i find the prelude to be the worst car of the bunch. feels like a heavy slug everytime i drive it.
my fascinations with honda's begin and stop with a hybrid civic.
ofcourse i'm a fan of the s2k and nsx.
other than those two. i'd say an eg civic hybrid is the best choice.
do some suspension work and you'll enjoy the civic a ton more than the prelude. it's all if've done for a while and my civic keeps my attention everytime i drive her.....
in the end your $$$ and your call