BusinessWeek: January 11, 1993

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 Personal Business: Autos

STICKERS THAT WON'T STICK IN YOUR CRAW

Throw in an option or two, and you can drive the price of a basic automobile above $20,000 faster than an air bag inflates. But check out the 1993 Honda Civic, Ford Escort, and Geo Prizm, and you're in for a different kind of sticker shock: All three runabouts offer ample space, decent performance, and cool styling for under $11,000--making them rivals to a handful of other cars, including gm's Saturn (BW--Aug. 17).

Starting at a mere $8,400, the aerodynamically smooth Civic hatchback is less square and clunky than its forebears. A hip 1.5-liter, 70-horsepower engine responds quickly in traffic. And power brakes and a driver's air bag are standard equipment. The cx gets 42 miles per gallon in the city and 48 on the highway, compared with mileage in the high 20s and 30s for the two American cars. It has the most comfortable seating, too. The interior allows plenty of room for driver and front passenger, but riders may be a bit cramped in the back.

Ford's new Escort lx line of two- and four-door hatchbacks and a station wagon is known more for basic transportation. Still, standard features that include power steering, air-conditioning, rear-window defroster, and an am-fm radio make Escort's base price of $10,899 a noteworthy value. Ford even throws in a rear-window wiper and luggage rack on the wagon. With a new $757 sport option offering rear spoiler, 14-inch aluminum wheels, tachometer, cloth seats, and leather-wrapped steering wheel, you've got a snazzier version, similar to the $13,000 Escort gt. Unfortunately, the wrapping on the package is more appealing than what is inside: a noisy 1.9-liter engine and a chintzy plastic interior.

More inspiring is the redesigned Geo Prizm. The new gm-Toyota compact is longer and wider than its predecessor, giving it more room for legs and heads than the Civic and Escort, even for backseat passengers. And at a base price of $9,995, it's a lot cheaper than its smooth, sturdy styling would suggest. Still, Prizm's 1.6-liter, 105-horsepower engine isn't very peppy, and standard equipment is limited: driver's air bag, power brakes, and child safety locks. A radio-tape player jacks up the price by $502, air-conditioning adds a cool $745, and a rear-window defogger costs $104. But even with options, you'll be pleasantly shocked by the low price.

Edited by Amy Dunkin Greg Bowens
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