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Honda Prelude 1997-2002

1679111250

Comments

  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    From a stoplight the V6 will jump forward quicker, but even with the SS auto the driver of the Prelude has the option to run the engine right up to the red line or even the rev limiter. Having driven both cars I feel that the Prelude would catch up quickly at the top of 1st and pull away in 2nd.
  • gsu2035gsu2035 Member Posts: 8
    Would it be only the 99s up that would catch the accord - but what about 97 or 98 SS?
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    How effective is the SS compared to manual transmission? Is it just a gimmick or is it really like a manual lude without a clutch?
  • steveholstevehol Member Posts: 3
    I just tried to order a 2001 Prelude SH via AutoByTel; the dealer that replied to me wants M$RP (offering a "break" on the options) because the car is going out of production. Has anyone tried using AutoByTel to get a Prelude and gotten a similar answer?
  • blacktalonblacktalon Member Posts: 203
    I bought my 2001 Prelude last September through Autobytel for a few hundred over invoice. This was competitive with the price offered by CarsDirect. I also checked with other local dealers and the Autobytel price was better.

    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.
  • blacktalonblacktalon Member Posts: 203
    The SS Prelude is an automatic where you can select your own gear, but it still goes through a torque converter, so it loses power compared to a true manual transmission.

    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.
  • jk111jk111 Member Posts: 125
    it is really just a gimick, nothing more. The transmission is still an automatic, just that you can "stay" and shift at certain gear if you want it to. There is really no difference acceleration wise between a manumatic and a regular automatic, some people actually gets better 1/4 mile when they let the auto shift itself.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    In the Prelude SS the sportshift is a bit faster. The reason is that the regular automatic upshifts on hard acceleration well before the redline. The SS does not upshift. It will let you hit the redline or even bounce off the rev-limiter if you want to. Hence with SS you can keep the engine revs high and stand a better chance of upshifting and still staying in the VTEC range. (Not possible on any upshift with the regular automatic, possible in all but 1-->2 on the SS.) This actually makes the SS considerably faster in the 0-60/0-90 department...
  • gsu2035gsu2035 Member Posts: 8
    What would be the basic mods to make to a 97 or 98 SS (190 horses) to make sure you catch an accord V6?
  • juanjuanjuanjuan Member Posts: 5
    xk2xbladerx ~ Well, I own both and although I really dont know what the numbers of both cars are, I can honestly say that the Prelude "feels" much more faster. Now coming out from a stop the Accord might feel more solid, but once you hit 2nd on the Prelude, the car comes alive and eats the Accord alive! Not to mention that the Lude handles much better. Its horrible having to drive the Accord after driving the Prelude, it feels like steering a cow. The Accord is more a family car with a semi sporty look. If performance is what you want(and you are 6' or smaller!) then go with the Prelude...
  • brianmadiganbrianmadigan Member Posts: 1
    I am going to look at a '95 today, I'm not sure yet which model, s, si or vtec. It has 80,000 miles, is supposedly well maintained and it is through a friend which makes it more trustworthy. They are asking for between 6 and $7,000, below kelley blue book trade in value. Provided this car is in good shape, what do I need to know about maintenance at this mileage? Also any bugs I should be aware of? If this is just the s model is it still a good deal? This will be my first prelude and my first performance car, I've been driving an 86 volvo. Any help/advice would be appreciated.
  • asethiasethi Member Posts: 76
    I'd suggest you spend some time at "hondaprelude.com" and you'll find tons of useful info on your particular car. you can also post this question there or search thru old archived messages on the discussion board there.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    I want to buy a waverunner and tow it to the ocean every now and then. Do you think the Prelude would be up to the task? I know it's not a pickup truck but the waverunner lighter than I am (mostly) and the cart can't be more than 150-250 lbs. Just curious whether it could be done if I took it nice and slow, or whether it's just going to wreck the drivetrain or something...
  • 64626462 Member Posts: 14
    I'm in the market for an RSX Type S or Prelude and I'm having trouble deciding which car. I realise that the RSX is the new kid on the block with all of the latest Honda gizmos, but I really like the fact that the Prelude is bigger and won't be nearly as common on the road. Plus, it still looks nicer than the RSX in my eyes. I suspect that I'll be able to buy a Prelude at a nice discount as the model will be discontiued soon, so price wise, they should match up. Any suggestions?
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    Prelude Pros:
    - 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...
  • 64626462 Member Posts: 14
    I havn't been to any dealerships yet, but I'm thinking right now that they won't budge on the RSX Type S prices, but they will come down on a Type SH. Any ideas on what kind of price you think I could get each for? I'm really hoping they'll go under the invoice for the Prelude....
  • jk111jk111 Member Posts: 125
    so I guess the manual mode is "slightly" faster, due to the redline revving? I guess that also depends on how fast you shift the thing yourself, heeh jk.

