1994 Honda Prelude Review

Good advice from original owner of '94

Written by: tru&onlytru on 01/26/2009

Vehicle

1994 Honda Prelude 2 Dr Si Coupe

Review

And my advice to other '94 Prelude owners is to never give up this car. My advice to potential buyers is if you are lucky enough to find a Prelude for sale, buy it, fast, and on the first contact. I am looking at purchasing a Honda Element, but I am keeping my Prelude, currently with only 60K miles. This sounds low, but almost all miles are city driving instead of highway driving. Needless to say, I don't drive much except to and from work and a few errands weekly. My Prelude has let me down only once, and the mechanics warned me of the potential problem, before it happened. I repaired the car quickly.

Favorite Features

It holds the road safely with no roll on turning and little chance of flipping this car. This is favorite feature. I feel safe and confident even if I have to abruptly dodge road debris at 65 MPH. Saved & safe! Other good features include exterior that still looks current, not dated.

Suggested Improvements

Not much at all, but the darn cigarette lighter, even after repair, still doesn't work. Small problem; use match. Make my Honda last another 15 years, but at 54, my age, this Prelude may outlive me, and I will have to will it to some lucky, lucky person after I'm gone. I'll wait for it to find me.

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Decent Value

Written by: SevenBizzos on 12/12/2008

Vehicle

1994 Honda Prelude 2 Dr Si Coupe

Review

I may have overpaid a bit for a mint, garage kept Si, but I definitely feel it was worth it. Even with the mileage in the 150k range, the maintenance for me has been minimal. For my daily vehicle, the power is adequate for passing and accelerating out of sight from annoying drivers. The handling is excellent. Car is light and easily maneuverable. MPG (with 10% ethanol fuel) have been from 26 with "spirited driving" to > 30 when gas was $4.50/gal and I was trying to drive efficiently.

Favorite Features

Positives have been the performance, the fuel economy, and the overall integrity. The 205 tires are perfect. Seats hold you in place but probably wouldn't fit overweight people. Backseat is pretty useless (this is a positive to me). Parts are easy to find.

Suggested Improvements

I'm not sure why premium fuel is required. Oil changes are complicated because the filter is immediately above the exhaust and a bit difficult to reach.

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Good Honda! Good girl!

Written by: JJ on 09/10/2007

Vehicle

1994 Honda Prelude 2 Dr S Coupe

Review

I bought my Prelude when it was 4 years old and had 30,000 miles on it. I knew I wanted that car the first time I test drove it, and I have not regretted buying it for even one second since I signed the contract. I love that it is a sporty, fun-to-drive car that handles well, but also has a good-sized trunk and gets 30 MPG (combined highway/city) consistently. I give her regular oil changes, and have had the timing belt/water pump replaced twice (at about 83000 mi, and again at 179000 mi). From what I understand about the engine construction, it is a very bad thing to wait for the timing belt to break, as you will then have to have a valve job too. With basic repairs, she runs & runs.

Favorite Features

I love the combination of good looks, sporty driving and handling, good fuel economy, and sufficient cargo/trunk space. It has been satisfying all the way around.

Suggested Improvements

Personally, I like the rear end of the newer Preludes better; however, I infinitely prefer the front end of the 94 model. I don't know what Honda was thinking when they dropped the Prelude model altogether, instead of combining the older front end and the newer rear end for the next model.

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Wonderful car

Written by: wsad on 06/03/2005

Vehicle

1994 Honda Prelude 2 Dr Si Coupe

Review

Very fun to drive, the seats hold you nicely in place and offer enough support for long drives. Great leg and arm room in the front, but the back seats are somewhat lacking. The dashboard is very unique with energy meters representing the fuel level and engine temperature. All of the controls are in the right spots and you naturally seem to find them. The car sits pretty low to the ground but has large windows so visibility is still good. Pretty quick for a non- turbo 4-banger but still looks faster than it is. The Car does get good gas mileage (usually averages around 25) for its performance though. Front wheel drive is great, especially during winter (Chicagoland area).

Favorite Features

The dashboard lights up very bright and can easily be seen even in the daytime. Still looks nicer than a lot of current sports cars even though its 10+ years old.

Suggested Improvements

The backseat room is a joke and only one drink holder in front. The sunroof is nice but could be larger or maybe have a moonroof option. There is also only enough room for a sheet or two of paper in the glove box.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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A Good Car, But Very Overpriced

Written by: Dw2 on 11/13/2004

Vehicle

1994 Honda Prelude 2 Dr Si Coupe

Review

I wrote a review on this car over 2 years ago; since that time I have put 55k on it, and, granted I drive it very hard, the car is showing its age. Honestly, this car is good, but Euro cars (BMW) can walk circles around it in terms of comfort and performance, and, sadly for the Prelude, cost about the same. The adage of Hondas being cheaper to repair than other brands is a myth, in the last year I have put in an A/C Compressor ($1050), and a clutch ($1000) parts are obscenely expensive, and the car is nearly impossible to work on. This car is a fun, and it handles awesome, but is too expensive and uncomfortable, especially with a 3-series available for the same money.

Favorite Features

Performance and handling, the steering is amazingly tight, the car is still solid at nearly 170k,

Suggested Improvements

Price of parts/repair, a real pain to work on (this really goes for any FWD car though-not a Prelude trait.), cramped, uncomfortable and oddly styled interior, poor outside visibility.

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