Zach thank you so much for giving my Phoenix a little limelight. The car has truly been a pleasure to daily drive and own. Unfortunately that is not the factory headliner because the headliner is missing 😅 my plan is to one day replace it with burlap. You did a fantastic job going over the history of the car! The unreliability issues of this car are truly inflated, especially when you ask the people who own them nowadays and drive them regularly. Many companies have to recall certain cars for certain issues, this was the case in the 80s and still the case today. Is any car that gets recalled a bad car? No. Is any car that isn't a performance car a bad car? No. The X-Body platform was the first of it's kind so it got the most attention with the biggest magnifying glass. Hell, I would say the N-Body platform is no better than the X-Bodies but you certainly don't hear about the waves of hate with those cars. One last note, notice how everyone is so quick to talk poorly about a car platform they probably never owned until they find out about the Citation X-11. For some reason because that car is "fast" it somehow is the exception 🙄 I digress, thank you so much again Zach! It was a fantastic time meeting and working with you! Can't wait for the other videos of my rides 😁
@bldontmatter53199 ай бұрын
This thing is kinda "junk" but very interesting, seemingly reliable, and lots of style. Cool car man
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@bldontmatter5319thanks, I don't see how it's kinda junk though... Ugly =/= Junk
@bldontmatter53199 ай бұрын
@@UraniumBullets it's junk in the sense that no one likes these. I have a 1997 Ford escort wagon of similar reputation. It's cool to maintain it and drive it as a unique piece, but it's just for economy, saving money, fuel, and to beat up. These kinds of cars were never meant to last forever, just to be good enough for the mom or dad who needed it when it was built... No offense meant.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@bldontmatter5319 I certainly see your point, these most certainly were not "forever" cars. People honestly love it though! It gets so much attention wherever it goes from car people and non-car people alike. The only people who truly have negative feelings for it is anyone who remembers them when they came out. This is of course my own experience so I can't speak for the very few other Phoenixes that are still on the road.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
@@bldontmatter5319 It's so ironic how nobody likes a Phoenix/Citation or an Escort, but the Nova is a chariot of glory and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air? Why, that's God's car. It's hilarious to consider corporate at GM (or Ford) made every car from perhaps the 30s onward to be not a forever car, good enough for the mom or dad who needed it when it was built.... but somehow the little monkeys in the back seat latched onto those machines and decided "THIS CAR GOOD CAR" as they grew up... ...The same people who were probably going through miserable times personally in 1980 and "had" to drive a Citation deciding "THIS CAR BAD CAR." The weird cherry-picking of automobiles and collective deciding of taste never sat well with me. My only theory why American stuff post-1970s is considered "ALL CRAP HOSS" is that there was a cottage industry of performance bits that sprang up around the Model T and the A and throughout time, lasting to the present. That industry grew up around simple Panhard-system cars (front engine, rear-wheel-drive). By the time FWD came to the US car industry... new generations just couldn't be bothered (not to the same extent as earlier generations, obviously there's plenty of people hotrodding Escorts and FWD GM). Each generation after the boomers cares (on average) less and less about cars. So the fact that these cars are "too different" to carry on the "motorsport tradition" (the reality being not enough people could be bothered for it to stick) and also "Japanese cars are infinitely better" (this is only in-part true and it's ruined cars for everybody... Honda made their cars too good in 1990. We've been spoiled) just laps up the rest. My advice? Team up with like-minded dorks that dig Ford Escorts if you need some community around your car. They're out there. Otherwise, do what it sounds like you're doing: just enjoy it and admire how it's lasted this long. ^_^
@Andyface799 ай бұрын
The thing is American's DID love the X-Car. They sold 800,000 something Citations alone in its first year (they did stretch it a bit and had a long model year but still.) But they were so unreliable that they plummeted in sales and were done by 85. They still make Accords today. Also, when they redesigned the platform slightly and released them as the new A-Body, they sold really well.
@nlpnt9 ай бұрын
Yeah, there's definitely some survivorship bias behind Zach's judgement of this car. It's over 40 years old and still here so it's gotta be one of the good ones.
@andregonsalvez92445 ай бұрын
Great show Zac ! These X bodies had a rough start but towards the end of their production they were pretty reliable and decent cars to own. I wouldn't hesitate in buying one of these X or A body cars today over some of these extremely hi-tech cars of today ( 2024 ) .
