Here’s how the Prelude was Honda’s answer to the Toyota Celica
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In this episode I provide the history of the Honda Prelude, a sporty coupe produced between 1978 and 2001. The Toyota Celica, which had been in production since 1970, was the primary competitor and reason for Honda to add the Prelude to the lineup, initially borrowing parts from the Accord.
I had a Gen3 for a short time. Great car. The 4 wheel steering was a weird sensation at first, especially in car parks.
I bet bro it seemed like a strange thing, I have a 5th Gen lude I love it
4ws had the fastest slalom time of any car according to Road & Track what I read
@@elyoj6845 I remember the Prelude 4WS was heralded as a great engineering breakthrough by Automobile magazine. And in another magazine ad, Volkswagen claimed that they designed a 4WS system back in the 70s, but cancelled it because it would have put on more weight, and for some other reasons. It seemed to me that Volkswagen was trying to take semi-credit for Honda's engineering breakthrough.
I had an 88 or 89, but yeah I remember that 4ws being the weirdest thing to get used to at first. That car had over 300k miles when I got it and I never had a single issue with it. Ran and drove perfectly, I miss that thing.
especially when you crossed over the two regimes, slowing down from speed, and the rear steering suddenly went into "opposite" mode....
I had a 1991 Honda Prelude Si. Black with tan interior. It was my daily driver for over 17 years. It was my baby. 100% garaged, I always hand waxed every year, always detailed and clean. It got me through 4 years of college, and 2.5 years of grad school, while working full time. Never left me stranded. Only saw a check engine light once, when the speedo cable broke at $160,000 miles. not a terrible fix. 3 timing belts (every 60-70K miles) I did 2 valve adjustments myself, plugs and wires every few years. coolant flushes every few years. oil changes of course. And 17 years of reliable, fun to drive, comfortable, and oh yeah - always looking back at it, when walking away in parking lots... just because it looked so good. I reluctantly sold with with 199,000 miles, once kids came along. If I had a 3 car garage, I would have kept it.
One of my all time favorite coupes. I had a first generation but it just rotted around me. I was obsessed with the 4th generation, which was perhaps my favorite of all the preludes.
Mine was a 4th gen I got in Dec 1995! It was my first new car and I loved it! I picked it because it was on the 10 most reliable cars list and it had front wheel drive. I remember feeling such a huge increase of status when I parked that car in my parents' driveway! I paid it off in late 2000. Over the 5 years I had it, the only problem it ever gave me was that the automatic retractable antenna would get stuck while retracting in the winter. You had to turn off the radio, get outside quickly, and force it down. That car was with me with every IT job I had. Unfortunately, some dumbass hit me head on in 2001 and totaled it. If I were filthy rich, I would hire someone to restore a 4th gen Prelude for me.
The 5th, last generation was amazing: 200hp from a 4 cylinder engine during the 90's was hitherto unheard of.
It could best many V6 cars from the era.
Honda was just on fire back in the day, even nowadays you don’t see 200 hp naturally aspirated 4 cylinders. I wonder why they stopped, and also wonder how much power they could’ve made if they kept advancing whatever they were doing in the 90s and early 2000s
Hitherto hell yeah bad ass word ayyyyyyy
@@patricks.7951 the Honda S2000 had in excess of 200hp, I think 237hp during the early millenium.
These were amazing NA 4 cylinder engines.
I don't know the cost of building of the engine in the S2000 but I would rather that engine than the 2.0Turbo.
In 1997 I test drive a Prelude, it had the sweetest sounding 4 cylinder engine. At the time they rated the engine and driving experience even superior to 4cylinder BMW3Series. I was going to buy one but the 98 Accord V6 coupe took my eye. Same HP, more room, more practical and I have been driving Accords, before and since then.
The last Prelude was ahead of its time; it had early version of torque vectoring, although at the time the styling at the front was controversial it was ahead of its time.
