“Luxury can be a matter of taste. Quality cannot. Quality can only be measured by the results achieved when the full resources of design and engineering have been committed to its attainment.” So says a 1992 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue advertising piece. The seller has this example listed here on eBay in Belleville, New Jersey, and the current bid price is $2,950. Thanks to MARC T for this tip!
A lot of readers will instantly write off this New Yorker Fifth Avenue because of it being a front-wheel drive car, and it being derived from and/or related to the K-Car family. Hidden headlights can also be a love-it-or-hate-it feature, not to mention a car being teal in color. I like it for what it is, a time capsule back to three decades ago. That isn’t exactly “classic” or maybe even “vintage” territory, but this was a nice car back then, and it still is today.
The last gasp for Chrysler’s New Yorker Fifth Avenue was made from 1989 for the 1990 model year and until the end of the 1993 model year. It was, in fact, based on the K-platform, specifically what Chrysler referred to as the Y-platform, and that also underpinned the similar Chrysler Imperial. This car would have cost $21,874 back in 1992, the equivalent of $48,085 today. You can get a very nice car for that money today, but not a new top-of-the-line luxury car.
The dashpad worries me a bit as we don’t see under it and the seller doesn’t mention whether it’s protecting a perfect dash or covering up an issue. I’m guessing the former. This is one sweet interior, though, the Mark Cross Leather is the ultimate in this era. Mark Cross has an interesting history, they started in 1845 by making leather strapwork and saddles for horses. Eventually, they evolved to luxury leather for luggage and other items, and connecting with Lee Iacocca led to the famous Mark Cross leather interiors in the 1980s and early 1990s. The seats look fantastic here both front and back, and the Fifth Avenue was stretched a bit to give extra legroom for rear-seat passengers.
The engine isn’t a little four-cylinder as early K-car-derived New Yorkers had, this is a 3.8-liter OHV V6, which was factory-rated at 150 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque when new. It sends power through an “Ultradrive” A604 four-speed automatic to the front wheels. Plan on around 10 seconds to get to 60 mph and 20 mpg with this rarely-seen-today luxury car. Have any of you owned a New Yorker Fifth Avenue from this era?
Nice car I wouldn’t buy it simply because its in New Jersey
According to the provided Vehicle History Report, its only been in NJ for a year and a half. Previous to that, it was in PA. Not that PA’s climate is any better, but good to know the facts.
Like Scotty says, a nice car then, and a nice car today. It’s in good shape. Well-appointed interior. I like teal.
The seller makes an interesting point. With a low-mileage-per-year plan, insuring this car with classic car insurance would be dirt cheap. It again illustrates that if you don’t have to have a “popular” collector car, one can participate in the hobby for not much money.
“What a beautiful New Yorker. It’s the talk of the town!” If your town is called The Villages.
😂😂😂😂
I had a 1989 New Yorker 5th Avenue. Loved that car!!!!
I was never a fan of the formal roof line on these cars. It just doesn’t seem to fit. I imagine one of these with a four door hardtop, and drop the half Landau roof.
Okay, am confused a bit here, according to photos, odometer reads 93784, seller states odometer isnt working. In the notes on ebay seller states mileage is closer to 95k not 75 k. What gives??
I own one of these right now! Mine’s black cherry on burgundy crushed velour – it’s a wonderful floaty boat for sunny day cruises. :D
It’s in good shape for a NJ car and I actually like the color. And those seats look irresistible, I’m always a sucker for leather seats. But the outside looks way too cluttered; lose that landau roof and limit the side trim to rocker panel moldings and I might be in.
The Vehicle History Report – included in the ad – shows first owner had it for 20 years and the second one for 8 years – both from PA. Obviously, they both babied this car.
For me, the 82 through 88 Fifth Avenues were much better. My 83 and 85 RWD Fifth Avenues easily held their own with other upscale vehicles that I have owned. Formal styling, comfortable, plush velvet interior, V8 and reliable. The transfer of iconic New Yorker, Fifth Avenue, and Imperial to these Kcar derivatives is a sacrilege! But at least better than subsequent LHS 🤮.
I believe I agreed with you a few days ago, Rick, but will again anyway, and strongly. I have an ’87 Fifth Avenue with about 42K original miles; bought it from an estate. The man actually bought it new so mileage is correct. It actually drives better than most new cars and gets noticed and favorable comments wherever I go.
