1998 Honda Prelude Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I love the engine (DOHC VTEC kicks hard), the suspension, looks, build quality, and features. The Sportshift transmission is fun, but fragile as glass and unreliable without strict maintenance.. My Prelude is still on the original at 204K (drain and fill once yearly, very limited use of manual gear select) but is showing signs of wearing out. Reliability has been unimpressive for a Honda, in the last two years I've replaced the ecu (fried itself), key, ignition cylinder, ignition switch, immobilizer and harness, transmission ecu, radiator, starter, distributor, O2 sensor, cap, rotor, ignition control module, plugs, wires, brakes, battery, alternator, and probably more that I can't remember. It's a serious love/hate relationship but I do love the compliments I get on it wherever I go. :)Mar 18, 2013

Performance: Although a bit heavier than its Acura Integra and Honda Civic cousins, the Honda Prelude still has decent acceleration in the low end and good high end performance (5k RPM or higher w/ VTEC (sure its no turbo, but its way better than not having it). It also has excellent 4-wheel braking which contributes to its overall comprehensive control. The Prelude's low center of gravity and low profile are awesome for tight turns and sharp handling despite its weight. Build quality: No excessive squeaks or rattles. After 200,000 miles the only major work needed has been to its notorious transmission. Other than that, just regular maintenance. Appearance: The plain Jane 5th Generation Honda Prelude took me a while to get used to. Before I owned it I didn't like the headlights at all. But after I installed the optional front lip, side skirts and rear lip, along with some new headlights, the car definitely turns some heads and looks really clean. I absolutely love the way it looks and can't wait to get a fresh paint job on it. The stock rims are pretty cool, but I really like the Black w/ Silver lip Enkie rims I had mounted. This car has many great aftermarket options due to the nature of its enthuseist following. Cost of Ownership - Decent mileage (21 - 28 mpg) and good maintenance costs are only slightly offset by the fact the car requires premium gas. Otherwise the cost of ownership is on the good side of what was a 25 - 30 thousand dollar car at retail. Interior Build Quality: You can have the sexiest ride ever on the outside, but its no fun unless your car's interior is just as enjoyable for the owner. Since it came out in the late 90's there aren't alot of the nifty features you'd see in a new car nowadages but with comfortable seats, power everything standard, and great views of your surroundings the Prelude is very good for 1 -2 passengers, but the rear seats are very small and not too great for 3 - 4 passengers on long trips. Overall fun factor: This car is great to own and very fun to drive. The only other thing worth mentioning is that it can be a little nerve wracking to in an area with excessive speed bumps/pot holes/railroad tracks due to the Prelude's low stature. Otherwise its very nimble and aims to please.Jan 11, 2010

Awesome handling for a FWD car. Interior was very nice. Back seat could have used a tad more room. I slightly modded this car and took it on many fast dries around the hill country. Fun car, but FWD really kills it. Still, if I had to have a FWD sporty car, I would choose another Lude over a Integra Type R (or RSX) or the other turbo varieties out there.Jul 10, 2009

Sick fast and it has the "super handling" package so it cornered like it was on rails. It had performance Intake, header, exhaust, coilover suspension, strut bar...great car to modify. It looked gorgeous, got good gas mileage and halled ass. Great "driver's car" It wasn't fun to get in and out of, but once you were in it you never wanted to get out.Sep 17, 2008

I love the performance this car has. It has always been my favorite Honda. The auto tranny failed on me and I had to convert it to a manual. The car is so much more fun to drive now. Perfomance - acceleration (VTEC), superior handling, tons of aftermarket goodies avail. Appearance - the car has a very good look in stock form and needed only a few changes. The car has a very aggressive look. Beautiful lines. Sep 10, 2008

This is the best car I have ever owned - it looks fantastic from the outside, and its actual performance more matches the aggressive style of the car. The VTEC engine is quite civilised below the 5200 mark, but savage once you get beyond it - sounds very good as well. Corners like its on rails and has put the fun back into driving. The interior is comfortable, but rear seats are for joke value only (who cares) - the dashboard has a very cool 80's style spacecraft feel and makes you feel very important! In short - an absolutely great car that will outperform any boy racer and a good deal of supposedly superior cars - especially fun when BMW drivers try to dust you off the lights (it can easily leave a BMW 525i behind) - Buy one immediately! Dec 30, 2007