@@briansukhu4392 they had very impressive hp per liter indeed. The problem with those early Vtec engines were the extreme lack of torque. Especially with the s2000. When it first came out, it was making 240 hp from a 2.0 na engine. Which obviously was impressive, but below 6k RPM it made less than 100 lb/ft or torque. I think it peaked around only 150 lb/ft at a staggering 7.5 rpm. You had the rev the absolute crap out of it to get any power.
YAY! my car got it's video! This absolutely made my day.
I've owned the 1st gen Prelude with a rack on the trunk, bought it from a guy moving out of state and had no title. Got it for cheap and tags were good for two years so I drove till then and sold it.
My buddy had one I saw him climb a a popular sand dune out in the deserts of southern California. Lol
I had an 85 and a 89. Great car. There was a time when all you saw were Preludes driving the roads. Now I see the occasional 97 or 98 prelude. Kudos to that!!!
This channel along with big car and motorweek retro are gold, perfect for unplugging my brain and recalling old cars and the places they went
The 4th gen 'lude is one of my bucket list cars... they are just hard to find these days in non-clapped out ricer form.
Great vid as always.
Yes, boy racers have ruined these fantastic cars with all their mods and "stance" lowering. You see them on Craigslist now, never with their original steering wheel, painted up engine and half finished body job with years old primer still on them and il-fitting trim pieces. I really loved the look of the third generation, especially the mid-cycle refresh Si. Still with the wedge shape from the 80's but updated. I ended up with a four year old 2-door Honda Accord 98', best I could do at the time financial wise but really grew to love that car. Though I did like the look of the fifth generation that was out at the time, being it had the more sharp lines of the earlier generations.
I had one of the first sold in the Washington DC area. It was a real head turner! I loved the dash although some auto journalists didn’t.
@@tedecker3792 my favorite part...
That's what we called it, too. The Honda Qaalude.
I was driving my 89 CRX past the Honda dealer when something caught my eye. I turned around and went in. It was the just released 92. I bought it on the spot.
Thank you for another great video. The 3rd gen was my favorite prelude and my dream car but I have never had the opportunity to own one. I was too young when they came out and now they are very rare . I haven't seen one on the road for many years.
Thank you for this video! I had 2 Preludes, a first gen and a second gen. I loved them both.
My first car was a grey 1985 Honda Prelude with a 5 speed. Loved that car! Would buy it again today.
Just here to show my love for the 4th gen. I’m surprised you didn’t mention the digital dash and sleek interior tbh
Preludes Will Always Be A Piece Of Who I Am! My Uncle Had A Red 91 Honda Prelude Si And That Was The 1st Car I Fell In Love With!❤️. I Ended Up Getting A 2001 Prelude SH For My 1st Car & I Still Have It!
The fourth gen I never liked. But the second and third are 🔥🔥🔥🔥 love the boxy styling and pop up headlights. My friend had an 86 SI that was pretty quick! Car only had 40k miles on it when he had it and he unfortunately ruined it because he was basically an idiot. But when the car was still in good condition you could just tell it was something special. Very nimble, very responsive excellent ride and quiet interior. I drove it once and I basically spent two years trying to find a clean one. But sadly they all had a gazillion miles on em or had bad body rot. His was a true time capsule.
I wish Honda would bring back the Prelude.
I agree! Honda deserves a more traditional flagship vehicle!
don’t say that, they’ll bring it back as a generic crossover, like all company’s do.
Don’t. Don’t ask for it back. It will come back on the accord platform with a different front and rear and still 4 doors and probably hybridization
Absolutely🤗🤗🤗... They never should have stopped making them.. The Prelude couldn't be touched and got sharper with each generation..
@@maryrobinson4131 I’m glad you agree.
Nice! Would like to see an Eclipse or Integra/RSX sometime.
i Had a 83 prelude in dark blue. it was the first new car i ever bought. loved that car. had it for 14 yrs.
i had a 91 4WS in red, and loved it into the ground. it clocked over 400k miles and just gave up.
My 2nd gen 1985 was almost the perfect car. FUN as heck to drive, sunroof, dependable & looked cool.
That & my 93 Miata were neck & neck the best cars ever.
