1993 Honda del Sol

Summary:

Awesome, quick, reliable car, 180000 miles and still running STRONG!

Faults:

Went through brand new brakes quicker than I would have liked. I drove it like a teenager for sure, that was probably the problem. Fairly cheap repair though, $500 to completely replace front and back. Cheap to me, considering other brake jobs I've had to pay for (1977 Mustang II has costly repairs sometimes).

Targa top leaked in the rain, off and on. Sometimes it would be sprinkling and I would have puddles in my seats, sometimes it would be pouring and nothing. Couldn't take it through touch-less car washes without getting soaked though.

Traveling/road noise was horrendous over 55mph. I took a lot of 12 hour trips on the freeway, had to get an amplifier for my stereo just to hear it over the road noise.

General Comments:

I owned this car for four years and absolutely loved every minute of it.

Back window rolled down and the top came off and stored in the ridiculously large trunk.

I owned the automatic version, wished I had had the manual, but still, this car got up and went when I put the pedal to the floor. Just a little four cylinder, not even the SI model, but this car was powerful being as it was so small.

Seats uncomfortable on the long-haul, but on a normal day, I loved the feel of the car, and really, what car isn't uncomfortable after 12 hours.

Easy repairs, did most of them myself, and the ones I took it in for were cheap.

Loved owning this car, I really miss it now that it's gone.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st January, 2008

21st Jan 2008, 08:37

"Seats uncomfortable on the long-haul, but on a normal day, I loved the feel of the car, and really, what car isn't uncomfortable after 12 hours."

I'll tell ya what car it is---it's a Volvo. You can honestly live in those seats and never feel tired, or have an aching back, regardless on how long you sit in them. Combine that with a turbo charged model and you have a car built for LONG DISTANCE TOURING!

Euro mechanics used to say (in the 80's) that the ultimate car would be a Mercedes (for it's renowned reliability) with seats from Volvo!

1993 Honda del Sol S 1.5

Summary:

Affordable and very reliable

Faults:

Thermostat default.

Transmission is a little testy.

Air conditioning went out at 180k miles.

Leaks a little.

Quarter size rust on both rear wheel wells.

Brakes replaced at 185k miles.

Passenger side window slow when wet.

Burns oil a little bit, but not too noticeably.

General Comments:

I love this car. It is my first car and I commute everywhere I go. I have put a lot of miles on the car, but it still runs great. I now have approx. 200k miles and I know my car is going to last me through college. Our other Del Sol is the Manual Si and it has 212k miles and it still runs like a top. Great gas mileage and a fun car to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th November, 2007

14th Feb 2009, 23:28

I am the original author of this review of the 1993 Honda Del Sol. I sold my del sol with 218,000 miles on it and I loved that car until the day I sold it. It ran awesome and we still have its brother in the garage. My Dad's 1995 Red Honda Del Sol Si five speed has 245,000 miles and he still drives like crazy in it. Awesome car, that I will never forget!

4th Sep 2010, 01:15

Just bought my first del Sol about a year ago. It had 275k miles on it, and was completely original down to the tape deck and electrical fuses. I have been driving this car back and forth to work, which is a 90 mile round trip, and haven't had any trouble! Every morning it starts without hesitation! I plan on being buried in this car! It's just perfect in every way, and such an eye catcher, especially for a date... it's flash with notorious Honda reliability. How could you go wrong? Repairs are so cheap, and everywhere I go, it just turns heads... if I get another car anytime soon, it will be another del Sol!