29th Oct 2005, 00:17
I drove a trans am with the big 5.7 liter V-8 350 and I think my prelude is better. I handles 10 Xs better especially at high speeds. Sure the t/a will win the quarter mile, but in the long run the prelude will be the winner.
The noises from the engine part is funny, he must not have any idea what he is talking about or what the vtec has done to the sport compact car community.
Oh well let him think what he wants.
15th Mar 2006, 23:58
I believe the wailing and/or gnashing that the author described is caused by: a little wussy engine that peaks and revs like a weedeater on crack. Honda Civics and Preludes are torqueless wonders, made out to be great by the Fast and Furious films, which portray Japanese cars as the new standard for power. Any car with less than 200 lb. ft. of torque is just ridiculous. Three words: Spend money elsewhere.
7th Jun 2008, 00:48
For the previous comment. Just compare the efficiency of these Honda high-RPM engines. Almost 100HP per liter. In your HEMI (which is an overrated and obsolete engine) you get like 40HP to the liter. Not to mention fuel economy. That being said, American cars also handle like a boat, they are heavy, soft suspensions and the only good thing about them is the torque. If I was looking for torque, I would go and get me a diesel pickup. But if I was looking for a great balance between power and handling I'd take a small Japanese sporty car (Prelude) or compact German car (say BMW 3 series). For the price, the fun and reliability the VTECs rate high in my book.
4th Apr 2009, 21:00
UMMM yeah. I drive a 97 Honda Prelude, and my Prelude is great! Yeah the interior and dash could be more attractive, but all in all, it's a great car. And are you kidding me? The performance of the car is amazing. I've owned a V8 Mustang with mods, and I still think my Prelude would give it a lil run for its money. All I have is an intake... all I know is 0-60 in about 7 seconds is fast enough for me, what more could you ask for? If you want more power add some mods man.
19th Apr 2009, 10:15
All I know is I always wanted a Honda Prelude. I got one and I love it. There's all this talk about torque issues. well, what is lacked in torque in these cars (5th gen) is made up for in handling, HP, and high RPM's. The shape of the 5th gen still turns heads years after the Japanese stopped production. (I wish they didn't). Best car Honda ever made. Not fast enough for you? Spend some money on mod's. The H22A has lots of potential. (As I'm slowly finding out)
22nd May 2009, 05:45
I'm the original owner of a beautiful, black 1997 Honda Prelude Type SH with only 78,000 miles on the odometer. It's amazing to drive, and never ceases to thrill.
That fellow who made the very negative comments about Preludes, never drove a Prelude SH with ATTS and a 5-speed manual (he probably doesn't know what that is anyway).
This car is one of the best handling cars ever produced. It will out-handle most cars on the market today! Car and Driver magazine some years ago once wrote about a 3rd generation Prelude that handled so well, that a Ferrari was having difficulty keeping up with it. Now, fast-forward to the 5th generation Prelude, or SH model, and you get the idea.
The car has never given me any problems, and is very reliable. It loves twisty roads! The more curves in the road, the better this car performs. ATTS is amazing! It allows the car to perform like a rear-wheel drive car, but better.
I actually love the interior in all its simplicity and logical layout. I only drive it on the weekends, and never in the rain. I will not sell this car! It's that good! That fellow does not know what he is talking about. Ignorance is bliss!
15th Oct 2009, 17:40
There is no point arguing about how good/bad a Prelude is. All you need to do is look at a bunch of reviews... if you look at the reviews from each year since the 5gen Prelude came, out this is the only negative review (granted there are several neutral). However, statistically the 5gen Honda Prelude is highly rated.
I just bought a 97 Prelude SI and suffice to say, I'm love'n every minute of driving it! It really is a stunning car in my opinion!
22nd Apr 2005, 08:59
Also, you said there is "wailing that comes from the hood and single pipe", the vtec has twin pipes. You don't own a vtec. That may be why you might have been expecting something different. And you said it handles and sounds like a souped up Civic. Civics are great fun, so it must be pretty good if its like a "souped up civic", even better.
You have high expectations that are too high. So what, the car isn't for you, at least get your facts right, then give us some information that matters. But, because we don't care, you might have to find someone that does.