Oh yeah, I have a 2005 Celica now & it's pretty great. ☺️
I had an '82 Prelude. It was in 1983 when they changed to the style I like more. Great car, though. It got me through college and band gigs. My bass cab would fit perfectly into the trunk sideways, and I'd have to tie it down with the trunk open, but iot worked like that for years.
Always loved the Preludes. I owned 4 of them. An 86 SI, an 87 SI, an 88 SI 4ws and a 89 SI. I'm always on the lookout for another 2nd or 3rd gen in decent shape to restore.
My Preludes were always reliable, but it's a shame I never see them on the roads anymore. Hard to get parts for em I bet, the B20A5 motor wasn't used in anything else that I know of. I miss my '88 4WS Si. Not the fastest car I've owned, but probably the most fun.
Hey I'm late (4 months late) however I've got an 89 Si, yellow w/ black trim 77800 miles on it. I'm putting it up for sale soon.
@@chasesimpson5123 no way i call 2nd dibs
I always wanted a Prelude growing up. I was sad when they stopped making them
As a teenager I would have given a lot for the four wheel steering 1987 model at a local dealer. Black and $17000.00. Just like the girls I knew…beautiful, fast, and way too expensive. I didn’t get the car either.
I owned an '86 Merkur XR4Ti and it'd be great if you could produce an episode on the car. I loved the exotic look and how unique it was. I got asked about the car all the time. I even got pulled over once, where I live, because the officer wanted to see the car....it was hilarious! Unfortunately, the car wasn't very reliable. thank you
Can never let the Wizard's daughter forget what she destroyed.
🤣 you still remember that ?!??!
same :(
@ S V Why are you mentioning this? Here? Has nothing to do with the video or why Honda killed off the model. I hate trolls.
@@houseofno what are they referring to?
@@moelester7971 a mechanic on youtube had a prelude and his daughter took it on a joyride and wrecked it
I had an 89 lxi, 2.0 with fuel injection. Snappy acceleration and beautiful front end with those pop up lights. Great little car.
I've owned my 1992 Prelude over 15 years now and I'll own it 15 more.
I had a 82 Honda Prelufe, silver exterior with red interior. It had 5 speed manual and was fun to drive. :)
Here to spread love for the 1st Gen, I love this car, it’s fantastic to drive and was ahead of its time
My aunt had a 89 Prelude and I thought It was so cool!
How about a video on the Mustang II or Bronco II.
just found your channel and i love it! i highly suggest a video on the toyota cressida, the lexus before lexus
A 1986 Prelude Si was the first new car I ever bought, and I drove it 501,000 miles before it finally gave up due to a flooded road and a jacked up truck passing me. I honestly believe it would it would still be going today if it hadn't sucked water into the engine. I miss it every day as it quite literally became like a friend to me out on the road. I also owned a 87 model which was Heavily modified for shockingly fast driving. The suspension with it's wishbone setup felt better and more stable than the 86 year model. I bought the car wrecked with an over heated engine ( the radiator was pretty much destroyed in the accident) and built it into an amazing car for all the wrong reasons back in the 80s. Thank you from the deepest place in my heart for creating and posting this video.
That 4th gen dashboard in the vtech trim was absolutely crazy! Most people didn’t know because it was only available in the higher trims. But those that do should remember it well.
Had a 3rd gen in the 90s . Put 17 inch niche runner rims on it. Loved that car loved it so much I recently purchased another 90 Prelude for restoration
I loved all my Preludes. '96 SR (Canadian), '97 base, and the '99 I still have.
My cousin was a year ahead of me in school - in 86 when she turned 15 my uncle got her an 84 Z28 - we had a blast in that car - in 89 just before she graduated from high school- she wanted an 88-Prelude -Red , 5 speed - once she saw it on the used lot at the local Chevrolet dealership - she had to have -
She ended up driving the Prelude for 2 years - it was slow and could not even compare with the Z-28 she previously had .....In 91 she traded the Prelude in on a 90- MUSTANG GT- she was back in something with power - she drove it all the way through college!
had an '86 SI. dropped low, it was a really fun drive when i was a teenager..