John… once again great minds drive the same luxury vehicles! LOL. 👍
When I met her, my ex was driving an ’87, dark gray inside and out. That car was fully loaded, and she even had a sunroof put in. I’d describe it as quiet, luxurious, handsome, and even fun to drive. But I always had a convertible, and she decided she wanted one, too, so she bought a perfect 20 year old ’84 Caddy Eldorado Biarritz convertible in that Firemist color with a white top…ah, yes…I think she still has that Eldo. The Chrysler got sold back then, but she always missed it, and, in fact, in later years, she tried unsuccessfully to find a used one…
The 80S RWD Fifth Avenues are few and far between. Unfortunately most available have not received TLC. I recently found several on the net. Sorry to hear about your EX! Ironically my EX at one time had a FWD LEBARON sedan.
Some haters of the K car is unjustified. Chrysler sold millions of them. They were reliable and tough. Myself had two, the wagon so so. The other was an Aries two door, 5 speed with 5 lug wheels and big brakes. Bucket seats, manual windows and AM radio. Swapped out the radio, new clutch, brakes and struts and shocks. Drove the snot out of the car. Worked on the railroad and they even got the wagons for some of the supervisors. My boss wasn’t shy where he went along the right of way in it. Tough enough I say.
I worked for a rental car agency in the late 1980s. We had a collection of Fifth Avenues and Dynasty and rented them as luxury offerings. They held up surprisingly well in rental use and were comfortable cars in their day.
Nice looking car and at a reasonable price
I drove one of these once. Very comfortable, I wish I knew why you can get seats like that in an $85,000+ luxury car today. By the way, if that $48,000 figure mentioned is correct, then car manufacturers are screwing us a heck of a lot more than even I knew! What a damn racket!
That’s right, Zen; the car companies can’t seem to get past building these grey/white blobs that all look the same and do nothing well except meet government requirements. Driving one is like driving a computer except significantly more boring. What happened to CARS? Really sad.
I heard someone describe new cars as “antiseptic transportation pods”. Seems to fit.
I own a 1990 New Yorker Fifth Avenue I bought from original owner family in 2017 after husband died & no family members wanted it. Car had 22K actual miles but needed cleaned & few repairs made. My Chrysler is in mint condition as always kept in garage under cover. Now has 26K actual & rides nicer than any other luxury car I have owned. I picked up a 1989 Dodge Dynasty with 35K actual miles in 2020. Love them both & will never sell either. Both cars always get attention at car shows or gas stations.
The wheelbase for the Fifth Avenue was 10″ longer than the original K-car, but the width was nearly the same, at 69″. This put the Fifth Avenue at a disadvantage in interior space when compared to the Sedan DeVille or Continental.
I drove a friend’s ’90 Fifth Avenue. The ride was sublime, but if the road got bumpy or twisty, the car quickly lost its composure, bobbing and weaving like a drunken hippopotamus. The car was ultimately bought back by Chrysler because its ABS couldn’t be repaired.
I remember the automotive press questioning, questioning why Chrysler needed the Fifth Avenue and the Imperial. I recall one magazine calling it an “unnecessary hairsplit” of the C platform.
I love these cars, the last nice cars Chrysler ever made (authentic American Chrysler). I’ve owned a ’92 Fifth Avenue and have two ’91 Imperials, and all were fantastic cars – one is still my daily ride today. I get 22/29 in my Imperial, and about 10% better with ethanol-free. We had several Dynastys in the family, and never had a lick of trouble with any of these. All we’ve ever had were 3.3 cars. A close friend was a Dodge dealer, and he couldn’t keep Dynasty in stock. In ’94, people were coming back for another one and were irate to learn that they’d been dropped in favor of that ugly, lousy-riding, lousy visibility Intrepid. Phil was buying leftover ’93s and having them shipped in for customers as late as mid-1995! He sold quite a few New Yorkers too, just to meet the demand.
Folks like to poo-poo these models, but they were – and are – great, comfortable, and very reliable cars.
I always found it interesting that Dodge introduced the Dynasty name when TV show DYNASTY was a huge success. 🤔. Maybe to attract buyers who could not easily afford a New Yorker or Imperial, but still having an aspirational name.
This is a not-so-common classic I could get into.
Yeah, a K-car is a kommodity kar. They were an important part of the history of that era; and they were the reason Chrysler lived on two more decades, as more than just a brand name.
They were not sturdy, not the way a Camry is sturdy. They’re not a talisman for an era, as the Tri-Fives were.
What they were, was family transportation, basic or gussied-up, in that New Normal era. Which is not that much different from our new normal. And some of the same compromises were being made: Back then, it was weight; cars were shorn of it, and thus it took less force to demolish one in a collision. Today, it’s incredibly-complex digital emissions-monitoring systems, plus complex transmissions to micromanage fuel use. All of which are not yet fully developed; and all of which are expensive to make.
