Let’s say you want a mid-size, V6-powered 5-door hatchback with a manual transmission, but first-gen Mazda 6 prices have got you down because your budget constraints are lower. Like, picking through other peoples trash for recyclable items flipping ground beef patties lower. What’s a hoon to do? Move to Europe – where 5-doors and wagons handily outnumber trunkback sedans – and start a new life? No! You point your browser over to eBay, where you’ll find this refrigerator Oxford white 1989 Sterling 827 SLi hatchback.

Developed in parallel and sharing many parts with the O.G. Acura Legend, since Honda was in bed with the Austin Rover Group (Yes, the acronym really was “ARG.”) from the early ‘80s to the early ‘90s, the Sterling (The Rover name was no longer used over here due to the infamy garnered by the Sterling’s predecessor, the SD1.) was available in sedan or 5-door form, with the later 2.7L Acura V6-powered 827s like this supposedly being free of many of the bugaboos that beset earlier 825s. This Arizona-based example does look squeaky clean aside from some tired front seats, though the aftermarket alloys do look rather cheesy, despite the fact that the center caps appear to read “FTW.” But is all that tidiness – plus the whole V6 5-door 5-speed thing – enough to make you want to take your chances with the Prince of Darkness, even if his influence has been diluted somewhat by the Power of Dreams? As of this writing it’s priced at $1,225 with its reserve unmet. All I can say is, if you win the auction, don’t tell your spouse you found out about it here, m’kay?
eBay Motors