My first car was a 85 prelude 5 speed dual carb, then I bought an 01 prelude next. I sure miss them
My favorite generation of these were the 4th gen. I loved its curvy look.
I had a 1988 Nissan Sentra Two door sedan, it's probably still one of my favorite cars I have ever owned
My favorite generation of the Honda prelude was definitely the 3rd Gen. I think it was one of the 1st cars I had ever seen that used a clear rear turn signal With an Amber colored bulb.
I owned a white 91 SI. It had those same taillights. The 88-89 didn’t have the clear portion, only the 90-91 3rd gens did. Mine also had the B21 engine. An old lady hit it and it was totaled.
@@Mr.ReddyTeddy85 So sad to hear, the mid-cycle refresh of the third gen was the best looking I always thought, and liked the clear turn signal with amber lights. Great looking car.
Glad I saw this comment as the facelifted 3rd gen Prelude taillights ('90-'91) have always stood out to me as particularly appealing too. Honda used that trick on a number of cars, where they removed the amber from the taillights during a mid-generation facelift, like the '94-'01 gen Integra, '96-'00 Civic, but strangely they went the opposite direction with the '90-'93 Integra.
My first car: 1983 Toyota Tercel hatchback SR5 with manual gearbox, 4wd and 22re engine (I think). Please do a video on that!!
You see so little about the Tercel on TH-cam, esp. first generation. Would love to see something on that.
4WD?
They were just so ugly
My brother gave me his 1987 Prelude in 1999. Still one of my favorite cars I ever had.
I've always thought that the Accord coupe was the spiritual successor
My next door neighbor had a Honda Prelude. It was a 1986 and it was navy blue. She got it brand new and it had only one mile on it. She had it until 2004, when the engine finally gave out.
Oh, I remember that commercial with Dr. Ruth.
My homeboy had one back in 91. He modified it. It was a nice car.
the Prelude in Forza Horizon 4 is actually a really rare car. they're one of the most exciting ones to see in the game considering rarity
5th Gen was my favorite. Loved my 97 Prelude
The 4ws system changed wheel angle based on steering angle not speed. You could watch it happen at a standstill. Front and rear wheels turned in the same direction from 12-2is oclock then the rear wheels would reverse to the opposite direction somewhere around 3 oclock. I had the 4ws and in daily driving it wasnt really noticeable but it was cool to show off and was noticeable during very hard driving.
When I was a German exchange student in the US back in 2004, my host family owned a 1989 Prelude with a manual and in bright yellow - just like in the commercial. They gave it to me to tour around … what a blast it was!
When I lived w/a friend in 2001-2, I drove her 1988 Prelude Si. She let me use it to resume my delivery gig, to my manager's delight. Later, in June-July 2002, two steam engines ran to Chicago, one right after the other. First, I chased Union Pacific 3985 to Milwaukee & Rochelle, then when she left town, I chased her to Mason City, Iowa, where an old pal introduced me to the director of the UP Steam Program. Then I zipped up to LaCrosse, Wisc. where I intercepted Milwaukee Road 261, pursuing her to Bensenville, & chasing her to Galesburg & Rochelle. Then I chased her to St. Paul, zipping up the Mississippi in fine form.
The first time I took that car to the store, my pal said "Be careful, it has a pretty hot engine." She knew I was used to 73 & 66 Chryslers; I was famous for refusing to drive anything shorter than 20 feet or later than 73. I thought, "Oh, I get it, it has seventy-FIVE HP." I had no idea what I was getting my hands on. She almost pulled out of the parking spot at idle, til the steep Chicago crown got the best of her. When I got back, I had my pal fire up her AOL, where I found out 88 Preludes only weigh about 2500 LB & have 130 HP. About 100 HP/ton. My 73 Chryslers were 4000/210 w/the AC bypassed = 105, but the Prelude would've walked them like dogs based on the handling alone. When I found that I could zip past steam engines that went up to 60 MPH & didn't have to stop for red lights, & get every picture in every location I wanted (& a few extra ones), on two-lane state roads from the 1920's, I had a new respect for Japanese Attack Buggies.