I see this thing as inexpensive; as relevant; as a well-preserved classic that could also function as a special-occasion family car.
No fun to drive? Maybe…I had a first-generation Dodge minivan, same chassis, a little heavier…right down to the Mitsubishi V6 and Ultradrive. It was no sports car, but I thought its road manners, fine. Much better than today’s SUVs.
Unfortunately, as noted, it’s in New Jersey; a place I left for good a LONG time ago. I’m at the other end – of the map, of the cultural norms, of lifestyle, here in the Bitterroots.
The dash is perfect no cracks or blemishes at all, I put the cover on to protect it from the sun, as far as milage I made s mistake at 75k but did note in description aprox 95k since odometer stopped working also left rear window does not operate that was noted in description too. The interior is beautiful body has some blemished but looks great absolutely no rust. I believe car was an original owner Kentucky car… I believe Cadillacs of the same era were fed also I think I have the sticker it was like 24k love the car just have too many projects. This is the wife’s favorites because it’s my only automatic…66 impala, 57 Chevy, 64 vw. 1980 citation x11, 1980 corvette, 1957 fiat multipla, 1981 Honda accord, 1959 Peugeot 403 convertible, 2004 Ferrari 360, 1970 jag e type , 1969 abarth record monza zagato
Cadillac same era fwd. 1959 fiat abarth
My grandfather wanted one of these but couldn’t afford it in 1989. He ended up with fully loaded 89 Dodge Dynasty in black cherry. It was a great sleeper with a v6 and roomy too. After my grandmother died. I inherited it but sold it to fund my 1st apartment.
Those dash pads would warp over time, then partially block the defrost vent. Also if you drove through standing water the drive belts would come off.
My mother in law owned one of these that had the electronic dash which surprisingly worked flawlessly. But she would hang on to a car that became a money pit.
The overhead information center wouldn’t stop after the car shut off and drained the battery.
Then the injectors went bad. Body trim and interior parts broke or fell off.
Finally the transmission only had 2nd gear and reverse only so she drove it for a year on the freeway reving the wheee out of the motor, totally oblivious to the problem.
The engine was well built to take that. Finally we intervened as to her no longer being safe behind the wheel.
Then my niece drove it for a few months and wouldn’t listen to me about the transmission. Drove it all over Oregon and the engine didn’t blow up.
Finally sold it for $300.
A sun shade prevents the dash issue – a small price to pay. Mine are 33 years old and still like new. Was worth a $9 shade.
The serp belt had a retrofit repair offered by Chrysler – the admitted it was a bad design. Literally takes 15 minutes to replace the pulley on the water pump with an updated one.
Bad injectors come from bad fuel, unless the car had really high miles or was frequently abused – and driving on the highway in limp mode is pure abuse. Operator error – can’t blame that in injectors.
Overhead console was a body computer problem. That is a legit breakdown.
Second gear is “limp mode,” a damage-prevention feature. It was designed to let you limp home in order to avoid a tow until you could have the issue repaired – could be internal trans, could be the TCM.
I’ve never had anything in trim break or fall off any of our MANY C- and Y- cars. Sounds like rough use to me, overall.
It’s so unfair to blame the car when you obviously didn’t take very good care of it.
Love! A Fifth Avenue of that era in a 1 (or 2?) year color – Beryl Green ! I prefer it on the Imperial but alas, they are hard to come by in good condition with low miles. I owned five 1994-97 Chrysler LHS & New Yorkers (94-96) and an Eagle Vision TSi – several were brand new (I traded quite often back then)… A couple used but I LOVED each of them. Had a new 2001 300M back in the day. That was my last Chrysler. Nowadays, it’s Mercedes and Volvo. But what a great barn find!
Styling was 10 years out of date the day the first one rolled off the line. This late build, facelifted model put some curvature in at both ends but the padded landau top screamed outdated fuddy-duddiness in 1992.
30-odd years later, it evokes a bygone age where a contemporary Taurus barely registers as an old car.
“Out of date” styling is one of the things that made them so popular. A great many folks in my age group (boomers) despise have a choice of a GM race car, a Ford race car, or a Chrysler race car. Or a truck, mini-truck, or a pretend station wagon that rides like a truck.That is why Phil couldn’t keep them in stock on his lot.
Auction update: this one sold for $4,050, that’s a lot of luxury for that amount of money.