The Year Is: 1988

The year is 1988. You've recently moved to Minnesota and just now learned it occasionally snows there. Since you don't want your current daily driver to get rusty with all the road salt,

you decide a domestic front wheel drive car with sporty pretensions would fun to drive in the winter without the risk of ruining your extra-magnum sized Suburban. Whether it's a left over 1987 or one of the new 1988s doesn't make any difference to you. What does though, is which one?

1988 Pontiac LeMans

1987 Buick Skyhawk T-Type

1987 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport VR

1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo

1987 Dodge Charger

1987 Dodge Lancer Shelby

1987 Dodge Shadow Shelby CSX

1987 Ford Tempo Sport GL

1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass GMO Quad 4

1987 Oldsmobile Firenza GT

1987 Plymouth Turismo

1987 Pontiac Grand Am SE Turbo

1987 Pontiac Sunbird GT Turbo

1988 Buick Electra T-Type

1988 Buick LeSabre T-Type

1988 Buick Reatta

1988 Buick Riviera T-Type

1988 Cadillac Allante

1988 Cadillac Cimarron

1988 Chevrolet Beretta GTU

1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24

1988 Chevrolet Nova Twin Cam

1988 Chevrolet Spectrum Turbo/Express/Sport

1988 Chrysler Lebaron GTS Turbo

1988 Dodge Colt GT Turbo

1988 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z

1988 Eagle Premiere

1988 Ford Escort EXP

1988 Ford Tempo GLS

1988 Mercury Topaz XR5

1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible

1988 Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo

1988 Plymouth Sundance RS Turbo

1988 Pontiac 6000 STE AWD

1988 Pontiac Bonneville SSE

1988 Pontiac Grand Prix

ah, the good old days//////

I have a hunch that Camino won't be voting in this thread.

Of these, I'd go with the Beretta or the Cutlass Supreme 'vert.

The ads for the Colt and Conquest are hilarious, given that they're both rebadged Mitsubishis.

I liked the Beretta and the Cavalier Z24, but the conquest was freakin awesome to drive. Which is why it beat out my other favorite the Beretta. I would have bought one of them, but the Chevy dealer who had a fully loaded white one at the end of the year was not willing to dicker on the price.

The Allante, Cutlass Supreme Convertible and Grand Prix are the best looking ones; probably the only designs in that bunch that stand the test of time IMHO. Always loved the Allante's looks

On another note... L'ad for L' Pontiac LeMans is, at best, L'aughable (see what I did there??? )

1988..that was a milestone year for me...i turned 18 that year...had my '87 Mustang GT for my fun car and an '84 Ford Escort diesel as my college car...the only time I had FWD car..a year later, got a used '86 Mustang LX 2.3 to use as the college car as my Dad wanted his Escort back for dinghy use (tow on the back of the Winnebago).

The LeSabre T Type is pretty slick looking.

The LeSabre T Type is pretty slick looking.

I remember liking the looks of those and the Electra T Type...it's too bad they never did a 2dr version of the FWD Bonneville using that roofline.

I voted for the Bonneville SSE... I still think it has a timeless design.

Well, the Conquest and Pontiac 1000 were RWD, not FWD.

I would take the Cavalier Z24 I think.

LeSabre T-Type or if I'm on a budget, Firenza

That must be a Canadian Pontiac 1000..the US ones had a distinct grille (the one in the pic has a Chevette grille).

That must be a Canadian Pontiac 1000..the US ones had a distinct grille (the one in the pic has a Chevette grille).

Reatta or Toronado

Hasn't anyone else noticed a problem with two of the cars meeting the selection criteria? I'm not referring to the captive imports either....

Edit: Woops, OCN noticed it.

Well, the Conquest and Pontiac 1000 were RWD, not FWD.

I would take the Cavalier Z24 I think.

Duly noted and fixed.

I went new car shopping in the summer of 1987. My plan was to get the then brand new Beretta GT. But also on the short list were the Honda Prelude Si, Pontiac Firebird Formula 305, Pontiac Sunbird GT, Chevy Cavalier Z24, and the Acura Integra LS. I had even considered the Pontiac 6000 SE, Pontiac LeMans, Cadillac Cimarron, and Chevy Camaro IROC-Z. I ended up with the Integra.

Of the cars listed, I'd go with the Chevy Nova Twin Cam.

I know how to drive in the snow. I'll buy a '88 Pontiac Trans Am GTA Notchback and thumb my nose at all of you.

This is Minnesota we're talking about here. You're not so much going to be driving in snow as you are 4" of accumlated road salt. If this were North/South Dakota I'd drive a 1974 98 Regency all year long and toss some snow tires on it in the winter; but I'd rather tool around for the duration of a lease in a Sprint Turbo than subject a decent car to a Minnesota winter.

This is Minnesota we're talking about here. You're not so much going to be driving in snow as you are 4" of accumlated road salt. If this were North/South Dakota I'd drive a 1974 98 Regency all year long and toss some snow tires on it in the winter; but I'd rather tool around for the duration of a lease in a Sprint Turbo than subject a decent car to a Minnesota winter.

Same story in NJ. Inch of salt on roads for a storm that never comes... or driving in an unsalted 18" blizzard that comes out of nowhere with nothing but all season tires.

I did 6 winters in NE Ohio and 3 in SE Michigan before moving to Colorado in '97....I used snow tires in Ohio, all the way around...1 winter w/ an '84 Ford Escort diesel, 5 with an '86 Mustang LX, and then my first SUV, an '88 Bronco II 4x4 for the Michigan winters..(which usually were milder than Ohio ones).

The LeSabre T Type is pretty slick looking.

always loved it.

88 GP is the car that still looks fresh....must be that .29 cd

I would take the Eurosport VR....since I have one! Most people have no idea what it is.

1988 huh?

Well, I did drive a 1986 Celebrity in Montreal from 1990-1994 (daddy's car, family car)i n Montreal wintery weather that is on par to Minnesota's winter.

Actually, Im still living in Montreal. This thread is right up my alley.

So...we WILL go back into time and I WILL tell you what FWD car I liked then.

1989 Pontiac Grand Prix TURBO. Yes yes....the year should be 1988 and not 1989. The 1988 Grand Prix was dope, but the Mclaren Turbo version was doper...

 

but as a family car, I think I remember to have liked the Bonneville SSE.

 

 

 

 

I owned an '88 Bonnie SE in the early '90's but I wanted the SSE instead. Circumstances (and an unbelievable deal on the SE) being what they were, the SE was a good car, so I voted for the Pontiac.

 

 

Because I didn't read the entire criteria and knowing what I know now, I'd wanna get one

Actually, rereading this, gonna change my answer

 

 

Because Daytona Shelby Z sounds like a badass car