1985 Pontiac Fiero, Hall and Oates. Sporty Coupes of 1985
Sometime between the height of their popularity and acquiescing to record a Christmas album, Hall and Oates take time to scuff the finish of a 1985 Pontiac Fiero.

It has taken a while, but demographers seemed to have coalesced around 1985 as the year dividing the people identified as Generation Y from those we’ve labeled Millennials.

Eddie Murphy Album
In 1985 Eddie Murphy took a second job as a Luther Vandross impersonator.

As a benchmark year, 1985 has a lot going for it. The only movie that every single Generation X’er has seen more than once, Back to the Future, was release in ’85, and, perhaps more importantly, the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes debuted. For whatever reason, 1985 was also the year that Eddie Murphy chose to release an album, an album that, confusingly, had songs on it instead of jokes.

Sporty Coupes of 1985
Details shared below are as presented in Consumer Guide’s Auto Test ’85.

It was a big year for car fans, too. Most importantly to enthusiasts, Pontiac’s plastic-skinned Fiero was showing up on local byways, this after a 1984 rollout. The big news, however, was the rollout of the 1986 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable.

For the young and single, 1985 wasn’t a bad year to go car shopping. Youthful shoppers with modest budgets would have found plenty of good-looking, reasonably fun-to-drive coupes from which to choose.

Presented here are all the affordable sporty coupes found in Consumer Guide’s Auto Test ’85. If you’ve owned or spent time with one of these spirited rides, we’d love to hear about it.

The Cheapest Cars of 1989

 

 

Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

Camaro base price: $8777 (including $414 destination charge)

IROC-Z base price: $12,133 (Z28 model with IROC-Z package)

Engine: 215-horsepower 5.0-liter V8

Transmission: 4-speed manual

0-60 mph: N/A

Observed fuel economy: N/A

Check out our used Camaro reviews

 

Dodge Daytona Turbo Z

1985 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z
1985 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z

Daytona base price: $8931 (including $426 destination charge)

Turbo Z base price: $12,046

Engine: 146-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: 9.4 seconds

Observed fuel economy: 17.2 mpg

Check out our used Daytona review

 

Ford Mustang GT

1985 Ford Mustang GT
1985 Ford Mustang GT

Mustang base price: $7259 (including $374 destination charge)

Mustang GT base price: $10,259

Engine: 210-horsepower 5.0-liter V8

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: N/A

Observed fuel economy: N/A

Check out our used Mustang reviews

 

Honda CRX

1985 Honda CRV
1985 Honda CRV

CRX (HF) base price: $6658 (including $179 destination charge)

CRX base price: $7034

Engine: 76-horsepower 1.5-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: N/A

Observed fuel economy: 28.0 mpg

Check out our used Civic Del Sol review

 

Honda Prelude

1985 Honda Prelude
1985 Honda Prelude

Base price: $10,524 (including $179 destination charge)

Engine: 100-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: 10.3 seconds

Observed fuel economy: 26.7 mpg

Check out our used Prelude reviews

 

Isuzu Impulse

1985 Isuzu Impulse
1985 Isuzu Impulse

Base price: $11,287 (including $239 destination charge)

Engine: 90-horsepower 1.9-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: 13.2 seconds

Observed fuel economy: 27.2 mpg

Check out our used Impulse review

 

Mazda RX-7 GLS-SE

1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE
1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE

RX-7 base price: $11,125 (including $180 destination charge)

GSL-SE base price: $15,825

Engine: 135-horsepower 1.3-liter 2-rotor Wankel

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: 9.1 seconds

Observed fuel economy: 16.1 mpg

Check out our used RX-7 reviews

 

Nissan 200SX Turbo

1985 Nissan 200SX Turbo
1985 Nissan 200SX Turbo

Base price: $9194 (including $195 destination charge)

Turbo base price: $12,544

Engine: 120-horsepower 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: 9.3 seconds

Observed fuel economy: 23.1 mpg

Check out our used 200SX reviews

 

Pontiac Fiero SE

1985 Pontiac Fiero
1985 Pontiac Fiero

Base price: $8319 (including $320 destination charge)

SE base price: $9919

Engine: 92-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 4-speed manual

0-60 mph: N/A

Observed fuel economy: 21.1 mpg

Check out our used Pontiac reviews

 

Renault Fuego

1985 Renault Fuego
1985 Renault Fuego

Base price: $9285 (destination charge N/A)

Engine: 110-horsepower 2.2-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 3-speed automatic (a $438 option)

0-60 mph: 11.8 seconds

Observed fuel economy: 21.5 mpg

Check out our used coupe reviews

 

Toyota Corolla GT-S

1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S
1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S

Corolla Sport base price: $8253 (including $195 destination charge)

GT-S base price: $9493

Engine: 112-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: N/A

Observed fuel economy: 21.4 mpg

Check out our used Corolla reviews

 

Volkswagen Scirocco

1985 Volkswagen Scirocco, Sporty Coupes of 1985
1985 Volkswagen Scirocco

Base price: $10,300 (including $320 destination charge)

Engine: 90-horsepower 1.8-liter 4-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

0-60 mph: N/A

Observed fuel economy: 27.1 mpg

Check out our used Volkswagen Corrado review

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