@mat131749 ай бұрын
I think the model designation goes back to John Delorean and the 69 Grand Prix. He wanted that car to capture the essence and spirit of the Duesenbergs of the 1930s. He even insisted Pontiac use the old Duesenberg model designations, J and SJ.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
Honestly, that's a better explanation than any other one I've heard. Not even Pontiac's marketing could really tell us what LJ meant...
@chaseman949 ай бұрын
I'm so used to Pontiac using trim names like SE, SSE, GT, GTP ,STE , etc.. it made me wonder what did SJ and LJ mean? Long jump? Super Jump? Who knows?
@scrambler69-xk3kv9 ай бұрын
Zach Push it slowly to the floor once then halfway to the floor and turn the key. Pushing it to the floor sets or closes the choke and the halfway down gives it just the right amount of fuel for a quick start. It was in the owner's manual under getting started.
@jaimealvarez47229 ай бұрын
You are so much better than what Regular Cars Reviews has become
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
preach
@Andyface797 ай бұрын
Why?
@aenoymotors9 ай бұрын
It was fun watching this and comparing to my 1981 Plymouth Reliant wagon. Both hated in their day and, with at least this one and mine, both still here 40+ years later
@jasonschneider37159 ай бұрын
Definitely don’t see these on the road anymore! My great grandmother had one from this generation but I don’t remember the year. It was a blue coupe with blue vinyl interior and bucket seats. It was her last car. I remember it well. Thanks for sharing!
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
I absolutely love the coupes, they have arguably a more interesting shape than the hatchbacks.
@bwofficial17769 ай бұрын
I like the shape. The brown on tan on brown is very American 70s holdover.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
That's mostly why I love it so much as well
@smc26739 ай бұрын
My first car! It ran great. Comfy seating.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Couldn't agree more!
@jasonmcmaster39399 ай бұрын
I think I looked at one.of these as my first car back in the mid 80's!! lol ended up with a 79' straight 6 Mustang
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Both would've been sweet options
@CJWriter09259 ай бұрын
Justice for the X-Car! GM rushing it out to beat everyone to the beginning of the 80s is what did them in, honestly. If they wait til '81-'82, the built quality and reliability issues are probably non-existent. Great review as always.
@Andyface799 ай бұрын
Agreed. They tried to rush it on the cheap and it was deadly. In 1980 (admittedly an extra long year for the model) Chevy made 800,000 plus Citations. In 85? Less than 70,000. That's what killed GM.
@JimGrey9 ай бұрын
I was 13 when the X cars arrived. I thought the Phoenix was the best looking of the lot. I rode in a number of X cars over the years and found them to be remarkably spacious for their small external dimensions. I was under the impression that the J car is an entirely separate platform from the X car, and the J spawned the L and N platforms. But the later A car (Chevy Celebrity, Olds Cutlass Ciera) is heavily based on the X car.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
9:50 One factor was maintenance of that drivetrain. Most people who bought these had never had a transverse front-wheel-drive car and most mechanics of the time had never serviced such an auto either.... The oil filter is in the back of the engine. The Haynes manual for this car literally says "don't try to get it from above or below, you'll have to take the passenger tire off and reach in there." I've done an oil change on this particular car before and yeah, it was a little silly, but I'm also from the future and used to Japanese cars that are sometimes like this. Most mechanics in 1980 had gotten used to decades and decades of "reach down and yank out" and to suddenly have this little car that symbolized everything changing be so different... naturally, many complaints and much moaning happened. Adding to the cesspool of hate for these cars.
@TheNuje9 ай бұрын
Funny. I didn't realize that was a holdover from the X-cars. I had a Chevrolet Corsica (the L-body, which was a platform used only for that car, its coupe companion the Beretta, and the Canada-only Pontiac Tempest which was a way for those dealerships to sell a sedan in that class because GM decided to only sell 2 door Grand-Ams in Canada for reasons impossible for anyone to understand). Same oil filter access. The more you know! Still, huge shame GM decided to rush the X-bodies to market. I will never think they were in any way spectacular, but they certainly could have been not a nightmare if they didn't rush it.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
@@TheNuje The only thing I can say I'm not crazy about Dan's Phoenix about... I'd do an oil filter relocation kit like a fancy hotrod just for peace of mind... And yeah, I'm rather familiar with the "I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-The-N-Body" L-Body. When you join the "GM Classic FWD Society" you learn all the flavors. ^_^ I myself had an N-body 1997 Olds Achieva... but I hadn't had it long enough to do an oil change.
