Quote Originally Posted by mloo View Post
Hey thanks for the detailed info dougie_504!
I see you've got an CRX as your dp? Your's? Look awesome! I've always wanted a panda CRX. With my budget I'm heading towards and ek sedan(for looks+safety), gsi dc4(power) or a CRX (looks)

In terms of fun, would you say buying a '91 crx is better than a ek sedan? I haven't got a car yet and I'd like to get as much info on potential cars, don't have that much cash as well. I know the ek sedan wins hands down in the safety department. It would be my daily from uni and part time work etc. If I can land a job, haha.

If I was to purchase a CRX, I know that that I can't install aftermarket airbags. But would the CRX definiitely win in performance? What engine is the CRX running ? I've never known, but you sound really exp'd, and I like talking to exp'd peeps LOL. I really lilke both the looks of the CRX and the ek sedan. So I'm deciding on stock performance of each car and safety.

Thanks for the advice again, hope i'm not annoying you lols.
Yeah that's my CRX. It's an SiR (VTEC model) and I only use it as my occasional weekend car. I have a '94 Civic VTi sedan as my daily driver

My honest opinion is that the CRX, regardless of model, is more fun to play with than a Civic. But that's mostly because I love their shape. However as standard they're also a bit lower, quite a bit lighter in mass, and the vast majority of them come with twin cam engines which are zippier and more responsive to modifications.
At the end of the day I've driven a few of each the Civic and CRX and the CRX takes the cake for me every time (for fun).

As for safety, the CRX is a joke. Second generation CRX's have a 1/5 star safety rating at best. No air bag, no ABS, no crumple zone, very light weight etc. They're also not passenger friendly as most are 2-seater and the ones with rear seats aren't exactly very spacious in the back lol. I've had 3 people max in mine and for the life of me can't fit a passenger behind me!

So the Australian delivered CRX (and some of the Japanese) runs a 1.6L DOHC non-VTEC engine. It produces 96kw and in a 890kg chassis that's plenty of power. These can be found for like $2,500-7,000 depending on condition.
The Japanese SiR model came with the 1.6L DOHC VTEC engine making 117.9kw along with some appearance and construction differences and is a true pleasure to drive. It weighs a bit more than the non-VTEC model but the power to weight ratio is fantastic and they're built to handle corners. I doubt you'd find one of these for less than $7,000 in decent condition and they still fetch close to $10,000 for a great condition example.

Ultimately the CRX is my choice poison. They're worth every penny and are recognised by many enthusiasts as a timeless classic.