Used Car Reminder: Small 1980s Van Things
Posted by Doug DeMuro in Used Car Reminder on | 33 comments
Remember the 1980s? I don’t. I only caught the tail end of the 1980s, and as a result I believe it’s my birth that was completely responsible for the demise of Communism.
Apparently, the 1980s were filled with big hair, crude video games, and that movie where Michael J. Fox visits the future, then the past, then some alternate version of the present before producers decided he was too old to play a high school student anymore.
They also included these compact minivans.
Behold the the Honda Civic WagoVan, and the Plymouth Colt Vista, all of which were popularized in the 1980s. Also shown is my personal favorite, the Mitsubishi Expo. While it lasted into the mid-1990s, the remainder of these vehicles died a premature death at the hands of consumers who didn’t really understand the idea of combining a minivan with a compact car.
Today, the Mazda5 and Ford C-MAX is the modern version of these cars. And 25 years later, consumers still don’t really understand the idea of combining a minivan with a compact car.
Interestingly, this segment is alive and well in Europe. To create these vehicles, companies simply make a van-like version of their normal compact car, then add a “Versa” or “Verso” or “MAX” to the end of the name. And voila: they sell by the thousands.
I wish we had more of these in the US, largely because the minivan is getting so big. But unfortunately, that doesn’t seem likely to happen – at least not while we still have living consumers who remember trying to keep a Colt Vista in running condition.
33 Responses to “ “Used Car Reminder: Small 1980s Van Things”
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Don’t forget Mazda MPV had hinged doors instead of sliding as well. It stacked up against the Expo pretty similarly. And might I suggest the Tercel 4×4? Similar enough to the Wagovan to be included, IMO.
I still have our 1984 Toyota Van (5MT!), so the Mazda5 was VERY high on my list last year when we were shopping. For a family of 5, it was a little tight and just didn’t offer enough to justify getting it over the “fullsize” minivans. Heck, you can likely get a Dodge Caravan *cheaper* than a Mazda5!
If it was just for me, I would have said to hell with it, I want a stick and the kids & our junk can be jammed into the back. But for a family of 5 (with 3 car seats of varying size), the Odyssey & Sienna just made WAY more sense. [note: we ended up with an Odyssey b/c Toyota didn't feel like dealing on Siennas. Truly a shame as I would have loved to get a 1984 & 2012 side by side in my garage
They even offer a similar shade of burgundy to make them look like father/son!] Maybe next time
Post a pic of the ol’ Van! I haven’t seen one of those in YEARS.
Let me figure out how to post a picture and I’ll get right on it!
Are you no longer contending that the MkI MPV is an SUV?
Hey! Nice to see you here!! MkI MPV is definitely an SUV. RWD/4WD, SUV styling, four doors (in later versions) etc. Who knows why they labelled it a minivan. I guess today it would be called a ‘crossover.’ How are you doing?!
I’m doing passably. Glad to see you popping up somewhere again. (I wasn’t sure it was you until you started talking about X90s)
Oh, the mystery Eagle I was hunting was just a Sebring coupe. I got a picture of it on the freeway a few years ago. I forgot to turn the flash off, and the driver took off rather rapidly.
I remember these Colt Vista, my mom had one as I was grouping up and did not have a reverse gear and I would have to get out and push it in to parking spots in upper Manhattan. Thanks for reminding me how shitty my childhood days were with this thing….
Back when I turned 16, I almost got an Expo LRV as my first car, then unwisely got a beat-to-hell Plymouth Laser instead. In hindsight, I REALLY wish I would have gotten the Expo, it would have been a lot easier to cram 8 high schoolers into that instead of the Laser.
I guess the Eagle Summit was a little younger than these, but I always found it strange because it was so small but had a sliding door on one side. Strange http://fivesgear.com/pics/Eagle/eb/04/6953_Eagle-Summit-Wagon_9.jpg
The Summit was the Expo! Fun car. Occasionally I still see them roaming around, presumably found by the current owner on Craigslist.
I thought they were related. Of course, I was born in 1988 so my first hand experience with such vehicles is very lacking!
I’d have to look it up, but I think Car and Driver had a acronym for these, like Bigger than a car, small than a van (BTAMSTAM)? Sorry, my memory is going…
You left out my favorite (the only one of these I’ve ever ridden in), the Nissan Stanza Wagon. Possibly the only vehicle ever with a sliding door and no B-pillar. My next door neighbors son had a 4×4 version as his first car. Brave kid.