    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..
  • m_lesm_les Member Posts: 9
    mike harvey honda in burlingame, calif., has a nice selection of new 2000 and 2001 preludes for sale.
  • akuma007akuma007 Member Posts: 6
    Hey guys, I am a devout Honda fan, but I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed with my Prelude's reliability. First off, it's a 96 VTEC with now 61000 miles. At 60000, the timing belt tensioner failed, resulting in a very expensive valve job and timing belt work to be done: 2500 dollars. at 61000 miles, the check engine light comes on. Emmisions equipment problem. Mind you, I hardly ever drive this car and the thig is breaking at 61000? Ridiculous.

    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.....
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    I just bought a 2001 prelude thanks to the helpful advice from sphinx99. You can definitely get it for a great price if you find the right dealer. If you're paying more than 23,000...ITS WAY TOO MUCH!!! I also debated between a prelude, accord coupe, and RSX, and now that I have the prelude...I notice that the other two are WAY TOO COMMON...at least the accord. Every other car is a freakin accord sedan or coupe...so you'll love having a car that hardly anyone owns.
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    I want to add a rear wing spoiler to my car, and I like the base factory model. But for $800...that's kinda crazy. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can buy a genuine honda spoiler for cheaper and then have it installed somewhere other than the dealer to bring down the costs? Thanks
  • 64626462 Member Posts: 14
    So, will you share just how much you got it for? Was it a SH model or base? What kind of interest rate did you finance for? Sorry for all of the questions, but I'm really looking to buy soon and I'm torn! Even thought the dealers are gouging for the RSX now, won't I be able to get a decent deal on one within a few months, after all of the initial excitement dies down?
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    I ordered a spoiler from handaaccessories.com, www.hparts.com is another excellent source of info.

    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.
  • playathug21playathug21 Member Posts: 20
    I'm curious as to what are the weight difference between the Base Prelude (current gen) compared to the previous Gen (i think 1992-1996) Prelude Si. I'm curious because I like the old cars styling and I wanted to know the difference between the 2 generations. Any answers are great.
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    I managed to bring the price down on the base model to 22,000 with a 6.15% APR. The true invoice of the car is around 21,100 which I found out after i bought the car + 440 lot fee. So anything within 22- 23 (23 if you get a better finance rate). One piece of advice... after you buy the car...you will still end up spending at least another $1,000 if you're planning on getting an alarm, spoilers, and any other options you might be interested in. I would definitely get the alarm at the bare minimum just becuase it's such a nice car. I myself added Lo-Jack...for peace of mind.
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    I bought the automatic
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    The current prelude is quite a bit heavier than the last gen, I think 200-300 lbs. Despite this a base 5th gen will be faster than the last gen ludes unless you find a 4th gen VTEC which is generally regarded as the fastest Prelude. (190hp VTEC, but a lot lighter than the current Prelude.) I like the driving feel of the new Preludes better (much more mature) but the older Preludes have both the style and the feel of the young-person's-rocket sort of car.
  • playathug21playathug21 Member Posts: 20
    I'm considering how nimble the a car is. I like to have a nimble, lightweight car with decent style and plenty of aftermarket support. I'm looking into putting in a nice alpine system = ] and a nice, QUIET exhaust and other such things. Nothing major... but if you mean that the previous gen was more nimble, thats what I need. But I'll test drive both...
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    And ask over at hondaprelude.com if you really want to start a war :)

    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...
  • blackjavablackjava Member Posts: 9
    Just bought a 2001 VTEC this week, an automatic. This is the car I wish I had bought 10 years ago! I was really just about to get an Accord EX-V6 coupe, but then test drove a '97 Prelude and was surprised at how nicely it handled. That one test drive was enough to make me decide that the Accord would not be enough "fun". I also have another 5 speed convertible for weekend drives, so the sport shift is perfect for my around town driving, it would be perfect if it could match revs on downshifts.


