It’s been forever since our last Showdown, but today we’ve got two very different takes on sporty compact commuters: a 1990 Honda Civic Si versus a 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT. Before you dismiss the Fiero out of hand for being a Fiero, remember that by ’88 the Fiero finally got the suspension it deserved. Also, this one’s had the 200ish horsepower 3.4L V6 from a 1995 Camaro swapped in. That kind of power mounted mid-ships in a 2700lb car could make for some good times. Alas, it’s missing a third pedal and still carries a heavy mid-80s GM vibe to it. Also seems a good 2″ too tall. Still, there’s a distinctly awesome almost-kinda-Ferrari look to that engine bay, and it’d be awesome to silence a few folks expecting the typically pathetic Fiero performance. Is that shock and awe mild bemusement worth $4,500?
1988 Pontiac Fiero – eBay Motors
On the other hand, the Honda brings the angry squirrels with 1.6L of revvy power breathing through a four-into-one header. In addition to that upgrade, there’s a raft of seemingly tasteful appearance upgrades from new paint, window tint and lighting. Sounds scary in text, but the overall appearance of the car isn’t too fast or furious. The seller’s also performed a pile of relevant maintenance which he seems particularly proud of, despite the fact that at 254,000 miles, we’d expect a timing belt, cap and rotor. Neither the fuel door nor horn work properly, but those sound like one-weekend fixes. All-in-all it looks like a great way to get 40mpg on the way to work without giving up on some fun behind the wheel. Seems like a good deal at $4,000
1990 Honda Civic Si – eBay Motors
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