You don’t see a lot of pink cars, unless you are or know a Mary Kay rep, or you own a red car that has been left in the sun too long. Rare indeed is the car that comes from the factory in any shade of pink, and just as rare is the owner who will voluntarily paint a car pink. But today, we’re going to check out an old Honda that started out as red, and a newer one that started out as silver, as far as I can tell.
Yesterday, we pitted an old Volvo against a newer one, to see if the old 240 still has its old magic. And the answer seems to be “not quite.” The old brick put up a good fight, but the more modern S60 took the win. Nothing lasts forever, it seems.
Many of you thought the S60 was too good to be true at that price, and without more information about it, I’m inclined to agree. That car seems like it should cost more than two grand, if it’s in acceptable shape. But I think I’d favor the old 240 no matter what; I really admire those cars.
Do you want to meet the nicest people? Do you wish a car could just make it simple? Then you need a Honda. The Japanese firm has somehow managed over the years to be ruthlessly precise in its engineering and manufacturing, but also produce cars that are charming as all get-out. Toyota may make excellent cars, but they can be kind of cold and clinical. Hondas are warmer and cuddlier. And the two cars we’re going to look at today are among the best examples of that. Let’s check them out.
1987 Honda Civic CRX – $3,800
Engine/drivetrain: 1.5-liter OHC inline-4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Pleasant Hill, CA
Odometer reading: 148,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
I’ve never had the pleasure of owning one of these little rollerskates, but I’ve driven a couple over the years, and really enjoyed them. My wife had one before we met, and she still raves about it. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they don’t like the CRX. Oh sure, there may be a few killjoys out there who dislike fun, but that’s their problem. For the rest of us, here’s one of the dwindling supply of first-generation CRXs, faded and slightly damaged, but still up for a good time.
The CRX came with a couple of different engines over the years, depending on the trim level. This isn’t an HF, and it isn’t an Si, so it has the standard 1.5-liter carbureted engine making 78 horsepower, plenty for a lightweight little car like this. This car has had the same owner since 1998, and they’ve done all the maintenance themselves. It has a new water pump and a new clutch, and it runs and drives great.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I absolutely love Honda interiors from this era. They’re so simple and straightforward, the switches feel good to operate, and everything is right where you’d expect it to be. This one is in good condition from what I can see, too. Someone has added some silly aftermarket pedal covers to it, but I think it’s some kind of rule that no sporty Honda can remain completely stock. It has to have some bolt-on nonsense on it somewhere.
One of the reasons I dislike red cars is that they fade unevenly, and after a while they end up looking like hell, like this one. It’s about half a dozen different shades of red to pink now. At least it’s a California car, so it’s probably not rusty underneath. The plastic nose is badly broken, and I honestly don’t know where you’d find a replacement. Rock Auto actually lists the part, but it shows out of stock, and I don’t think they’re expecting more any time soon.
2008 Honda Element LX – $3,995
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter DOHC inline-4, four-speed automatic, AWD
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Odometer reading: 178,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The Honda Element will always remind me of the first person I knew who owned one: my old friend Jon, who passed away recently. He bought one brand new in 2003, right when they came out, because it was the only car he could fit his six-foot-five-inch, three-hundred-pound frame into that he considered “cool.” He dreamed of a Mini Cooper, but there was no way he was going to fit in one. Jon’s Element was dark blue and nicknamed “Scooter,” but I think he would have liked the idea of a bright pink one.
Despite its odd styling and packaging, there’s nothing exotic about the Element’s mechanics. It’s basically the same thing as a CR-V. It has a 2.4-liter K-series engine and Honda’s “Real Time” 4WD system. Between them is a five-speed automatic. The seller of this one has had it for five years, and they say all the maintenance is up to date. That’s nice to hear, but personally I’d like to see some records to back it up.
The Element isn’t waterproof inside — we know that — but it is easier to clean up than most cars. The seat fabric is wet-suit-like, and personally I don’t like the feel of it, but it does seem to hold up well. This one looks fine inside, and the seller says the air conditioning is nice and cold, which is important for a car in Florida.
I would really, really love to hear the story of how this car ended up pink. There has to be a reason. Is the seller a big Barbie fan? Was it a marketing vehicle, like those old Red Bull Minis, except for Pepto-Bismol? If you have any even more outlandish theories, I’d love to hear them in the comments.
One of these cars is only as expensive as it is because it’s getting really rare, but is still in demand. The other is only as cheap as it is because someone painted it a weird color. They end up meeting in the middle, at about the same price. So my question for you is, which pink Honda is more your style?
I want the CRX, but at the same time I want the Element. Ultimately, the Element is a more usable car for my needs, so it gets the victory. That CRX sure would be a hoot on my commute though…
Element, easily. I’ve been looking for one of these for my daughter for months now, and all of them at this mileage are asking way more money than that. I get that it’s pink, but for my daughter that would probably be a plus. It looks like it’s in decent shape too. If it weren’t so far from where I live, I’d be asking about coming to see it this weekend. Most of them where I live ate all 200k plus and asking in the 6-7 range. This thing is a steal.
I do have to take issue with this comment about the seat fabric holding up well. It does not. Not in the slightest. If you’ve looked at any Element for sale with anything over 100k miles, you’ve been wondering how much seat covers or a new seat would cost, because every one of them have torn up bolsters on at leat the drivers side. There’s a reason that almost all of them have a picture that shows the top of the drivers seat, but almost never the bottom
Element for the win, isn’t even close.
