Honda Prelude

  • Thread starter Thread starter Speedy_E
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Speedy_E

Speedy_E

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I know i've made many threads on many cars but im just trying to see the options for my first car. At first it was a late 90's s10, then mid 90's talon, now back to the s10. I was just searching around and im wondering what people think of a 97 - 2001 prelude. 2.2 L V-tec inline 4, round 200 HP new, 5 speed manual. Sounds like a good car and im pretty sure i can find one for a pretty good price. Any prelude owners SPEAK UP! other members please input aswell, is it reliable? gas mileage? fun-ness? (yes, its a word), insurace? all questions i've got and would appreciate other opinions, thanks.
 
Check your insurance first of all. Second of all if you buy either one make sure it is from an adult and not a young person--most likely the Prelude will be hideously in bad shape mechanically. Having a choice if the insurance is similar I'd choose the Prelude. I don't like the "Isuzu" S10, my brother had one and it is not fun to drive and is very slow.
 
My suggestion?

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Buy a third-gen Prelude, save some money, get pretty decent performance. That's my Grandfather's '89 Si, and it runs like a charm. With fewer than 130K, it still has plenty of life in it, and given how well it has been taken care of, it should last a long, long time.

If you can find one in good shape with a stick, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.
 
Some things to watch for when buying a 5th gen Prelude.

1. It take premium gas
2. H series engines are notorious for oil usage usually at least 1qt per 3k miles if not more
3. Under no circumstances will you buy an SS auto Lude, they are crap and cost a small fortune to repair
4. 97-98 5th gens need timing belt/waterpump/auto tensioner replaced at 90k miles. 99-01 it was upped to 105k. Make sure it was done honda will charge around a grand depending on where you are at
5. Other than that, this is the best car ever! I get around 26-29mpg, it looks good, reasonably quick, reliable, and just plain cool.
6. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. 👍

Edit (the first of many) The base Lude and the Type SH have small differences, the main one being the ATTS system which makes for the ultimate handling FWD car. It was proved that the Type sh lude is 2 seconds faster around a road coarse than the base. The SH also has courtesy lights in the doors, leather wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, painted side skirts, and different wheels. For every day driving there really is no difference between the 2 so either one would be an excellent choice.
 
2nd gen Preludes are the work of the devil, don't even think about it. Worst engineered car Honda has ever put out, without a doubt. Plus, you're on the Canadian east coast, so forget finding one in good shape. And besides, a 2nd gen Prelude and a 5th gen one are totally different animals... one's relatively fast and good looking, the other's slow, hard to work on, pricey to repair because it's hard to work on, is an electrical nightmare if it's got the 4 wheel steering option, etc.

Boz Mon hit it right on the nail. In 1999 I believe, power went from 195 to 200hp on the base model, which made it quicker (in a straight line at least) than the SH due to it being much lighter. Avoid autos like the plague, even with if the sport shift feature sounds cool, they're a good 25-30hp down on the manual versions. It's quick and handles relatively well, but it's no racecar, keep that in mind.
 
-Fred-
2nd gen Preludes are the work of the devil, don't even think about it. Worst engineered car Honda has ever put out, without a doubt.
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Oops, I meant to say that ours is a Third Gen, not a second. I try to keep up on it, but I get confused sometimes. Either way, ours has only had one problem; The automatic radio motor blew out a while back. Otherwise, everything runs and works like it is brand new. No complaints here...
 
They're utterly similar styling wise, both the 2nd and 3rd gen. But they're both as hard to work on. :p Trust me, no one fights to go work on them at the dealerships.
 
-Fred-
Boz Mon hit it right on the nail. In 1999 I believe, power went from 195 to 200hp on the base model, which made it quicker (in a straight line at least) than the SH due to it being much lighter. Avoid autos like the plague, even with if the sport shift feature sounds cool, they're a good 25-30hp down on the manual versions. It's quick and handles relatively well, but it's no racecar, keep that in mind.
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In 99 the claimed power did jump from 195 to 200 but it has been proved that there actually was no consistent gains from 97-98 or 99-01. Honda claimed a new header design but if I can find the article on it.....
 
No love for the 4th gen?!

