1990 Honda Prelude Si 2.1 review from North America

The car's clutch burned out at 160000 miles. The local Honda dealer beautifully fixed it for 900 dollars.

At approximately 150000 miles the car's cooling fan motor burned out. I fixed this myself, the part cost around 100 dollars.

The right CV axle had to be replaced at 160000 miles.

Although the air conditioning works fine now, it is getting weaker, experts tell me that the compressor is getting weak.

The car was driven for only two years of its life in a region that has its roads salted during the Winter. The exhuast is almost entirely new at this point, due to corrosion. Replacement exhaust pipes always have to be ordered from far away and they are not cheap.

This car is a blast to drive. The handling is first rate. It is now even better due to the addition of Potenza RE92 tires. These were the most sporty tires available for the stock wheels.

The powertrain of this car is very good. The 2.1 engine has plenty of power for a car of this weight. With 166000 miles, the engine burns no oil. The engine is not as smooth as that in later Preludes. Below 3500rpm it is smoother and slightly torquey. About 3500, it opens up and dashes to the redline.

The transmission linkage is balky, not as good as that in previous or subsequent Preludes. An engine as good as this deserves a better transmission.

Steering feels is excellent, there aren't many front drive cars that I have driven with steering this good.

The car feels very energetic, it sounds and feels faster than it really is.

The car is most reliable. The major problem with it has been exhaust corrosion, which is very irritating.

Parts for this car usually always have to be ordered from a warehouse, making the few repairs necessary last for days rather than hours. Also, the parts are always expensive.