CoolMax

iTrader: (7)

Used Maximas and used Preludes seems to be going at the same prices nowadays...sometimes with the nod to the 'lude. But why? It seems that these Maximas have so many more features than Preludes.
Since I follow the principle "you get what you pay for" I'd like to know what I'm paying for in a 'lude or losing in a Max.
Thanks.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

There are a lot fewer Preludes than Maximas out there, the prelude is going to have more interest after the Rice and the Ridiculous, and the Prelude handles a -lot- better than the Maxima.

NickStam

iTrader: (3)

weren't high-end preludes always expensive?

CoolMax

iTrader: (7)

but what about 4-doors (more space/seating), luxury items (ATC, BOSE, leather), and one hell of a V6?

Rarity, rice rage, and handling don't seem enough to justify the price difference.

1. Rarity: it's nothing special (i.e. Ferrari,etc)
2. Rice-rage: I don't think that Kelley's Blue book factors that in.
3. Handling: what about go-fast, straight ahead? The way it drives doesn't seem to add to the price.

Or I could be wrong.

Lordrandall

iTrader: (4)

Well, it's becuase they are collectors items, since there will be no Prelude after the 2001 model year....

costcowholesale

iTrader: (12)

what about new ones? the new prelude is around hte same price as maxima GXE, why???

doz

My brother recently bought a 97 Prelude and it did cost about the same as a Max. At first I thought I still had the better car. I had mods he didn't. Well, the H22A is a 2.2 liter VTEC 4 cylinder with about 190 HP. A 2.2 in my mind is a big 4 banger! It also has a "good" stock suspension unlike our half a*ssed suspension (specifically the rear". A few other nice things are the sporty stock exhaust and 16 inch alloys... Also, the Prelude is much more unique than the Maxima. Grandpa thinks he has something in common with me when I travel on the highway (well almost) Hehehe. So, regarding cost maybe that will help.

I am not sure about top speeds... but around town and playing on the highway he out accelerates me

Another thing that is discouraging is the availability of performance parts... turbo kits, coilovers , carbon fiber everything, cams, pistons, crank, etc. Don't get me wrong I love my max! I just want some of those goodies too!!!

MAX99SE

I guess a Prelude puts you in a sports coupe and the Maxima in a sporty sedan. Hence, the price difference.

I might be getting a good deal on a 2001 Prelude SH. I was wondering if anyone here has driven a Prelude personally and what did you notice?

Thanks.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

Well, my best explanation is - it's a Honda. They do not loose their value as fast as the Nissans. The auction at which I bought my Max had tons of 4 banger Accords going for 1-2 grand more than I got my Max for, and these are same milage, same year cars.
As for the Prelude in particular, I guess it's Honda's mini-300ZX. They didn't have a genuine sports car badged as a "Honda", that's where the Prelude comes in, remember the Z is an expensive SOB, even the non-TT.

Shadow

iTrader: (15)

No, it's not a Ferrarri, but they only sell like 10,000 Preludes a year which makes them a lot more rare than Maximas. Also, Maximas have really, really crappy resale value. Hondas have really good resale value, that alone is what accounts for most of the difference. When new, the cars are in the same price range, but the Prelude just holds its value better. More people want to buy a used Honda than a used Nissan.

Mishap

Nissan has always given more content for the price than other companies. Preludes don't have that many features but they also don't have a beam axle and a rattle filled interior like the Maxima. Even old Celicas were 20k+ back when it still only had a crappy 135hp engine. If you want features in a Honda, you get the Integra GS-R and if you just want a performance oriented sport coupe, you pay the premium for the Prelude. Look at the Sentra GXE, it has more features than most Civics yet Civics are still more popular and more expensive. I admit 24K for a 200hp 4 cylinder is a lot but there wasn't a better car in the price range at the time. BTW, the Maxima definitely costs more than the Prelude new. Shadow's GXE auto ended up more than my Prelude out the door but he didn't have alloy wheels, CD player, or sunroof. As for the depreciation, blame Nissan's huge rebates at the end of each model run for flooding the market and killing resale value.

CoolMax

iTrader: (7)

So could it be fair to say that the Prelude is a better (I use the term loosely) car than the Max?

