@@MichaelD8393the only thing that hurt this car, is the fact it resembled the Accord. the earlier Preludes sold pretty well, but when you get to this gen, Honda also offered a 2 door coupe on the Accord. And considering the Prelude cost more, most people opt for the Accord coupe instead. the Prelude was a better handling car, but i think if they had put a little more power into it. like 220 hp, 180 lb-ft, it would've sold better. but the Accord from 97-02 made the same 190 hp, 163 lb-ft from a straight 6, 3 liter. their both good cars, but Honda kinda goofed on that. because it was after this they got rid of it, personally they should've kept the Prelude and kept the Accord as a sedan. it reminds me of the S2000, another good car that came out of nowhere from Honda, but it's pricey tag limited sales for the car. although to be fair, they only made like 5000, i can't remember but it wasn't alot.
Both as tested by Motorweek, the Toyota 86 goes 0-60 in 7.7 seconds, while this 1997 Prelude does it in 6.5 seconds. This Prelude has 10 less hp and weighs 300 lbs more!
Many wouldn't've said it at the time, but in hindsight, the late 90s was a golden age in automotive design. Lots of good-looking, timeless designs that were fresh in their time but still look good 20 years later. This was an age that generally shunned huge wings, giant fender flares, and ostentatious scoops. The narrow-body 996 Carrera came out here; the MkIV Golf came out around this time; this Prelude still looks good today. The S2000 came out not long after. The Isuzu Vehicross may have been ridiculous, but aged SO well! On and on and on...
I agree with you about the 996 which is a truly gorgeous design. Also, the S2K, 97 Prelude, C5 Corvette, and VehiCROSS, but the 90s was far from the golden age of automobiles, at least for me.
As an owner of 2 Honda Preludes, I give this a huge thumb's up!!!! With Honda bringing the CTR to America and Toyota talking about a possible Celica, I think it's time for Honda to drop a Prelude on us again!!!! Thank you MW for this great throwback upload:)
I just bought a prestine 1998 pearl white type SH bone stock with 127k miles...and i must say after wanting one for 23 years the car totally exceeded my expectations! Road noise is low, it feels very solid when hitting a bump on the freeway...even though the engines at 4000rpm going 80mph its smooth and quiet...the engine tone is more like a V6 type sound...when vtec hits at 5200rpm you hear and feel it which is so fun and satisfying, even though it's not particularly a fast car...fast enough to be fun! I'm dropping 6K in service on her right now getting all the stuff that's typically neglected by previous owners done...took me an entire year to find one worthy here in orange county California...cheers!
Cool, I have a 2001 lude, 5 speed, leather, nighthawk black. I just bought brand new headlights, new genuine floor mat set and other goodies that are becoming rarer by the day. I have 170 thousand kms on er but it still looks new. Greetings from British Columbia
No, it shouldn't have had a V6. They weren't going to throw a detuned NSX engine in it and the J-series was in its infancy (it'd be 5 years before a really good J motor appeared in the first TL-S), and either one would have hindered the handling.
@@4ampaul the LSD helps, I'm sure. The J32A2 didn't come out until late 2001, around the time Prelude production ended. Even the regular J32 didn't come out until the Prelude was in production for a couple years. The only V6s Honda had at the time were the J30, which made about the same figures as the H22, and the various C-series, the only one of which was good was the NSX engine.
@@ericdolby1622 my other car aside from the Prelude is a J37 TL AWD. The J is a great motor but it didn't really start to be that way until after the Prelude was out of production
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the RL used the 1st J series 3.5 in late 95? I have a J32 in my 05 TL 6 speed with nearly 200k on it, and I love it. Burns zero oil, leaks zero oil, still has all the power that car will ever need and gets fantastic mileage.
That H22 power. 195hp from a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder was incredible at the time considering that many 6 cylinders weren't even making that. In fact The 97 Maxima with all it's performance only made 190hp with it's v6
I got mine with 212k miles, auto trans SOMEHOW still works (idk how) and ofc it's got the curse of accident history but is basically rebuilt professionally from what I can only assume was the dealer. It runs really good now that I took it off the ricer's hands and fixed it all up with proper maintenance and proper rims/tires with a good cleaning. Interior wise I got lucky bc it was clean asf besides some small scratches in the back and a barely noticeable tear where the seat meets the frame on the passenger side. New bushings and front end work all around and is fun as hell to drive. 2.5k for it, probably the lowest price I could get for one that runs and doesn't look trashed.
