(first posted 7/21/2015) I’m probably not the first guy to wax lyrical about how wonderful the end of the ’80s and the beginning of the ’90s were to Honda. Generally speaking, back then Japanese car makers were on a roll, but in particular this era was Honda´s “high-water mark”, and that reflected in almost every new model launched: the 5th generation Civic, the 4th generation Accord, the NSX, the 2nd generation Legend, and the car I want to talk about today, the 4th generation of the Prelude, a far more sophisticated and ambitious model than its predecessor. And a car I once owned.
It sounds a bit strange now, but there was a time when young people bought small sporty coupés instead of SUVs, crossovers and that kind of thing. While European makers (and buyers) lost their faith in these coupés due to the rise of hot hatches, in America they still had a big market, so the Japanese kept making them. The 3rd generation Prelude was one of the most interesting, thanks to revvy engines, good handling and attractive but not boy racer-ish styling. Honda reliability was the icing on the cake.
Although that 3rd generation was a nice car and even featured a curious four wheel steering system, Honda felt so confident that prepared a much bolder 4th generation. To begin, the new car was wider at 1,76 metres and was available with bigger engines, at the expense of penalizing sales in the domestic market. I´m not an expert on this subject, but as you probably know in Japan there are some strict rules that classify cars in three categories according to exterior dimensions and engine displacement. Car taxation depends on these categories, and the new Prelude, because of its width and bigger engines, entered in an upper category than the old one.
On the other hand, it was a lot more powerful thanks to the new H22 engine with the variable valve timing VTEC system (presented in the JDM Integra a couple of years before) in 2.2 litre size and 200 bhp (in Japanese spec; United States and Europe specs had 190 and 185 bhp, respectively). Another high was the 4WS system, more sophisticated thanks to electronic control, in contrast with the mechanical system of the old car. The typical Honda double wishbone suspension, that allowed so good handling and a low bonnet, and the typical Prelude space-inefficient interior, that practically rendered the car as a two seater, were retained.
However, it didn’t retain the conservative styling. The 4th generation Prelude was a more striking car, probably showing the mood of the company in those years, and although it didn´t have the 2nd and 3rd generations’ pop-up headlights, that low bonnet and shark-like nose still attracted a lot of attention. Perhaps that wasn´t something that the usual Prelude European buyers appreciated (here, the Preludes were a bit expensive, so a lot of them were bought by mature, more affluent “empty nester” couples), but I´m sure that younger American and Japanese buyers were delighted.
Anyway, Honda knew they weren´t going to sell a lot of cars in Europe. The rear end always reminded me, of all things, the Jaguar XJS. Perhaps I must visit the optician. And regarding the interior, well, perhaps it´s the most controversial part of the car. Rather dark and made with unattractive plastics, that dashboard with a black strip that transformed into a instruments panel when you started the engine is a good conversation piece.
Image: CAR Magazine, March 1997
I always liked the 4th generation Prelude since it was launched in 1992. A lot of years after I played with the idea of buying one, the main difficulty being to find a 2.2 VTEC in stock, unmolested condition. That´s not something easy, because while we don´t have too many “ricers” in Spain (any kind of Japanese car culture is rare here), the poor 4th Prelude has been one of the darlings of tacky car tuners. But a couple of years ago I had the chance to buy a VTEC, more or less stock, only a change of alloys away from being as stock as it left the Saitama factory in 1994. So I jumped in and bought one in Sebring Silver, with 195,000 kilometres on the clock. I figured if the well known CAR Magazine writer LJK Setright liked the Prelude because “no other car is as nice to drive”, sure it was good enough for me (he owned a 3rd, 4th and 5th generation).
After years used to a Saab 9000 Aero and a Volvo 850 R, with their turbocharged engines and less than perfect chassis, driving a lighter, sportier car was a revelation. Not only due to a certain difficulty to get into and out of the car, but the rev-happy, naturally aspirated engine and sophisticated suspension made a completely different driving experience. Everybody talks about that VTEC moment when the rev counter needle passes the 5200 rpm mark and a rush of power arrives (nothing special if you are used to turbo engines), but for me the real surprise was the lightning throttle response. My mind thought “and now I´m going to go faster” and instantly the car went faster. It seemed the throttle went down the carpet even before my right foot pressed the pedal.