Mishap

Two very different cars. They have their strengths and weaknesses. The Prelude was never a hugely popular car b/c it was always too many compromises for the performance you got. In comparison, the Maxima gives you plenty of performance for the money but at a cost to some of the interior trim and suspension design. The Maxima appeals to a far wider audience with a big range in features and price to compete in both family and near luxury classes. The Prelude has a total of 3 options: Base, auto, and SH. Everything else is either standard or a dealer bolt on. If you want a stylish coupe with decent power, then the Prelude is one of the best in the class. If you want a sporty V6 sedan with enough kick to pass a lot of cars, the Maxima is going to be the better car. Mustangs, Camaros, Buicks, etc are all in this mid 20K price range and nobody that doesn't really mean anything.

Craig Mack

Well said.

BTW, How does your VTEC prelude handle off the line ? I heard they are sluggish until 2-3rd gear.

willhunting

to tell u the truth.....i was a honda enthusiast a while back, even though i was driving a maxima. but how times have changed. with my stock maxima i can beat a lot of these other cars out here. it has plenty of power and more to spare even though i'm goin 115mph on the highway. and it has so much room in it, i can stuff my friends in it for a night of crusin. after owning this car i would never ever buy a honda. my car is a 90 with 270k miles on it. show me a honda that has that many miles on it and still runs as smooth as mine then i'll shut up. i've driven the honda preludes. yes it has a stiffer suspension and stiffer suspension oh did i already mention that? well thats about it. yeah resale values suck on these cars. but why would u want to sell it? and the resale values doesn't reflect how the cars run. it's just there is so many of them out there. and y do u think so? it's because these things run forever. my car is proven fact of that. Nissans all the way.

Craig Mack

Dude, break into the 300k mile mark. That would be a mile-stone or somethin.

Mishap

The car's sluggish up until 4k but that only lasts about 2 seconds in 1st. If you're not driving the car hard, it doesn't feel fast especially if you shift below 4k. A lot of minivans and SUV's take off harder from the line when I'm just cruising. If you're racing, pop the clutch at 3 and it'll never feel slow. Past 1st gear you've got nothing but VTEC all the way to top speed.

BTW, here's a video about how to powershift a Prelude from preludeonline.com
http://www.tanninginvitational.com/c...claunching.mpg
It's more extreme than how I usually drive my car but you see how they get around the before VTEC part on launch. The 8k shifts on the tach are actually around 7500, b/c fuel cut is at 7600.

pinoy

i guess it all depends on your preferences. I don't like speed per se. and i like to race on the hilly road. and that's when i appreciate the engine of the max. there's no way a 4 cylinder car, except probably the s2000,can outspeed the max on the hills. I like especially the "torquey" pull of the max.
Before i bought my 98 max se, i tested the acura 3.2 tl(1998), mazda millenia, and the new 1999 honda accord v6. I must say that as far as the engine performance is concerned, the acura was the only one that was comparable to the max. I never regrettted i picked the max. Now i will wait until 2004 when nissan would have redesigned the max's suspension and body. i bet it would be awesome. of course by then the skyline gtr derivative will already be in the infiniti line up as the sportier version of I35. now, that would be a real dilemma. wouldn't it?

Craig Mack

Mishap:

Yeah that's what I thought...thanks for the info.

Pinoy: I agree !! Why can't stupid Nissan just give the maxima AWD or RWD !? That would be soo much sweeter than front wheel drive...

pinoy

You'll never know. Now that they've made the altima more competitive with accord and camry, i read that maxima will be upmarketed. But all these would mean we have to shell out more dough to get the maxima.

MaxedOut97SE

OK can I ask a question here? What is so cheap, inferior and rattle prone about the interior of the Maxima? My car is almost 5 years old now and has 70k miles on it. The leather still looks new, the doors open and close with a quality like thud, and there are absolutely no rattles. The high quality of the interior and the impeccable fit-and-finish is one of my favorite things about the Maxima.

BriGuyMax

iTrader: (1)

THANK YOU...I was waiting for someone to say that.
Furthermore...I don't know what you guys are talking about with this bad resale value....my car is a '97 with 76K and my bro has a '98 GP GT with 38K and ALL THE OPTIONS...and I can get almost the same amout on trade in that he can.

