In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- Will there be a 2020 Honda Del Sol?
- Nissan Sentra Nismo or Hyundai Elantra Sport?
- We are replacing the family Plymouth Voyager!
This first question comes from a long time viewer who wants to know if there will be a 2020 Honda Del Sol.
Q: Hi Nathan! I don’t know if you remember me. I asked you about the Fiat 500 about two years back. Anyway, I had a question about the 2020 Honda Del Sol or 2020 Honda S2000.
My sister had a Honda Del Sol in high school and she loved it. I was SO jealous, I was stuck with my father’s ’93 Camry. She did let me drive it from time to time, and we traded whenever she needed to hold more people.
Every time I drove that Del Sol I had a blast! I wanted one of my own, but you know what happens after college, right? Boyfriend, marriage, jobs, kids and the whole thing forces you to drive a “mommy taxi” until they are older. I am so sick of having to drive the Mommy Taxi!
Well, guess what?! I’m done with driving the kids and I just paid off my 2013 Toyota Highlander! Yay for me! Now I took your advice and drove the Fiat 500 convertible side by side with the base model Mini convertible and I liked the look and price of the 500 a lot more.
I was thinking about buying a certified used one, like you suggested, but I remembered my sister’s Honda Del Sol. Honda has nothing like it right now and I looked for older Hondas and they had crazy miles. So, after looking on the internet and asking my car crazy teen about it, there is a rumor that Honda might sell the 2020 Honda Del Sol or a 2019 Honda S2000 or maybe something like one of those cars soon.
I sent you a photo of a blue car that’s called the Honda S660. Could this be the groundwork for a 2020 Honda Del Sol! Oh I hope so! I know you think I’m crazy for wanting something so small and something other than a muscle car. LOL!
Please let me know what YOU know!
Lots of love,
Brittany G
Thousand Oaks, CA
A: Hi Brittany, I am so happy you wrote back!
The Honda S660 you saw is for the overseas market alone. While many fans want it to be sold here, Honda has no plans to do so. There are a lot of Honda fans who would love a 2020 Honda Del Sol, but I doubt we’ll see one. Still, there are a few tantalizing tidbits of possibilities out there.
Honda recently debuted a small displacement turbo for the North American market and they are showing interest in using it in a lot of their future vehicles. They have also expressed interest in bringing sportier cars here. We will soon see a fast Honda Civic Si and a stupid-fast Honda Civic Type-R.
Rumor has it, Honda is exploring a successor to cars like the Honda S2000, Honda CRX/CRZ and the Honda Del Sol. It may be a smaller version of the Acura NSX, or perhaps, something entirely new. The market for small (convertible) sporty cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata may tempt Honda to build something competitive for our market.
I certainly hope so!
Thank you again for checking back in. Honda may have a surprise or two coming in the near future and you can bet we’ll be on the lookout for anything newsworthy!
All the best!
N
This next question comes from a viewer who wants to buy either a Nissan Sentra Nismo or a Hyundai Elantra Sport.
Q: What would you choose if you had to choose one to live with for the next five years, the 2017 Nissan Sentra Nismo with a manual transmission or the Hyundai Elantra Sport with a manual transmission?
I like both and I think I’m going to get one of them this spring. There are no other cars I like right now and I want something that I can drive until I am ready for a family car while having a car that I can carry my friends in. I want something fast and sporty but also something I can carry my mom and my auntie in.
I live in Florida and drive a lot and I don’t need and I don’t like hatchbacks. My last car was a Infiniti G20 and I had a Hyundai Tiburon before that. I liked both but I want to get something new with a good warranty. What would you get if you were in my position?
Mommar
A: Hi Mommar, thanks for the email.
I was about to answer with the Hyundai Elantra Sport. I would gladly own one as it is a hoot to drive and it’s very affordable. I also like the overall design and (somewhat) ubiquitous styling. Yes, that would be the car for me; however, after reading your requirements, the Nissan Sentra Nismo may be the car for you.
You mentioned that you wanted to drive your mom and your auntie from time-to-time. While the Hyundai Elantra Sport is fairly comfortable, it’s a tad rough riding and pretty noisy. The Nissan Sentra Nismo’s seats are more comfortable and it has a better ride.
Bottom line: if you care about passenger comfort – go with the Nissan Sentra Nismo over the Hyundai Elantra Sport. On the other hand, if you want the better driver’s car – stick with the Hyundai Elantra Sport.
Hope that helps!
N
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The last question comes from a viewer who wants to replace their 1996 Plymouth Voyager with something a little more contemporary.
Q: My family’s car is a ’96 Voyager. We got it new, needing the space to move cross-continent.
It’s still alive, but soon enough, we’ll need a new car. We no longer need the capacity, so we think a small, efficient, 4- or 5-seater with relatively good cargo room is for us. My dad is thinking of a Kia Soul. I have also suggested the Honda Fit, Jeep Renegade and the Honda Element. What do you think, and what can you tell me about the Honda Element in general?
Thanks.
Aaron
A: Howdy Aaron!
Great questions. How awesome is it that your family is still rockin’ the Plymouth?!
First of all, the Honda Element was one of the most utilitarian vehicles in its segment. It could only hold four, but the rear seats were very configurable and you could remove them altogether. I had a friend who was able to haul his 600cc motorcycle in one and used it as a camper (with an aftermarket exterior tent that attached to the hatch) and he put nearly 200,000 miles before he sold it.
The Honda Element was never fast and its gas mileage was mediocre. It takes a little time to adjust to driving one too. I suggest testing a few to see if your father likes the unusual driving position.
While the Kia Soul is an excellent choice, I would recommend your Honda Fit choice. It’s a better vehicle to live with and its interior is remarkably utilitarian. It’s very efficient and I drove an older one cross country – it was a better than expected long-distance cruiser.
I hope that helps!
N
Here’s the latest video episode of “Ask Nathan!”
Nathan and The Fast Lane Car team are here to answer your (reasonable) questions. Interesting and/or entertaining emails will be posted to this column. If it’s relevant in the automotive universe, there’s a chance we may know something about it. The author’s email address and name will be omitted – leaving your initials or nickname, your preference.
From day one, The Fast Lane Car has made it our policy to answer as many questions and comments as we can. We get thousands of emails and comments and feel that,as part of a tight-knit automotive community, having an open dialogue with you keeps things fresh and exciting.
Got a question for Nathan? Drop him a line at: asknathan@tflcar.com[