Regarding the chassis, I expected good handling but an uncomfortable ride; the reality was the Prelude had fantastic handling and really good ride. 4WS? Not as irrelevant as people say. A bit strange at first, in sharp bends it could felt like the car was over steering; but in truth, road holding was very safe. Steering was too light for my taste, though, and in the beginning of ownership, parallel parking was tricky thanks to 4WS (the car steered too much). A few weeks later, I had learnt to park the Prelude perfectly; the problem now was parking the Volvo…
It was a shame that I had to sell the Prelude, only a year after buying it. And it was my fault. When I bought it, the former owner told me the timing belt had been changed five years before. Honda advises to change the belt after 100,000 kilometres or five years, so it seemed a wise move to do a belt service that included changing the balance shafts belt. I took the car to a retired mechanic living near my house that charged rather economical rates and had done a pair of things right before in the Volvo. When he finished the service, there was a strange whining noise from the belt area, and the engine was not nearly as smooth as before.
After a few test drives and complaints, the mechanic insisted everything was alright. Then I took the Prelude to another mechanic, this time a guy that someone I met in a Honda forum recommended me because “he used to work for a Honda dealer”. The car spent four days in his workshop and it came back exactly as it got in, although my wallet was a bit lighter. After that, my only reliable option was to visit a Honda dealer, that quoted me almost 1,000 euros for the timing belt change. Enough. At the moment I had some unexpected household expenses, and I decided to sell the poor Prelude (at a loss) to my friend Javier. The car travelled 900 kilometres by tow truck to his house, and after a good inspection, he found that the balance shafts belt was badly installed and way too tight. Soon the car was running like clockwork again. At least now he is enjoying the car, and I learnt a lesson about cheap and non-specialist mechanics.
I miss my Prelude. It was very fun to drive, although terribly impractical. But from the moment I bought it I knew our relationship was going to be a short term one (just I didn’t expect so short…). No matter. Recently I’ve bought another car, almost as fun, but a lot more usable, so perhaps I won´t miss it so much…
4 wheel steering is great I prefer the passive PSA system over the Honda method being inertia activated it operates when required and doesnt when it isnt, The boy racers seem to like the rush of power Vtec produces though it doesnt produce much in the way of acceleration from my observations of hard driven Hondas.
There are masses of these Preludes here some with V tec some without both flavours must have been available on the JDM as thats where most of our Hondas come from used ex JDM imports they seem to have a range of engine sizes too making buying one a real lottery never mind finding parts when your choice inevitively breaks down.
All the JDM cars of this vintage were 2,156cc, but there were both non-VTEC F22B and H22A VTEC engines. The displacement is the same, but the bore and stroke dimensions are different. U.S. and probably Canadian cars had those (although we didn’t get the VTEC engine until a year or so after launch), but base models had the SOHC F22A, which wasn’t offered on Japanese Preludes.
As for comparative acceleration, well… the difference between the DOHC F22B and the H22A is 40 PS, but less than 18 N-m (about 13 lb-ft), and judging by Honda’s own torque curves, the H22A has little if any edge in torque below about 4,500 rpm.
People always misunderstand VTEC – the point isn’t to provide a huge push in the rear like a turbo does once it gets into boost; it’s to allow high lift and duration at high RPM while still letting the car have a smooth idle and be drivable at low RPM.
Engines with similar high lift, high duration cams but without the variability offered by VTEC and similar systems are actually much peakier, as they reach a point in the rev range where they “come up on the cam,” in other words, pulling enough revs for the hot cam to start making real power.
People just notice VTEC because, at least in the earlier years before Honda added continuously variable cam phasing, it was very much an on-off proposition, and the timbre of the engine note definitely changes at the cam switchover point. From a power perspective, however, stock Hondas have the changeover at the RPM where the power curves for the two cam profiles cross, so while the sound change is obvious, the power change should be smooth.
However, once you start modifying the cars, those power peaks change, and if you don’t do a dyno tune to find the peaks and reset the changeover, it can become more abrupt, or you can get a dead spot.
Very interesting Joe, people are always talking about the “VTEC kicking in yo” because the change in sound, and really start to believe there is a considerable increment of power beyond certain RPMs.
