10 Best Cars of Model Year 1984

The 10 Most Reliable and Durable Cars of Model Year 1984 

This page lists the top ten cars of model year 1984 by reliability-and-durability grade point average (Reliability-Durability GPA or more concisely, R-D GPA).

1984's Top 10 Cars 

These 10 car classics are listed below in descending order of Reliability-Durability GPA (best first). The equipment of each model is that offered in the U.S.

  • The Mercedes-Benz 300D Turbodiesel, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.79

The 1984 diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz 300D came in a 4-door-sedan edition and with an inline 5-cylinder, 183-cubic-inch (3.0-Liter), 123-horsepower engine, a 4-speed automatic transmission, and a fuel capacity of 21.1 gallons. The 1984 300D has an overall length of 191 inches, an overall width of 70 inches, and a tire size of 195/70R14 ("tire width=195 mm"/"tire height=70% of width""Radial""wheel-rim diameter=14 inches").

The 1984 base list price of this Made-in-Germany model was $31,940, up from $30,530 in 1983.

  • The Toyota Pickup Truck 2wd, with a R-D GPA of 3.74
  • The Honda Accord, with a R-D GPA of 3.73

The 1984 Honda Accord came in either a 4-door-sedan or 2-door-hatchback edition and with an inline 4-cylinder, 112-cubic-inch (1.8-Liter), 86-horsepower engine, a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission, and a fuel capacity of 15.8 gallons. The 4-door sedan has an overall length of 175 inches and an overall width of 65 inches. Its tire size is 185/70R13 ("tire width=185 mm"/"tire height=70% of width""Radial""wheel rim diameter=13 inches").

The 1984 base list prices of the Made-in-Japan Accord editions were:

The 4-door sedan: $8,723, up from $8,345 in 1983

The 4-door sedan LX: $10,123, up from $8,549 in 1983

The 2-door hatchback: $7,873, up from $7,499 in 1983

The 2-door hatchback LX: $9,023.

  • The Honda Civic CRX, with a R-D GPA of 3.72

The 1984 Honda Civic CRX was offered in two 2-door-hatchback editions - the 1300 and the 1500. The 1300 hatchback came with a 1.3-Liter, 4-cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual transmission; the 1500 came with a 1.5-Liter, 4-cylinder engine and either a 5-speed manual transmission or 3-speed automatic transmission. All Honda Civic editions are front-wheel drive, and had been since 1980. The 1.5-Liter engine delivered 76 horsepower at 6000 rotations per minute. This two-seater has an overall length of 145 inches, an overall width of 64 inches, and a tire size of 175/70R13 ("tire width=175 mm"/"tire height=70% of width""Radial""wheel rim diameter=13 inches").

The 1.3-Liter Civic CRX achieved an EPA mileage estimate of 51 miles per gallon, the best in the U.S.

The 1984 base list prices of these Made-in-Japan Civic editions were:

The 1300 hatchback: $6,323

The 1500 hatchback: $6,773.

  • The Toyota Corolla SR5, with a R-D GPA of 3.70

The 1984 Toyota Corolla SR5 was offered in either a 2-door edition or a 2-door hatchback edition and with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The 1984 SR5 is a rear-wheel drive vehicle.

The 1984 base list prices of these Made-in-Japan Corolla editions were:

The 1300 hatchback: $7,788

The 1500 hatchback: $7,968.

Note: The base list price for made-in-Japan vehicles likely changed dramatically during the 1984 model year, as these were the years of U.S.-imposed import quotas. For example, the base list price of the 1984 (front-wheel-drive) Toyota Corolla hatchback deluxe edition is listed by Consumer Reports as $6,938; however, site manager paid $9,000 for his hatchback deluxe and had waited 3 months to receive it.

  • The Honda Prelude, with a R-D GPA of 3.69

The 1984 Honda Prelude came in a 2-door edition and with an inline 4-cylinder, 112-cubic-inch (1.8-Liter), a 100-horsepower engine, a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission, and a fuel capacity of 15.9 gallons. The car has an overall length of 169 inches, an overall width of 67 inches, and a tire size of 185/70R13 ("tire width=185 mm"/"tire height=70% of width""Radial""wheel rim diameter=13 inches").

The 1984 base list price of the Made-in-Japan Prelude was $10,169, up from $7,995.

Consumer Reports described the Prelude as "a very desirable sporty car."

