slow99dx

Ok, Iv'e been looking to replace my em2 for awhile and have come down to either one of these two cars. They both look nice, have strong engines ( relatively speaking) and are within my budget.

Between these two cars, which one has better stock performance ( 1/4 miles, handling etc.) and which one has more posibilities for cheap mods that will make a big difference.

So far im leaning toward the Prelude because it is slighty bigger and more refined.

Let me know what you guys think

1cleanem1

si

jdmcivicracer89

si the prelude is too heavy. or si wit h22 is very nice ha

EK TUNER

Honestly, if you just want a nice daily driver which you can drive fast, go with the Prelude. If anything, I'd pickup the Prelude just because the 99-00 Si is huge theft magnet. But stock for stock though, I think you will be more happy with the performance of the Prelude(and the torque of the H22). And while the Prelude/H22 does not have the aftermarket support of the Civic/B16, minor upgrades(suspension, brakes, bolt-ons) will benefit the Prelude platform more. Only when you start investing tens of thousands of dollars into the Civic Si(and be willing to rebuild it) will it surpass the performance of the Prelude.

robfrmny21

si with bolt ons will trounce the lude all day, ludes heavy as hell. also the ludes rear seats can not be used if you had to throw a friend in back of the civic you can.

si are big theft magnets.

personally with your em2 id get a ep3 swap or rsx type s swap and put that in that car

rpared01

i have an ej6 with an h22 and as much as like my car, i still like the look and design of the 00-01 preludes.

Arthas

I wouldve gotten rid of that EM2 the first day I got it haha.


The Civic and the Prelude are both very different (relatively speaking). The Civic has more "pep", has great aftermarket support, can seat 5 comfortably and can be made decently fast. The Prelude is more luxurious, has ***** to back it up, leather interior (some models), less aftermarket support, and a 2 seater.

I have a Car & Driver magazine from 1999 (no joke haha) and the Civic Si achieved a faster 0-60mph time and a lower quarter mile time. So even though it has less power, it is faster than the Prelude. If I find the magazine ill give you the exact times.

The Prelude has dual wishbone suspension as well am I wrong?

yoontim23

I like SI'S

EK TUNER

The 99-00 Civic is not exactly a lightweight, weighing in at 2612 lbs. The B16 outputs 160 hp, so the Si has a weight to power ratio of 16.33 lbs/hp. But what's more telling is the weight to torque ratio, The B16 has a torque peak of 111 ft/lbs, which is 23.53 lbs per every ft/lb of torque. The Prelude weighs in at 3042 lbs, with 195 hp and a torque peak of 156 ft/lbs of torque. The weight to power and weight to torque for the Prelude is 15.6 lbs/hp and 19.5 lbs per every ft/lb of torque, respectively. As you can see, the Prelude has much better weight to power and(especially) weight to torque ratios.

As for performance numbers, according to Motor Trend...

99 Civic Si
0-60: 7.2 seconds
1/4 mile: 15.7 @ 88.4 mph

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ecs_price.html

97 Prelude Type S
0-60: 7.0 seconds
1/4 mile: 15.4 @ 93.3 mph

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ort_shift.html

... Again the Prelude has the better numbers, so I don't know why people are saying that the Prelude is slower. As far as rear seat room and other amenities, remember that the Prelude was designed to be a sports car from the start, while the Civic Si is a factory-modded Civic.

jpshizzLe

My friends stock lude beat my Si with a cai bout 3/3 times from a 15 mph roll

slow99dx

Seriously.... I thought about doing a k20 swap in my em2, but just couldnt get over how ugly looking it is. Cant stand the short hood and the tall narrow stance it has eh. It also feels really cheap I swear its made out of LEGO's sometimes.

I like the older civics and ludes because they have long sexy hoods ( the way cars should look) and plus they are built better than the newer Honda's.

Thinking of going with the prelude because it comes stock with a bigger engine, and I just wanna do some basic bolt on stuff- nothing too crazy. Just looking for a fun daily driver that is reliable and looks nice.

