Anyone want a used Integra?

Having driven scads of Integras, both stock and modified to various degrees, I feel like I've got a pretty good grounding in what makes that car special...and don't get me wrong, it's a great sports coupe. Unfortunately, it seems as though the magnificent Prelude is often overlooked when drivers see its Acura stablemate. As Car and Driver once said, this is the best Integra ever built, and it sure is.

General:
This is the fifth-generation Prelude to hit the pavement, and the best yet. Honda seemed to take all the complaints about the 4th-generation model (92-96) and fix 'em in this latest iteration. The car is an absolute blast to drive, yet is more civil and driveable in every respect than the Integra.

Quick Specs:
- Front-engine, front-drive
- 2.2L (2157 cc) I-4 VTEC engine, 200 hp, 156 ft./lbs. torque
- 5-spd. manual transmission (auto not available with TypeSH)
- 4-wheel, double-wishbone suspension (decent anti-roll bars, there are several aftermarket manufacturers which make decent upgrades)
- 205/50R-16 tires, alloy wheels, ABS
- power windows, locks, moonroof, A/C, dual airbags

Exterior:
A common complaint about the 4th-gen model was regarding the shape of the tail; the "half-moon" rear-end seemed too large for the car. The 5th-gen Prelude has a more conservative look to the rear, yet seems much more stylish in my eyes. The lines of the entire car are very clean, and give the car a "fast" look without being garish or overstated. The headlights, the subject of fairly heated debates in the Prelude community (you either love 'em or hate 'em) are large and clear, and cast a wide swath of light at night. The base model of the car comes without a spoiler and with standard swoopy Honda 5-spokes; the TypeSH comes with a subtle spoiler (no idiotic Veilside wings here) and some nicer aluminum rims. Both cars come with 205/50R-16 Bridgestone tires, which hold fairly well. The TypeSH spoiler makes the car look better, it sort of resembles a large running shoe without it....skip the goofy "Underbody Spoiler Kit" though.

Interior:
One of the major complaints about the last Prelude was the dash display hidden behind a piece of smoked plastic that extended across the entire cockpit. Honda seems to have standardized their interiors; there seems to be little difference between sitting in an NSX and a lowly Civic, you always know where to look for controls. While this could be seen as a criticism, I truly do not mean it that way. The king of Ergonomics, Honda has realized that "if it ain't broke, don't fix the damn thing!" (I have heard that the steering wheel cover fades pretty severely to a pale gray within about a year of purchase, but this doesn't seem to happen in every case)

The climate controls are ridiculously easy to use, and are located high in the center of the dash. The stereo is below it, and sounds very good for an OEM unit, Honda is still sticking with Alpine for the components in most of their higher-end models. There is one geegaw worth mentioning here. This Prelude's CD stereo has a feature Honda calls an "Acoustic Feedback System." Basically, the rear 6x9's have microphones integrated into the cone that supposedly sense distortion and modulate the signal to minimize the damage to the speaker and clear up the sound. Whether or not this has a significant effect I could not tell, but the system sounded great, regardless of what I played in it (Steve Miller Band (rock), John Horner (Titanic instrumental soundtrack), Underworld (techno), Dr. Dre (rap), etc.) My only concern about this, is that since the microphones work in concert with the amplifier and the head unit, this might limit upgradeability to the OEM stereo.

The actual instrument cluster is nothing short of stellar. The tach and speedo are large and centered, and minor indicators (temp, gas, etc.) are kept small and out of the way. Checking on your speed with a brief glance down from the road is incredibly easy, as it should be.

Unlike previous models, the back seat is more than just a package shelf in this iteration of the 'Lude. While no Mercedes, the seat is capable of accomodating folks even large of frame for short trips. While more comfortable than previous versions, don't kid yourself, this really isn't a 4 passenger car, 2+2 is pushing it...but then again, if you were looking for a car for 4, you really wouldn't be looking at the Prelude, would you?

The front seats are very supportive, and really grab you during spirited (ahem) driving. They were very comfortable for me for a decent amount of time behind the wheel, though their adjustability is limited.

