Introduction

The Honda Prelude gives the enthusiast driver some sweet toys. Its twin-cam VTEC engine sounds great and builds revs with abandon more suited to a motorcycle than a car, while world-class handling rewards spirited driving down a twisty road. But the Prelude last saw a redesign in 1997, and its age shows. Interior and exterior styling may seem bland in a trendy, fashion-conscious segment that now includes the aggressive-looking Toyota Celica. Still, the Prelude remains a top contender among hot sport coupes. It is roomy, powerful, and technically sophisticated. It's the best Prelude Honda has ever built.

Walkaround

Honda's stylists seem to have looked to the third-generation Prelude for inspiration in designing this fifth-generation model. The roofline is more formal and the overall appearance more conservative compared to the swoopy lines of generation four. The most distinctive element is a pair of vertical rectangular headlamps, reminiscent of the Mercedes SLK roadster. The Prelude's quirky styling has not improved with age. The SH comes with a rear spoiler that is available as an accessory for the other Preludes. Fortunately, beneath the skin you'll find some fine engineering: Honda's high-revving 2.2-liter twin-cam 16-valve VTEC aluminum four-cylinder engine delivers 200 horsepower. A four-wheel double-wishbone suspension, powerful four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and 16-inch alloy wheels are all standard.

Interior Features

Like the exterior, the interior is beginning to look a little dated. Anyone familiar with previous Preludes will feel right at home in this one. The cockpit provides sports car intimacy, supportive sport bucket seats, high-quality materials, and plenty of comfort and convenience goodies. The Prelude provides surprisingly good long-haul comfort: We drove a Prelude SH more than 6000 miles in just seven days during Car and Driver's One Lap of America marathon. This fifth-generation Prelude is longer than previous-generation models and Honda has put most of the increased length to work in the rear seat area, making it a viable place to move people. The Prelude offers decent trunk space and the rear seatbacks fold forward to expand cargo volume. The dashboard and instrument panel features a classic Honda analog gauge package, rather than the peculiar displays stretched across the dashboard of the previous generation. The slightly taller roofline affords more glass area, which improves driver sightlines in the rear quarters, and there are several bins and pockets for stowing small stuff, a familiar Honda touch. Standard equipment for the basic Prelude includes air conditioning, power moonroof, cruise control, driver's seat height adjustment, tilt steering with a leather-wrapped wheel, map lights, ignition switch light, and power windows, mirrors and locks. The 120-watt, 6-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo features an Acoustic Feedback System that uses tiny microphones to measure ambient cabin sound, and then adjusts the volume to compensate. Type SH adds a leather shift knob. Leather seating is not an option, an effort by Honda to keep prices down. Safety features - ABS, dual airbags, side-impact protection - are current, but not extraordinary. New for 2001 are child safety seat anchors for the rear seats. Honda has adopted a new Key Code security system, similar to the PASS-Key system developed by General Motors.