  • The Honda Civic, with a R-D GPA of 3.68

The 1984 Honda Civic was offered in three 2-door editions (a hatchback, DX, and S), a 4-door-sedan edition, and a 4-door-wagon edition. All Honda Civic editions have a 4-cylinder engine and have front-wheel drive.

The 1984 base list prices of these Made-in-Japan Civic editions were:

The 2-door hatchback: $5,420

The 2-door DX: $6,473

The 2-door S: $7,023

The 4-door sedan: $7,273

The 4-door wagon: $7,173

  • The Nissan Pickup Truck 2wd, with a R-D GPA of 3.67
  • The Toyota Cressida, with a R-D GPA of 3.64

The 1984 Toyota Cressida came in either a 4-door-sedan or 4-door-wagon edition and with an inline 6-cylinder, 168-cubic-inch (2.8-Liter), 143-horsepower engine, a 4-speed automatic transmission or 5-speed manual transmission, and a fuel capacity of 17.2 gallons. The sedan has an overall length of 186 inches and an overall width of 67 inches. The 1983 Cressida's tire size is 195/70R14 ("tire width=195 mm"/"tire height=70% of width""Radial""wheel rim diameter=14 inches".

The 1983 base list prices of the Made-in-Japan Cressida editions were:

The 4-door sedan: $13,985, up from $13,169 in 1983

The 4-door wagon: $14,545, up from $13,729 in 1983.

  • The Nissan 200SX, with a R-D GPA of 3.63

As in 1983, Honda dominated 1984's list of the best, accounting for 4 of the Top 10.

1984 was the third year that one or more vehicles by Nissan Motor Company made the list. Toyota Motor Corporation and Daimler-Benz AG had automobiles that made the Top 10 every year from 1975 to 1984.

The Toyota Pickup made the Top 10 list every year since 1975, the Mercedes-Benz 300D made the best list every year save 1981, and the Toyota Cressida made the list of 10 best every year since 1978, save 1982.

Note the very small difference in Reliability-Durability GPA among the Top 10, but the rather large range of base prices. By 1984, there appears to be no relationship between engineering excellence and price; the old adage "You get what you pay for" had no application in automobiles.

Manufacturers of the Top 10 

Honda Motor Company accounted for 4 of 1984's best, same as in 1983 and up from 3 in 1982.

Toyota Motor Corporation accounted for 3 of the most reliable and durable cars of 1984, an increase from 2 in 1983, but a decrease from 4 in 1982, 8 in 1981, 6 in 1980, 5 in 1979 and 1978, and 4 in 1977, 1976 and 1975.

Although Toyota's rapid expansion of product offerings likely made quality control more challenging even in the early 1980s; nonetheless, Honda did a very fine job of displacing Toyota as leader of the Top 10.

Nissan Motor Company accounted for 2 of the best in 1984; Daimler-Benz AG accounted for one.

Japanese-built cars accounted for 9 of 1984's best cars, up from 7 in 1983; German-built cars accounted for the remaining 1, down from 3 in 1983.

Note that in 1984 (as in 1983, 1982, 1981, 1980, and 1979) none of the Detroit 3 had a car among the Top 10.

The following chart gives each car maker's percent share of the Top 10 of 1984.

Additional 1984 Automobiles with a Reliability-Durability Grade of A (R-D GPA of 3.50 or Better)

There are 5 additional 1984 cars that have a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.50 or better. They are:

  • The Mazda Pickup truck, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.62
  • The Mazda RX-7, with a R-D GPA of 3.60
  • The Toyota Van, with a R-D GPA of 3.60
  • The Toyota Celica Supra, with a R-D GPA of 3.59
  • The BMW 528e, 533i, with a R-D GPA of 3.55

The automobile models with a Reliability-Durability Grade of A were made in either Japan (87%) or Germany (13%).

