Well, she's got that itch again. Very clean example of a '99 Prelude, with about 135k on it. Five-speed! Not the SH model, near as I can tell. What goes wrong with these? How's the handling? Looks like 200 HP, which frankly is more than I thought they were packing from that 2.2 vtec.
They're heavy, generally slow, and otherwise seem to be well built cars. Handling, IDK....I've only been in modified suspension ones(seems to be the first thing owners do)
That said, I like them.....but thats probably due to the typical boy ricer honda owner steering clear of them.
I love the way they look, but haven't driven any of that generation. Previous generations were fun to drive like any FWD Honda. 200hp should be pretty nice. Repairs are standard Honda - infrequent and not difficult but (relatively) high parts cost.
Edit: "Heavy" is relative. Right around 3000 pounds which actually isn't bad at all by today's standards. Outweighs a Civic but not as heavy as an Accord. They're also faster than any contemporary Civic.
buddy of mine had a 99. Was a very fun car to drive, but the shifter bushings were made out of wet toilet paper. a decent bushing kit will fix it for cheap. He also added a short shifter, which was nice in general. It lasted a good long time for him with minimal issues.
gas, brakes, belts and hoses, but nothing major for several years (4 IIRC) - granted, his was much younger maybe 50-60k? about 6 years ago...but still, at less than 150k, most hondas, mazdas, and nissans are still just getting broken in...
super reliable, my dad had one for 200k, timing belt done at 190k.
5th gear syncros like to grind. the Si is the common model and the SH has different wheels and a LSD. Very comfortable
Great dailymobiles
In reply to dculberson:
All I've seen are 15.6-16.2 range for 1/4 time. Good point on the somewhat expensive parts......its not the B or D series, LS, etc....
Every single one of them I have been around burn oil especially in high rpms. Other than that they are nice cars and I wanted one SO bad in high school when they were new.
Not mine...Not sure how to interpret the odd photos...
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/3547185538.html
2000 honda prelude - $950 (Hartford, CT.) Date: 2013-01-15, 9:33AM EST Reply to: see below 2000 honda prelude h22 standard, poeer everything, clean body, clean title, mint interior.. The only thing wrong with it is the lower block, it needs to b replaced.. Thats why im sellin it for cheap other than that the car wruns and looks new. It jus doesnt wanna start.. I like the car but i dont kno wats wrong with it, sellin it for 950 u can reach me at 8609137527... I wont trade an
Buy car, install new engine. H22 prices have come down considerably now that most of the Honda kids now lust after Ks instead.
In reply to Woody:
Rather cryptic description to go with the bad photos. "Wruns" like new but doesn't start, needs bottom end work but he doesn't know what the deal is?
I'm most afraid of the "pooer everything." Maybe they drove a sick dog around in it and don't own a steam cleaner.
Call this boob, though. The Porsche wants another Honda in the way.
I'm tempted.
I'm tempted but I did get burned when I bought the engineless Legacy GT. Well not burned exactly because I broke even, but I hate breaking even. Shame on me for not fully understanding the engine's weak points and pricing a replacement ahead of time. Maybe I'll spend some time tomorrow learning about Prelude engines.
5spd Preludes are not slow. They will stomp a Miata, a Cherokee, or an Astro Van into the dirt, and also outrun a p71 and 325i by a smaller amount. 
Although hondas, like rotary mazdas, can be made incredibly slow if you are unwilling to shift at the redline.
Last prelude i drove was a non-vtec 93-94 and the 2-3 upshift was addicting because the gear spacing on that shift was fairly close. It also annoyed me with high rpms in 5th considering the engine is more than torquey enough to push a taller gear. Preludes are pretty torquey for 4cyl hondas.
ValuePack wrote: In reply to Woody: Rather cryptic description to go with the bad photos. "Wruns" like new but doesn't start, needs bottom end work but he doesn't know what the deal is? I'm most afraid of the "pooer everything." Maybe they drove a sick dog around in it and don't own a steam cleaner. Call this boob, though. The Porsche wants another Honda in the way.
Damn you. Now you've got me thinking about this car.
After a sleepless night, I'm probably going to have to give this guy a call in the morning, if I can get past all the red flags (bad photos, bad grammar, bad spelling and a Hartford car listed on New Haven Craigslist)...
The late Prelude is one of the two Hondas I'd think of owning. (the other being the S2000) I guess because it looks "less Honda" than the typical Civic/Accord/ blandmobile
Do it! My sister loved her '01 that she bought new (silver 5spd). That is, until she needed new tires and had some squirmy Falken all-seasons installed. She hated the tires so much, and couldn't get the shop to replace them with any alternative, that she traded it in on a TSX. Can't say I objected too much. The TSX is kinda like a 4 door Prelude.
i believe that the 5th gen automatic timing belt tensioners were prone to failure. People either swapped in the h23 manual tensioner or there is an aftermarket fix also.
I've been lusting after one of these for quite some time. I think the only thing that was off-putting to me was their relatively poor mpg for the class of car.
Woody wrote:ValuePack wrote: Call this boob.Damn you.
Would you bring a picture and storyline of beer to AA? No. You knew better than to flap that thing at the kings of enablation.
Do it, do it, do it, DO IT! 
I have to figure out what a nice one is worth first.
By the time I get a replacement engine, clutch, plugs and gaskets, timing belt and water pump, of course, while it's all easy, I'm sure I'd be looking at $1600 plus whatever the cost of the car is. All for something that I have no intention of keeping.
It may not add up.
clutchsmoke wrote: The TSX is kinda like a 4 door Prelude.
I've heard Mr.Wallens compare the TSX to a big CRX and now you compare a TSX to the Prelude. All the more reason to keep the TSX at the top of my next car list.
Sir, you're just not thinking Honda. Buy a block and a head separately from 2 different guys with aborted projects and assemble. Be out $200 plus a gasket kit, water pump, and belts for the engine. There are plenty of quality low cost parts out there for these cars. Just buy the right stuff and you'll be fine.
I can't recommend the prelude... my friend had one which I got to drive a fair bit. His was also not an SH. My conclusions: 1) motor is good. 2.2 has lots of torque and makes really nice noises when it hits the second lobes. An intake should be consider mandatory. 2) car is somewhat baffling in that it is one of the larger cars honda produced at the time, yet the interior easily has the least usable room. Trunk is small, back seat is tiny, headroom is nonexistent. I am 5'11" and my hair touched the headliner under the sunroof, and in the backseat my heat firmly hit the roof if I sat up at all. 3) did not like the handling much. had some torque steer but more than that with the torque of the 2.2 liked to spin the inside wheel during any spirited driving. May not actually be heavy but feels substantially heavier and more top heavy than a civic or integra from behind the wheel.
I like the way they look but I would not be interested in owning one unless it fell into my lap for dirt cheap. I'd rather have a civic, integra, or accord.
I have to figure out what a nice one is worth first.
An actually nice one is worth 4-7k around here. Typically on the higher end of that spectrum. It's only recently that nice ones have begun to drop below 5k.
This thread inspired me to look on craigslist. I searched for honda and there is an ad for a 1985 CRX si 1750 obo. So I emailed him. Here's hoping I don't buy it but if I can get it for $1200 I almost have to.
There's some decent, although riced ones, for under 4k around here.
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