Well ive had my heart set on gettin a type R for quite some time now, but all of a sudden im gettin second thoughts. Im now considering getting a newer style prelude mainly because i dont know if i can handle the financial burden of the type R seeing as im only 17. What do you guys think i should do cause im extremely confused right now...im making about $800 a month and planning on gettin the car in a month or so. Any opinions or personal expeirances would be great to help me make up my mind. Thanks to all the reply.

 

If your making $800 a month, I sure hope you have some financial help elsewhere. I am 16, and my 92 prelude 4ws is about $350 a month (full coverage 100/300). Now just imagine if I had a new prelude and car payments on top of that. I believe Type R and Prelude are pretty close in cost, insurance on the R is probably higher but both will be high.

If I were you... Unless you have alot of money from other sources (saved up/parents/etc), I would go and get a second hand car at a lesser cost. That way you would have more money to spend on mods and just save (for your next car). Then in a couple years get the new car you wanted. Just image spending all the money you make just on insurance and car payments. Then you would have no money left for mods, and no money left for other stuff.

Best option though, is to try to talk your parents in to giving you money . I was lucky enough to get them to pay my car insurance (since I am a fulltime college student and only work about 15 hours a week making a couple bucks over minimum wage), but then again my dad is a lawyer that saves his money up; so everyone has a different financial situation.

As for TypeR vs. Prelude; the TypeR is gonna be more of a sports car while the prelude is more of a luxury car. If you wanna just race, I would go for the TypeR. If you want a nice more comfortable car, I would go for the Prelude, which is less 'sport tuned' I would go for the prelude. All in all I would take the TypeR, but I cant afford either so I got a 92 prelude 4WS.

 

Yea acctually my parents would be paying for about half the car payment as long as im still in school, so thats gonna help alot. Also im gonna get like a 98' so the payment is gonna be like 320 a month and then insurance (haha lucky my dad is in the car business). So with my parents help it wont be that bad and ill still have some money leaft over for mods. But i think im gonna stick with the R, thanks for the input.

 

Well I am 19 now and have had a 2000 Civic Si, a 2001 PY Type R, and I now drive a 97 Prelude. I had to sell the R b/c the insurance for an 18 yr. old was so high (3000 a yr.)...my Si was 1400. Just think a/b that man...The R is a true race car, I loved that car but just couldnt afford the insurance part of it...the prelude is a cool car also, but different than the R and alot slower...I'd be glad to answer any ?'s u have otherwise.

 

In that case I would sure get the type R. You cant really compare an ITR to a prelude. The only advantage of the prelude is that it might (1) be easier to find and (2) is a little more conservative and better for an older person. ITR all the way, and this coming from a prelude person.

-Jordan

 

Haha yea thanks. Now all i have to do is keep saving my money for the down payment. Oh and if anyone is looking to by a basically brand new ranger let me know. Yep thats doubtful around here but why not put it out there.

 

Alot slower?

 

Ah, drug dealer...

WTF? You doing with two sweet new cars when you are the same age as me!

 

well, both cars are great choices. the typeR is a little sportier and a bit faster, prelude however is more comfortable and cheaper. insureance rates are gonna be higher on the R, but prelude insurance isn't going to be a lot cheaper either.
how do you decide which one to get? simple. ask your self following questions:
what are you going to use the car for?
are you ready for the typeR at your age? i hope you are.
are you looking to modify the car after you get it? are you into dragging or auto-crossing?
personaly, if i were your age with your income, i'd get a nice second hand integra GSR or a 4th gen prelude VTEC. both are great cars and are a lot cheaper than two other choices you have. i had a 95 prelude VTEC and i loved it. with money you'd be saving if you get one of these, you could modify either the GSR or the prelude and smoke the living crap out of a typeR. don't get me wrong, i love the typeR and i wish i could have one, but at your age with your income (even with the help of your parents) you will be broke as a joke all the time.
but if that's what you really want, go for it.

 

Prelude TYPE SH is a better car.
ITR is JUST a quicker car.

Prelude TYPE SH 6.5 and 15.5 secs
ITR 6.2 and 14.3 secs(this is not something to crap about, you are not going to beat a porsche 911 even with a turboed ITR nor will you beat an s2000).

Prelude looks better.

Prelude is quiet on the highway, doesn't rattle, body frame is safer/stronger than an ITR.
ITR is noisy on the highway, rattles like a rattle snake, body frame is cheaper/weaker.