    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!

  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    I bought a rear spoiler and the indash changer from handaaccessories.com. Outstanding service, parts arrived on time and in good condition. They have been recommended a number of times on various Prelude boards, along with hparts.com. (Never tried the latter.) I personally would do business with h&a accessories again, except that I don't need anything else :)
  • eggparmeggparm Member Posts: 14
    I test drove the RSX Type S today, and be honest, it did not impress me much in terms of its performance comparing with the SH Prelude. Here I'm talking strictly abuot the performance. First of all, the RSX is too tall. The elevated center of gravity does not do anything good to the handling. If you perform a fast lane changing or a fast cornering in both cars and you know what I'm talking about. You are not getting the go-cart like fun with the RSX. Both RSX's and Prelude's engines rev to the redline fast but the Prelude revs even faster. Also, you almost don't hear or feel anything when the VTEC kicks in in the RSX (the intervention of the VTEC on the RSX is very subtle and you can hardly notice it - no fun). The steering response of the RSX is not as quick as that of Prelude, thank to the MacPherson struts suspension! I thought the RSX would outperform my SH Prelude but I was wrong. For those who still struggle between these two cars, take my words or go take both cars for a test drive. If you feel a little uneasy about the Prelude for not offering the leather uphostery, listen to this and you will get over it: the leather seats do feel nice but remember they don't usually hold you well in place when hard cornering (they are too slippery). Plus, they wear and tear much faster. The Prelude's fabrics are made of very high quality by the way and the foam materials are much firmer than the RSX. The RSX is an upscaled Civic while the Prelude is still a Prelude. I shouldn't have compared these two cars in the first place. I was wrong again.
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    To those of you who have replaced their factory headlight bulbs... what type of bulb did you replace the factory ones with? Are there any specific ones that you can recommend for both bulbs inside each headlight.
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    Simple question. I now have 200 miles on my prelude and I'm scared to floor the car since it is brand new. How bad is it to be hitting VTEC level rpms on a brand new car. Just curious how I should be driving the car right now and after how many miles, I can stop worrying about hurting the engine.
  • confused07confused07 Member Posts: 5
    Hi again guys, for those who remember me, my cars almost here. I test drove a 97 Lude that somebody's sellin me. We are just in the negotiating stage to buy the car. IT's sweet. It's a 97 Black Lude with only 60000Km's on it. In the deal, he's including his 17" TSW mags,which are brand spankin new. As well as two brand new winter tires. It comes with a lowered neuspeed suspension, and he's also going to include the stock one. It comes with a skirt kit, the stock one I believe, and it's just gorgeous. He went through all the service checks, and the car is apparently flawless. HE even is willing to guarantee me that nothing will go wrong for the next year, if something does go wrong, he'll replace it. Anyways, here's the price. 22Grand CAN$. What do you guys think ? ? Too pricey or is it worth it ?? oh yeah, and it's the sportshift one, not standard. And I would like for the car to last me for as long as possible, is the prelude the right pick in that case?
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    Congrats to all who are picking up Preludes, yup they're pretty bulletproof. You know it's a reliable car when you drive into a Honda dealer for an oil change and the guys at the counter look at the car and say, "man, nice car, we sure don't get those coming in all that often... what's yours like? I love mine.."

    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.
  • kkl1kkl1 Member Posts: 16
    Hi Blackjava-


    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

  • eggparmeggparm Member Posts: 14
    I'm so pissed off everytime when the salesman or somebody tells people that you just need to drive the new car as usual during the break-in period! WRONG! ABSOLUTELY WRONG! You need to pay special attention to how you drive the car during the break-in period!!!

