1997 Honda Prelude User Reviews

Highliy Recommended. Get It In Stick!!! — Personally I love the exterior styling of the Prelude, which still looks fresh 12 years after its debut. Performance wise, it combines fun, tossable handling and snappy (but not overwhelming) acceleration with decent city mileage. Best of all, I have yet to face a serious maintenance issue. On the downside, premium gas and poor highway efficiency drive up the costs of road trips, and the dark interior will only hold two adults comfortably.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Nicest Prelude Around! — The car is pretty fast, responsive and sharp looking. It is type S model so is has lsd and all wheel steering. it's green. car is bone stock. the sound system is pretty good for stock too. it is fairly economical and parts are easily accessable. top speed 145 mph so far.

1997 Honda Prelude — Owned from March 2003 to April 2005. This was my second car, purchased as a replacement for my '88 Prelude which was wrecked after 3 months of ownership. Overall it was very reliable. Had to replace the transmission in late 2004 which cost me $2700 - the only major repair needed - but what a repair! Car developed some squeaks and rattles around that point as well. Started to consume oil a bit in the final 6 months I had it, though only about a quart a month. Purchased at 70k miles, traded in at 112k, so it received a fair amount of wear and tear from me. Great handling, made every commute entertaining. Great engine sounds at the VTEC crossover point at 5000 RPM. This tended to encourage, um, shall we say, spirited driving, which may have contributed to so-so fuel economy. I observed 17-20 city mpg and 25-28 highway mpg for the time I had the car. Eventually traded the Prelude in for a 2002 Acura CL. The Prelude felt less solid and was slower in a straight line than the CL, but it was easier to drive fast, and was more fun to whip around corners and have fun with.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Good Car Get 5 Spd. — Good car but don't ever get it in automatic form. Always get it in 5 spd manual. It like has vtec yo. You can't go wrong with Vtec haha... Very fun to drive and sounds pretty freaking great for a honda :D.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Amazing — Performance: Great acceleration from a 2.2L 4 cylinder engine, especially once you rev it up to 5,700+ RPM and VTEC kicks in. It'll pin you against your seat when your not ready for it. Stock brake system is fantastic but larger calipers wouldn't hurt when you need some hard braking. Handling is pretty good for a FWD car, the SH model handles a little bit better with a slightly different suspension setup but the stock base model has a very rigid frame and is low enough to the ground that it'll hold through those corners pretty damn well. Build Quality: My car being 12 years old now has 243,000 miles on it. When I acquired it the engine was broken. Bottom end had just been rebuilt with all brand new seals. Acquired a cylinder head that only had about 18,000 miles on it. Engines together now and feels strong. Only other thing not working right now is the stereo broke. Was planning on putting in an aftermarket stereo anyway. Appearance: Interior is very simple done, terrible cup holders. Looks very nice on the inside. The black interior is wonderful and very comfortable. Exterior styling is one of the main reasons I bought the car. Just looks very sleek and beautiful. Cost of Ownership: Gets about 28 mpg driving around town as long as you stay out of VTEC. Maintenance for me has been very cheap as I can do my own oil changes and brakes. It's a Honda so it's pretty cheap for parts and I do the labor myself. Fun Factor: This car is very fun to drive, definitely a great cheap car to get some nice performance out of. Zero to sixty stock in 6.5 seconds.

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)