Honda Prelude

Honda Prelude

Honda Prelude 

Introduced in 1979, the Honda Prelude was the company's first attempt at building an exciting car that still held true to the core Honda values of intelligent design and reliability. Over the next two decades, the two-door sport coupe would become the primary performance car in the Honda lineup. Although it was outfitted with relatively powerful engines in later generations, the Honda Prelude was not a muscle car. It was built around handling and drivability, while providing enough power to remain competitive.

Over its life, several new technologies for Honda Prelude  were pioneered on the Prelude, such as fuel injection, four-wheel steering and Honda's Active Torque Transfer System. The Honda Prelude  was also the first Honda model to get VTEC, the company's variable valve timing engine technology.Though the Honda Prelude  was very popular throughout the '80s, consumer interest waned in the '90s. Eventually, the Prelude was trapped in an under-$30,000 no-man's land. For a sporty front-wheel-drive coupe, it was just too pricey, and it didn't have sports car looks or a sufficiently premium feel. By the turn of the millennium, the sport coupe market was a shadow of its former self. Honda dropped the Honda Prelude  without a replacement after the 2001 model year. As a pre-owned option, however, the rewarding and reliableHonda Prelude  merits serious consideration from driving enthusiasts on a budget.

Honda Prelude

If you're searching for a used Honda Prelude , you'll likely be encountering the fifth and final generation, which was sold from 1997-2001. It was larger and heavier than any of the previous models. It was also the most dynamic. There were two trim levels: base and Type SH. Both got a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with VTEC and a standard five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic was available as an option on the base model. Initially, the engine put out 195 horsepower, but in 1999, Honda Prelude  bumped maximum power up to 200 hp in the manual-transmission models.Both trims were equipped with a generous array of standard features that included 16-inch alloy wheels, ABS, cruise control, a sunroof, air-conditioning and full power accessories.

 The main difference between the base model and the Type SH was the addition of Honda's Active Torque Transfer System, an electronic system that distributed torque to the outside drive wheel in cornering situations. Honda Prelude  purpose was to minimize understeer and thus mimic rear-wheel-drive cornering characteristics.In road and comparison tests, our editors found the Honda Prelude  Type SH to be one of the best-handling cars in its class -- truly a driver's car. It was nimble and well balanced, while also maintaining a decent amount of ride comfort.

Honda Prelude

Honda Prelude have enough engine performance to be sporty, with the VTEC four performing a Jekyll-and-Hyde Honda Prelude  transformation in feel and sound above 5,200 rpm. Zero-to-60 times were in the low 7s. In 1999, the Honda Prelude  won  Edmunds.com's Editors' Most Wanted award for Best Sport Coupe ($10,000-$25,000).  In 2000, it won again for Best Sport Coupe.Despite being a great-performing car, the Honda Prelude was lacking in other areas. The interior boasted high-quality materials and construction, but it lacked the visual pizzazz buyers had come to expect from a car with a $26,000 price tag. Honda maintained a conservative approach here, filling the cabin with a monochromatic color scheme and Accord-like gauges and controls. The front seats, though comfortable, weren't available in leather and had limited adjustability. The Honda Prelude have a rear seats had minimal legroom. The fifth-generation Prelude has aged well, however, as that restrained interior design now seems classier and less dated than brash designs like the contemporary Toyota Celica.

courtesy by http://www.edmunds.com/honda/prelude/