Anyway, although H22 torque figures aren´t great, the Prelude always felt quick thanks to short gearing (at 4000 rpm in fifth I was doing 120 km/h, about 75 mph, but it didn´t bother too much). And displacement. Some years ago I had a very brief chance to drive a 1993 Civic VTI (VTEC, 1.6 litre and 160 bhp) and that engine really needed revs.
Well, there IS a bunch more power at higher RPM. The H22A’s torque curve (and thus its power output) is very similar to the F22B’s up till around 4,500-5,000 RPM, but where the F22B peaks at 5,000 and then drops off, the H22A’s torque doesn’t peak until 5,500 and remains strong enough through 7,000 RPM to extract another 40 metric horsepower compared to the F22B. That’s not as much of a boost as modern turbo installations, but it’s certainly not a trivial chunk. It’s just that most of the H22A’s advantage is in the last third or so of the rev band, while a lot of road car turbos (even in the ’90s) were tuned to give you a stronger midrange as well.
It’s worth noting that Japan’s notorious size-based tax laws had changed before these cars were launched. Until April 1989, there was a commodity tax on new cars that went up if you went over 4.7 meters in length, 1.7 meters in width, or 2,000cc; annual car tax also went up sharply over 2 liters’ displacement. After that date, the commodity tax was rescinded and the car tax scale was revised to a more linear progression, so while having a 2.2-liter engine was more expensive than a 2-liter, it wasn’t almost double as it had been before. I think staying within the small-car limits still provides some financial advantages in terms of parking and insurance rates and such, but it was no longer such a dramatic dissuading factor — that’s why the fourth-gen Prelude and later Celica and Silvia coupes didn’t bother with 1,695mm wide 2-liter base models anymore.
Coupe sales did drop substantially in Japan in the ’90s (as they did in the States), but not because of the greater size. There were plenty of bigger “3-number” cars that sold very well; the Toyota Harrier (a.k.a. Lexus RX) was a prime example.
As regards back seat space, I’ve never tried climbing in the back of a fourth-generation Prelude, but the previous generation really wasn’t that bad as sports coupes went. Your knees would be up against the backs of the front seats unless the driver and front passenger were very short, but there was adequate headroom. I’ll take that over the opposite; I remember being crammed into the back of an A70 Supra (which is a much bigger car) and having the crown of my head pressed firmly against the glass backlight, which did not make for a comfortable trip.
That coincides with the release of the wide body Camry that the US got in 92 it arrived in NZ in 89/90 for Beta testing, it was drasticly altered for world consumption but those early 3L cars were great, fast, good handling, savage on fuel, well appointed and finished.
The coupe market was in seemingly terminal decline and the value of the yen was rendering the Japan sourced American model more expensive. This backdrop probably forced Honda’s hand in trying to send this generation of Prelude upmarket. This means the average age of the buyer goes up and with that comes a rich douchebag image as the car when new is seen driven by more college grads with good jobs and less the cool kids at school.
As the generations of Prelude go on there is less and less kinship to the light Civic and more to the ever growing Accord. Notice the author in this informative piece goes on about how fast the car was with the VTEC 2.2. Much faster than the iconic 2nd generation, but that is the Prelude people will remember. Car and Driver had it has one of the best handling cars bar none, The pop up lamps and delicate, low hoodline were simply beautiful, and every one of my generation remembers the pretty girl at their high school with one. This Prelude was such that the fifth generation Prelude was a styling homage to it, even if built using the fourth generation formula.
Now Honda is more honest and just sells them has Accord coupes. Still a solid car and I am glad they still offer a coupe. The second generation Prelude is the legend.
It should be said that even the second-gen Preludes weren’t cheap. The first U.S. second-gen Si listed for about $13,000 in 1986, which is equivalent to more than $28,000 in 2015 dollars.
That said, I think the price escalation of subsequent generations in the U.S. and other export markets was almost entirely due to the strength of the yen rather than any specific attempt to move upmarket. Honda held JDM prices surprising steady; for comparison, early fourth-gen Prelude Si was only ¥3,000 more than the late third-gen equivalent and an early fifth-gen Si was actually cheaper than that despite having more equipment.
