(Updated 3/9/2026) It’s strictly a coincidence that I found this Dodge Colt wagon just before the CC Colt Chronicles were scheduled to be rerun. Colts of any stripe are now very hard to find, and these classic late ’80s origami-style wagons in particular. So I was pretty chuffed, and although we just covered the same generation more broadly here, this one is worth a closer look.
This generation Colt first arrived in 1985, but it wasn’t until two years later that the wagon version joined the corral. These Colts are of course just re-branded Mitsubishi Mirages. And although the wagon is reasonably roomy, these all sat on the same 93.7″ wheelbase.
Apparently the rear seat back did not fold flat, as was commonly the case.
This one sports an automatic, a three speed. The carburated 1.5 L SOHC made all of 69 hp, so teamed up with the automatic, these were not exactly sportwagons. But they got the job done, and typically in very reliable fashion.
I couldn’t get the license plate to yield any results in two look-up sites, so I’m not sure of the exact year. But these wagons continued to be built when the next generation Colt came along.
The most interesting member of the family was the AWD wagon. These sat taller not just for ground clearance, but also to make room underneath for the solid rear axle, much like the Tercel/Corolla and Civic AWD wagons. These used a larger 1.8 L engine, and the automatic was not available.
One could say that these were analogous to today’s compact CUVs.
It’s an extinct species now.
Even though these cars weren’t the most expensive, it is still amazing at how they could be made not to look like the cheapest bottom feeder. Along with a judicious “splash” of bright trim, the addition of chrome trim rings/nuts/caps, would dress up the wheels, and (IMO) look a whole lot better than the hideous plastic discs we see now. This one appears to be be a nice survivor! 🙂
Cargurus says the 1987 Dodge Colt Vista Wagon AWD listed at $12,173 new. Almost double the 2DR “E” Hatchback base price of $6,256.00. The inflation calculated price comes to 27,643.32. A 2020 Subaru Crosstrek Limited starts at $27,395.
For comparison, the 1987 Chevy Caprice Classic Wagon MSRP was $13,536 according to Cargurus.
It’s no wonder not very many Colt wagons were sold. These were pretty expensive and under-powered given the other choices available then. I am surprised Lido imported them at all. Given the K-car was available as a wagon until 1988 and the Dodge Caravan debuted in 1984.
The Colt Vista AWD wagon was a larger and different beast, with a bigger engine and three rows of seats. Blame Chrysler for naming so much of what they imported from Mitsubishi a Colt. I do not know what this Colt wagon sold for, but it would have been substantially less than that. And the contemporary Toyota Tercel AWD wagon had only 63 horsepower. These were indeed quite slow with an automatic, but it was a different time. Having owned an ’86 Colt E hatchback that was an excellent commuter, I would have liked one of these cars. But only with a manual transmission.
I just always loved the tail lights on these. An extra bit of design that didn’t need to be there but was anyway. And to my eyes, it worked. This generation Colt had a very clean and handsome dash panel. I came close to buying Colt 2 dr. hatch from this era but was sidetracked by a used Lebaron GTS Turbo. I didn’t buy that either and ended up with, of all things, a VW Fox.
69 horsepower doesn’t sound like a lot nowadays but I remember some fun times behind the wheel of 74 hp 1984 Civics, and not just in the “slow car driven fast” sense; they seemed pretty quick for the day, even the wagons. Cars were so much lighter then, and probably lower geared, especially taking into account the typical 155-13 tires of the day.
An attractive wagon and as Jeffery stated above, the tail lights do make a big difference in giving it a lot more personality at probably zero cost difference. The 4WD version is one I do not think I have ever seen before, it’s probably too late to have much luck finding one curbside anymore, perhaps in the junkyard one day, some must have been sold around here.
Give me one of these boxy, efficient little cargo-haulers with big windows one can see out of – not bulky, thirsty, tippy, truck-like SUVs, or weird looking crossovers, with squished-down roof-lines, tiny windows, huge blind-spots, and cramped cargo-bays that make them little more than jacked-up hatchbacks!
Happy Motoring Mark
I own this exact car now.. I picked it up as a non-runner. Issue unknown. Turns out it was an ECM and it took 6 months to find a replacement part which was very time consuming but I plugged in the new one and I’ve been driving it daily for… oh IDK a year now.
If anyone is interested in owning an amazing fuel efficient vehicle (One tank of gas will get me nearly 300 miles), Let me know!
As others posted, I absolutely love the taillights on these as well. Were these lights used on anything else? I’m pretty sure I posted somewhere in the past about these, but I don’t remember it being a Colt or Mirage. Still could have been though.
I never understand why they had a wagon and a van. Imagine a lineup with hatchback, sedan, wagon and van in 2026.
“Imported for Dodge” would be a great band or horse name
The red one is looking for a buyer, cold AC and recent maintenance! Located in Portland, OR.