1988-1991 Honda Prelude 4WS
About a year ago, I was searching for a car to replace my unloved 1992
Accord (AVOID), and I needed something reliable, relatively cheap, and
easy on gas. Since I've had an extremely good experience with my 1989
Accord, I set out to find a Honda product that was made in that same
time period.
Hondas of this vintage are cheap to run, reliable, and efficient, but what really makes them desirable is the fact that almost all models, from the base CRX to the larger Accord, have double-wishbone suspension.
While browsing the local classifieds, I came across a car that fulfilled all of my needs, fit within my budget, and shattered my expectations of just how good a small, older car could be.
The Prelude was a front-wheel-drive sports coupe produced by Honda from 1978 to 2001.
With every generation, it grew larger, heavier, more powerful, and more
refined. As attractive as the last-generation Prelude is, it's not what
I was shopping for. It is a bit on the heavy side, a bit too big, and a
bit out of my price range.
I've always held the third-generation Prelude
in high regard; it's rather light and small, the styling is similar to
my Accord, and some of them came with a four-wheel steering (4WS)
option. When I spotted a clean-looking example on Craigslist, equipped with the
infamous 4WS option, I jumped on it.
The third-generation Prelude looked similar to the previous
generation but received a mild restyling; the exterior got about three
inches longer and lost some of the gray plastic trim surrounding the
headlights. Another unique aspect of the third-generation Prelude is its
visibility. Thanks to very narrow, high-strength steel roof pillars,
you're able to see 326 degrees around you, which is rather
unprecedented.
On the inside, the interior is typical no-nonsense
Honda design. Everything is well laid out, easy to read, and easy to
reach. The seats are quite firm and supportive, with adjustable side
bolsters. Once you have them adjusted, you really feel like you're "in"
the seat, so you get the sense that you have plenty of grip for
high-speed cornering. Air conditioning, power windows, a moonroof,
cruise control, and power locks provide plenty of creature comforts.
The most important change from the previous generation is under the
skin--the Prelude now had double-wishbone suspension at all four corners.
What's so great about all this double-wishbone foolishness? The vast
majority of vehicles have a traditional MacPherson strut suspension
design, where the wheel is located with a single suspension arm and the
compressible strut/spring assembly. In contrast, double-wishbone
suspensions use two links to locate the wheel. This translates to a
more precise wheel position and a better-handling vehicle. A side
benefit is that, since there is no need for massive shock towers, the
hood and cowl can be lower, which increases visibility and lowers
drag. Another way Honda achieved such a low hood is by tilting the engine
toward the rear by 18 degrees. Combined with the compact suspension
design, that change helped Honda hit a coefficient of drag of .34.
Base models had a 105-horsepower twin-carb
2.0-liter SOHC engine, but the Si came with a 16-valve fuel-injected DOHC
four cylinder that makes 135 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. That isn't a whole lot by
today's standards, but then again, this car only weighs about 2600 pounds.
Straight-line performance isn't incredible, but it is very
satisfying thanks to a redline of 7,200 RPM and a visceral engine note
that is similar to a sportbike.
Although this engine is old enough
to predate Honda's VTEC technology, it has a similar "kick" at
about 3,500 RPM. That sudden burst of power is the result of a
dual-stage intake manifold; at higher RPM an additional 51-mm runner is
opened with a vacuum servo. Also contributing to the driving experience
is the shifter. It is cable operated, so the shifting is far smoother
than a traditional shift linkage, and the design of the shifter itself
places it close to the steering wheel. Combined with a short-throw
design, shifting is very fast and snappy.
The most defining aspect of this
car by far was the $1,300 four-wheel steering option, a first for a
production car. Today, many question the system's reliability, as many 4WS vehicles have had issues with leaking hydraulic
hoses, problematic electrical components, and alignment issues.
Luckily, this generation doesn't suffer from any of these problems
because the 4WS system is entirely mechanical. The steering rack has a
small output shaft that runs beneath the car to a secondary steering
rack, located between the rear wheels. It's easily identifiable; it looks like a
small differential. With nothing to leak and no connections to become
corroded, this 51-pound system will last the lifetime of the car with
virtually zero maintenance.
The mechanics are simple, but the operation is anything but. The system is steering-dependent, which means
that the rear wheels initially turn with the front wheels. This
eliminates body roll and increases stability while changing lanes well
above posted speed limits. However, if you continue to turn the
steering wheel, the rear wheels revert back to nuetral, and then turn
in the opposite direction of the front wheels. This drastically improves
the car's maneuverability in sharp corners, regardless of speed.