Why does Honda and Toyota not make cars like this anymore? Man when I was in high school this was the shiznit! If you had a car like this....you were dropping panties by the dozen!
You have to think about the buyer segment for something like this. Sure you can cruise around low to the ground in relative comfort and amusement, but the standard American is thinking: How much shit/people can I stuff in this thing, how easy and boaty is the handling, and how much taller seated am I than the other drivers on the road? Hence the truck/SUV craze, if people want only 1 vehicle (which the economy more or less demands) they’ll tend to lean to the biggest thing they can afford. Me on the other hand compromised and got a Nissan Fairlady Z33 (Canadian-legal import) and a cheap beater Ford Ranger for the winter/shitty driving days
Phenomenon car. I owned a 1997 base 5sp for 13 years until I traded in for a family SUV. The engine was way better than some of those Honda produced these days, especially the unreliable 1.5T they have right now.
@@fernandorocha8459that's the engine that was out of the 98 Acura Integra Type R, Honda decided to use that in the Prelude. it's also the new engine that would eventually be used in the 97-02 Accord V6, still Japan really knows how to get the most out of a 4 cylinder. And people today often wonder where the term 4 banger came from, well they got it because of these Japanese companies came along with these 4 cylinder cars way back in the 80's. on paper it wasn't alot of power, but the cars were very light, so they would often feel peppy around town.
This last Prelude in my humble opinion was the nicest looking Honda of that era. There will probably never be another Prelude again, as the 2 door coupe market is dead, but at least Honda went out at the top of their game with this generation.
Middle aged guy here, who has been daily driving this Lude since 2002. I have a black 97 SH that I drove hard and didn't really maintain things - yet it's still running fine on almost all factory original parts (except consumables), with no major repairs, and just a lot of smiles in the corners. It's lived outside the whole time, so the clear coat is pretty shot, she does burn some oil, and she could use new shocks, bushing/mounts, but I can't complain given her age. It's insane seeing all the comments about folks always wanting this car or regretting ever selling it....
I sold my 98 prelude back in 2013 and I regret it almost every day and I've had some nice cars since then. The mixture of everything the prelude had from vtec, comfort, styling, visibility just can't be beat.
This Prelude, the last Prelude was years ahead of its time. In 1997 I was going to.buy one but I opted for the 1997 Honda Accord V6 Coupe. It was around the same price, similar performance and a whole lot more room ( at the time I was married ). At the time this car could and did out perform many V6, and even V8 cars. Today this car is better than most of the 4 cylinder cars available and can still out perform many 4 cylinder cars. The technology was ahead of the time, an early version of torque differential. The reason why they stopped making the Prelude was because the Integra and the forementioned Honda Accord V6, combined with the price killed the Prelude. What a shame. I am a loyal Honda buyer, I have driven and owned nothing but Honda's. I would love to find an old one I could buy, a fixer upper
Back in 95’ just out of college, I was cross shopping the Prelude Sh, Integra Gsr, Mustang Gt and Camaro z28. There was also the 2 door Accord EX but it had a weaker 4 cylinder engine. The Prelude Sh was Honda premier sporty coupe with the 190 hp engine. I really wanted a 300zx turbo but those were about $45k brand new with a modest $3000 mark up. Could not afford the Nissan. The domestic cars impressed by thier V8 power at an attainable price but they had horrible build quality reputation. I swore off domestics from personal experience. I liked the Integra GsR coupe $18.5k OTD brand new. Prelude SH was stickered at $25k. I love the hatchback versatility with a massive cargo area, 4 cylinder vtec and not just the amazing interior space and design but It’s exterior design as well. I’m probably in the minority but Integra front is timeless. Truly great cars. I still have that Dc2.
I got the 1997 Prelude base 5sp for 21K before tax and title when it first came out. The car wasn't even in the lot, probably still in Japan, and they used the 1996 price to negotiate. I had to wait for 2 months to get it. 🤣
Check out Anytime Auto Group in Sherman Oaks CA, I almost bought a white 98 Prelude from them in absolutely immaculate condition. They seem to get quite a few of them in, and always in nice shape.
Wow, I'd love to have Honda produce a sport coupe again. Too bad the Civic is the last Honda coupe being made now. That foreshadowing at the end of the video was so spot on though...