(all the pics i have seen of ITR's that either flipped or got into major auto accidents, the drivers were either horribly injured or died. There have been numerous popular cases of ITR owners that died, and one of them made the news for the driver killing himself and his sister and also a friend in the back seat in an ITR(he was hit by a ford van that was doing about 45mph). There are also numerous pictures of integras in auto magazines, stating how unsafe the integra was and showing how the roof was literally spit open. I have seen a picture of a flipped over prelude(5th gen) from japan, the dude totalled his car flipped once or twice, he lived to take a picture of his car and post it on the web. from what i saw in the picture, and i did examine the picture thoroughly, the cockpit frame was not badly dented, but the front of the car was totalled, engine exposed. he is lucky he did not die, but point is the prelude has a stronger frame, this is because the ITR is based on a small car...THE CIVIC while the PRELUDE is based on a bigger car...THE ACCORD, unfortunately this is the main reason for the prelude being heavier, it's safer, due to it's heavier frame-and it still does 6.5 and 15.5, not bad). FROM a quickness point-of-view one can only imagine if the prelude were based on the civic frame and still have the 2.165 liter engine...

you feel safer in a prelude than in an ITR and you are a 17 year old male, YOU WILL GET INTO AN ACCIDENT!!! NO matter how safe you think you are going to be, you will get into an accident. most accidents in the USA happen to people your age.

So if you wanna risk your money or your parents money and your life just to get to 60mph in 6.2 seconds or go down the road 1/4 of a mile away in 14.3 seconds, don't bother because if that is all you are looking for QUICKNESS, then, in 5 years you won't want your ITR anymore, because i can think about 10 other cars that are quicker, faster and more powerfull than an ITR....just save your money for now and dream and in 5 or 6 years there will be better cars out there. Unless you are into cars...because most car enthusiasts would probably pick the Prelude ....


[Modified by jakobgius, 4:43 AM 12/29/2001]


[Modified by jakobgius, 4:45 AM 12/29/2001]

 

That's alot of bullshit for just one post. The ITR has a damn good body and suspension. The whole car is built for autocrossing. This makes it less comfortable than the prelude for daily driving, but that doesn't matter to everyone. Either way the ITR does not have a "cheap" body. And I know that a stock ITR doesn't run a 14.3 stock. What 10 cars can you name that run the 1/4 mile in under 15 seconds for $25,000? You should have just told him to take pulic transit everywhere to be safe, but that's not even safe enymore since the movie Speed came out. Is everyone from Minneapolis like this?

 

I know I could get into an accident no matter what car i drive, so im not gonna put that out as an issue. Anyone can get in an accident at ANY age. I do recognize that the prelude would be a little more comfortable as a daily driver but, stock for stock, it comes in behind the R in acceleration and handleling. I really think that I most likely should base my decision on my financial stability at such a young age. I am going to school and heading off to college next year so ill have to be able to afford ALL of it. And yes, Im also greatly considering getting a GSR but i keep fighting with myself over what i should do in the end. Thanks for all the input because it is truly helping me put things into perspective.

 

damn dude.... why are you so negative???? hahaha, enyone could get into an accident any time in any car. and if people had only this in mind they would all be buying SUV's.
second, integra by no means has a cheap body. it's not the safest car, but when compared to other cars in its class it's pretty safe.
all that stuff you've seen on news or internet about crashed typeR's mean nothing.
typeR is a popular car and many teenagers buy it for that reason (to show off, not because they are true sports car enthusiasts). now, teenagers will do stupid things on the road to show off in front of their buddies of girls, and that will often result in a bad accident. this doesn't mean typeR is not a safe car. i've seen pictures of crashed SUV's and semi-trucks and there were victims there as well.
preludes are safer, that is true. i had a bad accident on the freeway doinf 70mph when someone clipped me from behind and my prelude span out and hit the center divider. nothing happened to me (thank god)
but anyone who enjoys their typeR responsibly should be fine. i wouldn't even worry about that. of course you could get hit by other people and you have no control over that, but if that's your luck than f it.
you made it sound like typeR is this bucket that is totally unsafe and noisy and its basically falling apart right out of factory.
i had driven a typeR many times and its not even as close to how you described it.
look at it this way, typeR is a street legal race car. that's exactly what it is. people who are looking to buy a car like this don't really care how loud the car is, and they actually preffer stiffer suspension, and they want a lighter body.
if you're not that kind of a person then you can't really understand.
as far as preludes, they are not better than typeR's just because they are safer (like you said), and they are not based on ACCORD's.
so there is something for you to think about...

 

Yeah thats a lot of bullshit there jakobgius.

For one the 5th gen is NOT better looking than an ITR. Although I do think 5th gen's can look incredible with a mild bodykit and rims...its like night and day. ITR's are very good looking cars...i love them.

And I don't know where you've heard of an SH getting 0-60 in 6.5, if you can find it I'd be shocked. The only prelude I've seen tested at 0-60 in 6.5 stock is the 1994 Prelude VTEC, tested by Car and Driver. ITR's generally run mid-high 14's stock with a good driver. 5th gen Prelude's generally run mid-low 15's stock.

 

IMHO, don't get an expensive car. Get a sub-$3000 beater. Save your money. Go to college. Don't go into $16,000+ debt at age 17...

If Mommy and Daddy are buying or chipping in, consider that the Prelude costs a lot less to insure than a Type R. I know because that was the deciding factor when I bought my 2000 Prelude last year... The ITR would have been more than double the insurance premiums I am paying on my Prelude for the same coverage.

