It's a quality car
I have had to replace the clutch, alternator, and battery.
The seats need to be replaced and it needs to be painted.
I love this car. Its not only quick it gets great gas mileage.
Even with all the miles it still runs like a top.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th May, 2004
Nice sporty car for the sports car enthusiast who no longer can live without a back seat
No problems until recently. The automatic transmission starting feeling loose... it was slipping when cruising along at highway speeds. Finally, the D4 and R options completely went out. My Honda tech told me that owners should drain and refill the auto transmissions at least once a year to keep the transmissions in good condition. If not, the tranny will fail between 100,000 and 120,000. Just wanted to let everyone know from my bad experience. Otherwise, the car runs like a dream. It is not unusual for the engines to run 300,000 miles if properly maintained. Rust appears to be the main concern as the vehicle ages. It might be worth it to fix the rust as the rest of the car is so solid.
Honda really designed a nice car back in the '80's. The Prelude Si was the culmination of everything Honda learned about refining automobiles. The car is smooth, powerful, comfortable, and reliable. It's also a lot of fun to drive. It's amazing how solid the car feels even after all of these years. Find yourself a solid example and save yourself a boatload of cash that you would spend on a new Honda. Enjoy!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th March, 2004
The fan on the '87 Prelude that I bought last year also stays on for what seems like a very long time after turning the car off. But I don't have any battery problems. In fact I went over 2 months without driving it and it started within one second when I finally got around to driving it.
Just a note for people with Hondas, cars that they would like to keep as rust free as possible. Remove the plastic trim piece under located by the rear wheels. These trap dirt and moisture, and worse, salt (if you live in a state that uses salt in the winter).
Hello.
I have one question. About a year ago I put my '87 Prelude into a ditch and the passenger side front wheel hit the ditch at 30 mph. I broke the axle, and I need to know what to do to fix that problem. I know I have to replace it, of course, but I need to know what specific part to replace with?
I have been a fan of the Honda Prelude for over 5 years and have enjoyed the car greatly! I own two Honda Preludes, one a manual '86 and the other automatic '87 SI. Both beautiful cars and in the process of repairing both to original performance.
Thank you for taking the time to read!
OK for the guy who drove into the ditch, you probably need a lower control arm. In addition to the axle.
To the original poster, which engine do you have? The 16valve or the 12 valve?
The best car I have ever owned (I'm shooting for 350,000 miles).
Emergency brake has never worked consistently.
Speedometer konks out from time-to-time, but then spontaneously recovers. I had the speedometer cable replaced once.
I have put 291,000 miles on my prelude si since I purchased it December 14, 1988. I have driven it from coast-to coast, and as far south as Florida, and as far north as upstate Michigan. I rather drive than fly. It has given me no engine or other mechanical problems (I have consistently changed the oil every 2500-3000 miles from day one).
I have not had to change out the clutch since 1997.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 11th September, 2003
23rd Jun 2004, 18:04
Yeah, I read you're article about how much you like the Honda Prelude, I'm thinking about buying a Honda Prelude, 1987, 2.0 Si, and I was wondering how many miles to the gallon that you get, and how many gallons does your tank hold?