Really brings back fond memories. The 97' Prelude SH in black was my first new brand new car after I had graduated from college in 1996. I had traded in my high mileage and problem ridden Saturn SL2 for it. The ~$25k was a sizable sum of money back then for a car but I remember the joys it gave me on the weekend drives through the windy roads up in Washington's Olympic Peninsula as well as making the mundane daily commutes to work and back a bit more memorable. It was never a garage queen either. I had it till 2008 when I ended up selling it to a coworker with about 160,000 problem free miles on it. I then moved onto a Honda S2000. That was another gem and another set of memories as well.....
I like the Honda Prelude. Crazy that old 1990’s 4 cylinder Honda Preludes, Acura Integras, and V6 Honda Accord Coupes all put out 190-210hp. Still faster than the Toyota GT86.
I have a 97 base model manual 5 speed in black but I love that electron blue pearl....I believe it was only an option from the factory for the preludes last year of production which was 2001.
Recently bough a clean carfax 2 owner black 97 lude base 5 speed and love it. Just over 100k miles. 5100 cash. Best car for the $$ I've ever bought, and ive had twin turbo subaru's, challenger, nissans, lexus IS300, integra, etc etc. Its just fun to drive, clean and love the good mpg and cheap insurance.
GhaV is right. The two commenters before me are apparently not aware that RWD is always superior to FWD when it comes to sports car handling. For some reason in the 90's all these sport coupe manufacturers were obsessed with everything being FWD. Sad.
@@thebrokenglasskids5196 possibly but I think it's a very small advantage in recent years. Plus we all daily drive our vehicles on city streets. Stop and go traffic. And when I do get a chance to crack the throttle. FWD is just as fun. Sometimes more fun because of torque steer. Plus FWD adds the benefit of less loss of power through the drivetrain. And in a drag race setting I have more weight over the drive wheels. My v6 accord has put many mustang owners to shame. And it only has 287 hp
Back in the college years I knew a Japanese schoolmate who owned the SH for some time but eventually crashed it. He was OK, but the Prelude was totalled. That was between 1999-2000 if I remembered correctly. He eventually furthered his studies, got his Masters, and at some point served as lecturer (or higher? Couldn't recall) in another college. Good for him......
Have a 97' and runs like new. It's been well taken care of and original paint. Same color as in the video. Take care of them and they will take care of you * 👊👊☮️
I have never been and still am not a fan of Honda. But this was the only Honda I ever wanted. I was a freshman in High school back in '97. One of our assistant coaches drove a blue one and a math teacher she drove a off white one both was sharp looking cars
0:51 LED stop lamp in 1997. Wow. Torque vectoring and increasing revolutions to individual wheels. Sounds like the beginning of VTM4 and the legendary SH-AWD.
The quality of the interior is still better than many cars of today. Give me one with the automatic transmission and that beautiful 😍 electric blue Honda is famous for and I am 👍 good to go.
Love the prelude if I can find one today for a decent price and get a condition I would totally go for it. Problem is there’s none in good condition that I could find. Another problem was that the prelude type SH costed as much as a brand new type r Integra back in 2001
Looking at this car now, I actually really like the design. It's a bit of a throwback to the 80s Prelude that was so popular. In the late 90s though, when I was a teenager, I thought these were so damn ugly compared to the previous generation. I always thought, and still think, the 92-96 was a really sexy car.
Same. I owned a 96 and everyone I knew thought the 97 looked horrible. I still feel the gen 4 94-96 with VTEC engine is the best Prelude, but if a 2001 Type SH came up for sale at a good price I would snatch it.
Also this car almost feels like a red car. There is 0 torque steer, you can smash it in first gear and let go of the steering wheel and it will still track straight. It has a very sharp turn in and the atts will eliminate understeer and rotate the car for you. Driving impressions I’d say it feels much like a s14 Nissan 240sx, but with a much stronger top end. I am restoring my car to like new conditions, but only with very high mileage lol. I am going to get another s14 next so I can make side by side comparisons.
The design of this car aged very well
Better than a fine wine! That 5th gen Prelude does not look late 90s or early 2000s at all!
No I hate it( saying this so the prices will go down 😂)
Could have easily passed for a 04 on the outside
@@MichaelD8393the only thing that hurt this car, is the fact it resembled the Accord. the earlier Preludes sold pretty well, but when you get to this gen, Honda also offered a 2 door coupe on the Accord.
