2001 Honda Prelude Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I have owned 7 Hondas , 2 Acuras, 1 Pontiac, 1 Range Rover and 1 Land River, 1 VW, 1 GMC. I NEVER had a single issue with a Honda or Acura, however, with the other vehicles there were issues within the first couple months of owning them. This Prelude (2001) was purchased for my son. I acknowledge that the car is 20 years old and there are going to be repairs and it won’t be shiny and new, but this is what he wanted, and it was within his budget. He wanted something that was vintage, looks unique, and something that he could work on. We are definitely happy! This little car still handles great and drives smoothly. Jul 23, 2021

Fun to drive. The looks at the time were ahead of the time. The car is heavy for the size but handles very well with just a few ride upgrades. Torque steer and wheel hop is an issue. With any front drive car with power, putting it to the ground is an issue. Once it hooks up it is very strong. Does better when already rolling rather than from a stop. May 20, 2010

Great car, great style, top speed of 235 km/h ... Reliable sports car. A history of burning oil, had to add oil between oil changes. A bit pricey for what it is, holds it value pretty good. Next car for me is a Hyundai Genesis I think... havent test driven one tho... If your wanting to do 1/4 and racing, this car weights alot, so if you dont plan on gutting it, it wouldnt be my first choice.Jan 06, 2010

The honda prelude is a timeless classic. The styling never seems to look obsolete and its low profile proves to be quite aerodynamic, helping to give this car an acceptional MPG rating while maintaining an adequate level of performance. The 2.2L DOHC VTEC engine (now obsolete to Honda's new I VTEC) still proves to be competitive, and is a primary reason why this car is fun to drive. This car just screams after 5200 rpms, and nothing feels better than coming right out of a turn and hitting the VTEC range (5200-7500* rpms). The base car handles well and the SH model is very good. The only downfall to the Prelude is its drivetrain, grant it, the front wheel drive does well in the snow and helps foster a reasonable MPG rating, but I'm sure most prelude owners would be willing to give up some MPG for an SH-AWD version. For the price, you can't go wrong with a Prelude, its not the fastest or purest of sporty cars, but its a great, forgiving, reliable, car that is perfect for learning how to drive at a higher level of performance. The only bad side of the prelude is its pedal placement (not the best for heal to toe), rear seat room (but who cares about that), and leather can be hard to find. Personally I would prefer a pedal placement that is more race-inspired such as in the s2000 and an AWD version(with a turbo) but i guess that would be too perfect of a world. Jul 22, 2009

that only thing i dont like is that its front wheel drive, but when i can out corner a BMW 3 series, that compensates for its lack of oversteer... it is without a doubt in my mind the best handling car that Honda has ever made(with the exception of the NSX) mileage would probably be around 20/30 if i drove like a normal person the shifter is sloppy but im fixing that...short throw...oh yeah Dec 04, 2008

Of the six cars I have owned, this is definitely my favorite. When this body style was originally introduced in 1997 I didn't really like it, but I think it has aged very well. I have not had any serious issues with the car, other than a tendency to burn a little more oil than I would like. This is apparently a problem with all of the H22A engines and it does not detract from my enjoyment of the car in any way. It could use more power, but all cars could use more power! I plan on keeping this car as long as possible.Apr 16, 2008