Good morning! It’s time for more crappy cars and awkward alliterations here on Shitbox Showdown! Today’s cars are miles apart in age, design, and physical location, but only a little different in price. But we’ll get to those in a minute; first we need to get the tally from yesterday’s Pennsylvania pair:
The Dart takes it in an absolute landslide. I’m not surprised; at first glance that car seemed like an absolute mess, but the closer you looked, the better it got. Apparently someone else thought so as well, because it’s already sold. Good luck, newly-minted Dart owner! We’re pulling for you.
Today’s focus is beaters. Sometimes, you just need a cheap runabout car, something that doesn’t need much maintenance or fuel, is cheap to insure, and will start reliably when you turn the key. It’s handy to have a car like that around, if you have the room, even if you have nicer cars. You can leave it in long-term parking at the airport, drive it through construction zones, or lend it to a friend who’s visiting, and not worry about what happens to it. But it doesn’t turn into a project either, because you just don’t care that much about it. I’ve found a pair of sedans that would fill this role nicely; let’s check them out.
2004 Honda Civic – $1,650
Engine/drivetrain: 1.7 liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Parma, OH
Odometer reading: 200,000 miles
Runs/drives? Very well, according to the seller
The Honda Civic, of course, is Default Small Car Number 1, or Number 2, depending on whether or not you prefer it to the Toyota Corolla. For fifty-one years now, this little marvel has done everything the world has asked of it, from providing excellent basic transportation for millions, to serving as a starting point for an entire generation of young hot-rodders. Clever engineering, excellent build quality, and a low price make it a great small car choice to this day.
This seventh-generation Civic, in what I believe is probably LX trim, is a fair representation of a twenty-year-old Honda. It has a lot of miles, a little rust, and no mechanical defects to speak of. You could probably hop in this car in its current location in Ohio and drive it to Los Angeles without doing anything more than filling the gas tank a few times. It won’t be a thrilling ride, and you certainly won’t impress anyone along the way, but you also won’t have to meet a tow truck driver somewhere outside Ogalalla, Nebraska. Unless you want to, of course; that’s up to you.
I just hope you like beige, because boy is there a lot of it here. Whoever ordered this car originally had a serious aversion to color. I remember a nice jewel-tone green being available on these, but no such luck. That ice blue? Forget it. Red was absolutely out of the question. Even Honda’s sharp-looking bright silver was too wild and provocative. Nope, when it came time to select a color, they checked the box marked “None.”
At least it has held up well. There are a couple of little wrinkles in the sheetmetal here and there, and maybe a bit of rust forming at the rear wheel arches, but it’s a sub-$2,000 car. And the whole point of a beater is to not obsess over it. Just change the oil once in a while, make sure there’s air in the tires, and you’re good.
1996 Mercury Sable – $1,900
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter overhead valve V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Emmett, ID
Odometer reading: 147,000 miles
Runs/drives? Currently daily driven
No, you’re not seeing things; this car is mauve. And yes, it’s a factory color. I remember seeing it on a few other Tauruses and Sables, and maybe a Cougar or two, back in the 1990s. Ford had a hell of a color palette back then, actually: there was that bright fuchsia, a couple of really good blues and greens, a burnt orange that I remember seeing on some Mustangs, and the ubiqiutous teal and yellow. We didn’t know how good we had it. Can you imagine a carmaker voluntarily painting a car this color these days?
I mean, it’s not a pretty car, regardless of the color. Ford’s 1996 redesign of the Taurus and Sable was bold; you couldn’t deny that, but to say it wasn’t to everyone’s taste would be an understatement. It looked like a catfish from the front; all you had to do was install curb-feelers for the whiskers. Everything was an oval, and I do mean everything. Check out this stereo:
No double-DIN slot here. And note that the HVAC controls are in the bottom half, so you couldn’t change it out even if you wanted to. But hey, it has a tape deck and a CD changer. What more could you ask for? The seller says the air conditioning works, which is always a selling point on a car this old and cheap.