Manufacturer Shares of Vehicles with a Reliability-Durability  GPA of at Least 3.50

The car manufacturer shares (rounded to the nearest percent) of the 15 vehicles with a R-D GPA of at least 3.50 are:

Toyota Motor Corporation: 33%

Honda Motor Company: 27%

Nissan Motor Company: 13%

Mazda Motor Corporation: 13%

Daimler-Benz AG: 7%

BMW AG: 7%

Additional 1984 Automobiles with a Reliability-Durability GPA of More Than 3.00

There are 7 additional 1984 cars that have a Reliability-Durability GPA of more than 3.00. They are:

  • The Toyota 4Runner, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 3.48
  • The Isuzu Pickup 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.44
  • The Toyota Land Cruiser, with a R-D GPA of 3.44
  • The Toyota Celica, with a R-D GPA of 3.28
  • The Nissan Maxima, with a R-D GPA of 3.44
  • The Subaru 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 3.21
  • The BMW 325, 325e, 325i, with a R-D GPA of 3.15

The automobile models with a Reliability-Durability Grade Point Average of more than 3.00 were made in either Japan (86%) or Germany (14%).

Manufacturer Shares of Vehicles with a Reliability-Durability  GPA of More Than 3.00

The car manufacturer shares of the 22 vehicles with a R-D GPA of more than 3.00 are:

Toyota Motor Corporation: 36%

Honda Motor Company: 18%

Nissan Motor Company: 14%

Mazda Motor Corporation: 9%

BMW AG: 9%

Daimler-Benz AG: 5%

Isuzu Motors Ltd: 5%

Subaru Division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.: 5%

The Remaining Vehicles within the Top 30 (31 by Tie) Cars of 1984

There are 9 additional vehicles within the 30 best cars and trucks of 1984. They are:

  • The Toyota Corolla, with a Reliability-Durability GPA of 2.93
  • The Toyota Tercel, with a R-D GPA of 2.93
  • The Nissan 300SX, with a R-D GPA of 2.91
  • The Mazda 626, with a R-D GPA of 2.88
  • The Toyota Tercel Wagon 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 2.86
  • The Saab 900, 900S, with a R-D GPA of 2.85
  • The Nissan Pickup Truck 4-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 2.84
  • The Mazda GLC, with a R-D GPA of 2.84
  • The Toyota Tercel Wagon 2-wheel-drive, with a R-D GPA of 2.84

Auto Company Shares of 1984's 31 Best Cars and Trucks

The car manufacturer shares of the top 31 vehicles of 1984 are:

Toyota Motor Corporation: 39%

Nissan Motor Company: 16%

Honda Motor Company: 13%

Mazda Motor Corporation: 13%

BMW AG: 6%

Daimler-Benz AG: 3%

Isuzu Motors Ltd: 3%

Subaru Division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.: 3%
Saab AB: 3%
Bar Chart of the 30 (31 by Tie) Best Cars of 1984
 
The following bar graph depicts how much above average the Top 31 cars of 1984 are. The 31 best are listed in descending order (best first).
 
Computations

To compute the reliability-durability grade point average of the MY 1984 cars, Consumer Reports' reliability ratings for the age ranges 4-to-5 years and 5-to-6 years are used.

CR's ratings are converted to numerical values following the standard academic pattern: a grade point of 4.0 (an A) is accorded a rating of Much Better Than Average, a 3.0 (a B) is accorded a rating of Better Than Average, a 2.0 (a C) is accorded a rating of Average, a 1.0 (a D) is accorded a rating of Below Average, and a 0 (an F) is accorded a rating of Much Below Average.

Then, for each age range, the grade point of CR's overall reliability rating is weighted 2/3 and the average of the grade points of the category ratings is weighted 1/3.

Finally, the average for the two age ranges is taken.

The BMW 528e, 533i, the Toyota 4Runner, the Isuzu Pickup 2wd, the Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Toyota Tercel Wagon 2wd offered only one age range of data.

Best and Worst Vehicles of Each Model Year

The Best Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1975  1976  1977  1978  1979  1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  ...  2004  2005

The Worst Cars of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1980  1981  1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  ...  2004  2005 

Additional Resources

The Best Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Worst Car Brands of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Best Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

The Worst Car Manufacturers of Each Model Year by Reliability-Durability GPA: 1985  1986 ...  2004  2005

Best Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 

Worst Car Brands by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

Best Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid: 1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

Worst Car Makers by CR's List of Used Cars to Avoid:  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006

For additional car quality information, visit www.AutoOnInfo.net and CarsOnInfo.net.

In particular, for additional durability information, see:

http://www.AutoOnInfo.net/SharesOfHighMileageVehicles.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/ToyotaAgeEquivalents.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/ToyotaMileageEquivalents.aspx 
http://CarsOnInfo.net/Top25OfAutoonInfosHighMileageRoster.aspx

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