It is no secret that the market for sport coupes has been shrinking. The combination of
high insurance costs and America's dizzying love affair with sport-utility cars
has taken the starch out of sporty car sales, and a number of manufacturers are
re-examining their product priorities relative to this once-healthy segment.
Honda is one such manufacturer, and the Honda Prelude is the car that's imperiled as a
result.
Originally introduced in 1979, the Prelude has gone through five evolutions, the most
recent--and dramatic--coming along in 1991 for the 1992 model year.
The latest redesign transformed the Prelude from a pleasant, but rather tepid, compact
that was easily outperformed by Honda's smaller CRX-Si, to one of the stars of its
class.
The Prelude's handling set new standards for front-drive cars in its price/size
category, and when the 190-hp VTEC version came along for 1993, it offered performance
that rivalled the Nissan 300ZX.
To see how the latest Prelude was holding up versus competing makes that have
undergone more recent makeovers--the Eagle Talon/Mitsubishi Eclipse twins, for
example--we checked out a 1996 Prelude Si, which falls in the middle of the model range.
The Prelude's design was a radical departure from
Honda's conservative styling
philosophy when it made its appearance in late '91, and it still stands out from the
crowd today.
The low nose, low roof, high tail and wide stance give this car an exceptionally
aggressive appearance.
The Prelude is about average in size compared to the other leaders in this class--a tad
smaller than the Ford Probe, a little bigger than the Talon/Eclipse.
Unchanged for 1996, three versions are offered, with incremental jumps in performance
for each.
The basic S model, with a base price of $19,960, offers Prelude style with a milder
level of suspension tuning and relatively modest power from a 2.2-liter single
overhead cam 16-valve 4-cylinder engine.
The $22,655 Si offers 160 hp from a 2.3-liter twincam 16-valve 4-cyl., and a more
aggressive suspension setup plus better brakes. Although it's not the fastest of the
Preludes, some members of the racing fraternity think the Si offers the greatest balance
of the trio.
However, the $25,880 Prelude VTEC is definitely the tiger of the family. The 2.2-liter
VTEC (for Variable valve Timing and lift Electronic Control) 4-cyl. belts out 190 hp,
and bigger brakes provide extra stopping power.
All the Preludes have the advantage of Honda's double wishbone suspension at all four
corners--which is more sophisticated than the more common MacPherson strut setup--and
all benefit from an exceptionally stiff unitbody, the fundamental cornerstone of good
handling.
Honda markets the Preludes as packages, starting with the well-equipped base car and
building to the better equipped VTEC edition.
A standard Prelude includes an AM/FM/cassette stereo, power mirrors and windows, a
power sunroof, power antenna, cruise control and split-folding rear seatbacks.
The Si adds alloy wheels, antilock brakes, air conditioning and power locks. Stepping
up to the extra muscle of the VTEC also gets you leather interior trim, map lights and
a rear spoiler.
A 5-speed manual transmission is standard equipment on all models. Opting for a
4-speed automatic transmission adds $800 to the S and Si. Owing to its peaky power
traits, the VTEC is offered only with a close-ratio version of the manual
transmission.
