at the time.

[@Atreides217]

My first brand new car was a bright blue 92 Geo Metro 3-door manual transmission hatchback that came with heat and keys. I put in a radio and never had any issues the 4 years I owned it. Regularly got 45-50 mpg and loved that little car!

[@mordeth1964]

I owned a Festiva here in Australia several years ago and absolutely loved it; I only sold it because we needed a bigger car.

[@FeralRC]

There was a car dealer in NE Ohio back in the mid 2000s that would give you a free Kia Rio when you bought a Kia Sorento. What a time to be alive.

[@kevinbuja8105]

I love watching. Kudos on such good work on top of being full time college student, especially if your major is in the hard sciences.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks man and it sure is😂

[@sethmaki1333]

I had a 1991 Mercury Tracer that I bought in 1999 for $1200. Shortly after I picked it up, I did a little bit of research on the car and learned that while the standard engine was the Ford 1.9L pushrod four cylinder, what I had in mind was a DOHC 1.8L Mazda engine that made nearly twice as much power as the 1.9L. Ooh and she was a SCREAMER too. With a 7000 RPM redline, a 5spd, four wheel disc brakes, and fully independent suspension, she ran and rode far beyond her weight class. I even once beat a 1987 Mustang that had a V6 automatic in a drag race. That poor horse never even stood a chance.