Imagine your rear wheels coated with butter, and the rear of your car
slipping outward in a controlled fashion. Nothing is actually slipping
at all, but it's a very strange sensation when you aren't used to it.
Combining the elements of relatively low weight, decent power, amazing
suspension, and four-wheel steering, the third-generation Honda Prelude
was a world-beater in the handling department. Road & Track
tested it in 1988, and the Prelude flew through the 700-foot slalom at
65.5 mph--faster than any other production car available. Even today,
that time is still very respectable, faster than
the Mazda RX8, the Acura NSX, the Lotus Esprit, the C5 Corvette, and
even the Dodge Viper GTS. The scariest thing is this was all achieved on the
stock 195/60/R14 Michelins.
I knew the handling on this car was going
to be pretty incredible when I bought it, but once I got used to the
odd sliding sensation of the rear wheels I was absolutely blown away.
After a few weeks of throwing it around right-angle corners at 40 mph, I did
what any logical enthusiast would do--added more grip. I had a set of
15-inch alloys from a 1994 Acura Integra GS-R laying around, so I had them
wrapped in Dunlop Direzza tires with an AA traction rating. The car's
handling abilities went from fantastic to completely, totally
insane. Now I'm not sure where the limit of grip is, but it lies far
beyond the limits of my bravery.
After owning this car for roughly a year, I'm very satisfied with it.
It drinks fuel at a respectable 27-33 mpg, and it's very reliable,
comfortable, and cheap to maintain. Like anything else, it does have a
few downsides. For one, the rear seat is just for show. I cannot
imagine any use for it, other than maybe a possibly a child seat--rear legroom
does not exist. The Si was designed for performance, so fifth gear
is not very steep and highway trips become relatively annoying. I have
read that some people have swapped in the fifth gear from an Accord
transmission, but that sounds complicated enough that I'll wait until I have a real garage. The sound system was also extremely
disappointing. I quickly remedied that with a Sony MP3 CD player and a new set of cheap 6.5-inch speakers.
By far the biggest
downside to owning a car like this is getting stuck in traffic or
driving on straight roads. Here in southeastern Wisconsin, we lack
entertaining roads; most are straight, flat, and boring,
which fails to take advantage of this vehicle's amazing capabilities. One other
thing to consider is that the age of this car places it firmly in the
deepest valley of depreciation, so in the years to come, it will only
start to appreciate. In the past year, even though we've put over
15,000 miles on it, the Blue Book value hasn't moved at all.
Overall, the car is absolutely fantastic. These models are getting harder to find in decent condition, but if you keep your eyes
open you'll start running across quite a few. If you find a clean
example, go for it. You'll be rewarded with a vehicle that's on the
brink of becoming a collector car, has established itself as an
extremely reliable form of transportation, and, in my opinion, is one of
the best performance bargains available today.
The yellow '89 Si is mine, and I found the photos of Uklude's beautiful 91 Si on Flikr. The engine shot is from racinghonda.com. Below I've attached two videos. The first one shows the 4ws system in action, the second should give you an idea of how well this thing handles.
--Rob the SVX Guy
PS: Be gentle, it's my first post. :P
Jon Hantsbarger on August 25, 2009 at 01:47 PM
A 1997 Honda Prelude was the first vehicle that started me down into the slippery slope of modified vehicles. As a college kid I spent every penny I had (and every penny that my parents would give me) working on that prelude. By the end of college the engine had been rebuilt twice, the tranny rebuilt, all new suspension, breaks, exhaust, tuning, turbo, wheels and tires, etc.. I turned a daily driver in to a 10 sec drag car. Then as you all know it basically became unusable on the street, so I sold it for a more down to earth 05 STI.
Anyway, I completely agree that these are great cars and will be treasures to be had for a long time.
Louie on August 29, 2009 at 05:52 PM
i got a 89 prelude si 4ws it had 72kmiles it now has 81k miles i love very reiable and fun i put a set of 18"wheels on it people have told me thats a clean prelude thats kool
LR on October 09, 2009 at 07:23 PM
I've had five of these grand cars, an 81, 85, 89 and currently a 88 and 89. both are 4WS. One has only 105,000 original miles; the other only 22,000 original miles.
