1997
Honda del Sol

Starts at:
$15,080
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New 1997 Honda del Sol
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Safety rating
NHTSA tested vehicle score
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Not rated
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • 2dr Cpe S Manual
    Starts at
    $15,080
    33 City / 39 Hwy
    MPG
    2
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 2dr Cpe S Auto
    Starts at
    $16,080
    28 City / 35 Hwy
    MPG
    2
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 2dr Cpe Si Manual
    Starts at
    $17,300
    30 City / 36 Hwy
    MPG
    2
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 2dr Cpe Si Auto
    Starts at
    $18,100
    28 City / 35 Hwy
    MPG
    2
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 2dr Cpe VTEC Manual
    Starts at
    $19,600
    26 City / 30 Hwy
    MPG
    2
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs

The good & the bad

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Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
10 years old or newer from their original in-service date at the time of sale.
Basic
100 days / 5,000 miles
Dealer certification
112 point inspection
See all CPO program details

Consumer reviews

94% of drivers recommend this car
4.6 / 5
Based on 18 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.1
Interior 4.0
Performance 4.4
Value 4.7
Exterior 4.6
Reliability 4.8

Most recent

  • By Cnn101 from New York, NY
    Owns this car
    June 3, 2020

    A true HONDA

    Very reliable and trust worthy car, this is Honda at its best, solid after 24 years of driving and gas mileage reflective of a modern day hybrid; Honda for the creation of this car deserves the highest accolades for craftsmanship and quality which equals a true car.... thanks Honda...
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    4 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By precious del sol from OR
    Owns this car
    December 16, 2019

    I Love this car. FUN!

    Very reliable and fun to drive. The targa top is better than a full convertible. I’ve had it from 6-103,000 miles and still going strong.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By ElTransitoNo3 from Baltimore, MD
    Owns this car
    July 20, 2018

    Best Car Ever, Period

    Worthy of its cult status! Combines Honda reliability and longevity with style, speed & fuel economy. I currently drive a 2018 Forester 6 speed manual and I love it but when I get in the Honda it is just a smoother driving experience, what can I say? It's a car that makes you feel like a kid again, so fun to drive! Not a car for someone WITH kids, however. With a passenger, all cargo like groceries or anything bigger than a purse, needs to go in the ample trunk. Roof is light enough to remove or replace in a flash. I am a woman, 61 & have no problem putting the roof in the trunk for a moonlight ride or putting it in place when a rainstorm hits. Just a great, fantastically fun car!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    4 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By Nick
    Used to own this car
    June 24, 2018

    Phenomenal value. Car will never die!

    Easy and fun to drive car. It got great gas mileage and had really low maintenance costs. I sold the car at 200,000 miles, but I bet it could keep going for another 100,000!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By Bill the biggest del sol fan! from Myrtle Beach, SC
    Owns this car
    March 11, 2018

    Owned 15 del sols....and counting

    It's the ONLY car I drive. Got my first sol in 2000 and never looked back. I currently have THREE del sols! The first is a red 96 auto daily driver with 220k, faded paint, lots of dings and dents but mechanically perfect. It's great for the grocery store where people love to door ding your car with a shopping cart. Second is a newly repainted white 97 SI 5 speed with 135k. This one i drive on occasion because is looks quite respectable and is fun for weekends or showing off. I never leave it unattended in a grocery store parking lot. The third is a true museum piece! It's a red 1997 SI, 5 speed with ONLY 4, 231 ORIGINAL miles!!! Stunning car. I think it's gotta be the lowest mileage sol in the U.S. If you wanna see a video of it, go to YouTube and type in: del sol RED. Yes,it could be placed in a Honda showroom with the brand new cars and it would rival them all. Obviously, I never drive this car....only for show. In summary, if you don't own a del sol....you're missing out.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
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  • By jaco4ever from Golden, CO
    Owns this car
    January 27, 2018

    Some Call it a Chick Car

    Low, sporty & in black, is a blast to drive, has loads of head room & a removable hard top for summer sun. VTEC DOHC engine and 5 speed, of course. Has been reliable daily driver for the past 10 years and good in the snow too!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By HondaMan1989 from Jacksonville, Florida
    Owns this car
    August 16, 2017

    The best Honda ever made that was forgotten!

    Honda should have never ditched this car. Period. They only should have given it more horsepower and made it a RWD. These cars are the best of both worlds if you want a convertible but do not want all of the headaches that come with one. If you are into tuner cars and love a Honda then every Honda made from 1993 on to 2001 technically has a motor that can fit into this car without much trouble or without any effort at all basically. This Del Sol Model has a very well known nickname though... "Del Slow". This is where the weight combined with the puny 1.6L D series that came with it was stuck behind the curtain while Acura's Integra had the 1.8L that everyone now swaps into what should have been and OEM engine in the first place. Besides the motor these cars handle VERY well for the year it was made and considering it's a basic Economy Class commuter car. I have now driven a Del Sol with Manual & Power Steering and it's not that noticeable of a difference. If you sums up what this car lacks the xxxxxxto me outweigh the Con's for what this car is and what should have been. If Honda ever starts reproducing this car again I will most definitely buy it off the lot
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
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  • By yoda
    Owns this car
    July 13, 2017

    Exactly as expected

    Fun to drive, good performance, good mpg makes up for cost of premium gas, no complaints, wish that Honda still made them
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By Jstro from Columbia,MO
    Owns this car
    March 2, 2017

    Awesome Car!

