1995 Honda Del Sol Walkaround Review at Automotive.com
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Honda
Del Sol
1995

1995 Honda Del Sol Review: Exterior

Below is a full, detailed 1995 Honda Del Sol review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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1995 Honda Del Sol Review

A sun-chaser for all seasons
Walkaround
The del Sol inhabits the cute end of the sports-car spectrum. Low, round and curvy, it has an endearing toylike demeanor, particularly when it's painted honda's eye-catching grasshopper green (sort of a metallic Fisher-Price). Up front, aerodynamic quartz halogen headlights sharpen its looks, especially with the optional round auxiliary lights. The overall impression is teddy bear rather than tiger.

The car's defining characteristic, of course, is its targa roof. By removing the large roof panel, you can enjoy top-down motoring with less buffeting than in a convertible. Considerable attention has gone into managing airflow around the car, from the raked windshield to the flying buttress pillars at the rear of the roof. The result is a civilized open sports car that lets you sit up and listen to the music, too. A novel rear window that goes up and down offers an additional way to adjust the airflow.

Another nice touch is the cleverly designed rack that's mounted under the trunk lid for storing the roof panel rattle-free. The rack lifts with the trunk lid, always allowing access to the surprisingly generous trunk space. Trunk capacity is 10.5 cu. ft. empty - only 1 cu. ft. less than the CivicCoupe; the del Sol's trunk capacity is 8.3 cu. ft. with the roof stowed.

The roof panel releases rather easily with just two levers. And though the panel itself is relatively light, it is awkwardly large. Unless you have the arms of a chimpanzee, you will probably need help stowing it.

The del Sol comes in three trim levels, indistinguishable from the exterior except for the badging. The base 1.5-liter S model is powered by a 102-hp 4-cylinder engine, the same engine found in the estimable Honda Civic. The 1.6-liter Si and top-of-the-line VTEC models are powered by single and double overhead cam versions of Honda's technologically advanced VTEC engine with variable valve timing, producing 125 hp and 160 hp, respectively.

Our test car was the del Sol VTEC, which we consider to be the quickest car in its class. It retails at the high end of the del Sol price range: $19,550. Next Page


1995 Honda Del Sol