Both are white in color. My dream is to own a YELLOW 88 or 89 prelude.
Great write up about a great car.
israel gonzalez on October 20, 2009 at 06:03 PM
hey guys i have a question i have a honda prelude 91. and im missing the black piece on the side of the care rite behind the drivers door. can some one please tell me what its called? write me to isralwd@yahoo.com thanks!
ludelover on October 28, 2009 at 09:49 AM
my brother and i both owned preludes..he owned an 88,89,90,91.. too many to count.. we found a clean shell on ebay for $200.. got it..and picked it up in PA. now he is building a turboing it. its got the b21 block with b20 head. redid the pistons and honed/clean the block. turbo manifold done. i only owned one.. had the 91 with b21 motor.. was college student.. couldn't afford driving 100 miles with a leaking engine..so i had to sell it and buy a newer civic. these things are still high in value.. i got mine in 2004 and today i still see it going for the same price.. i am going to look for another one .. probably go grab it in california or something.. rust free body. .make it nice and clean. i love 3rd gen preludes!
RICHARD on November 11, 2009 at 12:17 PM
I OWN A PRELUDE 16V 4WS IN SOTLAND .WHAT A CAR.!
Bruce on November 23, 2009 at 04:09 AM
Hi I've got one to and live in Scotland, where abouts are you Richard?
Patrick on December 04, 2009 at 01:01 AM
Great review!
I recently was in a total loss accident that gave me a 5k check in return to buy a new daily driver. I was initially looking for a car similar to my wrecked one- a '00 Saturn with a V6. I loved that car, and test drove some others like it- ES 300's, Accords, etc. Then I started looking outside of the more roomy box I was used to and found a completely stock,cherry red '90 SI 4WS with 159k for $3,200. Yep, I paid more than book value, but it was the driving experience that "made" me do it. This one was in near mint condition, with typical blemishes of a car that old- a couple of minor dings, passenger power window not working, power antenna broke, vent fan switch missing. My Saturn NEVER had any maintenance issues. It's weird, but I'm actually glad to be doing maintenance on a 20 year old car again. As of this writing I've had it for 2 days.
You can't ever fully appreciate the 4WS until you drive it. Being a passenger isn't enough. I feel very fortunate to have a couple of hairpin turns on my daily commute-it's something else to steer through a corner with the rear end as a guide. It's just really a spacey feeling. With high speed cornering there's almost no body roll at all- I'm looking forward to upgrading my traction and starting to push the limits.
Another thing I appreciate is the size of the moonroof-huge! Pretty much makes it a T-Top. And even being 6'3", I fit very well in such a small car.
I understand the timing belt needs to be replaced every 60-90k; since mine's in great condition and runs like a top, I'm not terribly worried about it. That said, I'm looking forward to doing it fairly soon, to make sure I get what they say is average out of this engine- 300k+ miles.
Yes, as a daily driver in Seattle traffic, there are other safer cars as great bets for a grad student such as myself, on a very limited budget for gas & maintenance. But none of them had the pure, Miata-esque joy of driving as does this Prelude. I've already invested in a few restoration items that are in the mail, and am looking forward to the driving and maintenance adventure ahead. With only a couple of fun filled days in, I'm bizzarely confident that my next car will have to find a parking spot next to this one, not as a replacement.
The one question I do pose is: The paint job is peculiar. The "top" of the car including the hood, roof and trunk lid are slightly orange-ish, fading perfectly cleanly into the bright red of the sides. I'm leaning towards believing this was a repaint, but it really feels stock. Perhaps just a great paint job?
cameron rowe on February 26, 2010 at 08:11 PM
heey... nice right up... i know this is old but i got my hands on a very nice 1989 prelude si 4ws and i loove it! i pickd it up cheap for around 400 thinking it was going to need some work done to it but nope... and because i live in New Zealand thye roads here are perfect for the 4ws... every time i drive somwhere i like to take the back country hilly roads rather than the highway i just have so much more fun... i also managed to find some lowering springs for my car which made the handling incredible. ive been able to go around corners faster than most my friends could dream of in their cars an when i do it they sit there and look at me like how the heck did u just do tht. i could go on and on about how amazing this car is but u probly already kno seems owning one yourself.. i enjoyd reading ur right up and the part about the dual stage intake is suprising i didnt kno that... but i do know tht my car stock is faster than my friends b16a da6 integra. lol
anywho thanks for the good read
johnny on March 24, 2010 at 05:15 PM
i like dude i got an 89 prelude with 4ws and it is the mechanical rear end too its a sweet car dude i love it so much fully loaded power everything the only downside to mine is the auto tranny but it does have a racing button option on the shifter which is sweet ive gotta do some bodywork to it and put a new front steering rack in it but other then that its fine .....very fun to drive and yeah ur right u cant really put anything in the back seats.....mine is black with tan interior very clean on the inside. the funny thing is that i got this car for $450...lmao i was wowed cause i couldnt beleive it, i kinda feel bad that the girl i got it from didnt know what she had but man i got the deal of a century!!!