Exchange rates can be a real pain…
I do think the value of the yen forced the issue. Remember also the Integra came out in 1986 in USA. It was more obviously a faster and fancier Civic, a perhaps more logical outlet for the VTEC system. These were sold in Europe as the Honda Concerto and built in Britain. To have this in the same showroom would also tend to push later Preludes like this 94 toward an ever larger Accord.
No, the Concerto was not the Integra and the existence of the Integra was not related to the value of the yen.
Starting in 1978–79, Honda tried to follow Toyota’s lead by setting up additional home-market sales channels, creating the Honda Verno and later Honda Clio networks. Verno sold the Prelude and later the Ballade (a slightly restyled Civic sedan) and Vigor (initially a restyled Accord). In 1980, Honda added a bigger, Civic-based five-door called Quint; this was sold through Vigor stores, but it was also useful for European export markets (where people mistakenly thought it was a five-door Accord). In 1986, the Quint became the Quint Integra, sold in Europe as the Honda Integra and here as an Acura, although it was a direct successor to the previous Quint.
In the late ’70s, Honda got into business with BL/Austin Rover, which produced local versions of the Ballade as the Triumph Acclaim and Rover 200. For the second-generation 200, Austin Rover wanted something a little bigger (the second-generation Ballade was really just a 1983–87 Civic four-door with slightly different front and rear styling), so Honda created something more like the original Quint and also sold it in Japan as the Concerto.
The Concerto had some kinship with the Civic and Integra, but Honda tried to position it more as a junior luxury car. It was a little bigger than an Integra, was sold through Clio dealers along with the Legend, and was offered as a four-door sedan or five-door hatch, where the contemporary Integra, sold through Verno stores, was a three-door hatch or a four-door pillared ‘hardtop.’ (There was also a 4WD version, which wasn’t true of the Integra.) The Concerto’s replacement, the Domani, went back to essentially being a slightly different-looking Civic sedan for Clio dealers.
Interesting, in 78 Honda was still selling 1st gen Civics and 3dr Accords only in USA, and yet what was to become the lower end of the Acura line 8 years later was already coming together.
That´s true. In 1994 a Prelude VTEC cost almost $25,000. Inflation adjusted that would be good money in 2015. The “yen shock”…
“As the generations of Prelude go on there is less and less kinship to the light Civic and more to the ever growing Accord”
This is not the case whatsoever; the first generation Prelude had the most in common with the concurrent Accord of the times (sharing the engine and suspension setup, but on a unique platform), and subsequent generations kept moving further and further away as a unique vehicle. There was never a time the Prelude shared any major components or similarities to the Civic.
I believe the formula on the first 2 generations was to use the Civic platform with the Accord drivetrain. Note the first generation Prelude shares it’s wheelbase with the 80-83 Civic four door, to achieve the long hood short deck look. Also see that the 2nd gen Prelude shared it’s wheelbase with the first gen 3dr Integra, Civic based, and the 84-87 gen Civic four door.
I believe you are correct, my apologies. Looking at chassis codes, both the first and second generations share similar nomenclature to the following Civics (and Integra). Interesting to note that their subcompacts evolved from the sporting coupe in the lineup indeed.
Yep, the 2nd gen Prelude was so stylish in 1983, that for the upcoming 3rd gen Accord, Honda incorporated the pop-up lights onto the front nose.
Which was spot on to the 2nd gen Prelude’s nose, and so similar… I had to do a double-take, as a kid in the 80’s, when I saw a pop-up light Honda come down the street…
To see if it was a 2nd gen Prelude or new 3rd gen Accord.
I love those 1986-89 Accords, had 3 and raced 2 of them. Wouldn’t mind finding another.
Was it mere coincidence that the 1994 Prelude had similar nose styling to the concurrent Eagle Vision?
I’m pretty sure the Prelude’s nose was part of the design the was in progress before the Vision was released, but regardless I don’t think Honda designers in Japan had the Eagle Vision on their minds when designing the Prelude – nobody really had the Vision on their minds. Oldsmobile was using a similar nose on the Eighty-Eight as well.
The 1994 Prelude’s design first appeared in the fall of 1991 as a 1992 model, so it was on sale well before the Talon saw the light of day.
