toewsj

I have a 98 Prelude, and I'm considering getting a new S2000. Anyone have any experience with both cars? Any thoughts appreciated.

Jason

RT

ahhh, no

j/k

Humanatek

Yeah. I had a 99 Prelude SH and there is no comparison. Lets see, convertible to coupe, 5.5 0-60 to 7.1 0-60, rides on rails RWD to VERY good handling FWD car, 6spd to 5spd, short precise throws to long throws, no body roll to mid to low body roll, 240HP to 205.

I could go on and on. If you can afford the S2k, go for it.

F20C

Ditto, I have a 99 Prelude and an S2000. The S2K is much faster, but also much less space. The Vtec band in the S2000 is much broader and more INTENSE! After driving the S2000 for a while, I drive the Prelude and I hardly even notice the vtec kicking in, and that's with intake and headers. The lude has twice the legroom, more trunkspace, back seats, better stereo, etc. I'm selling my Prelude though, I'd rather just have the S2000. A two seater has to be practical for you. If so, you won't regret it. Do miss the stereo though, and the legroom is killing me! I'm 6'3" btw, but it's worth the sacrifice. After owning two Preludes (92 & 99) I was skeptical about the whole convertible deal. After driving with the top down, I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. Did I mention the legroom? Haha. One of the best things about going from a lude to an S2000 is the exclusivity. I don't really see a whole lot of ludes on the road, but a hell of a lot more than S2K's that's for sure. The S2000 will give you more compliments and attention, if that's what you like.

BTW, you're user name looks familiar. If you frequent superhonda, I'm Ludeluva over there, didn't carry the name to this forum though since I won't own one for too much longer.

jguerdat

Ditto. Just turned in my '97 SH for end-of-lease and there are no regrets. However, you must be prepared for the difference - if you are expecting leg room for tall folks, trunk space, easy launches for racing, creature comforts, etc., etc., this may be the wrong car for you. Several folks have whined after the fact that their seats, for instance, weren't as comfortable as their truck's (!) seats. My take is that this is not the type of car that should pamper yer butt. In traffic, I think the S2K is very much like the Prelude, what with the limited torque, similar gearing and somewhat lower weight. It still requires VTEC to get the most out of the engine.

If this all sounds like you're willing to deal with it, grab one while you can. Otherwise, save your money and let someone who truly appreciates the car get it...

Barry in Wyoming

I'm lucky enough to have a '93 Prelude VTEC as my "daily driver/winter driver." I got it new in October, 1992 and it only has 43,000 miles on it. It was the second Honda to have VTEC after the NSX.

The 4th generation Preludes have some advantages over the 5th. They're a couple hundred pounds lighter.

My Prelude has these advantages over the S2000. There's more trunk space/back seat storage space for long trips. There's 1,100 pounds of capacity vs. 400 lb for the S2000. I've got a trailer hitch on mine for my motorcycle/utility trailer. The stock sound system is a seven speaker system (tweeters on the dash, midrange in the doors, rear deck speakers, woofer in the middle of the back seat) and it is "adequate" compared to the S2000's barely adequate. The front wheel drive is definitely an advantage on streets with fresh snow.

The '93 Prelude VTEC has an advertised 0-60 of 6.5 seconds (better than the 5th generation). It redlines at 7,400 rpm and the VTEC kick is noticable at 4,800 - 5,200. It has 190 hp and 155 ft-lb of torque. The "rush" above 5,500 rpm is similar to the S2000's rush above 6,000 rpm, but more mild.

The driving experience is dramatically different. After I've been driving the S2000 for a few days and go back to the Prelude, I feel like the Prelude is huge, bloated, and sloppy. Both shift buttery smooth, but the S2000 shifter is more precise, quick and locked in. The cabin is a great fit for me. I prefer the S2000 dash. The handling is more "go cart". I love having the top down.

I'm thinking of selling the Prelude but it would only net me about $9,000 plus annual insurance/maintenance/depreciation and that just doesn't mean much to me now. If I sold the Prelude, I'd be tempted to get a small pickup or jeep for the mountains. I don't really need either of those since the Prelude gets me most places I want to go in the mountains and my XR250L gets me to the rest.


I hope that helps.


[Edited by Barry WY Silver/Black '01 on 03-17-2001 at 07:42 AM]

Rubber Ducky

I had a 99SH Prelude with all the engine and suspension mods and now I have a S2K. The only thing I miss is the stock stereo in the Lude...

meat

Barry

I think we have talked on this before, but the Prelude was not the second car with VTEC. The Integra GSR debuted in very limited numbers as a 1992 model. This was a 1.7l, I believe, that put out 160hp. This continued for 1993 and then 3rd Gen GSR appeared in 1994.

The Civic also got VTEC at some point close to these dates, but I can't remember when.

Barry in Wyoming

[QUOTE]Originally posted by meat
[B]Barry

I think we have talked on this before, but the Prelude was not the second car with VTEC.

Austin_S2000

Guys,

Don't forget about the B16A engine. Debuted in 1989.....in Japan. We first saw it in the US with the 1994 Del Sol VTEC.

My second car is a 95 Del Sol VTEC. The S2000 is very quiet compared to the transistion on my Del Sol (even before I added an AEM CAI kit), and its a convertible. That is where the comparisons stop.

See ya.