Author’s Choice Showdown: Honda CRX vs Toyota Cressida vs Lexus SC 400 vs Plymouth Duster

It’s the end of another week, and that means it’s time to pit our four weekly winners against each other. Except I’m not going to do that, because I disagree with nearly all of your choices for the week. Instead, I’m going to make you pick a winner from my favorites.

I didn’t expect that little Plymouth Sundance Duster to win yesterday, but it put up a better fight than I expected. And if the plucky underdog can come close to beating the “obvious” choice, it’s still a loss, but an honorable loss. It’s like playing “Horse” against Michael Jordan; you get one basket, and you feel like a hero.

You’re all wrong, of course; that Alfa is a terrible idea, and it will cause its next owner nothing but heartache and misery. Been there, done that. I wouldn’t date another art major, I wouldn’t install another bamboo hardwood floor, and I wouldn’t buy another known-unreliable classic car. Some things just aren’t worth the trouble. But if you have to find that out the hard way, then you do you, I guess. Just don’t call me when you need a ride.

Now then, let’s review my choices from the week, and I’ll plead my case for each of them and see if I can’t persuade some of you to see things my way.

1987 Honda Civic CRX HF – $1,500

This little CRX needs some help. It will start, its seller says, but it won’t stay idling, which means there’s a vacuum leak or something wrong with the choke or some other malady to which old carbureted cars so often fall victim. Also, it’s the gutless, tall-geared HF model, with a non-CVCC engine, which gets great mileage, but isn’t as much fun to toss around as its sportier siblings. That fact alone cost it some votes on Monday, I believe.

But a CRX is a CRX, and just like Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers albums, even the weakest one (Turbo Ocho, by the way) is still pretty damn good. Besides, this car may not be very special in California, but fix it up and bring it to the Midwest, triple the price, and someone will snap it up in an instant. No one there has seen a rust-free first-generation CRX since Greg The Bunny was on the air. It’d be a hit – unlike Greg The Bunny.

1983 Toyota Cressida Wagon – $3,000

It occurs to me that I didn’t actually state my own preference about Tuesday’s Toyotas. I can’t say I exactly like either of them, but the Cressida has less offensive wheels and more practicality, so I’ll go with it. Also, the aforementioned art major’s mom drove a Cressida wagon, and I remember it being a really nice car. (Oh crap – or was it a Datsun/Nissan Maxima? I forget.)

Six in a row makes the Cressida go, and it’s a much smoother way to get around than the buzzy four-cylinder under the hood of that Camry. Does the rust worry me? A little, but you don’t expect a $3,000 car to live forever. If it’s still structurally sound, you can probably get a couple years out of it.

1992 Lexus SC 400 – $4,750

This big, classy Lexus coupe was a favorite of a lot of you, despite having suffered the indignity of a rebuilt title. And no wonder – Lexus has never made a better-looking coupe than this, and it’s built like a tank. A list of repairs and maintenance a mile long instills confidence in its condition as well. Add V8 power to the mix, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a nicer used car for less than five grand.

If this car, or any Lexus, has a fault, it’s that it lacks emotion. Look at this interior: it’s exceptionally well-made, and very comfortable, but it doesn’t have the sense of grandeur that a Jaguar interior has, or the drama you’d find inside a Maserati. Lexus’s slogan is “The Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection,” and that pursuit sometimes misses the point of a luxury car, which is to make you feel special. It’s a very nice car, and I’d be happy to drive it, but I don’t want it, if you know what I mean.

1992 Plymouth Sundance Duster – $2,300

I’ll be honest: I actually, unironically like this car. It’s simple, tough, unpretentious, and more fun to drive than you think it is. Yeah, it’s coarse and unrefined, but if you want refinement, scroll back up to that Lexus. But it won’t put a smile on your face when you rev it up and bang through the gears like this one will. Just let yourself enjoy it, and don’t take it seriously.

Somebody in the comments called this a “pony car,” and despite what I’m sure are howls of protestation from purists, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a hopped-up version of a small, economical car, exactly like the original Ford Mustang was – or, for that matter, the original Plymouth Duster. So what if it’s front-wheel-drive? That’s how cars were when this car was built. It’s a small car with the engine from a bigger car, because it’s more fun that way. It’s not rocket science.

I’m not expecting to change anyone’s mind about any of these cars (except maybe the Plymouth). Everybody likes what they like, and that’s what makes the car universe cool. But if you did have to choose one of these – and you do, because that’s how the game is played – which one would it be?