These things, as in the opening picture, look cool. Even in the super trashed condition the few rolling around are.
The local school principal has a mint 3rd gen one with working 4WS. I had to stop to watch it working while she parked one morning… we nearly missed the bell 😮
How great to see an image of LJK Setright! I loved his CAR articles, and would often spend a ridiculous amount for CAR Magazine just to read his monthly column. I didn’t always agree with his (many) opinions, but his writing style and mastery of both language and engineering were unmatched.
Regarding the Prelude, though the styling was not for everyone, I give the 4th generation Prelude high marks for distinctiveness, particularly in the back end. But the real beauty was driving one of these cars. I had the opportunity to drive two of these Preludes, and the experience really sold me on Hondas at the time. I don’t think I’ve ever driven a car with as seamless a engine/transmission combination.
That generation of auto writers could be superb. They could be quite pretentious and opinionated, but compared to today, they were a great read. The Eddie Altermans, Car & Drivers current editor, and Jack Baruths just are not in the same league.
I wonder if it’s todays education system or just how tenuous the institutions they now occupy are. Maybe it’s just them calling themselves editors instead of writers. Look at the masthead of any car magazine, the employees go from many editors to many assumably unpaid interns. No writers, and built to fail.
What killed the magazine writer? Websites like this. I’ll always have a soft spot for writers like Karl Ludvigsen but in all honesty, I get a better read out of the authors and commenters here. Not quite the same as the days of yore, but still plenty good.
I agree with you on that, Don.
I love the writers and articles in the Automotive test publications. One of my favorites was Road & Track’s “Ampersand” , written a lot by writer Peter Egan. Also, enjoyed the articles by Brock Yates in Car and Driver.
Without those magazines and reviews, most of us wouldn’t be the car guys we are today.
Peter Egan was the main reason I subscribed to Road & Track for as long as I did. Great storyteller with a fabulous sense of humor plus deep-rooted car knowledge.
Agreed.
Pretty simple. The car mags “topgeared” from nearly pop-sciency kink to pure entertainment. Technicalities became unwelcome. Everything became pure sh*ts and giggles. In the days of yore the likes of James May and Colin Goodwin were nicely balanced by Phil Llewelin, LJKS or Frazer Sr.
Now the degenerate Clarkson is touted as gold standard.
That reason alone was why I stopped my CAR subscription around Y2003.
I started to read CAR Magazine in 1991, I was 15, and I spent a small fortune (for a 15 year old boy) on CAR issues. In 2007 or 2008 I left buying it. I keep almost every magazine.
In the 90´s CAR writers were great: Russell Bulgin, Colin Goodwin, Richard Bremner, James May, Hilton Holloway, Gavin Green…but LJK Setright articles were always enjoyable and interesting, and his style made I always had to keep the English-Spanish dictionary within reach. Often he included latin expressions, of course he didn´t translate them. That was your job.
And about the engine/trans combination, I´ve owned only another car as good as the Prelude: my old 1997 Nissan Primera GT P11. The Japanese were unsurpassed in that aspect.
Those names bring back great memories — my experience with buying CAR is nearly identical to yours, and at around the same time. The magazine was expensive here in the US, and only available in a few bookstores, but it was well worth it. I could spend hours reading a single issue. Nowadays, I can leaf through a car magazine in minutes, and not feel like I missed much.
At some point, I bought Setright’s book, “Drive On! A Social History of the Motor Car,” which is good reading for those who like very detailed, erudite and opinionated doses of automotive history.
Exactly the same, CAR Magazine was expensive (around 800 pesetas/ $6 back in 1995), and difficult to find (I ordered it in my nearby newsstand), but every month I was looking forward to buy it. Nowadays, every now and then I still pick an issue and re-read it.
I haven´t bought a current car magazine for years.
That book of Setright’s is fantastic! I found it in the local chemist (drug store), of all places.
I discovered CAR when I worked in a bookstore that carried it in 1999-2000. Definitely expensive in this country (something like $8 per issue) but I really enjoyed reading it. A universe of cars unavailable in this country and a very different writing style than I was used to. I didn’t keep it up, though, due to expense and logistics, but it sounds like I was at the end of the “good days” anyway.
