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Cute Commuter: 1986 Honda City

Honda is well known in the United States for its compact models such as the Civic and CR-X, but now that it is eligible for import, examples of the even smaller Honda City are finally making its way to the USA. This first-generation 1986 Honda City is available here on eBay and it seems like a great choice for a unique commuter vehicle.

This tiny Honda is available in Athens, Georgia with a clean title. The seller mentions that it has always been stored in a garage, resulting in a rust-free exterior and undercarriage. Additionally, they claim that this distinct hatchback is ready for any journey.

Surprisingly, the interior of the City is very roomy, and it contains various storage bins. All of the upholstery received recovering in Japan, and everything functions as it should, including the vehicle’s air conditioning, custom sound system, and all gauges.

Many Honda City models featured a small 50cc scooter known as the Motocompo, which was able to fold down into cargo compartment. Unfortunately, someone removed the scooter from this example before importation.

Under the hood, you’ll find a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, which pairs to an automatic transmission to drive the front wheels. The drivetrain has traveled around 130,000 miles, works without issue, and achieves around 30 miles per gallon during city driving.

At the time of this article being written, bidding is at $2,250 without the reserve met. Would you use this City as your commuter vehicle around town?

Comments

  1. Avatar Keith

    Now that’s a true Econo-Box!

    Like 1
  2. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    I thought only non asian imports had the silly phony vent window that does not open in the doors. If a lowly chevette & pinto can have a full ventless window that rolls down, why not this? Or at least make the vent window openable.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Coventrycat

    Cool car, but the last thing I’d want to be commuting to Atlanta in. Fine for small towns if you want dice it up with jacked up 4×4’s and SUV ‘s though.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar Jeff

    How did it become legal in the United States

    Like 1
    • Avatar SubGothius

      Any vehicle over 25 years old is legal to import to the US.

      Like 0
      • Avatar angliagt Member

        * EXCEPT California.

        Like 0
  5. Avatar William Shields

    Question. The mileage is supposed to be 130,000.
    Japanese cars were kilometers. Is it possible it’s 130,000kms which would be only 80,000miles.
    Big difference!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar gerry Member

    the ones to get are the turbo models
    Rare even here in Japan

    Like 1
  7. Avatar William I Decker Member

    Great, more terrible, hideous little econo boxes, just what America needed……..

    Like 0
  8. Avatar JC

    Yeah!!! a 33yr old car that no one would know how to work on… sounds like a winner to me.🙄

    Like 2
    • Avatar John

      Oh, of course, as opposed to a 1950 Hudson Hornet which has parts availability and service at Hudson Dealer Centers, coast to coast.
      Hey, we’re car folks. These little cars are simple to work on, the internet makes parts availability a non-issue, and with enough searching of YouTube, complete “how to…” repair instruction is easily available. Don’t be afraid to learn something new. You’ll have fun.

      Like 7
  9. Avatar Louden Brent

    Merging into traffic on I-75 with semi’s humming front, back , and on side taking a big breath heart pounding.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar 67Firebird_Cvt Member

    To me, it kind of says something about a cars reliability when it is sold with a scooter in the trunk……

    Like 3
    • Avatar SubGothius

      More a matter of parking and access in Japan, where it’s often easier and/or cheaper to find parking far away from your destination, or cars can’t even get to or aren’t allowed in some areas, in which case having a microscooter to take you the last mile(s) comes in extremely handy. Nevermind that Hondas haven’t exactly been faulted as unreliable anyway.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar chrlsful

    I’d definitely get the lill bike cuz I hate RHD (easy to adapt. Drive all the time in Bermuda, but every1 else is a RHie too), just hate hills’n curves !

    They’re pretty ridiculous too but 1 step beddah:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Motocompo

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Stevieg

    A cool little toy but not what I would use as a commuter car. My Hyundai is undoubtedly more comfortable, has more features & gets better gas mileage. But I would still love to own this for fun!

    Like 0

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