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1989, hm. Well, I actually had a car from that year for a while, 1989 Acura Integra LS (not in 1989, was 1996-2000). But what would I really want from 1989?
Can I count the NSX? I always wanted one of those. Was shown in 1989 but not on sale until 1990 so that wouldn't really count.
How about an LM002? Or a 959? It's the right year for those.
Such a wasteland in the late 80s for realistic cars. Ugh. None of them really stand out to me as super desirable. Probably an RX-7 or Supra if we leave out exotics. Or a little CRX Si. Euro and US stuff in that era is doing very little for me looking back at it. Miata would be good but technically a 1990 model in the US though it went on sale in 1989.
The year would be 1979 for me... not exactly a great year for cars!
So I would go with a 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine.
In the summer of 1982, I had a summer job as a limo driver, and we had one of these in our fleet. Coming from my '81 Chevy Citation, I was astounded at the luxurious ride of that Fleetwood Limo, and I was very impressed by how well it handled.
Not just "it handles well for a big car", but it actually handled curves very well as compared to most cars! And, since I had optioned my Citation with the police package (special gauges and suspension), I did know what a decent-handling car was like.
The handling and ride were the positives.
Unfortunately the V-8-6-4 engine (nicknamed the V-8-6-4-2-zero engine) was an absolute dog.
Even in the summer, it was necessary to let the engine warm-up for at least 20 minutes, in order to prevent stalling when you drove it the first time each day. Then, once you were on the highway, you never quite knew what to expect when you floored the gas in order to pass someone. While--in theory--the engine had decent power when all 8 cylinders were activated, it was always an unknown quantity as to whether you would get all 8 when you really needed them. More often than not, all I got was a cough and virtually no response from that floored pedal.
Modern engine management systems that shut down some cylinders when you are cruising are apparently very effective. Unfortunately, GM did not know how to do it properly with the technology of the late '70s-early '80s!
I guess it would have to be a 1931 Bugatti Royale, but I'd sell the damn thing and retire at 18. But re-reading your original post, it looked like you mean I have to pick a current model year car from 1988. For sheer reliability, and fuel economy you can't beat a 1988 Honda Accord.
Well, my '95 Town Car Signature is not new anymore, either!
Yes, it is ironic that you have one from a year before and after 1994.
Yeah, pretty ironic and I never thought about it before until this post. lol. Both cars were also made in February (the Cadillac in February of 1993 (a month before I turned 17) and the Lincoln in February of 1995 (a month before I turned 19). My b-day is in March, so if they had of both been made one month later, that would have really been even more strange being exactly a year before and after the year I turned 18. lol.
I imagine that technically both of my cars should really be considered 1992 and 1994 models, because I am sure that being early 1993/1995 cars, most of the parts were made in the previous year- but I guess they always put the date the car was assembled, not when the parts were made. In fact, many of the factory vacuum hoses on the Cadillac are dated like in the later part of 1992. Sad to say, but even one of the radiator hoses are original and are dated 1992. Still looks good though. lol. I would probably change it before ever taking the car on a long trip. My old 1991 Caprice Classic was made in April of 1990, so it was one of the first of the new Caprices with the rounded body to come out, as that was when they were repleased, but all of the hoses are on that car were dated April of 1990, as well on my 1990 Buick Century I had at the time.
Let's see, it was 1991 when I turned 18 and the automotive landscape was only just starting to recover from the doldrums of the previous two decades. Even Corvettes still weren't even making 300HP unless you got a ZR-1, which cost today's equivalent of about 100K and would still get smoked by today's base 'Vette.
Still, it was one of the better "performance bargains" of that year so it would be a contender. So would some of the Japanese performance cars that were starting to hit their stride right around then like the 300ZX twin turbo and the 3000Gt VR-4. (The top monster of them all, the MKIV Supra turbo, wouldn't drop for a couple more model years yet.) But in the end I'd probably have to go with an E34 M5.
I turned 18 in 2002, sooooo.... I'll take the Maybach or Phantom.
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Was shown in 1989 but not on sale until 1990 so that wouldn't really count.
But re-reading your original post, it looked like you mean I have to pick a current model year car from 1988. For sheer reliability, and fuel economy you can't beat a 1988 Honda Accord.