And considering the Prelude cost more, most people opt for the Accord coupe instead. the Prelude was a better handling car, but i think if they had put a little more power into it. like 220 hp, 180 lb-ft, it would've sold better.
but the Accord from 97-02 made the same 190 hp, 163 lb-ft from a straight 6, 3 liter. their both good cars, but Honda kinda goofed on that.
because it was after this they got rid of it, personally they should've kept the Prelude and kept the Accord as a sedan.
it reminds me of the S2000, another good car that came out of nowhere from Honda, but it's pricey tag limited sales for the car. although to be fair, they only made like 5000, i can't remember but it wasn't alot.
The 4th gen was the best looking
One of the last true Japanese coupes of the golden era of the 90’s...
Nima Mojtahedzadeh hoooray for the Toyota 86 ;)
All thanks to Aytron Senna
Cars1999 drunk? He helped engineers of the NSX with chassis feedback, not this one
Both as tested by Motorweek, the Toyota 86 goes 0-60 in 7.7 seconds, while this 1997 Prelude does it in 6.5 seconds. This Prelude has 10 less hp and weighs 300 lbs more!
@@cadsux This car has a 4.30 final drive and steep gear ratios. Don't know what the Toyota has, but I doubt the're that extreme.
Thank you for the upload,. Still have the ‘98 I drove off the showroom floor, 21 years ago this month.
Make a video on it!
Had the 98 SH.. Fun car..I miss it.
I still have my 01 that I bought in 06:)
Off the floor like it was thé last one left lol
Ryan Morgan sigh should of kept mine. Sold it after 3 yrs.
That SIGNATURE Honda start up @1:53 !!!!!
B HM 2:36 and the classic Honda start up chime, memories.
Sounds exactly lkke my mk4 used to.... 🤔
It's a JDM thing
That sound never gets old 😁
The waiting list for preludes when they where new...and very pricey!
Such a gorgeous design. Timeless.
It's aged better than a fine wine!
I miss the Prelude and 1980s-1990s Honda's. They're awesome cars. 😢☺😍
I wish Honda would Take a Chance and Revive these Analog 1990s (ultra reliable) productions.
@@monkeywkeys3916 agreed
They are the Best!
Many wouldn't've said it at the time, but in hindsight, the late 90s was a golden age in automotive design. Lots of good-looking, timeless designs that were fresh in their time but still look good 20 years later. This was an age that generally shunned huge wings, giant fender flares, and ostentatious scoops. The narrow-body 996 Carrera came out here; the MkIV Golf came out around this time; this Prelude still looks good today. The S2000 came out not long after. The Isuzu Vehicross may have been ridiculous, but aged SO well! On and on and on...
@@fkhan577 What color is the sky on your planet, Sir?
I agree with you about the 996 which is a truly gorgeous design. Also, the S2K, 97 Prelude, C5 Corvette, and VehiCROSS, but the 90s was far from the golden age of automobiles, at least for me.
Supra mark 4 , 1st gen nsx and gtrs
I almost lost your argument at VehiCross but still agree. 😅
When the cavalier looks better than 99% of what garbage is on the road nowadays, yeah, you realize that the 90s was the peak design age
theres something about this car that seems almost athstetically perfect to me. always been one of my favorite Hondas
Idk what was better about 90s Honda’s, the cars or the names. This is one of the best Honda’s ever.
As an owner of 2 Honda Preludes, I give this a huge thumb's up!!!! With Honda bringing the CTR to America and Toyota talking about a possible Celica, I think it's time for Honda to drop a Prelude on us again!!!! Thank you MW for this great throwback upload:)
It needs to be RWD, and with the same squareish body lines
There is, new prelude comin in 2020 look it up
coupes are dead, nobody buying them. even sedans facing difficult times.
@@oldtwinsna8347Save the 2 doors
I've owned my BB6 Prelude for over 13 years, and now I use it as my race car. Love it!
Still have it?
One of my favorites of all time, that design is timeless in my eyes
My favorite prelude. Still looks good today
I loved this car. I had a 2001 Si 5-speed. I drove it from Michigan to Georgia en route to Los Angeles and had zero problems.
Still faster than the BRZ/ gt86
Crazy, eh?
So is the 90-99 turbo DSMs
This car is significantly upmarket of the 86. It damn well better be faster.