    Very reliable and fun. Also looks amazing! I use it as my daily. The targa top is absolutely perfect.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • By rmrc from Virginia
    Owns this car
    May 23, 2013

    Another Mid-Life-Crisis purchase, lol

    I guess you could call my DelSol another Mid-Life-Crisis purchase as compared to a previous review. For quite a few years, I?ve been toying about buying some type of small manual-shift sports car. The last stick-shift car I had was back in the late 60?s. I?ve looked at Miatas, MG?s, Triumphs, ect. and none of them really made an impression. I just happened to stumble upon a DelSol a few months ago and was immediately impressed with the removable targa roof and powered rear window. A perfect convertible that wasn?t a rag top. Extremely easy to remove and store the roof-top in a "huge" trunk with it?s own storage rack for a car of such a small size. Add to this the excellent reputation Honda has with it?s Civic platform and the affordable price they can be purchased for basically convinced me that a DelSol was in my future. I was lucky enough to find a nice low mileage, one owner 97 SI out in Utah which I had shipped back to the East Coast. Needless to say I?m extremely happy with the car and currently doing a series of upgrades to her. She?s a real keeper!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
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  • By jk from Birmingham, AL
    Owns this car
    February 3, 2012

    I bought mine new in 1996....

    I bought my first car in 1996. It was Honda Del Sol S. The V-Tec and Si were tempting but I was on a budget so I settled on the S model. I have never regretted it! I had to give up a few of the luxuries that the pricier models had, such as power locks and cruise control, it still had AC (which still works after 16 years!). You don't need cruise control with this car anyway, its too fun to drive! I have over 237k miles on this car and besides basic maintanance, I have only had to replace the O2 senser, which I did myself, and the starter needed a little work but I didn't actually have to buy a new one. All in all, a VERY dependable car, and like another reviewer said, it has NEVER left me stranded and still starts on the first crank every time. Very comfortable, safe, dependable, with all the fun of a convertable while still having a hard top, I consider buying this car (and keeping it) to be one of my best decisions. Hopefully you get the chance to enjoy one! P.S. 237k miles and still on the original clutch!
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
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  • By TBob from Dallas, TX
    Owns this car
    January 16, 2012

    A Rare Find...

    I have now owned two of these cars (97 DOHC VTEC and a 97 SI) with very few complaints about either. I originally found this car because I was searching for a small, affordable, dependable, fun-to-drive second car for a long daily commute. At 6'3" tall, I quickly found out that my options were VERY limited. In fact, this was the ONLY model of car that fit that bill. Four years and tens of thousands of miles later, I can say that I have been completely satisfied with these cars, with a few exceptions. On the plus side, the list is long: Gas mileage is great (VTEC gets 28-30 on the highway, SI gets 32-34), comfort is fantastic for a tall guy, sportiness is unbelieveable(moreso for the VTEC with it's bigger engine and stiffer suspension), dependability is as good as it gets, maintenance costs are LOW and styling is remarkably good for an older car of this class. And best of all, you get a hardtop and a convertible, all in one (with an amazingly engineered roof-storage system in the trunk that hardly impacts the already generous space available in the LARGE trunk). On the negative side, the list is short. Like some of the older Del Sols, the roof on the Si leaks slightly, which was solved by installing custom seatcovers (made of the neoprene type material). Typical of Hondas, these are loud on the highway (not unbearable, but VTEC is louder and less fuel efficient due to its lower gearing and larger engine). Other than that, the only problem is finding a good one, as these are becoming more and more rare. Overall, I would recommend the Si over the VTEC, if I had to choose one. The gas mileage is better and maintenance is cheaper (when it's rarely needed) due to the abundance of parts available since so many more S's and Si's were produced than the somewhat rare VTECS). Also, 1997 is the best model year, as many of the upgrades/improvements of the VTEC were added to the Si in this last year of production. Overall, these cars (both the Si and the DOHC VTEC) are rare gems of a vehicle for so many reasons. It's just too bad they stoppe making them. If it meets your needs, start your search now-the hardest part about getting this car will be letting go of it someday. It offers so much in a car for so little ($).
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 1997 Honda del Sol?

The 1997 Honda del Sol is available in 3 trim levels:

  • (1 style)
  • S (2 styles)
  • Si (2 styles)

What is the MPG of the 1997 Honda del Sol?

The 1997 Honda del Sol offers up to 33 MPG in city driving and 39 MPG on the highway. These figures are based on EPA mileage ratings and are for comparison purposes only. The actual mileage will vary depending on vehicle options, trim level, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and other factors.

Is the 1997 Honda del Sol reliable?

The 1997 Honda del Sol has an average reliability rating of 4.8 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 1997 Honda del Sol owners.

Is the 1997 Honda del Sol a good Coupe?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 1997 Honda del Sol. 94.4% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

4.6 / 5
Based on 18 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.1
  • Interior: 4.0
  • Performance: 4.4
  • Value: 4.7
  • Exterior: 4.6
  • Reliability: 4.8
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