Faults:

Burns oil, but apparently all Hondas do.

Very heavy on petrol; 45 miles per 10 euro.

General Comments:

These Preludes are serious cars. Very fast, great handling, and always turn heads, they are very ahead of their time and still don't even look old..

Mine is a 2.0 litre, which is rare compared to the common 2.2. In Ireland insurance and tax are very expensive, so the 2.0 is a cheaper version to run.

For 94 it's very ahead of its time, with a lovely dash board and extra sharp handling, and great performance.

Bit heavy on petrol, but it's worth it to have a fine looking car,

Faults:

An intermittent fault with the 4 wheel steering system became apparent soon after I got the car. Honda dealer diagnostics concluded the 4WS control unit was faulty. £1,600 for a new one! Luckily the car was still under warranty.

There is some unnerving brake judder when braking at high speed (over 100mph). It appears this is quite common with this model, and can usually be rectified with a de-glaze and clean of the front brakes.

Otherwise nothing has gone wrong with the car.

General Comments:

Okay, so maybe you're thinking of buying an affordable coupe with a bit of go. You're looking at Toyota Celica, Vauxhall Calibra, Audi Coupe? Well look no further than the 4th generation Honda Prelude. Tastefully anonymous and understated, yet a thoroughbred beast with performance and handling to trounce any opposition in it's class.

Mine is the 2.3i manual. Which I consider to be the best of the three models available (well I would, wouldn't I!) The 2.0 is adequate, but not inspiring. The 2.2 vtec is the fastest of the three, and is an awesome motor, but needs winding up to get the full force of the vtec system. The 2.3i is 0.6 seconds slower from 0-60 than the vtec, but it feels like it'll do it all in 4th gear!

The handling is superb. I don't know why Honda's 4 wheel steering system isn't on every car! It truly is a revelation at low and high speed, giving the car exhilarating poise and balance however hard you push it, and a turning circle better then my old Mini!

The exterior styling looks great, but it isn't just for looks. It's lightweight, low and wide because the performance and handling brief dictates it. Interior is functional and comfortable for two, but no more than two! The back seat is a token gesture.

All in all it's a great car. Turbo's and V6/V8's may be sportier, but this is a practical, affordable everyday car that will guarantee a grin every time.

Faults:

Alarm has a mind of its own sometimes, hardly the car's fault though.

General Comments:

This is without doubt one of the best looking cars Honda have ever produced. Even at nine years old, after some TLC, the car still looks absolutely fantastic. This is the first car I've owned that people have come up to me and commented upon.

The metallic silver finish looks wonderful on a sunny day and shows off the (some might say womanly!) curves of the bodywork. The standard polished alloys look good too - I had planned to replace them, but they've definitely grown on me.

Inside, it's surprisingly small - the backs of the comfortable front seats almost touch the rear seats which are a bit of a joke. All of the gauges and warning lights are set behind a dark, sweeping pane of perspex - which light up like a space ship when turned on. Even the ventilation/air con is digital - a super climate control system, which is also very easy to use.

Driving the car is easy when you just want to get from point A to point B - and yet it can also be extremely involving when you want to "drive". This is a Honda that doesn't need to be thrashed to make decent progress, although all hell breaks lose at around 5200RPM and up to the redline! My car is an automatic which I love, although many people prefer this car as a manual - to better exploit the VTEC engine. I suggest you try both if you're looking at one of these.

At low revs and cruising speed, the engine is almost inaudible. As the revs rise, it starts to make the most beautiful noise - I have been known to turn the stereo off just to listen to it!

Steering is sharp and cornering fantastic. Mine is a BB4 model, which does away with the four wheel steering system found on earlier (and UK) models. As a result, the turning circle is surprisingly large considering the car's size.

For a 2.2 sports coupe, the fuel consumption is not bad at all. 20 around town, a little over 30 on a run. This is just an estimate however - if I was bothered about MPG then I wouldn't have bought this car.

Excellent value for money these days.