@stephencannon31409 ай бұрын
Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of Arizona…or in this case…Oregon”
@davinp9 ай бұрын
When the Japanese automakers came to America, Americans noticed they were of better build quality than the Americans which is still true today. American brands don't follow the quality philosophy because they are more focused on making higher profits and cost cutting
@joe60969 ай бұрын
Which is a laugh because Toyota has been more profitable than GM for years lol
@bldontmatter53199 ай бұрын
@@joe6096because GM put all their "eggs" in china and russia... And china outdid them in every way, and Russians don't want their stuff. LOL.
@sponk21129 ай бұрын
The louvers in the back mean it's sporty!
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
If course! 😂
@robertdiehl90039 ай бұрын
Awesome forethought about Zack mentioning how Gm started re-badging Japanese cars in place of their own in mid-80's..
@traviskingston47439 ай бұрын
That interior’s got swag
@robertdiehl90039 ай бұрын
The Cadillac hubcaps fit perfectly on this car. Nice timeless look....
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Thanks, my plan is to cover up the Cadillac emblem holes with the Pontiac logo eventually.
@Ramcharger859 ай бұрын
Love these cars. Soft spot for Pontiacs. My 88 Grand Am had the Iron Duke. Great motor. ❤
@t212295138 ай бұрын
I admire folks that preserve cars like. Cheers to you. And a nice review on top of it all!
@thirdpedalnirvana9 ай бұрын
Hmmm.... 35mpg and a 3 speed auto? I doubt it did that stock. I bet (being in Oregon not California) that all the emissions equipment was removed and that's how it gets such good fuel economy. I bought a 533i in Portland and was delighted to get 27mpg on my drive home. Then I put a cat on it to smog it, and it melted the cat, because it was tuned to run lean to save fuel at the cost of high NOx emissions
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Actually it still has all the emissions equipment. It gets such good fuel economy because it's only an Iron Duke and the way the transmission is geared. I bet when I take the emissions equipment off the fuel economy will be even better.
@michaelcoonce66949 ай бұрын
My dad had several of them i found them to be very decent practical cars. I found your comments on the ac amusing. AC has been very common since the 50s
@mirthenary9 ай бұрын
My parents had one for 14 yrs, a gray one with a blue interior and vinyl seats, I think. It's been 30 yrs, replaced it with a 94 Mazda Protégé
@markhealey94099 ай бұрын
One of our driver's ed cars in high school in the early 80s was an automatic Chevy Citation,its sibling...we also had a manual Chevette,& an automatic Cavalier....i chose the Chevette to learn in as I have always preferred manual cars.
@Where2bub9 ай бұрын
back in those days in New York, if you had a hatchback with a "privacy cover" you'd come back to the car the next day with a big broken window. so around here it was smarter not to use the cover to show everyone that your car was empty.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Genuinely why I took the cover off of the Phoenix. Where I live there is so much petty crime and the cover was getting in the way.
@robertdiehl90039 ай бұрын
The iconic days of N.Y. where stolen car shells were left along the side of the Cross Bronx Expressway on cinder block with Mayor Ed Koch riding subways asking ""How am I doing?"
@KayakTN9 ай бұрын
That headliner is terrifying.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
It's actually non-existent 😂 What you see is all the foam padding from underneath where the headliner was
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
@@UraniumBullets That's even more terrifying!!
@gregorymalchuk2722 ай бұрын
People shouldn't rip down falling headliners, and they definitely shouldn't use glue on them as it will wreck the fiberglass insulation pad. You need to use these corkscrew pins called "twist pins" that you can get at Hobby Lobby or JoAnne's Fabrics that screw into the fiberglass insulation pad.
@MintyFreshTurds9 ай бұрын
Dammmmn it even has stainless rain deflectors on the windows 😮
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Those weren't cheap lol. Took me a solid year to find a set of them for the Phoenix. They originally retailed for like $15 in the early 80s and let's just say I paid about 20 times that amount 😅
@EnthusiastCarHangar9 ай бұрын
Weird but interesting. I had a Chevy Caprice a 1979 that was extremely brown inside haha I miss it and wish I had it still.
@SeanRCope3 ай бұрын
My first car 2 door. Bought a used one in Georgia after I got out of the Army. Drove from there to Canada and then California. I called it Pho.
@FrankBrabecАй бұрын
I had the SJ with a v6 and I loved that thing! Not super fast but it sounded good, looked sporty and was pretty fun to drive.
