Genesis Accord

Hello everyone, I know this is a tech site but what do you all think? I had my first experience to drive a 2000 model Prelude Friday. I liked it more than my Accord. It was a 5 speed. I can say it had alot more power than my 97 Accords F22B2, I never looked under the hood but it sounded like it had a CAI (kinda that deep sound). My question is why in the world would Honda try and replace the Defined Prelude with a Civic Si? I test drove the Si not too long ago and I hated the digital gauges and interior. I hope Honda brings back the Prelude. I'm not much of a Civic, Integra, RSX or CRX kinda guy, Im more of a Accord, Prelude, CL, TL kinda person. I feel that Honda made one hell of a mistake to discontinue such a great car. What are your opinions?

R666_EK

What makes you think they replaced the prelude with the civic si?

They didn't actually "replace" it with anything. It just wasn't a big seller anymore and Honda had to cut it.

If anything it was more the RSX or the Accord coupe that replaced it.

(I know the RSX is the integra replacement and the accord coupe has been around for quite awhile)

Rob97'SH

Acoord coupe would be more of the replacement if it was replaced. The prelude was the testing ground for Hondas newer tech. But since it was removed from the list in 02' that can't be said anymore.

night

honda pushed it out of its own damn market

Si
accord coupe
GSR
S2000 (once the gouging stopped)
even the TypeR

IMO they were all in some competition and were effecting sales.

it also didn't help that the lude was the only car that was always made in japan. it held the price up.
on top of the car was underpowered for it's weight and price.


the prelude will never come back.
i mean.. they even killed the integra for gods sake.

night

yes it was. many things were prelude firsts. except VTEC. the biggest let down of it all i suppose.

clinzee

prelude
noun

1: something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows

The name would make sense if they did consider it the new technology introduction model.

I don't know why you would think they replaced it with the Civic si. Completely different class of cars to me. Sometimes good things have to go if they are restraining the progress of the company.

DCFIVER

Wrong. None of those cars were marketed to the same demographic as the Prelude.

Genesis Accord

Ha, yea thats what I thought too. The sales guy at the dealership told me that the Civic Si is the replacement for the Prelude. He went on and on of how the civic si is this or that and blah blah blah compaired to the "out-dated style of the Prelude. I cant nor believe that or accept that as a reasonable answer! I say like you said anything that comes close to a acceptable "replacement" for the Prelude would be the Accord Coupe, since most of the older model ludes were based off the Accord and vice versa.
I say if Honda did bring the Ludes back to bring the H series motors back or manufacture a K22 or something, maybe even drop in a V6?

unlimitedMIKE

The original prelude was hondas cross-breed performance package, made from a civic with an accords motor..... and even the newer 5th generation had a similar standpoint using a 2-door body with a high litre motor similar to the accords F-series(including utilizing the F-series as a base model)

however, this is inconvienent for the average consumer because it wasn't sporty enough to appeal to the "sports car" market, and not versatile for daily family oriented consumers.

so its appeal was slivered to a more select group of people, not to forget honda also had its accord coupe and acura integra/RSX to compete in the same market, while offering more than its prelude brethern!

and yes both the accord coupe and RSX really where made to wein this car out...

-mike

neil23

The guy who said the prelude was hondas tech guinea pig was correct. lagging sales and the popularity of late 90's civ & tegs caused its demise. the sad thing is the spotlight was on the integra for a mere 4 grand less. many preludes i saw back in the day street racing added to the "slow" name of the prelude, guys with s's & si's faking to be vtec and misinformation about the H's being the oddball H motor and its limited power potential. in a nutshell ignorance killed the prelude and to accomodate honda axed it, made the integra alpha-numeric to follow suit w acuras lineup, and basically told prelude enthusists, "its an evoloved H series below the hood; adapt". personally i had a 2002 RSX-S and call me crazy but I returned to a 4 gen.

minilogoguy18

^Very true, even people with the VTEC model still don't build them nearly as heavily as all the people with civic's and integra's. Most preludes are lightly modified and people perceive them as slow because of this. The car isn't underpowered for it's weight, it was meant to be a fast cornering machine, not a drag racer, hence the torque,wider wheel base and better suspension than the civic/integra.

Scudweiser

preludes were just never that popular, and any prelude owner not only admits it, they embrace it. i hope honda brings the 'lude back one day, and after such a long hiatus, you know it will be something to marvel at. maybe an i-vtec with variable compression, a hybrid or even a turbodiesel (but probably not stateside). the possibilities are limitless imho.

Hawkze_2.3

Laser ignition is on the horizon also

AndyD

iTrader: (1)

The Prelude was too expensive for what you got. People couldn't justify buying it, especially when there was an Accord coupe available for less.

The new Civic Si was to replace the sporty car option for the Honda lineup that the Prelude and RSX targeted, too.

NirVTEC

Well said man......
Only slower than the ITR and not much......Not bad for a car NEVER meant for Drag Racing.
Down to 12s N/A these days......not bad for a car that will save your life. Unlike a Civic

Kronn 98SH

The fact is the Prelude died because there's little desire for a classy, compact sports coupe with good mileage and handling. This is mostly due to the SUV craze by people who don't utilize them properly. In America, bigger is better. In most other places, smaller is better. The Prelude was in the middle, and therefore, removed. It was not replaced by anything.

Other car companies are following suit (the Celica and several others are gone now). And they aren't being replaced with anything, either. Everything is all about lower-powered, heavier, slower, bigger, uglier.

minilogoguy18

^The tc I believe is supposed to be sort of a replacement to the celica but of course like the newer eclipse's its only a shadow of its former self without the awd/turbo. I wont fall into that category of slow prelude though NirVTEC, got a fresh H22a from HM and awaiting T2W4 arrival, also found a site that sells JUN parts...

Genesis Accord

Yep, I think that its just sad they discontinued such a great car. Burns Me Up!

unlimitedMIKE

you bring up a good point but in this case im going to have to disagree with you.... the prelude, or any other 2 door sports car of the era never appealed to the same market as the SUV.

however the prelude WAS in the middle, laying respectable specs but not good enough to stand out for the price.... even though the car was baller status when it came to looks

NirVTEC

I think with the 4-5G it just got too expensive. The people that could afford a $500+/mo car payment were looking for 4drs.
The small handful of people that I know that bought a 4g-5g NEW were late 20s-early 30s, unmarried men with no kids, well into their career.....and YES, most had no g/f!
The once in a blue moon teenager that was spoiled by his parents weren't enough to keep the $25k+ Prelude alive.
I think if they'd just put a rear wiper on them[like JDM EDM] it would still be around today!

autoluder

Yes, one more thing to make the prelude heavier than it already is.

NirVTEC

That 20lbs is really going to do anything.......I would've killed for that thing in the 10yrs I have owned my car.
They can keep their power fold-in mirrors, fender markers, 8th speaker.......
*Do I smell negativity from a broken Prelude owner?*

MikeLuder

honda really should remake another prelude. that has *****. big ones. like 250whp turbo with standard LSD.

EF7

They should create a V6 Prelude, 300hp J Series motor would do wonders...but there is the accord coupe already like some else mentioned.

Kronn 98SH

The next Prelude should have an inline 5cyl pushing 275-300whp (and equal torque) with factory SC. A 10k redline sounds good. It should also come in AWD, RWD, or FWD. It should come with 2WS or 4WS. It should have LSD or ATTS on both axles. It should be under 2500lbs. It should cost $30k new to keep the ricers from buying it. It should be dead sexy with targa top or convertible options. And it should eat all other Hondas, minus the NSX, in straights and turns.