    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!
  • blackjavablackjava Member Posts: 9
    Thanks, kkl1 and sphinx99, for the response about the Honda parts. Both places are far cheaper than my local dealer. For example, the trunk mat is $99 locally and only $70 mail order, so it's a pretty big savings.
  • roaminroamin Member Posts: 6
    In response to post #434. I put Philips Vision Plus bulbs in my 2000 Prelude's low beams and have been testing them for nearly two months. I did a side by side comparison of the stock bulb with the Philips bulb and they are definitely brighter and whiter (with an incadecent yellowish hue). They light up the road really well, this is especially noticable on dark or unilluminated roads. I definitely believe Philips' claim that this bulb is 50% brighter than a typical halogen bulb and they are still only 55 watts, so I am not worried about melting my headlamp assembly --plus I trust the Philips brandname. I got these bulbs at www.autolamps-online.com for $16.10 each and shipping was free and no tax. Even though they were shipped from England I got mine just over week after I ordered them.


    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.

  • apexskrapexskr Member Posts: 11
    Although it takes more than 0-60 times to be competitive against the Lude, the V6 mustang already has decent 0-60 times. The manual V6 mustang does 0-60 in 7.0 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.5 @84mph according to http://www.car-stats.com/. The auto tranny shouldn't add more than a second to this time, so your desire to stay within 8 second 0-60 should be satisfied.

    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.
  • xk2xbladerxxk2xbladerx Member Posts: 10
    1) I need a car alarm. Dealer keeps urging me to get factory one. He keeps saying that if I buy and install an alarm from somewhere else, it could short circuit computer system...how likely is that? Where and what type of alarm would you luders recommend?

    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.
  • sphinx99sphinx99 Member Posts: 776
    There are reports of the SS transmission failing in a number of the '97 and '98 ludes at the 30k+ miles mark. From what one reads, it's a simple durability issue - something in the SS transmission is just not holding up over time. The problem with the "horror stories" is that there are a lot of reports but no empirical data. The best place to ask would be (frankly) a Prelude fan site like hondaprelude.com where up to several hundred active owners might comment...
  • asethiasethi Member Posts: 76
    I found the Philips Vision Plus to be crap compared to the philips premium bulb. I was disappointed that it had a blue tinted tip. I didn't use it for more than 2 days. Works great in the high beams, though. Any non-colored H1 bulb is ok to use, there's not much difference unless you wanna spend $50+
  • roaminroamin Member Posts: 6
    Very surprising, since Vision Plus is claimed to be up to 50% brighter compared to the 30% brighter claim for the Premium. I was also skeptical when I saw the blue coating on the tip of the Vision Plus bulb but I was impressed when comparing its light output to the stock bulb. Are you saying that the Premium appears to be brighter? If so maybe you got some from a bad lot, where did you get them from?
  • asethiasethi Member Posts: 76
    I also buy all my bulbs from autolamps-online.com. I was actually disappointed to see the blue tip on the vision plus but I gave it a try anyway. Yes, it's not better than the premium. It may be brighter but the color of light is such that it does not light up the road as much as the clear premium bulb. Works pretty good in the high beams though. I don't care how bright a bulb looks if it cannot light up the road. If you get the premium and don't like them, I'll buy them from you! I've also tried Catz and they were good! Too bad these H1 bulbs don't last long (I do clean them with alcohol).
  • steveholstevehol Member Posts: 3
    Well, after a fairly lengthy and circuitous decision-making process, last week I finally wound up ordering a black 2001 Prelude (Base) with spoiler, leather shift knob, carbon fiber interior trim, cassette player, splash guards, wheel locks, and etched windows for about $23,500. I'll be picking it up tomorrow morning. Who knows, I might actually make it to work before evening comes... :)
  • roaminroamin Member Posts: 6
    Stevehol,

    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?
  • steveholstevehol Member Posts: 3
    That was with a manual (the sportshift would cost you about $800 or $900 more, I think). The carbon fiber looks very nice with the black interior; although it's kinda hard to describe how it actually looks. It's made of plastic, and there is one piece each for both doors, the center console, and the shifter/drink holder. The finish has small glossy grey-black triangular patterns that give the car's interior a racy look. If you want, I can take a picture or two of the interior and e-mail them to you.
  • apexskrapexskr Member Posts: 11
    My fiancee's brother has a 98 Lude w/ sportshift. He bought it about a month ago w/ 30K miles. I've been reading here and on hondaprelude.com that the auto trannys from 97-00 are defective and have a tendency of needing replacement between 30K and 40K miles. (*gulp*)

    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!
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