The Element is just a much more useful vehicle for the price.
The Element belonged to Mr. Smithers. Easy one.
I like the CRX better, though.
Frankly? I’d go for both.
Almost automatically punched the button for the Element because I really like these, but the CRX label brought me up short. Always wanted a CRX and the 5-speed cemented the deal here. The busted nose is a bummer, but not as off-putting as the auto trans in the Element. Eighties scoot is the winner today.
Element.
Though a shame it’s not the manual.
I have loved the little Personal Mobility Pod CRX since I first saw one in person in the 80s. It’s cute, light enough that its meager power is nevertheless sufficient, and handles well. Twisty little roads invite it because, when you’re just this dang tiny, all the roads are big enough to provide you with a range of lines to follow through the curves.
I would take that little rascal home, clean and tune her up, and then make it my life’s mission to track down original parts and bring her back to stock, new condition. That would be fun.
Sorry, what was the other thing? There was another thing?
I’ve had 3 CRXs and I’m definitely open to having another. Only one was a mk1 (with the 125bhp 16 valve 1.6, steering wheel on the right and 2 seats in the back) and I never got past the honeymoon stage of being madly in love with it due to an oncoming car on the wrong side of the road. My immediate reaction to the crash was being mortified that I’d broken the windscreen, then the pain from the various broken bones kicked in.
Anyway, I love the CRX, despite it being to only car I’ve ever needed to be carried from on a stretcher.
I had a 1986 CRX Si back in the day and would dearly love to have another… but not that one. That poor thing, faded paint, broken front (good luck finding one of those), munched up wheelcovers… I get the feeling it hasn’t had an easy life.
The Element is certainly a choice, I’m not sure what kind of choice, but it’s definitely one. I’d give it a go, don’t they say it takes a real man to wear pink? Or something like that.
Too much for the CRX in its state when compared to the Element. Did the CRX come in any color other than that Honda red because I sure don’t remember them in anything else.
Friend in the day had a blue and silver one. Probably an 84 or 85.
Blue, red, white. I believe black was added bit later, not sure.
In 1989 there were some famous advertisements of the CRX Si in black next to a depiction of the “Stealth Bomber”.
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/46j8su/whats_up_with_this_strange_looking_stealth_in/
Had an 85 CRX, blue. Loved it, 42 mpg on highway at steady 70 mph The head gasket went on it, and the clutch cable pulled out of the firewall. Also had to replace the front brake calipers along the way. These were the only things that ever went wrong. Loved driving along semis looking under the trailers to see if their were vehicles on the other side, shades of The Italian Job running through my head. But now I’m old with bad knees and back, so too low to get out of, frigging gravity! Always wanted an Element, all wheel drive in Maine a plus. Pink too, easy to find in a parking lot or snow drift.
I’ll take the CRX as a back roads beater, and hope to find parts to improve the looks. My car collecting aunt had 1964 1/2 Mustang convertible in pink, which was the factory color. She sold it to a family friend and he loved it for a lot of years.
Element all the way. I’ve never quite understood the enthusiasm for these–they’re slow, thirsty, ugly, and cheapo-plasticky, but this is a far safer and more usable vehicle than that sunblasted dirty microcar. Call it the Pink Pig and drive on.
And that’s a pretty good price for an element under 200k.
No kidding, right?
If you like them, you love them. And with how clean that one is you could sell it up here in the Rust Belt for closer to $8,000. With a less… festive color it could push 5 figures.
Gotta follow my heart and go with the CRX, this one is worn enough to not be precious. I’d find a front nose, somewhere; eventually. I’d probably polish up the paint and maybe give it one of those patina shines; just to make it nicer to touch.
The Element would have been a contender with the right trans.
It’s Element-al, dear Watson. That CRX looks beat and FILTHY. The Element is well worth the additional $200.
Way to bring it Holmes with the wordplay!
Give me the CRX, I (won’t) fix it up, (because I would rather have fun with it than concours correct it.)
Because, y’know, it’s a small, and a stick. If Florida Element was a stick too, this would be much harder. It’s a fun shade of pink.
I want to say CRX but it looks a bit rough for the asking $. I had a good friend in the Navy in the mid-late 80s that had one and I overlooked it at the time because Murica horsepower (I had an 84 Camaro, yeah I know).
The Element looks much nicer for the same asking $ and I’ve known a few. Rock that pink!
I voted CRX. It is a much cooler ride.
I might have considered the Element, as I don’t care about the color, but “The Element isn’t waterproof inside — we know that —”…that kills it for me. I can’t tolerate a leaky car.
It doesn’t leak if you don’t power wash the inside.
The Element is Pepto-Abysmal.
Always loved the CRX and as a big Honda fan from this era I voted for the two seater; however this could be a “both” day
I voted CRX. It is nice to see one of these that wasn’t modified to oblivion. I’m not sure if $3800 is a fair price, but it is close enough.
I like the Element as well, but I’m not liking the color. The ad also says it comes with a rebuilt title, so I presume it was painted after the accident. Bad titles are not a dealbreaker for me, but bad colors are. At least it is a color and not greyscale, I guess?
I see CRX. I want CRX.
I’ve always wanted to drive a CRX. Plus it’s a manual.
That Element reminds me of someone in the neighborhood I grew up in. They had a Pepto Bismol pink New Beetle. Which they replaced with…another pink New Beetle. I have no idea why.
I’ve always liked the CRX, and small and light is more my thing than the Element.