Felix on July 17, 2010 at 10:34 AM
I had a 88 4wS 2.0 Si and it is the greatest car I've owned....ever. I am now driving an brand new Accord and it is nothing compare to my iol prelude.
I am actually looking for another one
solidfmdincorporated@gmail.com
Annie on July 30, 2010 at 08:41 AM
I have had my 1991 Prelude 2.0 Si since 1993. I bought it with 15,000 miles on it - one previous owner - and I still love it. So much fun on the turns. After an oil change once, the mechanic wanted to take it for a spin to make sure it was driving well (I was going on a trip.) He was gone a long time and when he returned he offered to buy it! Ha! No sale. My sister recently asked if I had had it repainted because it shouldn't be in such good shape after all these years. But, no, I haven't had it repainted. It just still looks new. Yea, Prelude! Honda - can't you do this car again....pleeeease?
Annie - Atlanta
Jamie on August 16, 2010 at 08:30 PM
I have an 89 prelude si with the 4WS system, I bought the car as a college graduation gift to myself. It's barbados yellow with the 5 sp and it currently had 188,000 miles on it. Have had it for 11 years now and it has been a second car for the past 5 or so years. I actually bought from a guy who worked at ENRON, if any of you remember those clowns. Anyways the guy had too many toys so I picked it up when it had about 60K miles on it. I used to have the original window sticker and these models were about $19k when they were new. The 2.0 is still running strong but as these engines get a some mileage on them the valve train gets a bit noisy, keep in mind that the valves are supposed to be adjusted every 20K miles. I have tried to sell it a couple of times but never been able to get the $2000 I was asking for it. I thought about going for a older porsche 911 targa to change things up a bit, but had a conversation with a guy who says I can install an H22a engine out of a newer model prelude and get the horsepower up to about 200 plus. Considering doing that, and literally blowing some peoples minds in the little texas town.
S. White on November 01, 2010 at 10:59 AM
I have a pair of OEM seats from a 1991 Honda Prelude SI for sale. They look like Recaro seats. They are both in excellent condition. I don't have the car, but I pulled the seats because they were great seats! No rips, tears, cigarette burns, etc, They function perfectly. Dark grey in color.
$220 each or $399 the pair.
I am located in the CA Bay Area 94610. Thanks
Vinyl4tubes at yahoo dot com
Linda on December 01, 2010 at 03:37 PM
I have a '88 Honda Prelude 4WS 120,000 miles and
I have a '89 Honda Prelude 4WS 23,000 miles
Love these cars. I bought a new '81 Prelude; a new '85 Prelude and a new '89 4WS Prelude.
In 2001, I made the mistake of trading the '89 for my Jeep. Wish I had kept it. In 2008, I started looking for a 'replacement' and ran across two immaculate Honda Preludes. Came across the '88 first then, the low mileage '89..couldn't resist it. Now, I have two white 4WS Honda Preludes!
Great car...fun to drive.
Ted on December 23, 2010 at 06:41 AM
It's all your fault!
Found a 89 4WS on Craigslist for 599 OBO. No photo. I was scared. Called the guy, went to see it. I was no longer scared. Looked new. Drove well. Curves are insane Your praise for the WS had me 80% sold. It drove well, got it for $550.
The bad: it was stored in a barn. Covered with dirt. Needed wash, could use a second wash. Inside smells like a wet dog soaked in 10-30. I think it needs detailing.
Windshield & windshield trim needs replacing. Window trim is bare metal. Wiper arms need paint (shiny bad in the morning sun).
Headlight switch needed replacing (steering columns are of the devil).
Muffler needs replacing in the future, but doesn't sound too bad! Cracked (but solid) sunroof. Not sure on alignment, needs check.