I wonder if ANY of those are still on the road in ANY US state. I left that one out, but honestly it sold so poorly I don’t think I ever would’ve remembered it. I really screwed up on the Tercel 4WD. Those things sold in HUGE numbers, and now they’re all rusting out in Alaska which doesn’t stop people from using them as daily drivers.
There are a handful in the Pacific NW, to the extent that seeing one in Seattle isn’t too surprising. Couple of ‘em monthly.
ah, the Stanza Wagon – a very flexible flyer, most often amplified by tinworm infestation. Surprisingly capable on trails & in the woods – down on power, but light & a fairly short wheelbase. More clearance would have been even better.
In a big time OOPS advertising moment,I seem to recall a Mazda MPV ad where a (non-sliding door) MPV and a Caravan were parallel parked next to each other on a downhill. The sliding door on the Caravan kept closing due to gravity, and some kid in the MPV went up to the Caravan driver asked him why his doors kept doing that–with the sellpoint being that sliding doors were a BAD thing.
I wonder if that Ad exec is now picking electric car Battery makers and solar manufacturers for the govt stimulus program.
It was before sliding doors had holding locks. I liked the 1st gen MPV, they had rear ac, manual trans available, RWD/4WD and they were really short.
Thanks Doug for the Microvan love. And to Ford bring the B-Max!
I remember that one! I think they were delivering flowers, or something along that line.
Barely a minivan — the first year (1984) Plymouth Voyager. The short version. It was a K-car with a boxy body. There were three rows of seats but only a triangle-shaped space behind the last row. However, you could slide that seat forward and also put lots of stuff underneath. It had the little 4-cyl engine and a STICK, which meant it strained a bit on hills when the AC was on, but you could pull the AC button out, clutching the compressor, then push it back in when you got to the top. By doing this, you didn’t force all the vents to reposition themselves. Simple. Simple. Simple.
Also, I know nobody likes front drive, but a van with anything else blew all over the road. Remember the VW vans? The little Voyager was perfect. Made it to an easy 130,000 miles.
Final thing: it was shorter than a VW bug. Honestly. Maybe the best engineered car I ever owned.
Come to America/it exists/ridiculous rebadge/named in Japan super crossover fun time story!
http://specs.amayama.com/mitsubishi/rvr/
The Colt/Summit wagon was an Americanized captive imported version of a Japanese car called the Mitsubishi RVR, a storied Mitsubishi nameplate that they still use to refer to the Outlander Sport other non-US markets (and Canada, for some reason). Naturally Americans only got the lame-o version, because in the Japanese market these were available with a wide variety of engines and powertrains, all the way up to the turbocharged 4G63 engine and full time 4WD powertrain of the Lancer Evolution.
http://specs.amayama.com/specs-mitsubishi-rvr-1997-november/15724/
Well, strictly speaking these didn’t have *all* the titanium wheel turbos and whatnot, and were more or less the same drivetrain as the top spec US market DSM cars (Eclipse/Talon GSX) but who’s counting. With a top mounted intercooler to fit the van engine bay and a column shifter. I know all this because I have a Lancer Evolution from that era with an engine shortblock from a wrecked RVR Super-Sport-whatever, easily identified by the top mount intercooler. The engine hooked up with no modifications and is quite happy with the my Evo turbo and ancillaries. Since, unlike Evos, RVRs were largely equipped with 4 speed automatics and driven by old people, I’m expecting many miles of care free motoring from the engine.
The first gen Honda Odyssey/Isuzu Oasis was very cool. Especially with the sunroof and trick 3rd seat….
Doug, seriously, how old are you? I’m already extremely envious of your writing style/ability, but I’m going to be flat pissed if we’re even close to the same age. I expect you to be in your 50s or something…or at least 35.
And because I still can’t seem to comment on TTAC, I’ll say this here…
You really need to do a daily article on TTAC. Ok, maybe not daily, but one every 24 hours. I can get sterile automotive facts from Autoblog, etc, but you write your articles with soul and passion. I know that probably sounds far too sappy, but consider this analogy…while most automotive articles are like the TV show MotorWeek, your articles are like Top Gear UK.