The rest of it looks all right, especially for being twenty-seven years old. There’s some wear and tear inside, some missing clearcoat – you know the drill. The seller is currently driving this car daily, so we know it runs well. They don’t specify which engine it has, but if I recall, the Duratec-powered Sables and Tauruses had a “24V” badge on the front fenders, so I think this is the old Vulcan pushrod V6. Less power, but less stress on the sometimes-fragile transmission, too.
Getting change back from two grand for a good-running car is no mean feat these days, but it is still possible. Of course, you never know until you look at a car and test drive it what kind of shape it’s really in, but these two appear to be viable contenders. Which one looks like the better choice to you?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Clover Green Pearl. My 2002 CRV was that color.
I had possession of a 2003 Civic sedan for a year or so as it made its way around the family. 206,000 miles, everything worked, including all of the things people here always say they don’t want on their car because it’s just another thing that will break.
Anyways, the body was in good shape, but everything attached to the bottom of the car was a rusty mess and replacing any part was an ordeal that only David Tracy would willingly endure.
I believe this paint color is called Dusty Rose, or as someone else noted, maybe Rose Mist. My father worked with Ford/Dupont when that paint was developed. This was their 2-tone paint phase. In different lighting it will look blue. You get the effect of a modern wrap, but it was built into the paint.
They also had an light blue-green/blue paint, a dark blue/purple paint, and an orange/pink paint. There might have been a purple/bronze combo. A macho friend of mine needed a car quickly, and bought a Ford Contour in the Coral (orange/pink) paint in the evening. (It was winter, so no natural light.) He was fine with the firey orange, until the next day when he looked out at the salmon-pink car. His girlfriends teased him about owning a pink car, so he sold it quickly.
That Honda is exactly the kind of car I imagine Lindybeige would drive if he were on this side of the pond. I prefer colors, but sometimes an anonymous appliance that just works fits the bill: clicked Honda
It’s possible that he does drive a car just like this one. Don’t think his videos have ever shared that info about his personal life.
I am biased since I owned a 2002 Civic that was an excellent car. It literally never broke down in 16 years before it was totaled. It was fun to drive (mine had a manual) and averaged 36 mpg. The only downside was headroom (mine was an EX which had a sunroof that reduced headroom by around 1-2 inches); I drove for 10 years with my head tilted slightly to the right due to the lack of headroom.
I had a few friends that owned late 90s Sables and Tauruses that were also great vehicles, so I can see why someone would choose the Sable instead. Personally, I always thought they were ugly, but that is subjective.
No Sunroof = Max Headroom
That was such a great TV show. I wonder if eps are streamable?
I was all about the Civic until I noticed the cigarette burns in the driver’s seat, at which point I started to think Sable. Then I remembered how absolutely garbage that generation of Sable was, even when new, as they had transmissions made of glass and top-end oiling issues on the Vulcan V6 (not to mention rear suspension issues that not only caused the body to squat but also made them chew through tires with reckless abandon). My best friend’s mom had a ’97 Sable for two years that spent so much time in the shop for warranty repairs that the dealer offered them retail to trade it in on something else. I guess I’ll stick with the stinky Civic.
Guess it depends here: I’d choose the Honda all day, but has it had it’s timing belt done recently? If I remember right, those 1.7L are due for a timing belt every 105k, otherwise you get pistons meeting valves. If the belt is done, Honda, absolutely. Otherwise, Sable.
No contest if you’re going for pure reliability. A friend of mine put 480,000 miles on an ’06 Civic before hitting a deer and totaling it. The junkyard still gave him $650 for the carcass. Meanwhile, every single person I’ve ever known to own that era of the Forcury Sablaurus had to replace the transmission in it. In one case, they did it three times before off-loading the slippery turd to a local buy-here-pay-here outfit.
They both seem like solid deals, assuming the rust hasn’t gotten too far into either (especially the Civic, based on the rear of that right rocker panel).
