Myztikal

I am thinking about buying a prelude 96 or newer but i dont know how to tell the difference between all the preludes???

Can anyone please break down the different kinds of prelude and tell me the HP,torque, and all that good stuff and please tell me how to tell them apart from looking on the outside(i.e Different rims, emblems????

fastball

Of the model years you are looking at, 1996 has the most variance of choices:

The Prelude S has a 2.2 liter sohc rated at 140 hp. It's the basic setup, with standard plastic wheel caps and ho-hum performance.

The Prelude Si is much better, with a 2.3 liter dohc 160hp engine, better suspension setup, and more luxury features. Either of these two can be had with either a 4 speed auto or five speed manual.

The real Prelude is the VTEC model: a 2.2 liter 190hp dohc VTEC engine, tight performance, all the luxury features, and a 5 speed only tranny.

The fith gen (mine ) was redesigned in 1997 with a more conservative interior and a more aggressive exterior. From 1997 untill the last Prelude rolled off the line in Dec. of 2001, there were few changes and model choices. All engines are 2.2 liter VTEC, with either 195hp (1997-1998) or 200hp (1999-2001). Base models could either have the 5 speed stick or 4 speed sportshift tranny -- stay away from the sport shift, kind of trouble prone. Type SH has the Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS), which is a fancy hydraulic system to transfer torque between the front wheels to give it more rear wheel drive handling. Kind of an overkill if you ask me. I test drove both when I bought mine, and found no glaring difference, other than the standard spoiler and straight spoke (instead of curved) rims on the Type SH. Type SH can only be had with a manual tranny.

Hope this answers your questions!

Myztikal

Thx for the info on the car's performance. It was very helpful.
but does anyone have any info about the looks of the car so i can tell which one is which when i see them at the dealer

fastball

Well, in 1996, the base had plastic 15" wheel covers, chinsy tires, and a single tinny exhaust pipe. The Si and VTEC had 16" aluminum with better tread, but you will have to look at the rear quarter pannel sticker or check the production sticker in the drivers door frame to tell if it's VTEC or Si. If you are wondering about ground effects, spoilers, or fogs to tell the difference, sorry. Those are all dealer installed accessories. You could even get the Si rims on the base as an accessory. So you could have an aggressive looking S, or a very simple VTEC. You really need to look closely.

For 1997-2001, look at the rims, shift knob, and if it has a spoiler. All base models have a huge rubber shift knob, curved rims, and no spoiler. The Type SH have straight spoke rims, a standard decklid spoiler, and a leather shift knob. Also, the key for a Type SH for sure is whether the rear deck has a third brake light. If there is no third brake light (only the LED in the spoiler) then it SHOULD be a Type SH. Of course, you can again look at the decklid sticker or production sticker in the door. Because, as usual, accessories can make a base look like an SH for less than $1,500.

P.S. If it's a sport shift, there's no doubt it's a base. So any automatics rule the Type SH out imediately.

vtecguy2

for SI and vtec on the 4th gen. they have 15" rims. vtec has a better sound system do to the middle sub in the back. i have a 4th. gen 95 tho. not a 96. same $#!T here a pic.

Tirod

92-96 S model has 130hp, not 140... i like ^^^ that lude

fastball

Sorry about the 10hp missquote, but I thought the standard rims for 1996 VTEC models was 16". If not, that seems a little undertreaded for what the car can do.