Andrew

 

At 17 youll probably wreck - statistically. I thought I wouldnt, then I hit a wall taking the same road i take every week going home from school. My friend wrecked his prelude after having it for 1 week, and he wasnt a reckless driver - he drove very slow and cautiously in the lude (he had also been driving for a year before that). Im 16, hes 17. One reason I got the prelude over teg was cause the preldue has a 4/5 safety rating, while the teg has 3/4. The prelude is also a little more sturdy (as stated above which gives the extra weight).

I agree with the people above. Wehter you get a prelude or integra, go for a used one. Being an inexpirienced driver I thought the 4WS could handle something it couldnt; now just imagine if ihad the engine and suspension of an ITR? How much faster i would have been going? And with the typeRs lighter frame; my noinjury in a prelude caused have been a heavy injury in the ITR. Not to mention my ludes 5k of damage probably would have been totaled in a lighter car. You know how high your insurance would be if you are 17 and totaled a $25k?

Your saying an accident can happen to anyone any age. This is true, but its more likely to happen to you. Not because your a bad driver, but your inexpirienced with the limitations of the car. Like how I was, and how most 16-17 year olds are. The difference is with an ITR you will push it too its limits more than say a not as fast car. The other issue, is if you crash you will be messing up a 25K car rather than an 3K car, 5K car, 8K car, whatever.

I have realized, the question of new ITR vs. Prlude is the wrong one. You should get a nice $7-8k mid 90s teg or Prelude. Everyone else is right. And get rid of the misconception that an accident can happen to anyone, so therefore you shouldnt care about safety. My 17 year old friend said that, and then he crashed his motorcycle acouple days after he got it - lucky for him he was alright. He just couldnt handle his need for speed on a fast bike. Nor could I in my good handling 4ws. Thats why we crashed, while my Dad has a really fast SL500 and a flawless driving record.

 

I never stated that I wasnt gonna get in an accident and therefor didnt care. I simply put that I know I could get into an accident but so could anyone else. By no means am I saying that I have enough expieriance to not get in a wreck or Im too good of a driver, only driving for one year is nothing compared to basically everyone else. In reality were all still beginners. I think Ive decided to get like a $14,000 used car condidering im gonna make a down payment of 4 grand the payment is gonna be pretty low. So on that note, does anyone have ANY suggestions as to what to get with that kind of money (Im thinking GSR and have considered my options but more opinions to open my mind is always great).

 

I love the "what should I get" questions. If I had $14000 to spend I would get a 95 LS and drop in an H22A. I love the way that the integra looks w/out a wing and I love the H22A, so I'd put the two together. If I had to buy a car without a swap I'd get a 4G prelude VTEC b/c I've raced GSRs and 5G preludes and I consistently beat them by at least 2 car lengths. Maybe they were poor drivers, but they were both from respected car clubs so...Hell I only need $15000 for my 93 milano red VTEC if you want one.

 

I would by Luder94's prelude... http://www.preludeonline.com/showthr...threadid=42297

Hes asking 15k obo, but it is amazing looking and also is pretty well moded. Immortal23 is also selling his prelude VTEC which is amazingly clean (say it at a meet) check out http://www.preludeonline.com/showthr...hreadid=42465. The price is a little steep at 12900. But If you can get him down to mid 11s, that is one nice car to start building.

Ill let you know if I find any integras.

-Jordan

 

Just read Jordans first post and stop there. I coldn't have said it better myself. Most of these guys seem to be giving good advice, except for jako. But to each their own. Haters

 

I just dont understand how all these 17-19 year olds are getting these TypeRs. I mean I go to college and work part time, yet I struggle for money everytime I want add another mod. And on top of it, I am not even paying for insurance (my dad is picking up that), and I dont have car payments because I bought the car in cash.

I just dont get it! Even my friends that are drug dealers couldnt afford TypeR's, and had to settle for Civic SIs

Also keep in mind, this is all coming from the son of a Lawyer that lives in a nice area

-Jordan

 

I have friends who work in factories to buy cars and some people have overly generous relatives, but anyone can get a type R when they're young. All you have to do is drop out of high school and start working on a construction squad or at McD's. Dry walling pays $500 cash everyweek and McD's pays about $7.50 an hour and if you stick with it you'll be an asst. manager in two years and once you're over 18 you could become a unit manager. I'd rather have a lesser car until I get out of college than have a $25k car right now and have to work in the food service industry for the rest of my life. After school I'm looking at an NSX.

 

I agree with everything you say; the thing is, I suspect most fitting the category I reffering to still attend school.

 

parents...wish i had that route and didnt have to earn my car

 

Don't be confused young Skywalker... get a Prelude and never look back.

Actually, I'd find a nice 4th gen VTEC, and then you get just as fast of a car, but with leather and sunroof and crruise control.

Just me though, my opinions are my own...