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On the other hand, Autobytel just refers you to their local affiliate, so you may just have a bad dealer. If you have any friends/relatives in adjacent metropolitan areas, you might try having them enter their contact info on the website, and see whether you can connect with a different dealer.
I'm sure you can do better than MSRP if you check around. Preludes may be scarce, but they aren't selling particularly well, so most dealers will deal.
As manumatic transmissions go, the sportshift is pretty good, but personally I'd recommend going with the manual. The difference in acceleration and responsiveness is dramatic.
- Better road feel and control at most speeds
- Drivetrain refinement
- Exclusivity
- Unique styling (ages well & police ignore it)
- Gizmo content (ATTS, acoustic feedback sound, etc.)
- Top-end sports car handling if you opt for the Type SH
- 200hp auto tranny (if you need an auto...)
- Pretty much proven bulletproof
RSX-S Pros:
- Straight line performance
- Improved power at most speeds/gears/revs
- Interior lux and content level
- Price/Value
- 6-speed shifter
- Lots of cargo space
- Ridiculous aftermarket within 24 months
- Nice seats
- Back seats are tiny but not useless like the Prelude's
If I had to choose now I'd be pretty torn. The relative exclusivity of the Prelude does appeal to me (it's nice to drive a car that is a rarer sight than a Porsche 911, at least where I live) and I like the Prelude's styling, so I'd probably choose it. At least, my heart beats quicker with the Prelude; it's not a practical car but that appeals to me. My brain would say that the RSX is cheaper, faster, has more room, better gas mileage and just plain makes more sense. The Prelude is what I'd buy for me. The RSX is what I'd buy for my son. I guess that's the best description I can give...
Prelude is also cheaper right now, you can definitly get a base model for around 21 grand or so. Some of the acura dealers are gouging right now, not to mention limited availability (depends on where you are at, the dealership here doesn't have type s yet.) So you are looking at savings up to 3 grand..
Also add in the fact that the belt weren't due for a change for another 30000 miles, and Honda wouldn't even cover the cost of fixing the car. Not like my older Honda that went to 200k with nary a problem.
Honda is starting to suck real bad.....
However you really register, visit and ask for advice at hondaprelude.com or preludeonline.com - both are outstanding sites and hondaprelude.com is easily the best Prelude site on the net.
In my experience, the VTEC 4th gens feel a little more nimble from normal to aggressive driving, but the 5th gens handle themselves much better at the aggressive to insane driving style... if that makes any sense...
Has anyone ever bought parts from http://www.handa-accessories.com ? They have some good prices but I'm kind of leery of buying from an unknown dot.com.
Thanks!
I got this at a BMW dealership too. First thing the sales guy asks is, "what do you drive?"
"Oh a new Honda Prelude, I'm thinking of trading in and trading up."
"... is it here?"
"Oh yea, it's right over there, the silver one."
"Oh can we see it? I used to own one..."
"um... sure!"
"Oh man, this is so sweet, can I sit inside?"
"Um, sure." *hands keys*
"Man I miss this car,I had a black auto on lease for a couple of years.... can I start her up?"
"Uh.. ok"
"Wow, I love that engine."
"So, can we look at the BMWs now?"
bladerx, the engine is built to last but I'd follow the manual and let the break in period run its course with no high reving. If you hit it once in a while by accident during the break-in period it shouldn't be a problem but in general try to stay below 4000rpm for a few hundred miles.
I have a 1998 base Prelude and I purchased oil filters and air cleaner elements 2 weeks ago from the following website:
www.discount-hondaparts.com
They are a dealership in Roseburg, CA, who also sell mail-order and their prices are very good, as good as
http://www.handa-accessories.com
I received my order within 2 days of placing it and they were definitely new original Honda parts. The staff, particularly Brandon, were very polite and Brandon even sent me an e-mail a week later to check if there were any problems. They are offering free shipping this month, as they did last month. Check them out!
Ken
Here learn from the master...
1. Always warm up the car until the coolant temp comes up everytime you cold start the engine. Do not operate A/C when the engine is cold (which would increase the burden on the engine).
2. Spend most of the time (70-80%) driving locally with various speeds to let the engine exercise in different conditions. Keep the RPM below 4,000. Do not exceed 70 MPH on the highway. Take local trip first then highway if possible. Highway driving is necessary even during the break-in period so as to get the motor oil up to operating temperature to vaporize the water and fuel, which would adversely damage the engine. Avoid long distance driving of greater than 50 miles per trip.
3. Bring up the speed smoothly and progressively, and avoid rapid acceleration. This assures linear heat transfer and reduces the chance of premature metal fatigue.
4. Do not change the motor oil until 3,000 miles. The Honda factory-filled motor oil contains some break-in additives so early change is not desirable. Use mineral oil for first two (2) oil change (preferrably at 3,000 and 4,000 miles to get rid of the contaminants). Do not use synthetics until the car reaches at least 5000 miles. Change the filter every time and only use genuine Honda parts.
5. Change your gearbox/transmission fluid at first 3,000 miles and every 10,000 miles thereafter.
6. Occasionally revving the engine to the VTEC zone is not a problem. I mean occasionally. Try not to do it in the first 1,000 miles. Remember, do it progressively. Exercise the engine like you would yourself. Never rev to the redline during the entire break-in period (I set at 5,000 miles).
Follow these directions and your engine will last longer and perform better in the long run. My 95 VTEC Prelude (~70,000 miles) still runs beautifully and perfectly as my 2001 SH!
Good luck!
You might want to check out the Aftermarket Halogen Bulbs section on the Aftermarket & Accessories board of the Town Hall.
Also check out: http://www.eur.lighting.philips.com/automotive/html/products.html
and the technical info section of
http://lighting.mbz.org/
I haven't tried any other bulbs, partly because I am satisfied with these Philips bulbs and because I do not trust the multitude of poor quality, blue-tinted, fake HID bulbs that often cost much more and seem to throw out less light and often burn out quickly based on what I could gather so far. I think it was worth the $32 for the pair, I am probably going to order two more for the high beams.
If you're seriously looking into the mustangs, I would wait for calendar year 2003 when the new ones roll off the line. The current stang 3.8L V6 is generally noisy and unreliable. It's been plagued with head gasket problems that may or may not have been resolved in '99. Some say it has, but at any rate the 3.8L will be shelved when the new stang arrives in favor of a higher hp DOHC 3.0L or torquier SOHC 4.0L V6. If you're seriously going for a stang now, go for the 4.6L, preferably a 32V DOHC cobra, because it's a far better engine all around than the 3.8L.
2) I've been hearing that there are horror stories about the SS? Something about how the SS really messed up the tranny? What are these horror stores...I would like to know so I won't have to deal with a disaster myself.
Just curious as to whether that was with a manual or auto transmission? How does the carbon fiber trim look, I've never seen one in person?
Can anyone provide any more information on the 97-00 sportshift problems?
-What are the specific problems and symptoms?
-How common is the defect? Is it pretty much all sportshifts or only a small %?
-Does the problem arise from abuse or is it shotty manufacturing?
-What are precautionary measures he can take to prolong the life of the tranny? Does getting into VTEC add extra wear to the tranny? How about manually shifting?
-Is there a recall he should be aware of? If so, can he use it though he's not the original owner and has no idea where it was originally bought?
-How much does it cost to fix? I've heard $5,000. Is that close? Sounds steep...
Thank you for your help!