The same James May from Top Gear, I presume? 🙂
May in his Autocar and CAR years was a very different beast, I say.
This is one Honda that I never spent time in. I always kind of liked them, though.
4 wheel steering was quite a thing around that time, I recall several cars offering it. However, it seemed to disappear awhile later. Is anyone offering it now?
I think you got to experience why Hondas were so popular in the US. They were well built, fun to drive and comfortable. Resale value was astronomical. The timing belt service would have been a breeze over here because there were so many Hondas on the road. But you are right, when a car is a bit of an oddball, the right mechanic can be pretty important.
The recently introduced Renault Talisman (a D-segment sedan) will be available with 4 wheel steering.
I hope they copied the old Cadillac Talisman upholstery. Far out velours in the 70s was more Citroen’s game.
The glass at the base of that building in the picture looks to be holding up a lot of wood.
Don’t know. Did the Caddy look like this on the inside ?
Not a thing like it.
This is the Cadillac Talisman. It’s basically as ultra-plush and shag as you could get!
That Cadillac Talisman interior is pure essence of seventies.
That looks like a deflated Michelin Man.
GM had optional four-wheel steering on some of their higher trim pickups in the early ’00s. Not sure if it went away for the ’03 refresh or not.
That was strictly to make parking/low speed maneuvering easier, and was not active at higher speeds. The primary purpose of Honda’s 4WS was to improve handling. Two different approaches.
The Honda system did help with parking as well, which shows how sophisticated it was. The rear wheels turn opposite the fronts for parking and with the fronts at high speed. I might have that reversed. The Mazda system, on the MX6 and 626 Turbo did nothing for parking.
The new for 89 240SX, which did not have 4ws, bragged in it’s ads that it had a tighter turn circle than the then 3rd generation Prelude with 4ws. Being RWD helped with that.
The 4WS in the S13 Nissan 240sx/Silvia was called HICAS…”High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering”
It was also offered on the R32 Skylines, some 300zx(Fairlady Z), and A31 Cefiros… As well as some US Nissans and Infinitis.
It was always a “crutch” in the drift scene. I had a 90 240sx hatchee, set up for drifting(GAB 8 way coilovers, Nismo Reds, Veilside rear side valance, SSR jdm EX-C fins 15×7 fins), in my drifting days back in 2002-07.
Most guys who had HICAS equipped cars got rid of it, and switched to the regular setup.
Not so. Quadrasteer worked at all speeds, although the amount and direction of rear steer was speed-variable.
I always liked these Preludes, although I feel that in ditching the 2nd generation’s iconic Ferrari-like styling, some of their special-ness was lost. Honda went back to this styling for the 5th generation, but by that point the market had evaporated, not to mention that it cost more than an Acura CL and offered less features.
Have never driven a Prelude, so I can’t comment. Your description of Honda’s VTEC is spot-on to what I’ve experienced in other Honda/Acuras though. Great article!
“Honda went back to this styling for the 4th generation, but by that point the market had evaporated, not to mention that it cost more than an Acura CL and offered less features.”
4th gen. Prelude sales never overlapped with the Acura CL.
My mistake in typing 4th, I was referring the 5th generation that followed this, which I assume you already could detect, as its styling returned to the shape introduced for the 2nd generation and continued with the third.
I hadn’t realized that at first, I apologize. I do agree to an extent the CL was part of the Prelude’s downfall, but in my opinion, the real culprit sat in the same showroom in the form of the 1998-2002 Accord coupe. One of my family members bought an Accord during the summer of 1998, and sitting nose to nose in the showroom that day was a base Prelude, and an EX V6 Accord coupe, both black. That Accord still looks good today by modern standards, a rare feat in the automotive word. Prelude? Not so much… As great of a driver’s cars they were (I’ve had plenty of wheel time behind a 1999 SH), they had questionable interior ergonomics and were crazy expensive (not to mention maintenance costs) relative to the Accord.
No worries, it was a misunderstanding.
I agree though. The ’98-’02 Accords were much more refined than the ’97-’01 Prelude, and came much closer to them in performance and style than ever before. The Prelude’s interior always seemed cheaply designed and like it was derived from an early ’80s Accord. The Prelude was also more expensive than the CL, if I recall, which offered a lot more standard equipment.
