Welcome back to another week of sketchy cars at bargain prices! We’re starting out with an odd couple, close in age and price, but miles apart in demographics. One is a luxury rarity, and the other is an economy car legend. Which one would be more welcome in your driveway? We’ll see.
The results of Friday’s runoff surprised me. I was not expecting that Audi to win. Was it the rarity? The fact that it was the only manual transmission? From the comments, it sounds like a lot of you knew it wasn’t the rational choice. And yet, here we are.
The Audi is my choice, too. Several of you noticed that it has already sold. Not to me, just to allay your suspicions. I can’t say I didn’t think about it, but it’s not the right time. Besides, I’d rather have something a little sportier.
Time and depreciation are the great equalizers when it comes to cars. Two vehicles that never would have been cross-shopped when they were new can become competitors thirty or forty years later, because now they’re the same price. Does that mean it always makes sense to go for the fancier car? You tell me, after we check out these two.
1988 Mazda 929 – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter OHC V6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Waldo, KS
Odometer reading: 131,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well, may need an alternator
Did you know that Mazda almost launched its own luxury brand to compete with Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura? It was going to be called Amati. It never came to pass, but you can see Mazda laying the groundwork for a move upmarket when you look at this car: the Mazda 929. It was based on the Japanese-market Mazda Luce, a large (for Japan) rear-wheel-drive sedan, powered by Mazda’s first-ever V6 engine. These cars were thin on the ground when they were new, and they’re ridiculously rare now. I can’t even remember the last time I saw one on the road. This one came from a Mecum auction, but the seller says it has been mostly sitting since it was bought, and it’s time to let it go.
In Japan, the Luce was offered with a few different engines, including a rotary, but the US-market 929 used a 3.0-liter V6. This one has a four-speed automatic, as I think all 929s did. The seller says this one runs and drives well, but it hasn’t been driven much recently. They think it might need a new alternator, but I don’t know what they’re basing that on. It looks like the alternator isn’t hard to find, and it’s priced the same as other cars, so it’s not a big deal. The seller is open to offers, so use the alternator as a bargaining point.
Mazda’s luxury aspirations are on full display in the interior. This car is nice inside. It has deeply padded leather seats, a leather-rimmed steering wheel, and all the power options you’d expect in the late ’80s. It’s in good condition, too. This is the only photo of the interior in the ad, but I don’t see any red or even yellow flags here. And the ad expressly states that the air conditioning works.
The ad also says it has “surprisingly little rust,” which I guess means there’s some? I sure don’t see it in the photos, but they don’t show everything. One mildly concerning thing is that the hood doesn’t look like it is shut all the way in a couple of the photos. Best to make sure it does shut properly before driving off; you don’t want it flying open on the freeway. It’s never happened to one of my cars, but I was in a friend’s car when it happened to them, and it scared the hell out of us.
1991 Geo Prizm hatchback – $3,900
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter DOHC inline-4, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Bronx, NY
Odometer reading: 113,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
One brand that never had any luxury aspirations of any kind was Geo. Chevrolet gathered all its captive-import models under the Geo nameplate in 1989, then merged them all back into Chevy in 1998. We were encouraged to “get to know Geo,” and then it disappeared as soon as we did. No wonder my generation has trust issues. The Prizm was not technically a captive import, I suppose, since it was built in California, but it was based on a Toyota design, and it’s basically the same thing as a Corolla under the skin.
Corolla guts are not a bad thing in the least; the Prizm’s 1.6-liter 4A-FE engine is a marvelous little thing. Not super-powerful, but efficient, and it’s as reliable as they come. It’s actually kind of a fun car to drive with a five-speed stick, but unfortunately this one has an automatic. And I think, in the base model, it was still a non-overdrive three-speed unit. This one is very low-mileage, and the seller says it runs and drives great, but it’s a New York car, so a lot of those miles were probably spent stuck in traffic. Taking it out of the city and getting it up to speed for a while would probably do it wonders.
It’s in good condition inside, but this is a no-frills car: it has crank windows, basic instrumentation, cheap fabric seats, and as I recall from driving a couple of these back in the day, very little in the way of sound-deadening. But this one does have air conditioning, at least. Hopefully it still works well. Oh, and those aren’t motorized seat belts, by the way; the shoulder belts attach to the door frame, and you’re supposed to just leave them fastened all the time and slide out from under them. No one does.
The Prizm came in two flavors, much like the Corolla-based Chevy Nova that came before it: a four-door sedan, and this five-door liftback. This is an underrated body style as far as I’m concerned. It’s almost as practical as a wagon, but quite a bit more stylish. This one carries a few minor scars from its life in the big city, but for as old as it is, it’s not bad at all. It doesn’t have any rust on it that I can see, either. And somehow it survived all these years with all four hubcaps still in place.
In the late 1980s and early ’90s, these two cars would have attracted very different buyers into the showroom. One is meant as an alternative to the European luxury sedans that were all the rage in the ’80s, and the other is a no-nonsense economy car aimed at those who didn’t trust a Cavalier. But today, they’re almost equals. Either one would draw a crowd at most car gatherings, based on rarity and condition alone. But neither one is so precious that you can’t drive it and enjoy it. So what’ll it be: the fancy-pants Mazda, or the plain but honest Geo?
Both are automatics. But the Mazda has one more gear and two more cylinders. And those seats!! The 929 just offers a lot more bang for the buck. Easy choice.