Still love them old pointy tanks, though.
Love your channel, I just discovered it. I had a 1980 Prelude back in 1988, fun car
Loves my 4th gen in 2004 so much, I now have an identical 1996. and hopefully picking up another very soon😊
I had a 4th Gen VTEC: 1995, green with tan and black leather interior, 5 speed. One of the few cars I truly regret parting with!
So glad I found your channel.
Love my 5th gen ❤️
I need one
Many Years ago;
Bought a 1985 prelude for $4K drove it for 120K then sold it! ....
....loved it!!!!
Great research on how to pronounce sea-lee-ka. I look forward to your videos. Always well done!
Ahh (for once) my old car , 1st infact! that good ole’ H22A4😍
Had an 89 handled great and was super reliable. I charged the oil like 14 times in 8 years and still never stopped.
I like the way you mentioned both pronunciations of Celica
I always wanted and liked the 5th gen. I thought it had great lines.
I've always wanted a Prelude!! My mom wouldn't buy me one and I wish they still made it!
I actually had a 95 Prelude SR-V fully loaded. I couldn't get a safety inspection done because both Rear Quarter panels were rusted through it needed body work and I didn't want to spend 4 Grand to have the rust cut out and weld pieces of metal sheets it wasn't in the best condition, but the floor pant was in amazing condition no rust underneath. I wish I had kept it but I already had 3 other cars.
A friend had an '84 or '85 Prelude. A nice little, fun to drive little car.
My first car was a '96 Infiniti G20. Bought it when it was 20 years old but it was a killer car. Never had any major issues even after 200k miles on it. It was a beast.
My first car was an '86 Prelude and it served me well through high school. But still to this day my favorite car I've owned was my '88 Prelude Si. Not much power but plenty considering the weight. And it handled like a dream. Very reliable and it felt like driving a GoKart.
I had an 87 Prelude Si. Was a fun car to drive
A neighbor and former grade school classmate had a second gen Prelude while we were still in high school and I thought he was the luckiest kid alive. Preludes were and remain fun to spot in the wild.
I loved the second gen Prelude, so damn nice with the pop-up headlights and the Si trim. And someone not too far from me had a 1981 Prelude Solaire convertible at an import repair shop being fixed. Haven't seen it since. Second and third gens got me in.
I had a 92 and 94 and a 97 the 94 si model was one of my favorite cars I ever owned I miss them all
The 4th Gen VTEC is by far the best 90s Honda after the NSX
Just not too many people have driven them so they don’t know. It was a better car than the 5th Gen and that front end is the shizzle
Always loved the pulsar nx. I had an 88 isuzu impulse. Wouldn't mind seeing a video on that.
I have an 89 Si! I was going to suggest this car, but figured it wasn't obscure enough for a video. Thank you!
The cadavalier wasn't obscure either. It was nice to see the cimarron mentioned in that video though. I had an 88, red with leather interior
A video on a Maxima/I30 would be great!
The 5th Gen did have 4WS as an option but only in certain European markets, it’s very rare as most people did not get the option and it was electronic and was prone to failure and parts are impossible to find.
I have a 97 SH and the ATTS still works, it’s so fun to drive!
My wife and I are down from 3 Preludes to 1. But we still have 1 left and it is quite the project.
My fav Prelude was and still the first gen. Really got my childhood imagination went wild... Even though earlier Celica was also my dream car back then
We had an 85 and though it wasn't fast by any means that car could sure hang a turn. You didn't mention the seats.. the most amazing seats that ended up in just about any modified car in that era
Nothing would stick to the road like it! I had some Yokohama tires & could _slam_ the wheel into a turn & not even get a squeal from the tires.
Once a friend happened to be in the back seat, I whipped into a turn & I saw her FLUNG to the opposite side in my rear view mirror. Not intentionally, but it was hilarious & I can still see it in my head. 😅
Those first-gen Preludes were really beautiful cars. Wish I had one as a first car! :)
Always had a soft spot for the 5th gen Prelude. If only they would have made it RWD ...