I love the Sable’s Rose Mist; it’s certainly more of an eye-catcher than the Civic’s not-even-Seattle Silver beige. The Civic also appears to have the right ball joint replaced, from a glance at that fender.
Today, for the money, I’d happily take either…
My ex had an ’02 Civic LX coupe, also an automatic – barely visible here: https://youtu.be/dA3PTPRm5T8?t=44 – half of its issues (f’rinstance, replacing the alternator and slightly overtensioning the serpentine belt apparently led the power steering pump to an early grave…) were at least partly on me, and it was a decent car for him overall. Also, the radio didn’t work when it was below 20-odd degrees Freedom.
My grandfather had an ’03 Sable wagon that I drove for a while, though it had the Duratec and revised transaxle. It kicked ass, too, and when the radio cut out once because it was too warm, that was only because I was blasting the heat to postpone a new thermostat.
You can meet me at the Sign of the Cat today, ’cause it’s purple and doesn’t have that Rust Belt, well, rust… but if I had to buy a car in Ohio and they were in similar condition, I’d admittedly lean toward the Honda.
Side note, is the link function in our comment options good for anything? I keep hoping for a proper…
<a href=”https://i.imgur.com/gwElGyR.jpg”>here’s that Sable wagon I mentioned, making a friend</a>
…sort of functionality, but if there’s a script, it’s not running for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUh9ytrlJYU
Hmm. Yeah, it just seems to let me enter links without captioning ’em. Oh well. There’s your Sign of the Cat! And here’s that link to the Small Furry Mammal with an Impala SS as an actual link: https://i.imgur.com/gwElGyR.jpg
I am currently wrestling with an absolute lemon of a 7th gen civic. And I’d still take another one of the TauruSable. It seems like every one I’ve seen in the past decade has a rear squat from toasted suspension.
Newer, cheaper, and a better reputation for reliability? The Civic is the clear winner.
I had a ’96 Taurus whose engine blew a head gasket, not a fun memory. The car itself was fine for the time. I actually liked that big oval stereo/AC unit, and column shift models had the “flip and cup” middle seat console, which was super handy.
Both are cheap crap, but I’d take the Civic, more reliable and the stealth beige just seals the deal.
Do your Civic duty and take the Honda because no one drives fur anymore.
Easy choice, while both are underwhelming as hell I’d take the Civic. One of my friends drove a 2001 Sable (I’m aware it’s a different generation, but they’re mechanically similar) and that thing was one of the most mechanically unreliable, poorly built turds I’ve ever seen. The transmission prematurely failed, for one. Add to that the insane amount of rust, clear coat destruction and paint coming off in sheets… dear god. You still see these things in metro Detroit. While you’d naturally expect a daily this age in the salt belt to be “aesthetically challenged,” the Taurus/Sables I see are MUCH worse than comparable cars from other OEMs of the same era.
Full disclosure, the dude is very bad at taking care of his cars both mechanically and aesthetically, and regularly sends cars to an early grave via negligent vehicide. That said, he drove other vehicles from the same era with comparable mileage and none of them had anywhere near the same amount of problems.
That is an unconscionable amount of beige on the Honda. If I drove that, inside of 2 weeks, I’d be eating unflavored oatmeal for breakfast. Saltiness would be too spicy. My favorite condiment would be generic mayo.
The Sable might cause me some pain, but at least I’d feel SOMETHING.
I saw the pictures and knew my vote was for the Honda. That generation of Taurus/Sable is quite possibly my least favorite car of all time. I’ve driven several and ridden in even more and about the only positive thing about them is…uuh. It’s big, I guess? Everyone I know who has owned one had near constant issues and the transmissions are often weak. I’ve known three Taurus owners who had transmissions fail on them.
