2001 Honda Prelude: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Honda's slow-selling sporty coupe offers base and SH models with a 2.2-liter 4 cyl and standard antilock 4-wheel disc brakes. Automatic transmission with manual shift feature is optional for the base model and reduces hp by 5. Exclusive to SH is Honda's Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS), designed to counter the tendency of front-drive cars to plow, or understeer, in hard cornering. For 2001, both models add standard floormats, rear child-seat tethers, and emergency in-trunk release. Honda has announced Prelude will not be offered for 2002.

COMPETITION

The current Honda Prelude has been around for a few years but it has plenty of power, excellent road manners, and gets reasonable fuel economy. If Prelude is a little too expensive, take a look at our other Best Buy the Volkswagen New Beetle. It offers interesting styling and a nice mix of comfort, performance, and economy.

If raw performance is what you are after we Recommend the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, and Pontiac Firebird. Not as pleasant to live with on a daily basis, these cars offer a lot of bang for your buck. New last year, the fun-to-drive Toyota Celica also earns the Recommended nod with its reputation for reliability.