What was your first Honda experience?

[DastardlyDave]

The first time I became a fan of Honda was in 1978 when my Dad bought a new Accord coupe. It looked really cool. Much different from the offerings from the US makers at the time. I remember spending much time in the passenger seat watching him row through the gears, which, at the time seemed like some form of alchemy. I have many fond memories of that car, and sometimes I get an itch and search for one.

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[Tougefl5]

My dad had a CRX in the 80's and I loved riding with him.

 

[iamsiguy]

In 1999/2000, my dad had a Phantom Gray 1992 Civic DX hatchback 5spd. I had always wanted one since seeing our neighbors Aztec Green 1993 EX coupe. Unfortunately, my dad had to sell it due to finances.

Fast forward to December 2003, when I got my first car, a Flint Black 1992 Civic Si for $1200. Owned that for 10 years. This

Ended up going through a bunch of other cars since then...(1995 Integra GSR sedan, 2014 Civic Si, 2017 Civic Type R, 2 1992 Civic VX, 1993 Civic Si, 1996 and 1999 Civic EX coupes)...ending up with my current 2024 Civic Type R

 

[evlsmurf]

1999 Electron Blue Pearl Civic Si

 

[CTR39322]

1989 Civic Si

 

[jtlctr]

I worked as a mechanic in a small independent shop for 12 years or so starting in 1999. We worked on everything from your average commuter car to fire trucks from the 1930’s (ok, there was just one of those). Anyhow, I maintained and test drove hundreds of different vehicles. Honda and Toyota were always the easiest to work on, and generally only needed routine maintenance. But it was the late 80’s/early 90’s manual Civics and Accords that I really enjoyed driving. So that’s how I fell in love with the Honda brand. There’s a combination of reliability, simplicity, and driver enjoyment that Honda delivers, that, in my opinion, can’t be beat. Amazingly, in 2025, they haven’t lost that magic!

 

[AZCWTypeR]

I bought a '72 Honda CL350 as my first vehicle. I would ride it to school if the roads were clear and the temperature was at least 20F.

In 1977, a friend let me drive his '72 Honda Z600. I really liked it. A very rare car (even then) with a push-pull-twist shifter and motorcycle derived engine (looked like my CL350). Back seat and trunk were super small. The 10" tires looked better suited for a golf cart.

A year later I drove a co-workers CVCC Civic hatch, which handled great and fit 5 of us (we were skinny then) for the short drive to lunch.

 

[Chilly613]

My first Honda was an 93 EG hatch. Got it in the early 2000s. It was so much fun to drive.

 

[PNEUMA]

In February of 1994 I purchased a brand new holdover 93 Civic Si at St John’s Honda (North Portland OR) in the super popular Aztec Green metallic color. $12.5k out the door. Saved 2500 over buying new (94) in my city. Flew over and picked it up when the dealership opened on a Saturday morning, drove around Portland going to a few places including a really cool ma and pa hobby shop, then drove part way home, spent the night in a sketch motel, and finished my journey home on Sunday. I recall the total expense for the weekend s trip for the GF and I being $500 (one way airfare for 2, taxi, food, fuel, motel) so reall saved 2k. It was a fun experience and fun car!
Later put HKS intake/exhaust on it, MOMO wheels (IDEAs? If I recall). Loved that car and always received compliments on it/the color it seemed at every gas station while fueling up LOL. Few years later, sold it to a friends younger brother, he moved to Seattle with it, then eventually traded it for a wrx wagon. So much time had passed, and one day I received a call from King County sheriff dept asking me about the car as it had been found, stripped. What a shame.

 

[Brittania]

First Honda and my first car.
89 Accord Coupe LX-I 5 spd.

 

[Clark_Kent]

My first meaningful experience with Honda came in high school. A classmate gave me a ride in his lightly modified DC2 Integra GSR (AEM cold air intake + A'PEXi V-AFC). The sensation of the low to high cam switch point changed my life.

I've owned three Hondas in my automotive journey: 2005 Acura RSX Type S, 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2023 Honda Civic Type R - all modified with the exception of the hybrid.

 

[jtlctr]

My first meaningful experience with Honda came in high school. A classmate gave me a ride in his lightly modified DC2 Integra GSR (AEM cold air intake + A'PEXi V-AFC). The sensation of the low to high cam switch point changed my life.

I've owned three Hondas in my automotive journey: 2005 Acura RSX Type S, 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2023 Honda Civic Type R - all modified with the exception of the hybrid.

As much as “Vtec yo” has become an embarrassing meme, I miss that cam changeover!

 

[optronix]

Nostalgia is fun, and I took an interesting route to my first Honda. I've been fascinated with Honda since before I ever got into the "enthusiast" category- I recall lusting after the 3rd gen prelude when it was released right after I got out of high school. And I remember the classic "benchmark" car of the rapidly flourishing Japanese import scene being the EM1 Civic Si- but believe my first experience actually driving a Honda was a buddy's gently modified but excessively clean 96 Civic EX, can't remember the exact year but probably around 1998-2001. I was just blown away by how smooth and engaging it was to drive vs the 90 Nissan 240SX I had at the time (I was into "drifting" before it was cool ); it just felt like a different class of car. Not faster (not that my KA24E-powered 240 was fast either...), but arguably more fun to drive in its own way. I could instantly see the appeal, and it was just a lowly EX.

Fast forward to recent history, a few years ago after owning a flurry of German sports cars I was in the market for a fun manual car for my oldest son. I found a kind of unbelievable deal on a 2012 Civic Si with a few miles on it but otherwise extremely clean and well taken care of. I could not comprehend how the shifter feel of that car somehow was on the same level as the 991.2 Carrera S I had at the time, and how normally I couldn't stand driving front-drive rental cars when I was forced to but none of that seemed to apply to how that Si drove. It was a BLAST to drive, so I scooped it right the hell up; he still has it to this day 4 years and some change later and it's been a magnificent car for him. I remember stealing it occasionally when I only had an RS5 to get my manual fix. I still look for excuses to drive it just to remind myself how unbelievably good a car I picked up for $12k can be.

I figured if the Si was that good, the Type R would be mind-blowing. I wasn't disappointed when I grabbed my DE5, and still maintain that although there are obviously certain things about each of the past cars I miss, I have just as much fun in it on a good back road or even a race track than I've had in any of my Porsches or M cars.

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