which honda prelude to get?

Question

i drive a 4door 99 civic, because im usually the driver when my friends and i go out. but **** that, they all got cars now and i want something faster and sportier, so im thinking of selling my civic for a prelude. I really like the 5th generation look, especially the front, but financially i might have to settle for a 4th generation.

My question is: is there much of a difference between 4th and 5th gen preludes other than the front look? and which model should i buy? also how much should i pay for one in cali, i want a manual one and i dont mind the miles being over 100,000 but no more than 140,000

Answer 1

There is a difference other than the front, the whole car is different! The 4g is known as the spaceship because of its bubbly look, and "futuristic" cockpit dash. It's a mix between the 3g INX Prelude and a 94-97 accord.

But stock for stock a 4g would beat a 5g, unless the 5g was a true type-S which were only available in Japan. And when the 4g came out it was marketed towards females more than males, which led to a decline in sales.

Also there are 3 types of engines that come in a 4g. In 1992 the only 2 available were the non-VTEC F22b and the H23a. From 92-96 the VTEC H22a was added. And some came equipped with an LSD tranny.

The 5g kept true to the Prelude's geometry and went back to the lines of the 3g. You could see the similarities if you had both side by side. All 5g in the states came with the H22. Both 4g and 5g with the h22 came with 195hp. Appearance wise I would get a 5g.

But again, it's a Prelude so I would pick it up no matter what, unless it was an auto. Auto 5g are the worst, only because the trannys die pretty quickly. And 5spd are rare to find.

If you're going with the 5g and you want to make alot of power and plan on modifying, get the 5g Base. If you get a 4g make sure it's an H22, or if you plan on going turbo get either the f22b or H23a. IDK how much one would be in cali, but in the northeast, a 4g could go from 3-6k and a 5g from 8-12k.

Good luck! Glad to see you're ditching the civic! PRELUDES FTW!

Answer 2

I have owned a 3G and 5G Preludes. Both very cool and reliable cars. I hated the G4 body style. I still have my 1990 - 3G Prelude SR with 4WS - 4 wheel steering and the SR is the Canadian Version of the top line Prelude. I will be keeping this car for another 10 or 15 years as I think this will be a collector down the road as they seem very rare.

I have over 350,000 km and nothing has gone wrong with this little car. The 2.0L - 140HP 4 banger still has some pretty good get up and go with this many miles on it. I still get comments when I drive it and some younger kids wanting to buy the car off me.

Also, I really did enjoy my 1998 Prelude Type SH with it's ATTS - Active Torque Transfer System. It was good but not as good as the 4WS system in 3G Preludes for turning on corners and in parking lots and the 2.2 L V-TEC has some punch with 195HP stock. Not sure if they increased the power in the 1999 and new models to 200HP. It did have more space and was a little longer than the G3 Preludes but similar body styles.

If I were you I would look at either the G3 or G5 rather than the G4 but that is my taste. However most G3 to G5 Preludes you can run hard without damaging them (Personal Experience)! Good Luck with your decision and search!

Answer 3

Dont settle when it comes to a car buying decision! A car is an extension of your personality, so go and get yourself the bad *** prelude sh..............Good luck finding one, cuz they are a hot catch.....A 99-2000 prelude should run you no more than $6,500 to $9,000 depending on the condition and mileage!

Answer 4

civic