Article Comments - The 10 Best Used Cars for Less Than $5,000

34 messages, Last post on Apr 26, 2009 at 1:30 PM

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What is this discussion about? Acura Integra, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Honda Prelude, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Nissan 240SX, Subaru Impreza, Car Buying

The 10 Best Used Cars for Less Than $5,000 - A dealer lot is the wrong place to get a deal on a used car. Check out Autotrader.com, eBay.com, craigslist.org or a local paper. (more)

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#33 of 34 Re: '97+ Honda Prelude for under $5k? [igozoomzoom] by oregonboy Apr 18, 2009 (8:38 pm)
Replying to: igozoomzoom (Apr 18, 2009 8:26 pm) Jeez, I feel your pain. What's the point of a Prelude if it's got an automatic?!?!?!?
#34 of 34 Prelude by nyccarguy Apr 26, 2009 (1:30 pm)
I absolutely LOVE my 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH! I bought it brand new as a leftover on April 27, 2002 (7 years ago tomorrow). I just hit 110,000 miles and the car still looks great & drives amazing. My car has a build date of October 2001, making it one of the last Preludes ever built (I think production stopped in ovember '01). I still get compliments on what great condition it is in. I sincerely hope my car is worth more than $5,000 but I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. The car is germanicaly solid, very well screwed together, handles amazingly, & is fast enough (you'll lose the stoplight drag race to ANYTHING with a V6). I put a set of 4 snow tires during the winter months & run High Performance Summer tires during the spring/summer/fall seasons. I drive this car everyday and don not baby it by any means. Base Prelude vs. Type SH Prelude The differences are subtle. The Type SH has a sticker on the rear, a standard rear spoiler (you can tell if there is no 3rd brake light in the rear window that the car is a Type SH), a leather shift knob (instead of the standard Honda shifter), The Type SH ONLY came equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, and different 16" spoke alloy wheels (straight 5 spokes as opposed to the base model which came with 16" saw blade style 5 spokes) & Honda's ATTS (Active Torque Transfer System) which routes power to the outside wheel when cornering to reduce understeer. The base model weighs less than the Type SH model. The Type SH Prelude has puddle lamps on the inside of the doors. My only gripe with my car was the fact that I had to replace the clutch at 52,000 miles. Apparently premature clutch wear is common on Type SH Preludes. In order to replace the clutch, the ATTS unit has to be disconnected & re-installed which according to Honda's shop manual requires an additional 4-5 hours of labor. My modifications to the car are: Apexi World Sport cat back exhaust system - I had to replace the exhaust system when I drove over a 3/4" thick steel plate in the road. The Apexi (Stainless Steel) is quieter than stock at idle/low speeds, doesn't drone on the highway, but when you jump on the gas it lets you know you're not driving any old 4cyl Honda. Suspension Techniques front & rear anti-roll bars - Thicker than stock & reduce body roll. Probably the best modification you can make to the Prelude. Centerforce Clutch: After the stock clutch burnt out at 52,000 miles, I didn't want to have to replace the clutch again after I got the repair estimate. It is 90% stronger than stock & doesn't feel any heavier. Brakes: My original brakes lasted 86,000 miles. I replaced them with Hawk Pads & Cross Drilled Brembro rotors in the front. Did I leave anything out?