@bezalelkosofsky72869 ай бұрын
I found out from the Wiki that Pontiac made the Grand Am as a replacement of the Phoenix.
@RenNakamura209 ай бұрын
This reminds me of my A body 95 buick century I use to have. Wasn't the A body just an updated more modern version of the X platform?? I know they shared a lot of the drivetrains and electronics.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Technically the N-Body was supposed to be the replacement of the X-Body
@runoflife879 ай бұрын
Of course it was. Even the wheelbase stayed the same.
@bill904059 ай бұрын
I drove a silver/white buckets 1980 phoenix coupe, iron duke, auto for four trouble free years. It was a late production build. Was great in snow got good mileage but sounded like a tractor. The brakes were no more squirrelly than many other pre abs cars. Mom had ‘81 Omega same story.
@joey86bu19 ай бұрын
Yes brown on brown on brown on brown on brown on brown on brown on brown.
@ezekielmorgan10429 ай бұрын
This car stole all of the vents from my non-AC chevette lol
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
🤣
@kc9scott9 ай бұрын
The X-cars were actually wildly popular when first introduced. Chevy sold 811,540 Citations for the 1980 model year. But then they tanked as news spread of their awful quality and other problems. Sales got approximately cut in half each succeeding year, over the next few years.
@DS-wo8wr9 ай бұрын
Can you imaging GM selling 800,000 of anything today.
@ThePuffin779 ай бұрын
@@DS-wo8wrGM has sold over 600k GMT T1XX pickups as of Q3 in 2023. So its definitely possible they produce those numbers in trucks yearly
@DS-wo8wr9 ай бұрын
@@ThePuffin77 Anything is possible, but history has shown that GM had a 46% market share in 1980. What’s it today?? Somewhere around 17%.
@ladellhill71039 ай бұрын
I had a chevy citation that year same engine my first car in 1989 I was 19 at the time,I had the trunk model coupe,I'll never forget my first car and it was the same color as that pontiac
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
2:10 3-speed, but super duper low axle ratio, hence 35 at highway speeds. 3rd is effectively an overdrive. That Duke ain't doin' much at 70.
@doug61919 ай бұрын
These cars weren't rejected because of RWD vs FWD. Quality. It was quality that gave them trouble. The X platform was a HUGE success out of the gates, but then the buying public caught wind of the terrible building quality. Initial quality was so bad that GM gave later Citations the "II" designation to fool people into believing it was updated. 10:44 GM (and Ford and Chrysler) were selling Japanese vehicles before the X platform. The 1970s Chevette was co-developed with Isuzu. The 1970s LUV was an Isuzu, too. Ford's Courier was a Mazda. Chrysler's 1970s small cars (Colt) were Mitsubishis. The NUMMI arrangement which gave Chevy a Corolla Sprinter was GM's official acknowledgement that their workforce was building shit vehicles. They intended to learn "The Toyota Way" in the NUMMI deal. Obviously, that didn't happen. With nearly 30 years of NUMMI manufacturing, GM didn't learn a damned thing. They continued making subpar interiors and ancient powertrains in every vehicle not manufactured in Fremont. In short, US buyers were perfectly fine with FWD vehicles - the imports had no trouble selling them. The US buyers had no appetite for shoddy craftsmanship, and the X platform cars played a large role in why the imports grew so dramatically in the 80s.
@carlhilton47479 ай бұрын
I had one of these back in the day. For some reason, girls actually liked that car. I guess from certain angles it was kind of classy looking?😂
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
I'll say this, the Phoenix has gotten me laid more than any of my other cars ;)
@chaseman949 ай бұрын
Back in the 80s my best friend's mom had one of these it was a 1983 model. She was having issues with it then traded it in for a 1987 Pontiac Bonneville SE with burgundy interior and exterior. Is it me or does the Phoenix bird emblem kind of look like one of the power up icons from the video game Contra from Konami?
@GeeEm13139 ай бұрын
I wouldn't have even thought of the Contra powerups, but they do look similar!
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
THE TATER TOT HAS LANDED!! REPEAT: THE TATER TOT HAS LANDED!!!
@thirdpedalnirvana9 ай бұрын
....tater tot? I don't know what a tatter tot is, potato doesn't have 3 T's in it.
@kc0lif9 ай бұрын
audi tt.
@melissacarterpresley57869 ай бұрын
@thirdpedalnirvana, yet they clearly have more of a life than you do.