Everything is faster then the 86/brz
That engine is a joke
The car isn’t meant to be fast, it’s meant to be fun, i drove one and I can say that they are very fun
I just bought a prestine 1998 pearl white type SH bone stock with 127k miles...and i must say after wanting one for 23 years the car totally exceeded my expectations! Road noise is low, it feels very solid when hitting a bump on the freeway...even though the engines at 4000rpm going 80mph its smooth and quiet...the engine tone is more like a V6 type sound...when vtec hits at 5200rpm you hear and feel it which is so fun and satisfying, even though it's not particularly a fast car...fast enough to be fun! I'm dropping 6K in service on her right now getting all the stuff that's typically neglected by previous owners done...took me an entire year to find one worthy here in orange county California...cheers!
Cool, I have a 2001 lude, 5 speed, leather, nighthawk black. I just bought brand new headlights, new genuine floor mat set and other goodies that are becoming rarer by the day. I have 170 thousand kms on er but it still looks new. Greetings from British Columbia
wanted one of these so bad when I was in hs, still love it!
Yup we did.
. I got one 10 years ago. All stock from original owner. .SH. I drive it like an old lady. Live it
@@cesartrex1870had one too. still miss it dearly
@@sweetwater2128
I sold mine to a 22 year old young man. He was so happy I sold it to him. I know he's going to modify everything.
I miss this car.
Was destroyed 10 years back when I lent it to friend.
Remember driving it for the first time, was in love IMMEDIATELY!!
My favorite FF coupe of all time. Still looks great as the style aged like a fine wine
I'm a simple man, I see a 90s honda video I hit like.
No, it shouldn't have had a V6. They weren't going to throw a detuned NSX engine in it and the J-series was in its infancy (it'd be 5 years before a really good J motor appeared in the first TL-S), and either one would have hindered the handling.
My J32A2 CL-S manual swap weighs about the same as the H22 SH setup it replaced. I've not noticed any negative effect in handling
@@4ampaul the LSD helps, I'm sure. The J32A2 didn't come out until late 2001, around the time Prelude production ended. Even the regular J32 didn't come out until the Prelude was in production for a couple years. The only V6s Honda had at the time were the J30, which made about the same figures as the H22, and the various C-series, the only one of which was good was the NSX engine.
I'm driving a J35 Accord coupe right now. Love that motor but understand your point.
@@ericdolby1622 my other car aside from the Prelude is a J37 TL AWD. The J is a great motor but it didn't really start to be that way until after the Prelude was out of production
Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the RL used the 1st J series 3.5 in late 95? I have a J32 in my 05 TL 6 speed with nearly 200k on it, and I love it. Burns zero oil, leaks zero oil, still has all the power that car will ever need and gets fantastic mileage.
I miss this style and design (simple, effective, efficient, works, etc...)
That H22 power. 195hp from a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder was incredible at the time considering that many 6 cylinders weren't even making that. In fact The 97 Maxima with all it's performance only made 190hp with it's v6
Amazing also considering the red top JDM type S H22A put out 220 HP
I got mine with 212k miles, auto trans SOMEHOW still works (idk how) and ofc it's got the curse of accident history but is basically rebuilt professionally from what I can only assume was the dealer. It runs really good now that I took it off the ricer's hands and fixed it all up with proper maintenance and proper rims/tires with a good cleaning. Interior wise I got lucky bc it was clean asf besides some small scratches in the back and a barely noticeable tear where the seat meets the frame on the passenger side. New bushings and front end work all around and is fun as hell to drive.
2.5k for it, probably the lowest price I could get for one that runs and doesn't look trashed.
Why does Honda and Toyota not make cars like this anymore? Man when I was in high school this was the shiznit! If you had a car like this....you were dropping panties by the dozen!
Because unfortunately they didn't sell for shit in the U.S.
You have to think about the buyer segment for something like this. Sure you can cruise around low to the ground in relative comfort and amusement, but the standard American is thinking: How much shit/people can I stuff in this thing, how easy and boaty is the handling, and how much taller seated am I than the other drivers on the road?
Hence the truck/SUV craze, if people want only 1 vehicle (which the economy more or less demands) they’ll tend to lean to the biggest thing they can afford.
Me on the other hand compromised and got a Nissan Fairlady Z33 (Canadian-legal import) and a cheap beater Ford Ranger for the winter/shitty driving days
Mak 6 HOW DARE YOU RACIST
Can confirm bro, had a civic in high school in the 90s. Yah, they were mirin
Phenomenon car. I owned a 1997 base 5sp for 13 years until I traded in for a family SUV. The engine was way better than some of those Honda produced these days, especially the unreliable 1.5T they have right now.