I know there are kits for the integrated control panel to put in an aftermarket radio, but not sure about with the button heavy auto climate control like this has. And on that note, the Sable seems oddly optioned. To go with the engine – I see an LS badge and the leather/cloth seats of an LS, which should have the Duratec – maybe a credit option for the Vulcan, or the badge could have just slipped off. But it has auto headlights to go with the climate control, and even a power sunroof, but kept the bench seat. Surprised they didn’t really go weird with the grey-violet interior to complement the exterior.
There’s a chance the Sable has ABS whereas an LX Civic wouldn’t then so that’s a potential plus, but I’d go Civic. At least, I think so, because the Civic listing is curious as it’s not a 2004 Civic. It’s an 01-02, as 2004 was the facelift and ’03 had a few trim detail differences – most obviously, backlit gauges and separate adjustable rear seat headrests. Something seems off.
I was confused by the year as well. It looks like a 2001-2003 model (I owned a 2002 for 10 years so I am familiar with these cars). I am amazed at how many people don’t know basic information about their vehicles (year, model, etc.), so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is just a mistake by a clueless owner.
Agreed there. Sometimes it could merely be something like threw on different model year parts like wheel covers, but some things like the instrumentation and rear seats are a little more involved.
I expect this on FB marketplace because that seems like you can kinda say whatever for the vehicle make/model but CL seems a bit more suspect, maybe because it’s mostly dealer listings now and this seems like a small independent dealer, so they should have some paperwork somewhere with the right info. They actually have another listing for the car where it’s a 2003: https://cleveland.craigslist.org/ctd/d/cleveland-2003-honda-civic-runs-great/7622037646.html
Interesting. They must have just gotten the year wrong. It makes sense as a 2003.
Based on the phone number, it looks like this is sort of being sold by a decent independent used car dealer. They have generally positive reviews and their inventory has some nice looking cars. The ones listed on Craigslist aren’t listed in the dealer inventory, so I’m not sure what is going on there. This seems shady to me, but I don’t know anything about independent used car dealers, so maybe there is a good reason for this?
The Sable has the Duratec. All LS trims came standard with the DOHC engine in ’96, and they didn’t add the fender badge until later years.
You’re right, I must have Mandela effect-ed the badges. I was looking at an old spotter’s guide to see if the Vulcan was maybe a credit, but see now where it does mention the badge was a MY1998 addition.
I picked the Civic of course, but I can’t help myself to hope that someone crazy enough to do a Coyote swap in these Sables.
it is actually harder to choose than it should be. Both are basically at the “need to replace many things” mark, the civic of course being a better car initially from a longevity standpoint at least. it certainly looks a bit better in the pictures, but I see lots of body damage and some rust peaking out. so what does that mean underneath. I see the Civic has AC, but no mention of function. since I prefer not to daily a vehicle without AC any longer, I guess Barney might get the nod here. I would really have to be desperate to want to buy either though.
Those 7th gen Civics were a downgrade in a lot of ways compared to the previous gen but it’s still better than an oval Sable. I’ll take the Civic here
Honda easily. I have been looking for that generation but the Hybrid version, if someone sees one around the midwest please let me know 🙂
The hybrid version for some reason rusted way faster than the regular ones. I think the hybrids came from Japan rather than Ohio?
I’ll take the Civic because I hated the look of the Sable
A Rumpled Civic is a better choice than a Burple Sable. The Honda may have the dullest color scheme known to man, but I suspect it will keep running for a while longer, and its controls, such as they are, are easier to find and use. It’s smaller, too, which I see as a “plus.”
My wife had a 2002 Civic, served her well for 14 years with mostly maintenance and wear items. At least it was the 5 speed to make it more entertaining. At one point I was close to buying the same Mercury in gold but between my test drive and buying it something went in the motor so I dodged a bullet there. Civic all the way. Plus less ovals.
Easy choice. Honda.
Beige is honestly underrated as a car color compared to white, silver, and gray, simply because it hides dirt/grime from winter roads so well.
If you must get a boring color, at least have it serve some function.