@scubemariononovsky-tb8js7 ай бұрын
IT ALL STARTED WITH A DINE AND DASH FROM A COUNTER AT A FAMILY RESTARAUNT
@weegeemike9 ай бұрын
Crazy to see an '80 model X body that still runs and looks decent. Their first year of 1980 was the biggest sales year for the X body but it was probably the worst model year for the X body, GM was notorious for rushing things through and then gradually improving them each model year until they kill it. That was the case for these cars, by '82/'83 these were actually solid little cars but by then the damage had been done and sales of the X body plummeted and they met their end. Sweet review and sweet car! I would totally own this.
@georgewilson11849 ай бұрын
I went to Oswego High School Oswego Illinois back in the early 80s for Drivers education we had Pontiacs courtesy of the local dealership that was the Famous time magazine man of the year James K Detzler The Phoenix got the job done but the class I was in we just missed the use of a TransAm by one semester
@azaz911c9 ай бұрын
What a beautiful example of 1980s automotive brownness.
@shawnwhite25729 ай бұрын
We had an '82 Phoenix when I was a kid. It was a zero option car, so no a/c. The round "vents" next to the doors were fake, they didn't do anything. The center stack also had idiot lights, so none of those gauges shown here.
@joe60969 ай бұрын
You skipped the most unique thing about these X-bodies and only for the 1979-80 model years - it has the cruise control switch on the gear shift lever! That was a rare option on these and AFAIK the only cars to have the switch on the gear lever. In '81 they moved it to the traditional location on the turn signal lever, and then for 1983-85 they had GM's multifunction "smart switch" with wipers, cruise, and brights all on the turn signal stalk.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
I absolutely love having my cruise control there! It's hands down the most simple and convenient cruise control I've ever used. Even more of a reason why I only wanted an '80 Phoenix compared to the other years.
@markhealey94099 ай бұрын
Interesting!
@nolarobert9 ай бұрын
I had the misfortune of owning a 1980 Pontiac Phoenix in college in 1986. The Iron Duke 4 banger was rough as a cob and didn't provide much power through the 3-speed automatic. It would stall at red lights and had trouble starting back up. The starter finally went out and had to be replaced. I drove it for less than a month when the starter went out again. I couldn't get rid of that Phoenix fast enough. I traded it in on a 1980 Honda Accord which proved to be an excellent vehicle. The quality difference between the Pontiac and the Honda was considerable.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
sounds like you had a carburetor issue that you just refused to get taken care of
@scrambler69-xk3kv9 ай бұрын
I much preferred the notchback versions of the X cars.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Those certainly have a neat look to them
@gregg96727 ай бұрын
The Sprint, Spectrum, and Nova all had major sales jumps when they were rebadged Geo Metro, Storm, Prizm and the new Geo Tracker. Geo did quite well during its first four or five years. Then GM focused on Saturn and the little Geo brand was absorbed back into Chevrolet where all the models were quickly discontinued one after the other.
@gcaprice4068 ай бұрын
These cars are what made my old man stop working on cars for a living. Specifically a problem with the overdrive transmission models. My old man was rebuilding them under warranty and was having early failures, they fired him for too many transmission comebacks. A week later GM came out with an updated part for these failures, and the dealer tried to get my dad to come back. He left the auto industry for good, and was probably one of his best decisions as he made much more money in other professions.
@gregorymalchuk2722 ай бұрын
Only the manual had an overdrive. The 3 speed automatic had no overdrive (but low numerical final drive ratio) but did have an electric solenoid that controlled a lockup torque converter. It was known to have issues. It would stick in lockup even after the car slowed down below 35mph and would cause the car to stall when stopping after previously travelling faster than 35 mph.
@scott89199 ай бұрын
Imagine looking at the Japanese competition and deciding THIS was the best option. 🤔
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
What would YOU have done? They made what the people demanded. Something roomy, cheap, and economical. GM did their best but could've done better with more time and less bean counters.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
I do own one of them Japanese competition vehicles: a 1980 Mazda 626. It's blown up on me three times in 7 years. Meanwhile, Dan's Phoenix has just.... worked.
@1KonArtis9 ай бұрын
Im here for the BFB test.
@kc0lif9 ай бұрын
the pontiac version of chevy citation. 3 speed transmission just fine. i knew people that drove Phoenixs nice car.