So, as long as your at least 35 years old, I say, keep up the good work. If you’re younger than that, I hate you…but keep up the good work.
Hah! Sadly much younger than 35. But climbing every day.
I promise I will get daily stuff on TTAC (and Jalopnik) beginning next week. I’ve been slaving away trying to finish two e-books, and they’re finally done, which means I can get back to writing columns. I really, really appreciate the kind words, and I promise you’ll see a lot more of me on the web in the future!!!
Ok, now I hate you.
Seriously though, you are extremely talented. I look forward to your articles as much as I do Top Gear (UK of course).
Keep up the good work!
I own a ’91 Civic wagon, it’s a great car. Super versatile, easy to park and drive. It’s not called a Wagovan though, as only the previous generation civic wagon were labeled as such. Some random facts: there was also a 4WD drive version of the same generation as mine, and the lowest trim level didn’t come with a passenger side mirror.
For a long time I thought they were ALL 4WD. How many miles do you have?
Mine has just under 270K, still runs like a champ.
I put over 200,000 miles on a 1989 Civic Wagovan which I owned for just over eight years. (A tan version of the one pictured above.) At that time my company gave us a choice of a company car or driving our own car and reimbursing us at the IRS rate. Between the decent gas mileage and the utter reliability, driving it was like having a second job. Mileage reimbursement more than covered gas and routine maintenance, and that’s all it ever needed.
If you recall, before Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc. started building their cars in the US there was a quota on how many cars they could import. According to a couple of Honda dealers I spoke to, the Wagovan was Honda’s way of getting around to import quota for Honda cars. The Wagovan was imported without rear seats and with those funky little metal rods across the rear side windows, so it could be imported as a truck. Of course, rear seats were then installed before the customer bought the car. With the Wagovan you got a one-piece rear seat instead of the split rear seat in the regular wagon, you had vinyl upholstery instead of cloth, and it came with no clock. But otherwise, as I can attest, you got everything else you liked about the Civic at a slightly lower price.
While earlier Civic wagons could be had with either two or four-wheel-drive, I believe this iteration of Civic wagons were four-wheel-drive where the Wagovan was two wheel drive. I can tell you from eight winters in upstate New York, I didn’t miss four-wheel-drive one bit.
For me, that car was the perfect vehicle. Small enough to handle well and give decent mileage but with enough interior space to hold almost everything. It was, however, my “Civic Swansong.” Though I had driven Civics since 1973, this was my last one. They dropped the wagon on the next redesign and I’ve never had a another Honda since. Sure, the salesman tried to convince me the first generation CRV was a replacement for the wagon, but I wasn’t buying it (figuratively and literally).
I, too, don’t understand why the “small minivan” wasn’t more popular. But I am also, apparently, one of the few who prefers a compact pickup over the ones they sell nowadays that come with their own ZIP Code.
I’ve got a 1990 Nissan Axxess 5spd, its a wonderfully ridiculous van
That pretty sums up the Back to the Future trilogy. I also remember that Bif couldn’t say “butt-head”. It sounded like he was saying “bun-head”. It’s weird the things you remember.
A friend’s mom had a Nissan something or other (Prarie?) in the 80′s. We called it the ‘car-truck-van-thing’. In some sort of strange fit years later, I purchased a very used Nissan Axxess for $800 on the sketchy side of Chicago… I later traded it for a phone call to a taxi when it died in a gas-station parking lot. Good times.
We (wife & I) owned two Colt Vistas. The first was exactly the color and body style of the above. It had an 8 speed manual transmission, 4 forward gears, with a high and low range. It was a fine car, great for hauling us & 2 babies around Texas. We never had any trouble, and traded it two years later (maybe 50 K on it) for a new one that had an auto transmission, whatever the delux version was at the time. Ran great, several Texas to Michigan to Canada to Upstate New York trips with mileage in the 30s, though the earlier manual did better. Finally purchased an overhead cargo carrier for camping trips and more passengers. It died when an uninsured motorist (poor grad student) made an illegal turn in front of it. Kids were bigger and I had a company mini van then, replaced it with a Ford (we’ll never buy another fix or repair…again) Taurus. I think they were fine, economical vehicles, for a young family. I agree they were the Mazda 5 of the time.