Mishap

I've put more miles on Shadow's GXE than I've put in my own Prelude. I've worked on every inch of his car so don't think I'm just here to hate on Maximas. I'm assuming your sig has the extent of your modifications and your car is very close to stock. Do what Shadow has done and see if you don't notice the interior rattles and the fact that if you take off the back seat of the car you can see the ground from inside the car. Admittedly Shadow's done more to his car than Nissan ever intended but it doesn't excuse the fact that the car has many cost saving measures that actually affect the overall quality feel of the car. My Prelude is lowered on far harsher springs and yet there are no rattles whatsoever. It's been lowered since I had 1k miles on it and nothing sounds like it is falling off. Making a car of that size weigh in at only slightly over 3000lb means they skimped somewhere in the construction. Nissan did a great job making the car safe, lightweight, and performance oriented but its far from a perfect car. I consider it to be one of the best in the class but there are obvious tradeoffs in its interior and exterior. BTW, Shadow has a base GXE so you can feel how cheap the seats are quite easily despite the car costing in excess of 24k.

I've also been at this site for years and I've read the posts about cheap parts and rattle issues. They exist in many other maximas and perhaps your car has avoided them by not being modified to their extent.

Shadow

iTrader: (15)

Just so you guys know, Mishap is my little brother so he knows my car. He put a good 20K on my car while I was at school, so he's pretty familiar with things. Everything he says is true, with 2 different suspsension setups the car rattles. Half the time I think my car is falling apart. And if you remove the backseat, there are holes. It looks like there should be a plug there, but my car has no plugs. I can see my back tire from inside my car, sucks huh? The fit and finish just aren't up to say Toyota standards. I used to have a Camry, 10 years old and 140K and it still had fewer rattles than my Maxima. Don't get me wrong, I love the car, look at all the time and money I put into it. But it is far from perfect. The doors feel lightweight and cheap as does the dash.

rocketshipon19"

You know, it is hard to say that the resale value is based on the market being flooded b/c the # of accords and hondas period out # the # nissans that are on the street. It is rather difficult to figure out. Let's see here, when I traded my 97 SE fully loaded in for my 00 SE back in 99 all they would allow for my traded in was 16,900. My car was in superior cond. as far as no dents dings or scratches, leather conditioned every month and carpet had plastic mats on it to keep dirt off. It was hard to digest b/c just 2yrs earlier I paid 26,900 for it brand new and it only 33k on it when I traded it. I lost 10k in 2yrs. When I traded my Civic EX back in 97 for the max I got 12,300 for it and I only paid 15,800 for it 2yrs before!

Mishap

Nissan flooded the market w/ Maximas at cheaper prices. They had huge rebates right before the model change and people were getting SE's for well under 20K. That depreciates the value of the car right there. If you bought a '98, and you paid something closer to retail, you're completely screwed by Nissan charging less for new ones than what you expect to get for your car. That drives down the price of all the cars since '99's are suddenly so cheap since all the other models are older and higher miles. Honda usually gives financing deals to avoid this problem. Right now the '01 Altima is priced less than my cousin's Sentra GXE manual and I'm sure its resale will be shot as well.

GTRBlkMax97

iTrader: (1)

I can say I completly agree with you on that one, my car has no rattles except for like one in the trunk because of the 2 12" subs I got, but oh well. Overall I would much rather have a 5-speed Max over a Prelude, one of my friends had one, he thought he could beat me but I never got to race him to prove it, I really didn't think it handled all that much better than a Max in fact at this point with my suspension mods, I can turn the corners as well if not better as friends Eagle Talon TSI AWD, he said that as well, he said " man i think you could take them faster than me at this point

Mishap

I really hope you have something more than Intrax springs on your Max b/c they are not exactly known to be the cureall for the Maximas handling issues. I've driven Shadow's car through serious turns before including a back to back comparison with my friend's '98 M3 on some turn filled roads that pushed the M3 into balanced power slides. In comparison, Shadow's car plowed through every turn. It could carry the same kinds of speeds but I've never driven another car that had those handling characteristics. Big tires will give you tons of grip and Shadow's 235/45 Yokohama Nexus tires stuck like glue but that doesn't excuse the suspension's naturally underdamped struts that bottem at every turn and terrible steering feel. In fact his car had Intrax springs and Tokico shocks along w/ the Addco rear sway bar at the time. Intrax have almost the same spring rate as stock and most of the coils are dead b/c they're so soft. You could even hear the beam on Shadow's car hit his exhaust if you hit a big enough bump. Throw my Prelude into a turn and the back end will rotate out and stay controllable even though Shadow's car hasn't even chirped a tire yet.

