2001 Honda Prelude review from North America

Exposed wire caused alternator to fail twice before finding the cause. Easy fix.

Other than that, regular maintenance.

I had my heart set on an S2000, but decided I needed something more practical for everyday use.

I found the car on Ebay in the local area and took it for a drive. It handled and drove very well, and was much more comfortable than my Maxima.

I love the simplicity of the layout. Everything seems well placed. The 5 speed transmission shifts smoothly and was very easy to get used to.

The car had a little over 100,000 miles, but looked and felt like it had half that.

Since I have had it, I wouldn't hesitate to drive it anywhere. It's very nimble and a blast to take out in the country on winding roads.

I paid 8,000 for it and it holds its value well, even for the mileage. The gas mileage is not as impressive as I would expect, and only gets me around mid to high 20s on the highway, but considering I don't do much driving, it hasn't been a real problem.

For a 4 banger, it's pretty quick. It won't throw you back in your seat by any means, but has plenty of power to have a little fun with on the open road.

The main downside to the Prelude is the unwanted attention you get from the 'import crowd'. I get a lot of questions about what 'mods' I have done or whether I want to race. It's not a fast car and the only mods I have at the time usually consist of a fresh tank of gas or new air filter to replace the dirty one.

I've noticed that dressing these cars up seems to destroy the resale value and gets even more unwanted attention. If you want a sporty, reliable car that handles like a big go kart, then look no further.