That was also the era of the hotter VTEC Civics and Integra GS-R/Type R, which were cheaper and lighter. So, the Prelude was kind of squeezed from both above and below. Of course, the Integra is dead now, but I imagine the Civic Si coupe remains a major reason there’s no current Prelude.
That last-gen Prelude was a weird-looking beast. I saw one a few days ago. Still looks off.
Indeed, it was a Prelude to Civic Accord.
To me, this was the worst iteration of the Prelude, while the other gens looked like Japanese sport coupes, this one looked it tried to get a green card and Americanize itself.
It looked like a lower roofed Olds Alero, in a way.
That Coke-bottle profile, with a hodgepodge of exterior parts… ie, an Eagle Vision looking nose, with Jaguar XJS style tail lights… and that high up ass, was Anti-Prelude, for some reason.
If you notice, the next gen 1997 version, tried to go back to the formula of the 1983-91 2nd and 3rd gen Preludes… Lower trunk line, more formal roofline, and wider slopier nose sans flip-up lights.
I do like AND want the newer generation. This one, only if it were a bargain.
In the 1992-96 Prelude’s defense, it did mark the Prelude’s move to serious power and the incorporation of V-TEC. I think they even still were available with the 4WS, from the previous gen.
With an H22 JDM swap, this car is a beast. You can find these on the cheap, tune it up and hand some bandwagon Integras and Civics there ass.
All in all, whether it be this or another gen of Prelude… I miss ANY Prelude not being in Honda’s lineup. 🙁
With 4WS, yes, but as the author notes, it was a completely different system than the third-gen car’s.
My impression of the styling of this car is that they had gotten tired of designing cars that looked like Hondas, so they decided to do one that looked like a Toyota instead.
It looks more like a Celica than some versions of Celica, and nothing like any contemporary Honda.
I like the styling of these Preludes more than I did when new (particularly nice in profile, though I still dontt care for the split grille), but for me they still don’t measure up to the third generation. Those were by far my favorite Prelude and the car I would have been driving in high school if I could have afforded one. Alas, they were still out of my paltry price rance in 1996-98.
To this day I’ve never driven one, though I’m well acquainted with the Honda “feel” of those days, having owned a ’91 Accord and put significant miles on a ’93 and an ’84. I’ll have to try to take one for a drive someday, though it concerns me slightly that I might like it enough to buy it! And I already have too many cars…
My first new car was a 1986 2nd gen Prelude. The SI model was not yet offered. I remember that it had 100hp any that was more sporty than my old used 1980 Accord Coupe. I drove it for about 200K Miles. I traded the 86 Prelude in on a 3rd gen 1991 Prelude SI 4WS. I loved this version the best. It had 160hp. Unfortunately, this car was totaled about a year after I bought it. I then bought the 1993 4th gen Prelude. I loved the looks and the handling but I never liked the dashboard design. It looked like an old Buick. I drove this car for almost 10 years. It had 300K miles when I traded it on an SUV. I had had an accident in the car and it was never quite right again. The SUV was a reliability nightmare and I went back to Honda and purchased a 2004 Civic SI. It was a fun little car but underpowered. It had 160hp, like the 91 Prelude, but other cars offered better. The SI designation did not mean much. It was still just a little hatch that could not match a Prelude SI. I drove that Civic for 6 years and 200K miles when I fell in love with my current car. I sold the Civic SI Hatchback to my nephew and bought a 2010 Civic SI coupe. In orange. This car is the closest to the concept of the Prelude but actually has better rear seat room and trunk space than any Prelude. It still had 200hp and it can really fly. It has 160K Miles and still going strong. I don’t much care for the current Civic coupe. The Type-R has the aukwardly shaped 4-dr hatch. The Accord Coupe has been cancelled. I always wanted them to create an Accord Coupe SI but it never happened. I just don’t know what Honda has to offer me now.
You people thinking the styling of the 1-3 or 5th gen Lude is better than 4th are on CRACK
The 4th gen is by far the best looking and the front end is one if the best looking in automotive history.
There is nothing like a 94-96 4th gen VTEC -One of the most balanced cars in history. It’s like a fine watch.
One of the best driving cars all time.