Basically the same power as the 5th gen (H22, 195 hp in the VTEC version) but with a sportier design and a much prettier face and rear end IMO. The VTEC version will run 15.5 in stock form, and since they're not that popular with "tuners", you can usually find an unmolested one pretty easy (although finding one easily may not be the case, atleast not for sale).
 
JCE3000GT
I don't like the "Isuzu" S10, my brother had one and it is not fun to drive and is very slow.
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I remember the first time I saw an Isuzu Hombre (one of the kids at school bought one) I thought someone was playing a prank on me by pulling and Isuzu front clip off of a Rodeo Sport. :lol:




Anyways, of the Preludes I would say that the 4th gen was probably the best, as few are molested, they hold up pretty well in the long run and they are faster than the 5th gens, I believe.
 
5th gen > 4th gen > 3rd gen > 1st gen > 2nd gen

If you can find a good unmolested 5th gen get it. The styling, comfort, fuel economy, and handling make it a great cheap car. It is by far my favorite Honda product to date, that and the Japanese Type-R Integra. In unriced and unmolested form they are fantastic cars that are fun to drive, and if driven responsibly and maintained will last forever.
 
Heh, great read there Boz Man. I love it when myth and rumor gets pummeled into the ground. 👍
 
Indeed, it just makes me angry when someone thinks that a 97 Lude is like a million times slower than an 01 just because of a "claimed" 5hp when there actually really was no gain. I've seen people almost consider not buying an older 5th gen just because it ONLY makes 195hp. Just want to keep everyone informed :) 👍
 
-Fred-
They're utterly similar styling wise, both the 2nd and 3rd gen. But they're both as hard to work on. :p Trust me, no one fights to go work on them at the dealerships.
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Outside of the Honda dealer that we get service done at being full of total douchebags (easily one of the worst Honda dealers in the country in terms of service), we always get offers from the employees on the 'Lude. The last guy said he would pay Grandpa said he would pay a couple grand in cash for the car, but we keep on telling these guys no.

...It was one of the many cars that was supposed to go to me for my first car, one of many that my Dad wouldn't allow. That list notably includes an '85 Cadillac El Dorado, '96 Impala SS, and '77 Trans-Am as well...
 
Its just a regular '89 2.0 Si with the sport-shift automatic and fewer than 130K miles. He treats that thing like a baby, particularly after he got it back from Grandma, who used it as her daily driver for almost 10 years. He just fixed a small tear in the driver's seat, and when I say small, I mean small. Otherwise, he details the car usually once a week, and somehow it still smells like I remember it when it was brand-new.

...When he leaves for the winter down in Florida, he keeps it in a climate-controlled garage with some special seal and panel lubricant, full car-cover, on carpet, for about four months...

He is probably the only person I know who has treated a Honda that well outside of an NSX or an S2000...

The future of that 'Lude though is in question, as he tries to figure out what he wants. The Tahoe ('02 LT) will be replaced this summer, probably, with some kind of GMT960/Theta crossover. If not, we're supposed to be going to look at the 335xi soon, as one caught his fancy earlier this week. Furthermore, the neighbor is selling his Corvette soon ('05 Magnaride Convertible w/T56), and Grandpa is planning on buying it.

...If he does decide to give-up the Prelude, I'm almost certain I'm going to end-up with it...
 
He had owned two previous Preludes to that one there, as after this one he pretty much committed fully to the Maxima until the close of the '90s. Granted, at the time he was well into his 50s, so he certainly wouldn't have gone with a stick, particularly when it was going to Grandma by '91. She kept the car around for me, but when the New Beetle came around in '98, she had to have one in '99, and sold it back to Grandpa.

...Since then, its pretty much been his little toy. People give it looks when we take it out, and I've seen people taking pictures of it after we park it. More often that not, people don't know what it is (it is Michigan after all).

On the subject of the transmission: It has that sport-shift function, a precursor to the "manumatics" we see today. Its basically just an easy way to shift the car out of 4th down into 3rd, and I think it also allows the car to hold the gears a bit longer than what it would if you put it in "D." I've never personally taken the book out to read-up on it, but I've used it many times. Its just a neat little thing Honda stuck in there.

...The lights on the dashboard are pretty cool when you do it. Take it down from "D" into "S," and then depending on when you did it, the "S3" or "S4" marker will be lit-up, and then obviously that changes when you hit the button on the shifter to change gears...
 

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