7 1997 - 2001 Honda Prelude | Never Followed By a Fugue
By Don Sherman
Cinching up to brave the recession doesn't necessarily mean eschewing your highly cultured automotive tastes. Buying used opens the field to golden oldies that have left the production rolls, sometimes prematurely. A prime case in point is the fifth and final generation of the Honda Prelude, sold from the 1997 through 2001 model years.
The curtain-closing Prelude is a smart blend of shrewd technology, meticulous tuning, and well-rounded practicality. It follows the trail blazed years before by the Ford Mustang but ditches the V-8 and the live rear axle without forfeiting a sweet exterior and beguiling driving dynamics.
The 2.2-liter engine powering these Preludes brings Acura NSX verve down to the four-banger class. Variable valve timing and lift (VTEC) technology combines a placid low end with hair-on-fire hustle to the 7500-rpm redline. The mood change at 5000 rpm is a joy during every run through the gears. Honda's overachieving powertrain delivers mid-seven-second 0-to-60-mph acceleration with 20-plus mpg, although premium fuel is required.
The fifth-generation Prelude has a fortified body structure to take advantage of the sophisticated control-arm and multilink suspension systems Honda engineers had previously implemented. The optional four-speed automatic, called Sequential SportShift, featured one of the first gear-holding systems. A technological stride forward exclusive to the stick-shift-only Type SH is one of the first active differentials, a device that's only now becoming commonplace. Called an Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS), this gizmo shifts the outboard front wheel into overdrive on cue. When understeer rears its hideous head, ATTS kicks in a yaw torque - twisting force about a vertical axis - to tighten your line. In reality, ATTS is gratuitous on the street, where the Prelude's crisp, light steering provides dancing-queen agility. Track tests have, however, revealed a modest benefit in lap times.
Although the Prelude's interior decor is anything but luxurious, it at least greets you with cheery ambience, a tidy instrument cluster, and rear seats that two lean adults can endure for a few miles. A fold-down backrest doubles the utility of the nine-cubic-foot trunk.
Honda engineers tacked on 5 hp to manual-transmission cars for the last three model years, so the smart buy is a 1999 or later SH edition. Staying with the final models will also improve your chances of avoiding early teething troubles: buzzy heat shields, defective transmission shift forks, frail ball joints, and electrical gremlins related to the ATTS system. Since the Prelude SH has long been a favorite of tuners, exercise extreme caution when shopping for a survivor.
Price Then $26,365 (1999 SH)
Price Now $6000
> Awards
All-Star ('98, '99)
> Watch Out For
Turbos, body kits, and suspension mods installed by amateurs.
> Fun Fact
Reaching the 7500-rpm redline really tickles your gizzard.
> Certified Pre-Owned
N/A
> Web Sites
vtec.net, absoluteprelude.com
> Specs
- 2.2L I-4, 195-200 hp, 156 lb-ft
- 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
- Front-wheel drive ...next page >>