Tech:
Active Torque Transfer System: Similar to the Vette in Chevy's garage, the Prelude has always been Honda's test bed for new technologies (VTEC, 4-wheel steering, etc.), and the fifth-gen model is no exception. ATTS is Honda's new toy, and it's a fun toy to have. Basically a tricked-out differential, ATTS distributes more torque to the outside wheel in a turn, in an effort to minimize understeer and make the Prelude behave more like a rear-wheel-drive car. While the sensation isn't quite perfectly achieved, it sure doesn't behave like a front-driver, and is a blast to carve corners with once you get the hang of it (kind of like learning to drive an AWD car).

Options:
Skip 'em.

The Prelude comes with pretty much everything you'll need to have all the fun you want, and the TypeSH throws a few minor goodies in to sweeten the deal. With the SH package, the sidesills are painted to match the body color, you get the aforementioned slicker wheels and spoiler, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and the ATTS. I have heard that the suspension is tuned tighter to take advantage of the ATTS, but the standard answer from Honda is: "we can neither confirm nor deny..." The only options available from Honda are tacky stick-ons (gold emblem kit, moonroof wind-deflector, underbody spoiler kit, nose bras, splash guards, and ineffective fog lights) or fairly useless interior accessories (matched floor mats, wood trim, cargo net, etc.) The only options I would really consider are Honda's security system (I think I'd still go with an aftermarket alarm) or the 6-disc *in dash* changer (for those long solo trips - isn't it about time changers were available in the dash?)

Price:
Well, no, it ain't cheap, and costs a few grand more than a loaded Integra (and about 6G more than a top-spec Celica), but the Prelude is definitely worth the extra. The only downside is that the resale value in this market drops off pretty severely after a few years. But then again, why would you sell this car? It really is such a fantastic sub-$30K sports car, I would hold onto a Prelude as long as I could. If you're really worried about the price, try to pick up a used Prelude from '97 on. Anything from 1997 to the present is the fifth-gen car, and the only changes were a minor boost in horsepower (195 -> 200) in the '98 model year.

Driving and Handling:
I've driven an M3, long considered to be the best handling car in the world in terms of driver-machine interaction. While I'm no fan of Beemers, I will easily admit that that is a smokin' car. Car and Driver had a comparison a few years ago in which they compared the two (Prelude TypeSH and the M3), and the M3 came out on top (predictably), but not by much, not by much at all. The Prelude handles nothing short of beautifully, and is such a trip to drive. Sometimes the ATTS seems to want to pull the wheel a little bit (quick lane changes), but other than that minor quirk, this car handles like a dream (and it's a front-driver!). The VTEC kicks in right at 5300 RPM, and is intoxicating with its presence. It's a much more visceral feeling than the VTEC in the Integra, and is such a definite push in the seat of your pants, it's hard to keep the tach below that point. I've been behind the wheel of Audis (A4, A6, S4, TT), BMW's (323i, 328i, 540i, Z3, M3), plenty of Asian imports (Integra, Celica, Eclipse, S2000, etc.) and many other quick cars, and this Honda is easily one of my top-three favorite rides ever, and number two on the list of cars I'd actually buy (behind only the Audi A4 1.8T Quattro).

When I originally test drove the car, I took it from the dealership with about a third of a tank of gas in it, and ran it to fumes. I then returned it to the dealership, and had them fill the car again (I promptly emptied this tank as well). I have never done that before or since, and have never had that much fun in any automobile.

Competition:
Well, in name only...

The Toyota Celica GT-S, the Acura Integra GS-R (or Type-R if you'd like), the Eclipse GT (which is a bloated piece of trash, even with the V-6), the Mercury Cougar (ugh, why do the Europeans get the only good Fords?) are all "competitors" in this class...but none of them really are of the same "class" as the Prelude ;) The only real competition to this car in my eyes comes in the form of more expensive (read: $5-10 grand more) German autos, it really is that good. Sure, you could buy an Integra GS-R and trick it out, but why, when you could buy a Prelude from the showroom that would take any Integra head-to-head and provide a much more refined and pleasureable driving experience? Forget about "the best Integra ever made," this machine is a Prelude, and a damn fine one at that.