Or at least 4wd... Yes this is my major problem with them too :(
Long Live The Honda Prelude.
#PreludeNation2K21
Pretty wild that Honda had the Prelude, Integra, NSX, Accord Coupe and Civic Coupe in production at the same time. 5 coupes!
Make that 7: In some markets the Acura Legend was the Honda Legend, and it had a coupe. Also, the Del Sol was technically a Targa, but it was essentially a coupe with a removable fixed panel roof. All 7 of these were in production at the same time.
I had a Japanese import 4th gen SI VTEC! Unfortunately by the time I got it a few years ago it was a lil worn out Altho mechanically strong (apart from the 50 oil leaks)
It got me from Melbourne to Brisbane Australia and back with almost 300 thousand km on the clock without any hiccups! Hit a couple kangaroos on the way, got the windscreen replaced on arrival to Brisbane. Couple weeks later the neighbour hit it and wrote it off, got paid out more than I paid for the car, fixed it with multi coloured panels, drove it around for a bit till I bought my 1994 EG Honda Civic hatch which I daily today, then off to pick a part the prelude went. It lived a good life I’d say!
I loved my 1995 Prelude Si.
The 3rd gen was my favorite design. Also, Toyota also had 4 wheel steering. The Celica was offered with it in Japan.
Had a 1982 and a 1988 SI 4WS. I miss them both❤️
I loved the 90s Preludes, but never had one. The car world gives so many amazing artistic choices
I had the 1987 prelude si which I purchased brand new, very cool car.
My first car was an 86' Prelude with a 5 speed, fun car but very slow. My second car was a 92' Prelude SI with 4 wheel steering, (also a 5 speed). The 4 wheel steering was awesome when it worked. Sometimes the 4WS system would not activate, leaving the rear wheels slightly turned which made the back of the kind of get out of control over uneven road or on the interstate. Was pretty scary sometimes at high speeds. In conclusion, I loved my 4th Gen Prelude dispute the 4WS issues. Also it had about 215,000 miles when I sold it and still ran really well! Would have kept it, but had to get a more safe and larger vehicle for I was about to have a son and was very Impractical for a baby.
Great Videos!! I enjoy that they are shorter and well informed, thanks for making these videos!
This is the only time I think, that I have ever commented on a TH-cam video
Ur vids are amazing thank you for these 🙏🙏
I turned 16 when the 4g came out and that became my dream car, and got one in my mid 20s. Most fun car I’ve ever owned. This would be the only car I’d ever repeat owning.
I had an 85 Prelude with a 5 speed manual. The thing was fun to drive and the only thing I had to do had to have done is replace the Power Steering pump after Jiffy Lube added the wrong kind or power steering fluid.
Excellent video as always! Please do the Chevrolet Lumina next! I love it when you do vidoes on American cars
1st Gen Prelude. 0 to 60 in 10.8 secs. Critics impressed. God what a dark time those years were. Gen 5 owner in early 2000's. Not a nostalgic person at all....but that car was special.
ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE WE HAD A 87 second GEN VERY FUN CAR but I want a 5th gen. We also in later years owned a CRX and civic my FAVORITE was hands down the crx then prelude then civic but all 3 were very DEPENDABLE and great running cars
I've always loved the look of the earlier Preludes. From the side, they had that GT-R look.
Do a video on the Mazda MX-6. I had a '91. It was a cool little go kart. 😁
Idk if you knew but the 88 Mazda 626 that had the same turbo motor had 4ws
Keep making great videos!
the 2nd gen prelude also got double wishbone front suspension which was the first for Honda post 90s. Also, the Japanese si had a twin cam 2 liter with 160hp. Europe got a variant of this engine but it only made 140hp. us non si was notably raced in imsa RS I believe, and there was even a team running a japanese Si in group a for a couple years.
I miss my 1982 Honda Prelude.
1984 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency. That was the last year of the RWD Oldsmobile D platform which was replaced for 1985 with a FWD unit body car on the H platform. The Delta 88 B body lasted one more year when it was replaced by the FWD C platform in 1986.