Honda Prelude

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Honda Prelude Silver If ever there was a car that never quite fit into a company's lineup, it would be the Honda Prelude.

Shoehorned somewhere between the Civic and the Accord, the Honda Prelude didn't really carve out a niche for itself while it was in production quite the way other Honda's did.

But since being discontinued in 2001 due to a lack of sales and the arrival of the replacement Integra, older Preludes have become more popular as they've become less expensive and more available.

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That's not to say the Honda Prelude is inexpensive, even used. Like most used Honda's and Toyota's, Preludes hold their value almost unfairly. But bargains can be found, especially among second (1983-1987) and third (1988-1991) generation models.

And since Preludes weren't favourites of the import performance crowd until much later in their production, earlier models tend to have been driven by older drivers and well looked after.

In terms of technology, Preludes were at times favoured for their simplicity, at other times cursed for their complexity--as anyone who ever tried to diagnose or repair electronic four-wheel steering problems will attest. Problems are generally few and far between however, as Honda engineering and build quality--while not always exciting--is about as good as it gets.

On the road, the Honda Prelude has always been a fun car to drive. Lower and lighter than many other Honda's, and endowed with punchy engines and well-mated manual transmissions (automatics were also available)they could hold their own red-light to red-light, and outperform taller, more softly sprung cars in the twisites.

These days the final two Prelude generations are very popular with import tuners, and the performance after-market is exceptional. Lacking any real racing heritage, they're nonetheless commonly seen on amateur strips and tracks these days, as even slightly modified they are all kinds of quick.

If there is any knock against the Preludes--later models, anyway--it's that they're a little too slick. The design looks like it's almost trying too hard to appear menacing and shark-like, while still trying to appeal to a wider market of Sunday drivers.

Fortunately earlier models were a little more subdued, and are great cars to own and drive. Solid engines, excellent handling, nice features, and Honda reliability are tough to beat in the used car market.

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