Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
As far as bangle goes, I'm kinda diggin' his current work. The 745 with those 19" wheels is a car that definitely has some presence. I think it is aggressive looking. I hated it at first. The more I see them on the road (and I see plenty on a daily basis), the more I like it.
The Z4 I've liked from the get go. I was never a fan of the Z3 and the styling of the Z4 appeals to me more. Although I don't think I'd ever own one because for the price of a loaded up 3.0i I could get a nice 330i or Ci via ED (for a little less cash) or save up another couple months for an M3:)
I'm going to reserve judgement on the 5 until I see it in person. The same with the 1 series. From what I've read, the "eyebrow" blinkers are here to stay.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I'm with NYC. I always thought the 745 was a pretty nice looking car, inside and out. As he said, with the 19" wheels the car is an expression of stature, wealth and performance--exactly what the 745 is supposed to be. I think that the 7-series will age more gracefully than the current generation equivalent Benz, Audi and Lexus, for what it's worth. Ditto the Z4. The first time I sat in one (out at a show last year in SF) I was horrified by the terrible interior ergonomics (I'm still horrified) but I thought the exterior wasn't too bad. Then I finally saw a silver Z4 on a sunny day on the freeway, with the top down, and that thing made traffic stop. Wow. It's definitely a car that looks better in motion (when you are fixating not on those lines but the overall shape) than it does sitting still or in a photograph.
I'd be all over a M1. Depending on how BMW goes with the 1-series, the non-M models may leave me wondering where the power is. At least, based on the 3-series coupes which I thought were subpar versus the Prelude's puny-by-the-numbers engine, short of the fully decked out 330Ci. My next car will be more expensive than the Prelude, I suspect, and I expect it to offer substantially more. I sort of expect the 1-series to match what I'm already enjoying while coming with a higher price. Hence, the M1.
Now the real BMW action is in that Z5/S2000-fighter concept drawing that was floating around a year ago. C'mon BMW, give us more!
Hot day today and I realized exactly how much of a slug Prelude becomes once the AC is on at full blast.
BMW does seem committed to keeping weight down though as the E60 (upcoming) 5 series actually weighs 165lbs less than the (current) E39 model. The 1 series should weigh in significantly less than our Prelude. The next 3 series should weigh in about the same (or less) than the (current) E46 or about as much as our Preludes.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Today I saw 2 911 Turbos (The new ones...996 I think)
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I also saw a red 5th gen, two separate black S2000s on the same trip to work, and perhaps most amazingly, THREE yellow Hummer H2s following each other. (Must have been some sort of event... let me tell you, three yellow Hummers on the highway makes for an interesting sight.)
I kind of notice it last year. I changed the oil first in Apr. and towards the end of June, I checked the oil, it is 3/4 qt low, filled it up. At the time of oil change (around 4k miles), it is about 1/4 - 1/2 qt low again. After that, had 3 oil change with 4k mile interval and had not a drop of oil loss until now, I notice the oil is low by 1/2 (between the 2 dots) again and it happens right at the same time of the year. End of June is not the hottest month, but it is definitely hot here (low 90s). I don't know what is the cause of this and no, I have not change my driving style yet.
Any insight on this?
It's good to hear you're so aware of your car's oil status: most folks couldn't be bothered. (Yet another difference between those who drive Preludes and those who don't.)
If you want to have fun with a car, you got to know how to make it performs the best - at least that is my take.
I've ordered a set of Bridgestone RE750 tires to see what they're like. Apparently, they're a bit more civilized than the S-03, and will wear beter (although I was able to eke 23K out of the S-03, but they became VERY noisy in the last 5K). At $105 a pop, they're certainly cheaper. With a 30-day test drive, I figure I can't go too wrong. After I get 'em installed on Tuesday, I'll let you know what they're like, in case anybody's interested.
If these don't work out, I'll probably snag a set of Dunlop's SP9000.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
S-03s are in. Oh my goodness. It's a different car! More later...
On an unrelated note, now that we are having the first truly hot days of summer, I'm noticing that if my car is left out in the sun and gets hot, when I start it the defroster light is on. If I turn up the AC for 15 minutes or so, suddenly it clicks itself off. Hmm.
Oh, and lastly - don't know where else to put it so -
http://www.motortrend.com/features/news/news_030618_hon/
Honda's "Variable Cylinder Management" - we've seen this from other manufacturers before. The 3L V6 idles half its cylinders during cruising. I'm aware of 12-to-6 and 8-to-4 but never 6-to-3... sounds interesting.
I've been seeing a bunch of Cooper S' on the road and parked on the street. The most common color seems to be that Sterling Grey w/ a black roof which is nice. I saw a Red w/ Black roof that looks relly sharp and of course a Yellow w/ Black roof which is also cool.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Today was gorgeous! I had both windows and sunroof open on the way home which was relatively traffic free. I love this car!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Good thing there never was a Honda Prelude Terminator Edition.
Bad - I saw a red S2000 on the road today and just felt my heart sink. sigh. Well, fiscal responsibility first, right? I really miss the HIDs...
Ugly - I went to the grocery store to get some supplies for a weekend picnic. When I came out of the grocery store and back to my car (one of many in a field of parked cars) I saw that someone had dumped a soda all over it. It didn't look too bad because it was nighttime and my car isn't white... but still. Talk about deflating. Fortunately my favorite touchless car was was literally two blocks away so just a few minutes later a high pressure water spray blew off the soda (dr. pepper I think) without the clearcoat incurring so much as a single swirl mark. Whew. I could rant about this for hours. Needless to say, I wish I knew what would drive people to do such [bleep].
