Considered a perfect balance of reliability and performance, and called a serious sports car, the 1996 Honda Prelude makes drivers happy - and it got a bit of an upgrade this year.

The Prelude now comes standard with dual airbags, a welcome safety addition. The interior also got a bit of an overhaul, creating better interior ergonomics -not to mention the really hot smoked dashboard lens. And for the environmentally conscious, rest easy. Honda added CFC-free air conditioning.

But all that is minor when considering just how well this car performs with it 4 cylinder high-power engine. The base engine is a 135-horsepower 2.2-liter four that has pretty decent heft. And if you move up the line, you move up in hp as well.

And, drivers of the car - who've owned it for more than a decade - praise the lack of repairs, the great gas mileage, and the ability to just keep on going. You can still pick one up for between $4K and $5K in many areas.