That's a ridiculous 0-60 time for 195 HP Prelude! Impressive
0-60 6.5 seconds, 2.2 inline 4, 16v DOHC 195hp 161LB-FT torque. This Honda Prelude is nice and beautiful car. Great design
@@fernandorocha8459that's the engine that was out of the 98 Acura Integra Type R, Honda decided to use that in the Prelude.
it's also the new engine that would eventually be used in the 97-02 Accord V6, still Japan really knows how to get the most out of a 4 cylinder.
And people today often wonder where the term 4 banger came from,
well they got it because of these Japanese companies came along with these 4 cylinder cars way back in the 80's. on paper it wasn't alot of power, but the cars were very light, so they would often feel peppy around town.
This last Prelude in my humble opinion was the nicest looking Honda of that era. There will probably never be another Prelude again, as the 2 door coupe market is dead, but at least Honda went out at the top of their game with this generation.
One of my favorite Hondas
Middle aged guy here, who has been daily driving this Lude since 2002. I have a black 97 SH that I drove hard and didn't really maintain things - yet it's still running fine on almost all factory original parts (except consumables), with no major repairs, and just a lot of smiles in the corners. It's lived outside the whole time, so the clear coat is pretty shot, she does burn some oil, and she could use new shocks, bushing/mounts, but I can't complain given her age. It's insane seeing all the comments about folks always wanting this car or regretting ever selling it....
I sold my 98 prelude back in 2013 and I regret it almost every day and I've had some nice cars since then. The mixture of everything the prelude had from vtec, comfort, styling, visibility just can't be beat.
@@crate2819 Yeah, it's hard to find something with such great balance.
This Prelude, the last Prelude was years ahead of its time.
In 1997 I was going to.buy one but I opted for the 1997 Honda Accord V6 Coupe. It was around the same price, similar performance and a whole lot more room ( at the time I was married ).
At the time this car could and did out perform many V6, and even V8 cars. Today this car is better than most of the 4 cylinder cars available and can still out perform many 4 cylinder cars.
The technology was ahead of the time, an early version of torque differential.
The reason why they stopped making the Prelude was because the Integra and the forementioned Honda Accord V6, combined with the price killed the Prelude.
What a shame. I am a loyal Honda buyer, I have driven and owned nothing but Honda's. I would love to find an old one I could buy, a fixer upper
One of my favorite Honda reviews.
The video is finnaly back on TH-cam
The greatest Honda
Probably the best looking Honda ever.
Um, the NSX would like to have a word with you....
There is the NSX, plus I think my RSX looks better.
1. NSX 2. S2000 3. Prelude
This and the 3rd gen Prelude Si.
Still one of my favorite cars I've ever had
Wow what a classy looking car. I didn’t know they were that much back then. I’d would drive that now
i had two of these, a base and an SH. such great cars for the money.
Back in 95’ just out of college, I was cross shopping the Prelude Sh, Integra Gsr, Mustang Gt and Camaro z28. There was also the 2 door Accord EX but it had a weaker 4 cylinder engine. The Prelude Sh was Honda premier sporty coupe with the 190 hp engine. I really wanted a 300zx turbo but those were about $45k brand new with a modest $3000 mark up. Could not afford the Nissan. The domestic cars impressed by thier V8 power at an attainable price but they had horrible build quality reputation. I swore off domestics from personal experience. I liked the Integra GsR coupe $18.5k OTD brand new. Prelude SH was stickered at $25k. I love the hatchback versatility with a massive cargo area, 4 cylinder vtec and not just the amazing interior space and design but It’s exterior design as well. I’m probably in the minority but Integra front is timeless. Truly great cars. I still have that Dc2.
I got the 1997 Prelude base 5sp for 21K before tax and title when it first came out. The car wasn't even in the lot, probably still in Japan, and they used the 1996 price to negotiate. I had to wait for 2 months to get it. 🤣
Look how clean and simple that dash layout is...*swoon*
Absolutely love the shape of these Preludes. Stunning design, I'd love to find a good one.
This car was the most fun front wheel drive car to drive!!!
The Eclipse GS-T from this same era would like to have a word with you.......the Integra GS-R as well.
@@thebrokenglasskids5196 Integra GS-R no....Type R yes
Love this car! Not many clean examples around anymore here, still popular with young people suprisingly
I'm 39 and still have mine:) haha It still turns heads at 17 years old.