I probably had another 3,000 miles left on mine, but couldn't take the noise and hydroplaning anymore. I've only put 200 miles on the RE750's, but (so far) they are much more civilized and just as grippy as the S-03, and give up only a bit of steering response on the really tight stuff.
The S-03 is a great tire, no question about it, but it's overkill for most folks, myself included. For dodging orange cones, they might be ideal, but they aren't much good for long-haul commuting/driving.
I consider it a lesson learned.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
If you're thinking of ditching your RE92's and want to take advantage of the Prelude's handling/ride balance, the RE750 might be your best bet.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
On the other hand, himiler, I'll be interested to know how your RE750s work out. I've heard the RE730s made a lot of noise when worn, but I know Bridgestone tried to address this with the RE750s, so I'll be curious whether they succeeded...
I figure that I had about 50k miles on RE92s between my first leased 5th gen and my current '01, so I was willing to sacrifice some rubber for something new. I'm glad, so far-- easily the most effective "performance upgrade" I ever could have imagined.
Will you be going to a set of steelies with winter treads, too?
I use 15" wheels with 195/60-15 winter tires, and they clear the brake calipers without drama. Plenty of rubber available in that size. I've used Artic Alpins the last 4 years, but think I'll get something with better loose snow traction this time around. Those Alpins are tough to beat on ice and bare pavement, though -- they're as good as the RE92 in the dry.
That's like saying that a particular actor is as enjoyable to watch as Pauly Shore.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
sphinx -- for a winter tire to do as well in the dry as a HPAS tire is pretty good. And, for reasons I cannot explain, I enjoyed both "Encino Man" and "Son in Law."
Himiler: You're right about the awful braking and lousy handling. I always felt as if I was driving on metal grates. The noise above 65mph was just abominable.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Yokohama&tir- eModel=Avid+T4&vehicleSearch=true&partnum=955TR5T4&fr- omCompare1=yes
This is the same size that my '98 GS-R had for OE, but I went with a 205/50-15 because there were many more tires to choose from. My all-time favorite A/S tire in that size is this one:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireM- odel=SP+Sport+5000+Asymmetrical&vehicleSearch=true&partnu- m=05WR55000&fromCompare1=yes
You should be able to find what she needs from this link (but I'd strongly recommend the Dunlop A2):
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp?startIndex=0&vehic- leSearch=true&width=205%2F&ratio=50&diameter=15&s- earch=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&perfor- mance=UHPAS&performance=HPAS&performance=PAS&performa- nce=GTAS&performance=ST&performance=AS&speed_rating=T- R&speed_rating=UR&speed_rating=HR&speed_rating=VR&- ;speed_rating=WR&speed_rating=YR&speed_rating=ZR
Hope this helps!
The Prelude is scheduled for a road trip from NY to Hilton Head, SC. We'll be leaving this Wednesday night and returning sometime Sunday evening. I'm glad my friend who's coming with me has a V1!
Gas mileage: Do you guys notice a significant drop off in gas mileage when you use the A/C? I got about 20mpg off my last tank, but the light went on at around the 245 mile mark.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I seem to average between 27.4 and 28.8 mpg, regardless of whether or not I'm using the A/C.
Then again, I'm 95% highway and rarely doing less than 75mph.
I can usually get 360 miles on a tank before my low fuel light starts to show. The most I ever got from a tankful was 423 miles. I probably could've got another 20-30 miles out of it, but I lost my nerve. After that stretch, I put in 14.7 gallons.
I love my V1!
My low fuel light usually goes on around the 280 mark (I think). I can usually squeeze about 320 out of a tank (mostly stop & go traffic).
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
I have regular service scheduled for next week so I guess I'll take it in then. Given that it started the moment I turned on the stereo, I'm assuming it's a fuse issue of some kind.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
The black one I saw in the showroom was perfect. I loved the black interior. The interior panels are finished nicely, but there's a strip of very hard (read: cheap feeling) plastic running across the middle of the dash (where the air vents are). If Infiniti fixes this, they've got a perennial winner (in my mind which they don't care about). I know it is heavier and has a smaller redline compared to the Prelude, but you've got to give it some credit:)
The bang for the buck is awesome on the G35 coupe (not that it is exacty cheap). However, I'd have to drive it back to back with a 325i & 330Ci to see how it stacks up. Between ED, a better resale value, and the BMW styling is timeless while the G35 is kinda "flavor of the month," you'd definitely have a hard time prying me away from the BMW dealership. Let's see if Bangle butchers the next 3 (although I'm a fan of the 7 & Z4 when properly equipped).
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
New tire update, for those interested: the 750's are great in the wet, with very progressive breakaway and no hydroplaning. They do "sing" a bit on wet roads, but it's not as bad as the S-03's constant growling.
I'm not gonna fall for this twice.
Also, I saw that the treadwear rating on the 750 is a whopping 340. Does you feel it has less grip than the 730s?
I haven't driven the 730, but I can tell you that the 750 doesn't give up much grip to the S-03, just sidewall stiffness.
I've got SP9000s on the car now but I miss the stiffness of the A520s, which I felt complimented the car perfectly.
Himiler: The G35C is one of those nice cars that's nice for somebody else, but I'd personally never get one.
The BMW 1 series keeps getting nicer and nicer as it comes closer. The specs are pretty impressive. Weighing in at just under 2500 pounds with engine choices ranging from a 1.8L 125hp I4, a 2.0L 150hp I4, to 2 different 2.0L Turbo I4s with 200 & 240hp. There's talk of an M2 (they wouldn't dare call another car an M1). The styling is going to be the big X factor. But we'll just have to wait and see.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
Also, watch out for the oil pan threads--they are fragile! Either do the oil yourself or go to a Honda dealer.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD