3rd Generation Prelude Si vs Accord LXi

Hey Veeky Forums I'm buying a new car soon. I've got $3K to put towards one and I'm probably going to get one of the two above. I have a lot of experience working with those models and I think they are sexy as hell. Does anyone want to offer their two cents as to which of the two I should get? If you hate them both what else should I look for?

> Pic related is 3rd gen prelude

3rd gen accord for reference.

If you have 3k you can buy both, twice.

Someone is still living in 2005.

I just searched my local craigslist and sure enough both cars were listed at sub $1000. Not sure what the fuck you're looking for but you need to widen your search.

Prelude for aesthetic, accord for practical daily use.

I've owned three 3rd gen preludes. They're underpowered for their weight and it can be difficult to buy certain parts. The b21a1 has more power but the b20a5 is better all around and its easier to get power out of. The b21a1 will likely need a rebuild some time soon because it's said it eats piston rings which was the case with mine.I'm part way through an engine rebuild on my prelude (230,000km) with a b21a1 and head bolts are a bitch to find. ARP has none for it, no parts shop can find them. Honda sells them sometimes but they're on a 5 month backorder. Fuck head bolts.

Anyways the 3rd gen is a half decent car, most aesthetic prelude imo. I have no experience with the accord.

if you enjoy diagnosing 5 different oil leaks yeah. for models in prime condition they can go for 2k

I have had both actually and just wanted a second opinion. I didn't know about the b21 eating piston rings, last one I had was a b20. Both cars are pretty damn aesthetic.

Not him, but pic related is Denver. There was 5 results for manuals with clean titles.

Unless you plan to make use of having 4 passenger seats on a regular basis, get the prelude. It's infinitely more fun to drive than the accord.

>buy 3g prelude
>install whiteline front & rear sway bars
>install tokico HP shocks & springs
>install bridgestone S-03 or equivalent extreme performance summer tires

orgasm-inducing cornering

Those FRM cylinder sleeves really chew up the rings though. When I sold my 3g with @ 120k miles on it, it was burning up over a quart of oil for each tank of gas.

I have a third gen Accord coupe and frequently wish it was a Prelude.

On the upside, the fucking thing is immortal. 438,xxx miles and still going on the original engine and everything. Though, I can't imagine you'd be much worse off with a 'lude.

I don't think the Accord coupe offers any significant practicality advantage over a Prelude, for obvious reasons. The back seat of the sedan is still pretty small and it's not like you'll want to haul people around with so little power anyway. I suppose you could go for the extra cargo of a hatch or Aerodeck (if that was a thing where you live), but... meh. Prelude seems like a no-brainer, especially if they're priced similarly.

I'm currently my 3rd Gen Accord DX coupe, and I love it eternally. I always preferred the styling of the Accord over the Prelude, but I'm really bias. Plus parts are super plentiful since these are super cheap cars right now, so I'd say Accord.

Also wanna say that I'm really not a performance dude, so my priorities are way different.

...

You are my hero.

One day I will rebuild my very own 3rd gen prelude.

Get a prelude, 2.0 only though unless you want to sleeve the block to do anything. Used to be a b20a5 running around with trowel, daily. Has more potential than most realize, just doesn't rev high. No oil squirters. They aren't fucking heavy either, don't know where that myth came from. Handles like a god even without 4ws. True 5 speeds, no overdrive so hope you like revving to 5k on the interstate.

450whp, not trowel, fucking phone.

>buy 3rd gen prelude
>swap in H22 from 5th gen prelude
>die happy

I was going to do that with my 1989 but it ended up getting alot more expensive than I expected (obviously). Custom wiring harness, mounts, cpu, the engine, custom axles.. I'll build one one day though.

I thought Hondas were supposed to be reliable?

>7000 for a riced one

pfff-.... hahaha

prelude, with 4WS if possible.

It's a very reliable engine. It just eats up the piston rings making it burn oil. But that doesn't effect the reliability any.

I like my Prelude, overall very reliable and if you can get the 4WS that's even better. Handling is great, storage is fine, backseats are usuable. Pretty slow so freeways might be a little scary at first but you'll be fine. Parts can be hard to find, but I've had luck at junkyards

I believe the mechanical difference of the prelude is the 4WS option and the all around double wishbone suspension. the rest is shared with the accord

>double wishbone suspension
It's a pretty huge difference too, the handling between the two is like night and day