Check out Anytime Auto Group in Sherman Oaks CA, I almost bought a white 98 Prelude from them in absolutely immaculate condition. They seem to get quite a few of them in, and always in nice shape.
Weird right? I get thumbs up from people all the time. Change her oil every 2k
@@Acc0rd79 Vedry beautiitufl and nice car
this had to be one of the first Japanese cars in america to have an engine immobilizer
Wow, I'd love to have Honda produce a sport coupe again. Too bad the Civic is the last Honda coupe being made now.
That foreshadowing at the end of the video was so spot on though...
Really brings back fond memories. The 97' Prelude SH in black was my first new brand new car after I had graduated from college in 1996. I had traded in my high mileage and problem ridden Saturn SL2 for it. The ~$25k was a sizable sum of money back then for a car but I remember the joys it gave me on the weekend drives through the windy roads up in Washington's Olympic Peninsula as well as making the mundane daily commutes to work and back a bit more memorable. It was never a garage queen either. I had it till 2008 when I ended up selling it to a coworker with about 160,000 problem free miles on it. I then moved onto a Honda S2000. That was another gem and another set of memories as well.....
Used to hate its headlights when it first came out. Now I own one and can't get rid of it, love its smoothness.
I miss this car I always wanted one
I remember when Honda used to make cool cars...
I like both the 4th and 5th gen Honda Prelude. Great reliable machines 👍
And if you own one in 2022 you are probably the coolest person on your street..if i had to guess.
I always wanted a Prelude SH. This was by far the best looking Prelude, and maybe Honda, ever.
I had one of these and gave it up after spending a winter with it, it was the light silver ice color, what a fun car that was!
I like the Honda Prelude. Crazy that old 1990’s 4 cylinder Honda Preludes, Acura Integras, and V6 Honda Accord Coupes all put out 190-210hp. Still faster than the Toyota GT86.
Up to 270hp 212lb torque plus on later Accord EXV6 coupes.
I love the jazz music in the background!
Yes thank you Motorweek!!!!!! How about the Honda Element next??
I have owned 3 Preludes. I had a 1980 Prelude, a 1988 Prelude Si 4WS and a 1994 Prelude VTEC. I enjoyed all 3 of them.
I think this is probably my favorite design for the Prelude. It's got a lot of callbacks to the first-gen Prelude, just larger and a little sharper...
I want a red one. Right now.
I have a red Type SH with 68k miles, leather interior.
Cristian Younan my hero.
Gotta black one in Cali thinking of selling 😬
I have a 97 base model manual 5 speed in black but I love that electron blue pearl....I believe it was only an option from the factory for the preludes last year of production which was 2001.
they can be found for sale. pretty cheap too; it will never be in high demand like the 240sx due to being front wheel drive.
Recently bough a clean carfax 2 owner black 97 lude base 5 speed and love it. Just over 100k miles. 5100 cash. Best car for the $$ I've ever bought, and ive had twin turbo subaru's, challenger, nissans, lexus IS300, integra, etc etc. Its just fun to drive, clean and love the good mpg and cheap insurance.
I think rear-wheel-drive would be more preferred than a V6.
I have one, and I'd prefer neither of those. Just needed a tiny bit more torque and a slightly stiffer suspension, and then it's perfect.
Definitely not rear drive but V6 would be sweet.
GhaV is right. The two commenters before me are apparently not aware that RWD is always superior to FWD when it comes to sports car handling.
For some reason in the 90's all these sport coupe manufacturers were obsessed with everything being FWD. Sad.
@@thebrokenglasskids5196 possibly but I think it's a very small advantage in recent years. Plus we all daily drive our vehicles on city streets. Stop and go traffic. And when I do get a chance to crack the throttle. FWD is just as fun. Sometimes more fun because of torque steer. Plus FWD adds the benefit of less loss of power through the drivetrain. And in a drag race setting I have more weight over the drive wheels. My v6 accord has put many mustang owners to shame. And it only has 287 hp
@@thebrokenglasskids5196 spoken like someone who's never driven one of these
20+ whatever years later and the car is still a boatload of fun to drive. (Current owner)
I had one of these back in 2004. Ran well, and for a long time. Fun car to drive I miss it.
Had a '99 green Prelude just like the tester here and I loved that car . Never should have sold it . What a fun freakin car.
