Ok, i am looking to buy a car and my final choices are as follows:
97 Honda Prelude SH 2.0 VTEC 5-Speed
96 Maxima Haven't decided on manual or auto yet though

I know you guys are going to tell me to get the Maxima, but if you could give me some insite as to why i should ( ease of mods, reliability over honda, ect...) It would be much appreiated.
Thanks,
Kevin.

 

One reason is that you don't see a lot of modified Maximas around, while you can see a riced out Prelude everywhere you go.

 

I know. I like the fact that no one thinks that the maxima is so bad. thanks for the input.

 

alright lunchbox, heres the deal, buy the maxima because you got the whole sleeper thing goin for ya, you can pile up some friends for a cruise and still kick the **** out of most ricers on the road, you dont have to wait for the VTEC to kick in to get some power, theres nothing like driving a manual maxima, and last but not least, its a maxima and preludes arent.

 

No doubt!!!!!

 

I'm just wondering, for my sake and the guy thinkin about buying a Honda.. Stock for Stock, which is quicker, if they were lined up and ran a 1/4 or so??

 

I actually like the SH's, but anyway, I hate seeing them all riced up, which I always see.

I hate when people ask who will win in a race...there are so many variables. It would be a decent race, if the Maxima was unable to get the upper hand in the beginning, the Prelude would probably win in the higher speeds. They are radically different cars, with similar horsepower stock. The Prelude is, however, kind of maxxed out as far as what you can get out of the block itself; the VQ has a lot more room for playing, N/A.

 

I disagree with you Lime. I would put my money on a 5spd VQ taking the Prelude in all aspects, even high-end. (Maybe not 4th gear thoguh, but it'll pimp the daylights out of an SH in 5th).

 

Both are good cars, BUT the prelude is small. Suppose you and your boy goes to the club and Ya'll find three hoes that want to come back to the Crib and they have no car w/ the Prelude SOL, the MAx will get the job done.

 

I think the hoes would rather ride in a pimped max anyway! More leg room all around, even if thier legs are in the air :-)..

 

First decide what kind of car you want. Those are two very different rides.

 

thanks for all the input guys. I'm going to go drive them both today and make my decision.

 

Make the right choice buddy!!! Not to try and make up your mind for you, but Remember Maxima.org kicks the hell out of any prelude site !!!

 

Well, i went and drove the Prelude and the Maxima. Both were rather impressive. When i drove the Prelude everyone and their brother was trying to mess with me and i got eaten a few times, but when i Drove the maxima no one even looked twice, and I had to end up doing all the instigation. I smoked an eclipse and a Benz, and couldn't get a mustang to play. I think that i'm going to be the proud owner of a Maxima soon, but i would like to find an SE 5 speed.
Thanks for all your help and input, and if you guys want to say anything else, feel free.
Kevin.

 

If you can spend some more money you could look at a used Integra or if you have even more a new Tiburon. Depends on how important handling is to you. Prelude SH and Maxima are 2 different cars when it comes to handling. Maxima would do you right in price, I don't even wanna guess how little a 96 goes for when a 98 is 8995. There's not much you can get for 8995 so if it's a price game then Maxima is the clear choice.

 

well I only know what I've seen. <shrug> I didn't say definitely though! I am also talking stock on stock, not SC'ed.

 

Hope you have time to read...

My choices were close to these very cars a year ago. Actually, my first choice was a 94-95 Legend coupe 6-speed with lowish miles, but that's rarity here. #2 was a 95-96 Prelude Si 5-speed, and #3 was a 95-96 Max SE 5-speed. I was coming from a 1991 Integra LS 5-speed.

Why the order above? Well...I'm a coupe guy at heart. I prefer not to be the one driving friends around all the time, especially 4 deep.
One other passenger is enough for me. Also, and this I've learned since I've bought the max...man, I much prefer the low-riding coupe road-hugging suspension (ala the integ, the prelude) rather than the floaty sedan suspension. I thought I wanted a bit nicer ride and could live with the cost of not hugging the road, but even with the SE's "sporty" suspension the car feels like a lincoln compared to my integ. My front struts are old, but still...

The last major difference I noticed from integ to max was the integra FELT like it was going fast but never really was. The maxima doesn't feel like it's fast, but it is. Generally speaking, of course. I do highly appreciate the low-end and increased torque, but preludes aren't dogs on low-end like Civics/integras.

They are different cars. I miss the nimble & quick nature of the 4-cylinder coupe, but do like the luxurious aspects and the smoothness of my max. afa mods and reliability go, I don't think you're going to beat the Prelude with a max in either of those categories. I wouldn't worry about how many other people have the cars, or how other people respond on the road to each car differently if I was you (unless cops or vandals are a huge concern)....go with what you like, in terms of what you like for styling, what you like to drive, what you want in a car, etc.

I'd still rather be rolling in my #1 or #2 choices, but the max isn't a bad consolation at all If you do side with hte Prelude, check out the differences between the base and the SH - at least in 2001 models, there was like, one difference in option, and I think it made the SH's weigh more than the base....so don't lock yourself just out to SHs.

Edit: check out these dynos of a stock 97 base vs. a stock 97 SH. I guess it was ATTS that was the differing option which appears to offer better handling (even with added weight), but also appears to cost a slight drop in acceleration.
http://prelude.vtec.net/gen5/performance

BTW, stock late-4th/5th gen lude vs. stock 5-speed max would typically be so close it's not worth arguing.

 

to tell you the truth.. I'd rather be rollin in a Camaro Z28 rather than a max... but the idea of a 17 year old male driving that kind of car doesn't appeal to the insurance companies as much...