@bapa63969 ай бұрын
Does this use the same body as the Chevy citation ? I love it
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
You bet! I actually bought a Citation because it had the window louvers you see on this Phoenix. As soon as I took the louvers off I sold the Citation for what I paid lol.
@DS-wo8wr9 ай бұрын
Yep!
@DrCharlesMontague9 ай бұрын
These cars WERE a recipe for success on the surface, but they literally blew the greatest opportunity GM might have ever had at further cementing their hold on the domestic market, because of awful quality. Everyone I’ve known who owned one said it was an unfortunately sorry car overall. As others have said, Detroit makes excuses for Americans “not wanting” what they obviously just don’t *want* to build. Today it’s sedans. Where they’ve discontinued all of their sedans, I notice Asian and European automakers are still selling proper cars in droves, while domestics just want to sell bloated and overpriced trucks and SUVs.
@scrambler69-xk3kv9 ай бұрын
Love the headliner.
@lrich81819 ай бұрын
There is no headliner! Only glue!
@jmi59699 ай бұрын
35 mpg that's 6.7 l/100km? it's excellent for a petrol car even today, even if it's only easy freeway driving. I struggle to beat 5 l/100 km (47 mpg) average in a diesel car built thirty years later (roughly same weight).
@jimmyjimjims74839 ай бұрын
I always tell the tale of my grandparents 1980 Citation which decided to spontaneously combust in a Taco Bell drive thru in 1997 (with me in the back seat). We borrowed it from the barn my grandparents kept it in because our Cherokee was getting worked on and they no longer drove it much. We went to a Taco Bell in El Cajon and my mom turned on the heater when out of nowhere flames erupted from under the dash and a minute later the car was fully engulfed, one of my funniest childhood memories lol
@Dankcatvacs9 ай бұрын
When zack says a cars not fast. This one is really not fast.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
It's surprisingly the fastest car I own 🫣😂
@bldontmatter53199 ай бұрын
YEAAAH... I'm ok with 0-60 in 15 sec or so, maybe a little more... But with an automatic and such a small car, it's really annoying driving such a slow car. Looks like the owner has some even slower cars though...
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@bldontmatter5319 it does 0-60 in under 20 and maybe even under 15 if I stomp on it. The real issue where speed comes into play is trying to pass someone on the highway. That's when it's just miserable.
@bldontmatter53199 ай бұрын
@@UraniumBullets it's not too surprising I'd drive this around town only, personally. Without an overdrive, I'm sure it's pretty annoying, and the engine probably can't do much on the highway. I don't think it was built for that.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@bldontmatter5319 the way it's geared it makes for a great highway cruiser. Without the louvers I get a solid 35mpg doing 65mph. I've driven it all over the PNW and as far easy as Salt Lake. Sure there are better highway cruisers but this certainly does the job.
@Foxonian9 ай бұрын
One word to describe this cloth interior: "vulgarlar"
@jordanj92339 ай бұрын
Grew up in a Citation Family. Dad had a blue coupe and mom a red sedan. I was always embarrassed to get dropped off at school, even in 1989 😂
@bill463222 күн бұрын
We had a 1981 light blue Citation 4 door hatch. Had 200,000 miles before we got rid of it.
@williamsinger41249 ай бұрын
There was a yellow version of this car in the movie Airborne
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
I now might have to watch that movie just to see it lol
@williamsinger41249 ай бұрын
@@UraniumBullets it's an early Seth Green movie. And the car isn't in it alot, but it's in several shots. Early 90s movie.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@williamsinger4124 good enough for me to check it out, there's barely a Phoenix in any movie lol
@chryslerelectronicleanburn167618 күн бұрын
Wasn't that a movie about hockey
@howebrad46019 ай бұрын
The gm x cars were a huge design change for gm and the industry. I personally feel that they were the perfect size. Small car but with tolerable interior dimensions and very good space utilization. Due to the impending massive increase in federal cafe standards they were rushed into production before some of the final engineering and proving steps were fully done. The result was quality control issues, etc. As a design though I think they hit the mark. Just wish the actual execution would have been more complete. As to quality, find me a 1980 honda or Toyota that still has its factory upholstery and plastics intact. The imports were very well assembled but material quality such as fabrics, plastics, and the steel itself was very subpar compared to the americans. The americans did have drivability issues though as they hadnt yet perfected the smaller engines. People bought a lot of x body and a body cars innthe early 80s, but by mid decade honda and Toyota had again upped their game. Also in 1980, the only fwd car offered by Toyota was the tercel. Corolla and corona were still rwd. Datsun was rwd as well except for the 310. Honda has always primarily been fwd. I own a 80 buick x car and its way more luxurious and substantial than my early accords and Toyotas.
