In 1979 Honda began production on its first real attempt into the sports car market with the Prelude. For 11 years the car was made with a manual transmission and the same safety standards and Honda engineering that has made its cars so reliable. It was that same year Honda tried its hand at an automatic transmission for the Prelude base package, its first in a sports car.
History
1959 marked the first year Honda Motor Company opened production in the United States. Twenty years later engineers set out to build the Prelude with intentions of making an exciting car that held true to the core Honda values of intelligent design and reliability.
Facts
The Prelude was the primary performance car of Honda constructed with the same handling and driveability as its better known lines, but with the power to compete in the sports car market. Unfortunately, though sales began to wane in the late 1990s and early 2000s as the price grew to be too much to pay for a car without the look and premium feel of the other cars in the market.
Features
Called the fifth-generation Preludes, the 1997 to 2002 versions were heavier and more dynamic in power than in previous years. Two trim levels were the Base and the Type SH, both of which came with a standard five-speed manual transmission. In 2000, for the first time in the United States, Honda introduced an automatic transmission to be available with a VTEC engine on the Prelude Base package.
Like all Honda-designed automatic transmissions, the Prelude automatic was constructed with three parallel shafts. Because engineers added a new 16-bit microprocessor to their old design, shifts were smoother and with less shift shock.
Types
The five-speed manual transmission was given an overhaul in the 2000 Prelude with a new clutch lining to reduce pedal effort and aid with shifting quicker between gears.
Both the automatic and manual transmission models were built with 2.2-liter four-cylinder engines, producing 190- and 200-horsepower, respectively.
Considerations
The 1997 to 2002 versions of the Prelude gained critical acclaim with their five-speed manual transmission models for being fun to drive and their practicality. In 1999 and 2000 the Honda Prelude won Edmunds.com Editors' Most Wanted Award for Best Sports Coupe in the $10,000 to $25,000 market.
Tags: manual transmission, five-speed manual, five-speed manual transmission, 1997 2002, 1997 2002 versions, 2002 versions