A car's ability to stick to the road in a turn doesn't define its handling ability. I've had his car pushing close to 80 in a 35mph turn while chasing a friend's Supra. It stuck perfectly and had no stability issues but that's a function of his larger tires more than anything. Throw the car through some hard transitions and you'll notice the way the body rolls despite high rate springs and shocks. You can also see that the car has incredibly little suspension travel like all current Nissan designs.

As for being faster through the turns than a AWD talon, its not exactly a secret that car weighs in over 3300lb. It's not setup like a race car from the factory and it even sits higher than a GS-T. Search C&D archives for their comparison test w/ a AWD DSM. It came in like 4th or 5th behind even a Camaro Z28. Modded, those cars are crazy but they're boats from the factory.

Put an end to this. You guys bought your cars and you're proud of them. I've been around Maximas since Shadow got his in '97 and I know the good and the bad of the car. Some of you are so slighted by the fact that I have a different opinion, you go and blindly whine about how great your Maxima is and how much a Prelude sucks. I've seen or done everything there is to a Maxima and I think its a great car but its not the almighty 4DSC you guys make it out to be. It is the sportiest import sedan in its class and a good platform to work on but give it a rest. Some intrax springs aren't going to separate that gigantic beam you call a rear axle. Nor is the fact that you don't have any rattles disprove the dozens of posts about interior rattles and paint that chips at the slightest impact. The Prelude has tons of issues too including shock knock, crappy paint, synchro problems, and other foibles. I'm mature enough to realize there are issues w/ both cars but I don't just post my car has no rattles therefore you're wrong and Preludes suck.

MaxedOut97SE

Hey once Joe in his old prelude (97) got behind me on Morrell, coming off from Westland and I floored it and he couldn't hang. I mean, that car was fast, but the distance steadily increased as I went thru second and third gear. And up the hill, TOAST!!!!!!!!!!

VeeTec

Preludes and Maximas don't have very much in common, other than their stock performance.

I owned a 4th Gen VTEC, which was an awesome all around performer, but it lacked adequate seating for 4, which was one of the reasons I finally sold it.

The Maxima is a great performer as well, but more on the refined and quiet end. It also is designed to carry 5 ppl, a feat my Prelude could never dream of. In fact I wouldn't carry anyone in the joke of a back seat, except on rare occasion.

There is wonderful aftermarket support for the Prelude now, and I built mine over a 3 year period to the tune of $14K+ in n/a mods, which also consisted of major internal work.

The Maxima has a bit more of a sleeper mentality than the Prelude, which adds to its fun to drive factor. The Prelude on the other hand looks more agressive.

It all depends on what you want. If you want a sport coupe get a Prelude, if you want a Sport Sedan get a Maxima.

IMHO its really hard to compare the two cars, except for performance figures which are similar stock, even though they go about making them in different ways.

VeeTec

My opinion on the performance difference is like this.

The 4th Gen VTEC is just slightly quicker on average stock than both the 4 & 5th gen Maxima, 5 speed vs. 5 speed, and thats up to the 2001 models. The 2002 Maxima is another animal, and I expect it to be noticably faster than even the 4th gen. VTEC.

The 4th and 5th Gen. Maxima is just slightly quicker than the 5th gen. Prelude, putting the Maxima between both Generation Preludes in that arena, 5 speed vs. 5 speed.

Top Speed, To close to call. The mags show the 4th Gen. Maximas from around 142 and the Preludes around 140.

Handling, Prelude hands down.

The Maxima handles well, but the Prelude is just so good it outshines just about every FWD out there.

Remember, this is my opinion and opinions may vary.

inertia777

I have 122,000 on my 96 GXE. Let's see how that prelude is running or not running at 256k miles...

GTRBlkMax97

iTrader: (1)

Well the springs FSTB and the Stillen RSB helped out a considerable amount.

The fact that the Talon is heavy only helps it, the AWD pulls the car around corners very well.