I'm pulling my stereo (has none) and tires (bald 14") from my "total loss" Civic.
I assume I'll be at 100% for before I hit $1500 total.
Hope to keep this as a toy/daily driver for years.
LowFlyin' (Chris) on January 20, 2011 at 03:29 PM
Another thing I loved about the 3rd Gen Ludes, probably one of THE best front seats Honda has put in their production cars.
People that always recommend del Sols probably never put their butt in a pair of these!
Cory on February 25, 2011 at 03:18 PM
hey BEAUTIFUL prelude, im just wondering did you buy it in that condition? or did you fix it up? id love to hear from you as im looking to buy one of these, but just cannot find one in good "looking" shape! mechanically yes, but look terrible! thanks,
cory
Brandon on March 04, 2011 at 02:13 PM
I got my first car for $800 it still is and was a 1989 Honda Prelude basic 2.0s model auto. It had no rust. only 100,000 miles. Shocking! Since then My dad and I have boughten 4, 3 89's and 1'91 all si except mine. 2 of them are in very good condition, I'm looking for any 4WS models around my area. And I since have driven my car for 4-5 and only put on 30,000 easy miles. Shes a good car.
Maria on March 08, 2011 at 09:37 AM
Hi Rob and thanks for your great article. I am still in love with my 3rd-generation Honda Prelude so I was delighted to read about your experiences.
Yes, this is a brilliant car. A joy to drive! I remember doing almost 200 km/hour on a French motorway in my Prelude without even realising it, it's that smooth. Power steering meant I could parallel park it with my little finger. This car was the first car I had with power steering. Gosh, I can still remember the first time I took a right angle in low gear! nearly ended up going in the opposite direction :-)))
I wish I could come across my old Prelude again. I'd buy it like a shot! I had to sell it as I was going overseas. Just about broke my heart!
Troy on July 22, 2011 at 05:36 PM
I've got a white 91 SI (no 4WS), and it still runs beautifully. 278K on it. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the sound system sucks.....
Gary Boisvert on September 22, 2011 at 12:36 PM
I have a yellow 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 si 4WS that I'm looking to sell to the right person...my mother owned it until 2 years ago...it needed brakes, suspension, and a new exhaust from the cat back...I replaced all that plus the front exhaust flex pipe, power steering fluid cooler (hard to find) and some other minor things. The AC does not work, but has the upgrade for the newer hook up. My mother had it maintained at the dealership. It has 130K miles and runs awesome!!! If anyone is interested, feel free to call (603) 490-9979...Thanks ;)
Gary
jordan baxter on October 02, 2011 at 09:25 PM
hey man great artical, i just resently picked up a 91 prelude abs red mint condition off a friend for free, great to know about the car thanks again man.
bebop Pete Heilig on November 23, 2011 at 03:13 PM
I have two of these. "Suki & Yuki".
'91 SI/4WS with 148000 miles
'91 SI/ALB with 93000 miles
much love.
hed on December 12, 2011 at 08:12 AM
@Rob the SVX Guy
Great article once again and greetings from the other side of the world (somewhere in eastern Europe lol). I'm an owner of a green '90 Prelude and I confirm everything you've described :) I have 2 things to mention though:
1. The 90-93 Accord is a nice car, I am really shocked you bashed it. My dad has one and it recently accomplished 900k kilometers without major issues, with the original engine and transmission! It's not true that it lacks double wishbones - it has them, and btw there are 90-93 Accords with the same mechanical 4WS of the 3-gen Prelude from the factory, so actually I think this one is as close to the 88-91 Prelude, as the 3-gen Accord with the popup lights.
2. Judging from your nick, you are aware of the Subaru SVX. I've been having the heretic thought of replacing my Prelude with a SVX (there is a clean one for sale in my town). I'm just tempted by the higher level of trim luxury, the AWD and the more powerful boxer engine (and the design of course, I've always had a thing for rare cars, the 3-gen Prelude is also very rare in my country). I've read everything about the SVX in the internet, there's lot of info and I'm aware of the 3 major issues with that car. The only thing that bothers me is the transmission issue, is it THAT unreliable really? And speaking in general, can you write a word or two about comparing these two cars as a driving experience, do you think it's worth to move from the Prelude to the SVX (I know the SVX is much heavier and far from the Prelude's easiness in cornering and braking etc... but still? (The SVX I'm thinking of buying is AWD with 200k kms, no 4WS) Thank you in advance :)