Can’t forgive the Facebook person for not closing the hood on the Mazda before photographing. I mean come on man…
And I’ve allways loved the Glassback. Don’t mind it hasn’t got Toyota logos. So that one 🙂
A Chevy Prizm saved my then-fiancé from a father-forced Cavalier purchase back in the day (“you know, maybe we should have her look at that other Chevy…”) – I greatly appreciated all of the Japanese parts that never broke once we were married. That said, I’d take the Mazda in this contest. Can’t beat a cool bubble era car.
$4k in 2026 was $1400 in 1989 so not too bad. Better than a $80k VW van in 2026
I’m a bit of a pessimist so when a luxury vehicle depreciates to the economy vehicle range I trust every fancy thing on it is broken or about to break and either way make annoying sounds.
Mark can you explain how one actually racks up miles while being stuck in traffic?
Uhhhh, neither. Neither of these is worth the asking price. So neither.
I like that generation Corolla,and I wouldn’t kick it out of the bed,but that Mazda is stupendous.
This needs a both option
Toyota-Geo Prism for me. I like that hatch version as you never saw those in Canada. Plus I bet parts/service will be easier and cheaper than with the 929.
Wish it had the manual, but oh well.
Wow I had an ’89 626 in what appears to be the same shade of greige. So obvs have to pick the 929. Seems like Mazda could’ve differentiated this a little more from the 626, at a glance it almost looks like the same car and not especially premium either, though that interior is a wild contrast to the staid exterior. I’d be curious to drive this, my 626 w/ the turbo and 5mt was more expressly sporty but I’m guessing this thing is a great highway cruiser.
Back in the early 80s I had a handful of lawnmowing gigs for my dad’s friends, one of them had a 929 and that was the first import sedan I ever thought was cool (more of a TransAm, Camaro kid). Sign me up for this one.
Out of the noble NUMMI plant, it’s the Geo for Meo.
Our 1990 Jetta had those shoulder belts; they’re pretty easy to live with.
It’s a bit ho-hum design-wise until you walk around to the back and HEL-ohhh…
That said, I can respect those who want the rolling tank; it did luxury right, and Mazda rarely missed their marks.
I just can’t with used car prices anymore, man. $4k for a base auto Geo anything is insane. It was probably $4k when new!
The Prizm hatchback is tempting, and if it was manual I might have gone for it. The fact is though that I see this gen of Prizm/Corolla with some regularity here in the wilds of the southeast where the rust monster has little power. Hatchbacks are rarer, but overall these are still pretty common which speaks to both their longevity and how many were sold.
I always tend to gravitate toward the oddball, so it’s the Mazda today. I do admit the 1st gen 929 looks like it copied the Accord’s notes, and lacks the distinctive bulbous massiveness of the later Mazda Sentia-based 929. But out of this pair it’s still the more distinctive.
On the one hand, I usually pick a Mazda whenever possible. On the other hand, I love hatchbacks and wish there were many more of them. Final answer – I’m old and I’m going for those Mazda seats and legroom.
Both are excellent options, but the auto kills 87,12% of the charm in the Geo, even accounting for the 65,02% of the coolness increase due to its hatchback.
The 929 is more enjoyable.
I wanted the stick as well. But two things swayed me toward the slushie:
i. Non-overdrive 3-speed. Probably just fine day-to-day, if noisy at for long stretchs at highway speeds. Which this isn’t going to be doing for most anyone buying it anyway.
And
ii. It’s a NYC street survivor. Yes, it probably did a lot of short distances to merit such low mileage, which tells me, it’s emminently livable.
man that 929 is nice but I bet parts are unobtanium!
Apparently the alternator is not. I guess anything counts?
929! Where’s Waldo, Kansas? ha ha. I always loved the “Where’s Waldo?” books growing up; they were so creative and fun
Why- its where Waldo actually came from!
Ok yeah that makes sense, I just realized they actually have this there:
“giant iron cut-out Waldo in the city park or take your picture with the Waldo water tower as a backdrop so you can let everyone know you’ve finally found Waldo.”
I just had no idea…so thank you. I didn’t even remember that the author is from the UK
I’ve already got a cheap, cheerful, and efficient Geo for cruising around town, but something more comfortable for highway travel would be quite welcome! 929
A friend in Palm Springs had one of those 929s – He loved that car, as it was quiet, reliable and comfortable.
He traded it for a 1st Gen Prius
I hate Prizms, not because of the car, but because my high school football coach freshman year made us push his Prizm uphill in the August heat (with a few jabs at the brake pedal) as practice. I can still feel those pointy taillights.
But also, the 929 looks like way too comfortable to pass up.
A Mazda? Not in my parking lot.
We’re a union shop, what would customers think?
Just do what they did for the Geo and put an American badge on it
Brilliant. Ford was already building Tracers out of the Mazda 323. Something tells me this could’ve sold fairly well as a Mercury instead of going with the whole Merkur experiment
The 929 is worth the effort to revive.
929 for me, though according to google they could be had with a 5 speed manual. still a 4 speed auto with OD versus a corrolla with a 3 speed auto seems like a clear choice here.
Am I late to the party in realizing that Miata is an anagram of Amati? Did Mazda stock up on those four letters in their Amati plan before u-turning to zoom-zoom?
In any case, I’ll take the V6 RWD with a 4spd over the half-as-big four powering the wrong wheels through three measly gears.
I was later than you to that party! It was a TDIL moment.