Put and end to what, this isn't a flame war, I love Preludes, The Maxima and the Prelude were the only cars I was looking at. I just decided on the Maxima because it was a little more luxury that the Prelude and in my opinion is a better car. Don't get me wrong a Prelude performs with the best of them, but I would rather have a 4 door car that performs just as well. Not to mention the incredible bragging quote in my signature, I don't think that the Prelude engine has ever had that said about, let alone any Honda Engine, I know more people who have blown up honda engines as well as others, but I drive just as hard as they do and the 1992 Maxima I had which went to redline everytime I took off, never really had a problem except the transmission, because we all know Nissan can't make a tranny for ****. However a Honda tranny isn't the best in the world either. As for you BMW comparision that transmission is unreal.

melanthius

I drove a 97 prelude when car shopping for the Maxima, and others. My impression (personal opinion) was that it drove like a wannabe sports car.

1. The VTEC engine had very unimpressive power until we got up to 5500 rpms, roughly.
2. The ride is unnecessarily rough but not at all sporty (like the 99-01 porsche 911.)
3. I didn't fit properly into the driver's seat (big white guy)
4. I thought the cornering was decent, but not impressive.


My overall opinion would be to buy a sportier coupe like the Mercedes SLK or Honda S2000. If you can't shell out that kind of money, I would stick with the Maxima!

MaxedOut97SE

Ok you might actually want to READ my post. Did I say anything bad about any Prelude? No, I simply said I cannot agree with anyone about the so-called cheapness of the Maxima interior because mine is top-notch.

GTRBlkMax97

iTrader: (1)

ahhhaa what a great quote Austion I forgot about that one

Mishap

1. The 4th Gen Maxima has unimpressive power anything past 5k. BTW, the Prelude has the most torque of any NA inline(1ftlb more than a S2000) 4. It reaches it higher than some designed for sedans but still lower than Integras and Civics.
2. Factory ride is stiff but far from harsh. Try riding in a 993 Carrera 4S and you'll redefine rough. Its mainly a product of the relatively low profile tires. Factory ride is far less harsh than say an M3 or any true sports coupe.
3. If you don't fit into a Prelude's seat, then you probably won't fit in a S2000's either.
4. The car handles as well as any sporty coupe in the 20K range. It won the best handling car under 30K comparison by C&D in '98. Don't really see stock Maximas outcornering much more than maybe an Accord or a Camry. SE's get bigger tires but come on, that body roll is horrendous unless you get some crazy springs and drop the car 4 inches.

Mercedes SLK's aren't known to be that sporty except for the AMG variants and the S2000 is a true performance car while the Prelude is merely a sporty coupe. Its like comparing Maximas to M5's. Preludes ceased production and now there are several fwd sedans that outperform every Maxima including the 2001. 2002 is a different story but the Maxima will probably once again be the price/performance leader in its class.

As for quality issues, Shadow swears by his Maxima and our family has 3 Nissans compared to two Hondas. Our Toyota died long ago and our Accord has lasted the longest but the Nissans very trouble free. Just look for the post on Minimas and you'll understand why most people have complaints about cost cutting. Also read any review of a base Maxima or other model for that matter and they'll mention something about cost cutting in the interiors. Be happy you have a trouble free car but the masses have spoken and you can't ignore them.

Craig Mack

Preludes: Better Handling
Preludes: Way better high-end power
Preludes: Quality Japanese Honda Motor

Maximas: Safer
Maximas: Bigger (Good for haulin' your freeloadin friends around )
Maximas: Way better low end power. Ok mid-high end power.
Maximas: Quality Japanese Nissan Motor

Both Nissan + Honda have great engines (at least in the Maxima's case). I just named some of the strengths of both cars.

I personally LOVE the maxima's low-end power. But, it's all a matter of opinion and what your shootin' for.

Both cars are sweet-@ss, though.

MaxedOut97SE

Hey everyone that want's to talk **** about the engine in the Maxima, just read my quote. And if that's not enough:
"Is this the best V6 in the world or what?" -Autoweek
"Simply the best V6." -Automobile Magazine
"Revs like no other engine this side of a V8 Ferrari." -Road & Track
"This engine is so good, that everyone at Honda, GM, Audi (well every car company really) should hold a seminar to learn how it's done." -I cant remember who said that but it's in the 2001 brochure.

Ok, someone who can beat that HOLLLLLLAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

Ludacris

iTrader: (11)

I think that's Motor Trend. Well 5th gen interiors aren't that great, I heard 4th gen has better quality materials, etc. We have no rattles or anything, just some materials (center console, doors, headliner) aren't that great quality.