“One car that does it all.”
1985 was, mercifully, the last year for the Chevrolet Citation. In a sad General Motors tradition, it was also the best Citation (the 1985 Citation had no recalls after the nine that the 1980 had). Half-heartedly renamed Citation II in 1984, the X-car would be replaced by the Nova in 1986. There were some changes: new colors were available, and the dashboard was revised, allowing the “normal” horizontal Delco radios.
For 1985, the Citation II’s standard powertrain remained the LR8 “Iron Duke“ 92 bhp 2.5 liter/151 ci inline four with throttle-body fuel injection paired with a four-speed manual (the Citation never got a five-speed—even as an option). With the standard powertrain, 0-60 came in a little under 12 seconds in the 2,500-pound car with a theoretical top speed of 101 mph. Mileage was competitive: 24 city/34 highway by the day’s standards (21/31 by today’s standards). With a 14-gallon fuel tank, the owner of a base Citation could expect a range of between 325 and 365 miles with a 10% field reserve.
Powertrain options included two different versions of the 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 (why?): the LE2 112 bhp version with a two-barrel carburetor ($260) and the LB6 130 bhp type with fuel injection ($435). A three-speed automatic was—of course—available ($425). The V6 in general, and especially the fuel-injected version, made the Citation II substantially more spritely: 0-60 times of about 9 seconds and a top speed of about 118 mph. You paid a mileage price for that performance: 19 city/26 highway by 1985 standards (17/24 by today’s standards).
Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $7,090 Citation II hatchback sedan (approximately $21,500 in 2025 dollars—precisely what base 2025 Chevrolet Trax LS SUV goes for) included halogen headlamps, rack-and-pinion steering, front disk/rear drum brakes, and P185/80R-13 radial tires (now a trailer size) on 13-inch by 5.5-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers. Inside, a low back front bench seat with adjustable head restraints, sliding door locks, a lockable glove box, a folding rear seat, and an AM/FM radio with two speakers were included.
Options & Production Numbers
Exterior and mechanical options included tinted glass ($110), two-tone paint ($176), power brakes ($100), power steering ($215), and the F41 sports suspension (acknowledged to be a bargain at $33). Inside, a quiet sound/rear decor package ($92), air conditioning ($730), cruise control ($175), Comfortilt steering wheel ($110), an electric rear defogger ($140), and an electronic-tuning AM/FM stereo radio with cassette, clock, and seek/scan ($319) were all available.
The 1985 Citation II did not sell—overall sales in this last year fell to a mere 8% of the first year sales. At an average Chevrolet dealership, you could expect it to be outsold by the Chevette, the Cavalier, the Camaro, the Celebrity, the Monte Carlo, and the Caprice Classic.
The View From 2025
I haven’t seen a Citation in years—the last one was an X-11 in early 2014. They rarely appear in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, or on Bring a Trailer. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen one shown, though I’m not betting against that at some point.
Make mine the Medium Gray Metallic/Silver Metallic two-tone, please.
Other Citations I’ve written about include the 1980 hatchback sedan and the 1981 X-11 hatchback coupe. X-cars from other marques covered in this blog include the 1983 Buick Skylark T TYPE coupe, the 1984 Oldsmobile Omega sedan, and the 1982 Pontiac Phoenix SJ coupe.
Last updated March 2025.
Eighties Cars 
I own one
Thanks for the comment, Anthony. Is it a 1985? Have you owned it from new?