@garyodle56635 ай бұрын
I had a 1980 Pontiac Phoenix in 1983 and it was by far the worst car I have ever owned. The rubber boots around the CV joints were constantly splitting and allowing dirt and road debris up into the joints. The CV joints would grind up that dirt and debris and get destroyed, causing me to constantly having to replace them, and that was not cheap. I simply could not afford to keep the car; it was killing me financially. It drove great but man alive, what a money pit.
@RyanGallager9 ай бұрын
Ohhh yeahhhhhh! Peak malaise!
@TheGeorgiaMediaGroup9 ай бұрын
I had the 1980 citation
@Dankcatvacs9 ай бұрын
They were pissed when it broke Then gm created Saturn then killed it
@robertdiehl90039 ай бұрын
Nice car. Beautiful paint. Gm tried. Does have personality.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
5:05 Fun Fact: that fabric is available because that seat design was also found in the same-era Firebirds... I'm begging Dan to contact one of the manufacturers and just get a bolt or two of the stuff to reupholster that themthar hobnail!
@phillyspitta81479 ай бұрын
Had a neighbor who had a think for the worst Gm 80s cars he had one of these , a citation x11 coupe , celeb Eurosport wagon and a white 6000 awd which I thought was cool but think was none of this guys cars moved actually . He daily drove a metro and had these in his yard rotting away .
@althunder42699 ай бұрын
It seems to have a high stance. Almost like a 4WD.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
It had a slightly lower stance when I still had the factory wheels on it. Had to upgrade from the 13s to 15s simply because 15 inch tires are so much easier to find.
@msmoniz9 ай бұрын
It's a forgotten car for a very good reason! I remember these POS models as a kid in the early 80's! A step up from a Vette, a Chevette! But not much!!
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Ah yes, because as a child I'm sure your assessment on a new car was surely accurate and calculated.
@bwofficial17769 ай бұрын
@@UraniumBullets Children are smarter than you'd think. I had pretty accurate opinions of all of my family's cars. My dad's Grand Cherokee WJ was pretty all right. My grandfather's Mazda Tribute was a piece of crap. My grandmother's Buick Regal GS was very nice. My other grandmother's Chrysler Town & Country was a good people-hauler but otherwise unremarkable.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@bwofficial1776 lol have you heard what comes out of children's mouths most of the time? Unless it looks sporty and fast, most children couldn't give a damn. And hey, some people haven't grown out of that mentality in their adulthood 🤷
@bazilwreckerloughead9 ай бұрын
That's a cool & querkey little car!
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Thanks man! It always gets thumbs up and people always wanna chat about it
@jeffreyrigged9 ай бұрын
learned to drive in a early 80s sj 2 door
@seankirby13279 ай бұрын
It was part of the original X car. The carburetor was really fussy. The pontiac was more 'Upscale" version. For a car in 1980 it was very well optioned. It was originally a great design until the "Bean counters" got involved. It was considered a midsized car. These cars were MUCH bigger than anything the Japanese brought in. The X car had more interior room than the cars it replaced. All of GM imports were smaller than the X cars.
@samblensdorf73849 ай бұрын
Official car of wood paneled 80s
@chryslerelectronicleanburn167618 күн бұрын
Do the Plymouth Volare/ Dodge Aspen next. Made from 1976-1980. And did it hit it on as much as the 1980 front wheel drive X body GM cars
@FTRVDenny9 ай бұрын
I don't remember those. Are they equivalent of a citation?
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
yep! Just the Pontiac version
@jacobgreenmanedlion18639 ай бұрын
My mail, like a lot of American mail, was delivered by a Mercedes-Benz M274 2.0 liter direct-injection turbo four cylinder, in a Mercedes-Benz Metris.
@lincmerc15818 ай бұрын
Hobnail? That's what happens when you stub a toe in the dark.😂
@5KpGD9 ай бұрын
That car has no headliner, your looking at the bare cheeseboard.
@GeeEm13139 ай бұрын
My dad's Citation probably had that.
@damilolaakanni9 ай бұрын
That design of cloth seats are cool looking when they're new, but they're pretty uncomfortable. I once sat in a 3rd gen 4runner with similar cloth seat design and I really disliked it.
