I'm 20 years old and im not a ricer or anything but alot of my peers talk about the Honda Prelude. What makes them so popular? When i think of Honda i think, "worlds finest econobox" and that's it. So please enlighten me.

You should check out this webpage for info on the 4th generation Prelude, which is arguably the best.

Excellent drivability, a smooth-as-butter manual transmission and arguably the best handling front-wheel-drive car for it's time.

Also - rock solid Honda reliabity. Parts tend to be a litter more expensive than average due to low production volumes and parts availability.

Click on my user name to see my 3rd generation Prelude SR.

By the way, you spelled RATCHET wrong in your username.

actually
it can be spelt either way
according too http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book...=rachet&x=0&y=0

rachet - mechanical device consisting of a toothed wheel or rack engaged with a pawl that permits it to move in only one direction
and this
is ratchet - 1. A mechanism consisting of a pawl that engages the sloping teeth of a wheel or bar, permitting motion in one direction only.
2. The pawl, wheel, or bar of this mechanism.

edit: thanks for the site though

Preludes are fun to drive, at least stock they are- tight, responsive suspension and accurate steering, a well thought out interior, and that punch once the needle swings past 5k is pretty exhilarating.

However, they are pretty boring to look at and run on premium, and they keep their value a little TOO well in the secondhand market.

still, a good sports coupe for those who would rather enjoy driving than get looked at.

^

Your comments are accurate - but I would still highly recommend this car - insurance rates are above average but this car is extremely reliable and built to take a fair amount of abuse. Try your best to find a one owner car that has been well cared for.

My '91 Prelude SR still has the original clutch!

i plan to be getting one of these next year right after winta! are they quick cars? im kinda suprised they have 200hp.

Paulie, does your '91 run on Premium?

I was IN LOVE with the Prelude growing up... I always wanted one.

I still drool when I see one driving down the street... wondering if I made the right choice in getting a RSX type S...

Course I think the same thing when I see a 2000 Type R Integra or S2000... :heart:

Well, as far as I know there is no official recommendation from Honda to run my car on premium fuel but there is a definite benifite in terms of performance and fuel mileage when using premium fuel in my car. For that reason, I have always used premium.

I always fuel up with Husky premium. (by the way, this particular Husky station near the airport that I fuel up at is consistently 5 to 6 cents cheaper per litre than any other gas station - which helps offset the 10 cents price differential per litre between 87 octane and 91 octane fuel)

after hearing what you guys had to say
and reading that site posted
i just realized there is a black 01 prelude down my street
that thing is sex
and some hott azn chick drives it...

i think i may pick one up when i can afford it
those resale values are crazy.

Not trying to rain on the Prelude parade or show off my rotary fanboy-ism, but might also want to take a peek at a '88-91 Mazda RX-7. Very similar performance for a good price. Don't fear teh wankel.

I always considered Prelude's as girls car. Like Celica's as such.

Not that it's a bad car, but it's just a reliable, attractive coupe IMO. It's not a bad car, but generally people expect guys to drive sports cars with more balls. The latest version of the Prelude was my favourite - it was stupid of them to cease it's production.

with more balls?? lol, 200horse for a car like that seems pretty ball-z to me.

good looking car, reliable, decently quick in it's class, and you can find them for cheap prices. they're not rockets or anything, but fun to drive.

i don't care what you say, that will not last nearly as long

I test drove a '96 BMW 318is this past weekend.

While I admired the smoothness of the BMW's engine and the mechanical feel of it's shifter, the light clutch and it's precise steering, the 318is did not feel nearly as fun as my '91 Prelude SR.

Seriously..

my uncle had an E36 328 with the sport package...i hated it. everything felt too stiff

It won't if you don't take care of it. piston engines can take a lot more abuse than rotaries.

show me an rx7 that has lasted 250k miles

With the original engine ?

yes, with the original engine

hey does anyone remember how much se preludes were brand new? what about sh?

don't get an sh. it has the same engine as a regular prelude but is heavier and has more mechanicals to deal with (rear steering). but i imagine the SH was around 28k fully loaded brand new

But the 4th-generation Prelude with the SH package has the added benefit of a limited slip differential.

Hmmm well I guess I will aim for SE when I start looking for a used one next year. Is there much space in the car? how about the back seats? im about 5'11 - 6'0, is there enough room for a fairly tall guy like me?

well i wouldn't recommend sitting in the back, but you will fit fine in the front. as far as trunk space, i have no idea, but it's probably pretty spacious for the car's size, just like most other hondas

eh, i'd rather save a hundred pounds or so and get an aftermarket LSD

With pleasure. I don't have a picture of it, but a buddy of mine's got a '87 or '88 N/A that's going on 270k miles, original engine.

that's fantastic, is that common with well maintained rotaries?

I had a first Gen which lasted 220,000 before I blew up the engine trying to do my best shumacher impression (I had just returned from the Canadian GP, where I didnt have my car, and tried to get rid of 5 days of car mania in a short period of time...) If i haddnt been a idiot im sure i would still have that engine.

the rotaries got alot of bad press from a single company...NSU...who went with a shitty material for the apex seals, and went under because they replaced every apex seal in evry engine 3 or 4 times durring the life of the engine...FOR FREE!

There is nothing wrong with an RX-7...and I would have one any day over a front engined, front wheel drive Prelude...too close to being an econo box for my taste...

But really now, RX-7's are old cars and its time to move on. I wouldn't buy a car that old unless I was prepared to throw money at it in order to keep it breathing.

it will be the same with an old prelude...just with different problems...

you will be replacing timing belts, CV joints, clutches...etc. Dont get me wrong, Honda's are very well put together little cars, but all cars go after a while