Back in the college years I knew a Japanese schoolmate who owned the SH for some time but eventually crashed it. He was OK, but the Prelude was totalled. That was between 1999-2000 if I remembered correctly. He eventually furthered his studies, got his Masters, and at some point served as lecturer (or higher? Couldn't recall) in another college. Good for him......
The 5th Gen Prelude is at the top of my search for a new daily driver that is fun and practical.
Boy honda got the prelude, right for that year! It was beautiful hightech and quick! I always wanted one of those!
Watching this after unfortunately losing my own Lude. You’ll be missed
Back when Honda made affordable and manual fun cars
I had the chance to buy one of the final Preludes built, I bought a 2001 Honda Civic instead. I regret that decision to this day.
This was my FAVORITE Prelude.
The H22 is such a damn good engine it leaves the B18B In the dust.
FUN FACT: 1997 Prelude Type SH has the same 0-60 as today’s 2017-2024 Honda civic Si
I miss the Prelude
Forget all the security and whistles. The old hondas are fun to work with and forgiving.
6.5 secs for 1997 without a turbo!!!!....what a car, what a time...
Testing a Prelude in Twin Peaks? That’s the life.
We need a new Prelude. Vtech turbo stock with a 6-speed manual. Would be super dope!
Have a 97' and runs like new. It's been well taken care of and original paint. Same color as in the video. Take care of them and they will take care of you * 👊👊☮️
I have never been and still am not a fan of Honda. But this was the only Honda I ever wanted. I was a freshman in High school back in '97. One of our assistant coaches drove a blue one and a math teacher she drove a off white one both was sharp looking cars
Blue ones didn't exist in 97
You never even wanted an Integra or RSX?
The V6 would have added a lot of weight.. this was a very light weight car
195 hp for a 97 Honda way ahead of its time would of loved to own one of these bad boys
0:51 LED stop lamp in 1997. Wow.
Torque vectoring and increasing revolutions to individual wheels. Sounds like the beginning of VTM4 and the legendary SH-AWD.
In-spoiler brake light had always been in LED AFAIK. Not sure about the VTM4 but the ATT'S set the basis for subsequent SH-AWD development.
Amazing how 2000s these look for 97’s
This is a georgous Honda..!
Drove one for 250k miles. I miss it.
I still own this car and will never sell it.
This is the one I wanted so bad back in the day.
The quality of the interior is still better than many cars of today. Give me one with the automatic transmission and that beautiful 😍 electric blue Honda is famous for and I am 👍 good to go.
This is still a great looking car in 2020. Long hood short rear deck. I want one.
Love the prelude if I can find one today for a decent price and get a condition I would totally go for it. Problem is there’s none in good condition that I could find. Another problem was that the prelude type SH costed as much as a brand new type r Integra back in 2001
My baby! I had a '97 Sh!!!
These were great cars. Only downsides were they were a lot heavier than civics and integras and their insurance were through the roof.
They got a build in saftey cage wich makes them so heavy.
@@Triggernlfrl And it has larger dimensions.
Looking at this car now, I actually really like the design. It's a bit of a throwback to the 80s Prelude that was so popular. In the late 90s though, when I was a teenager, I thought these were so damn ugly compared to the previous generation. I always thought, and still think, the 92-96 was a really sexy car.
Same. I owned a 96 and everyone I knew thought the 97 looked horrible. I still feel the gen 4 94-96 with VTEC engine is the best Prelude, but if a 2001 Type SH came up for sale at a good price I would snatch it.
Love your throw back content, Motor Week! So sad these are a bitch to find for sale now a days 😣 Still hunting for this gem..
Always wanted to own one when I was in high school back in 06
Had a 86 si, a93 vtec and 98 base,currently have a 2006 subie sti
I would buy this exact car right now if they still sold it new. An old buddy had a red one a while back and it was sharp!
the beginning of the honda civic si or ex design. a great car and to date would out do all engineering at this time.
Best big sport coupe of the decade.
Also this car almost feels like a red car. There is 0 torque steer, you can smash it in first gear and let go of the steering wheel and it will still track straight. It has a very sharp turn in and the atts will eliminate understeer and rotate the car for you. Driving impressions I’d say it feels much like a s14 Nissan 240sx, but with a much stronger top end.
I am restoring my car to like new conditions, but only with very high mileage lol. I am going to get another s14 next so I can make side by side comparisons.