@kwaza85749 ай бұрын
Great car to review.
@landyachtfan799 ай бұрын
The GM X-cars will always be one of those car lines that REALLY frustrates me. They had all of the ingredients to be the best cars ever built, & that is exactly what they could & should have been. Ultimately, I feel that the X-cars' undoing was not really the cars THEMSELVES, but the company who built them, late-'70's/early '80's GM. As was the case with Ford & Chrysler, they became too focused on beating the European & Japanese competition at their own game & not focused ENOUGH on providing the American car-buying public with viable alternatives to the imports. As a result, quality & reliability were allowed t
@bwofficial17769 ай бұрын
GM is constantly penny wise and pound foolish. They know how to build a car as good as any but they let the bean counters and internal politics hold their cars back. They're content to get 85% of the way there and call it good enough. If the engineers ever get permission to take a car to 100%, the car will be canceled the next year.
@kevinpatrickmacnutt8 ай бұрын
That was the most reliable car? What did he own mostly Fiats before? I had the Buick version (Skylark) with the 2.5 and that engine is gutless. They did offer that car with 2.8 liter.
@StillPlaysWithCars_9 ай бұрын
I took my driver's test in one of these. When you'd turn the wheel all the way left or right, the engine would stall.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Sounds like someone didn't take care of their car 🤷
@davidkastin42408 ай бұрын
The forgotten Pontiac, a rebadged Citation 🤮
@bezalelkosofsky72869 ай бұрын
Is there a trunk button in the glove compartment?
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Unfortunately no
@bezalelkosofsky72869 ай бұрын
This is the video of another 1980 Phoenix where someone showed a picture of a trunk button hiding in the grove compartment. @@UraniumBullets
@dave116869 ай бұрын
Sweet!
@cardiffchris9 ай бұрын
You review the coolest cars
@user-pn5fb8rc8i9 ай бұрын
Can you review a 2023 Nissan Altima
@ceriabestsb30239 ай бұрын
I watched a KZfaqr talking about this particular model . Can't remember the plate number though but somehow it's the same colour and coincidentally that KZfaqr is based in Oregon..
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Now I'm very curious who it could've been!
@ceriabestsb30239 ай бұрын
@@UraniumBullets just say he's into small cars😄
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
@@ceriabestsb3023 I genuinely don't know 🥲😅
@bldontmatter53199 ай бұрын
Have a 1988 f250. Dark Brown main color, light brown secondary, brown seats. Brown headliner. Ect. I dont get it. Repainted it blue.
@Doctor_Robert9 ай бұрын
11:20 Also, this car was the basis for EVERY front-wheel-drive car to come out of GM for the next 30 years. Cavalier? Shortened X-body. Buick Park Avenue? Extended X-body. Your grandma's Buick Century/Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera? The same platform, repackaged because hatred. The transmission in this car was in production until 2002... unchanged. The engine delivers your mail every day. GM had great success with this experiment... the trouble is, they made a ton of mistakes later (fiddling with Overhead camshafts and, more alarmingly, aluminum to create the Northstar and the Quad-4.... which were decidedly less reliable than an Iron Duke). ...I'm sorry, Zack, I'm bracing myself for all the X-Body hate this video's gonna get.
@HenrySchecker9 ай бұрын
My parents first car together
@BenyKorenberg9 ай бұрын
Am I insane or is this the old 70s-80s gen Opel Kadette/ascona with some weird add-ons?
@markhealey94099 ай бұрын
No. The North American Chevy Cavalier was a cousin of the European Vauxhall Cavalier/Opel Ascona. North America had the Chevrolet Chevette,which was a cousin of The European Vauxhall Chevette/Opel Kadett
@markbrookes65579 ай бұрын
I worked at a Pontiac dealership in 1980. A brand new Pontiac Phoenix was delivered and the mechanic put it on the rack to do a check when the right side of the lift lost hydraulics and this brand new car fell off onto it's roof. I laughed, I thought it was ugly.
@UraniumBullets9 ай бұрын
Neat, so you had a mechanic that didn't take care of his equipment and cost the dealership a brand new car.
@kippaseo80279 ай бұрын
The X bodies were much closer to the GM "L body" Then it was to the N bodies. The x platform was so poorly engineered and desiand and quickly quickly heard a terrible reputation among buyers so the El body a.k.a. Chevrolet Corsica and Beretta we're prematurely launched in order to Replace the worst than mediocre x.