EK TUNER

The Prelude does indeed have double wishbone suspension, front and rear. The Prelude is no slouch in the handling department. I remember that Car and Driver did a couple articles about the best handling cars in 1997 and 1998. The Prelude was named the best handling car for under $30,000 in 97, and it was tied with a Viper for 5th best handling under $100,000 in 98.

mremmons

two simple things to consider....a b16 can take a thrashing stock tuned with boost...a prelude motor won't take the thrashing(FIBER-REINFORCED METAL CYLINDER LINERS suk), is a bitch to work on(no room) and super expensive to get parts to repair or modify to your thrashing needs...handling wise it's easy as hell to drift it when you floor it thru a corner...go into a corner to steep(brake too late or try and turn super hard) the front washes out way to easy....Got a little cash and want to thrash...go Si.

Ruben19

one thing, you won't be happy with the b16

samelch7

If what U want is parts for the car just by a cheap ej8 that does not have the b16 and do a B20 swap this way you have access to get the b16 head and tranny or b18 head and tranny and will have a pretty decent daily driver even with just bolt-ons

batallic

i say get the prelude, paranoia over the Si not worth it, there both double wishbone ^^ had 1/4 times u can make power with bolt ons with h22 and more torque

mremmons

yeah go prelude...jus get outta my way...sad that i can light up rsx type s's off my D16...been in this game longer than alot you been brushing your own teeth...so what do I know...lol

samelch7

No **** ur comparison is with the type S which is not a regular H22 in this case you would have to compare the type S with the type R b16

Deetz

Prelude only had the one H22 motor. Both S and the other model were the same power, only difference was the suspension

mremmons

your numbers don't mean jack...keep pasting your articles...i've done every honda swap known to man...except for the Acura 3.2 and thats on the agenda...but your telling me $1000 on an H22 and the same on a B16...who's going to pull the numbers and continue to take a beating everyday...why isn't everyone running one....mmMMmm..prelude is a tank.

mremmons

btw i was comparing my D16Z6 to the type-s...type-r...way overrated...

East_McDuck

If you're wanting to save money in the long run, I'd go with the Si. Gets better gas mileage and parts are more prevalent and are cheaper, plus they're more of a rarity than preludes. The EM1s are what got me into Hondas. I don't know what it is about them, but they're nothing short of perfection as far as the cosmetic design goes. I would love to own a blue Si. The Preludes are nice, but not very practical. I'm on my second BB4 as a daily driver. I love the design and the way they handle, even stock, but they don't have much in the way of cargo or passenger space, and they're heavy as all hell.

Consider an Integra as well. You'll spend less for one of those than you would on either the Si or the Prelude, depending on the condition, plus it would be like a middle ground. Little peppier motor than the Civic, a little heavier but not as heavy as the Prelude. Also it has similar curves as the Prelude but with much better cargo space. It's almost like a cross breed between a Prelude and a Civic when you think about it.

Best recommendation I can give you is stick to the older ones. Personally I think Honda quality (as well as any car company) went more and more downhill with every generation.

redrocket_ej1

go with the prelude, b16's suck and dont make dick for power. i use to have a 99 lude with I/H/E, clutch, cams, and hondata s200 and i would stomp anything i came across all day everyday. sure its heavier, it also looks a hell of a lot nicer. if your worried about the weight gut it. mine was full interior, although the backseat serves no purpose, unless its a baby seat goin back there.

EK TUNER

That is actually a typo on my part. In the article, Motor Trend tests the Type SH, not the Type S. In fact, I don't believe the Type S motor was ever offered here in the states... so really, the numbers for a Prelude can actually be better since a base model Prelude would have the same engine as the type SH, and weighs less.

I merely posted the links as a reference so that people wouldn't think I was pulling numbers out of my ***. Also, I think you are missing the scope of this thread. The OP was asking about two production model cars. He wasn't even specifically asking about their engines. Had he asked about which car had the most potential to be fastest Honda possible... I would've clearly reccomended the Civic Si over the Prelude. And I would've even pasted an article to support that opinion as well...

http://www.turbomagazine.com/news/08...lle/index.html

slow99dx

Thanks to everyone who reponded, you have all been a big help.

I pretty much have decided on the Prelude, but have one more small question. I'm going to guess and say the lude has more leg and headroom than the civic right? This is important as I'm 6'3 and in my em2 the roof seems to close to my head.