1995: Honda Prelude VTEC vs. Toyota MR2 Turbo

[MattyG]

Is the torque for a VTEC 'lude really only 158? That seems low....damn.

[Moppie]

An interesting conumdrum there jay.

What you really have to look at is what you really want in a car.
The MR2 is certianly faster, and much mroe of the sports car than the slightly more relaxed Prelude.
I think the prelude would be easier to live with, its got a back seat, and quite a bit more interior room. including a decent boot. Of course its still damn fast in a striaght line, and can provide plenty of enjoyment in the twistys.
The MR2 is more the pure sports car and certialy has a lot more potential to be modified and made faster. The suspension will provide a harder ride, and economy will be pretty poor when compared to the lude, but if you looking for something to cover large distances very quickly, or to get a buzz from a nice piece of road then its the better car.
Of course if you do get one, make it a post 93 after they fixed the suspension.

[dorifkin]

Definitly go with the MR2!

The Greddy upgrade turbo kit is very cheap for the car and gives it 280+hp easily. And since you'll be saving up for awhile it'll be that much more satisfying than modifying the Prelude.

Plus the MR2 looks better and since it's rear-wheel drive it can be drifted. Also, the Prelude is relatively heavy and not as agile.

[imp0rted1]

i'm a prelude man.. but i'll take the 3s-gte over the h22 any day......

[cruzinZ]

Well first off I love honda to death. They make some of the best all around cars out their! My daily driver is a 94 accord and I know the car like the back of my hand. I know the limit in the twisties and it is very economical. BUT I also have a 300ZXTT and after driving the Z the honda becomes a little toy car (golf cart, slow go-cart) compared to the Z. Honestly the prelude is defentally going to corner better then the accord but it was not built as a sports car!!!!!! It is a 2 door (reshaped accord with upgraded suspention and engine) But the MR2 on the other hand is more of a ture sports car. Ya it might not be as comfey on the long trips but then again it makes up for it in the corners (handles like it is on rails) & will put a smile on your face that is permantly attached! What you have to do now is decide on what kind of driving style you like. If you drive hard get the MR2 but if you take it eazy then it doesnt matter. Also depends on what kind of car your going to be needing..... Do you drive mulitple people? If your 25 or so years old are you going to use the car as a family car? (prelude) Are you young and want a 'sports car'??? Honestly I have been doing a lot of research on the MR2 and it is defentally a ture sports car. You can add around 100HP for about $1200!!!! The only other car that I know you can do that with is my Z!!! Also it sounds like you want to mod the car after you get it. First of all why get a slow car and try to make it fast? Honda's arnt necessarly the fastest cars out there. & to make the NA honda's fast requires a lot of $$$ So my suggestion would be get the MR2. Do your homework so you dont get burned & good luck.

TT4ever

[Kajida]

I'd go with the mr2 second gen. Any year. The post 93 suspension is toned towards understeer. But if you mod it , it will be just like the 91s. It's not good in the winter though. If you have questions about the mr2. Check out www.mr2.com and the message board

http://www.board.mr2faq.com/

Peace

[p_r_i_m_e_r_a]

Do you like torque?
Do you not care about cargo sapce?
Do you think the Prelude is just fugly?

IMO If you dont choose the MR2 you will regret it.

[toyota mr2t]

ive heard that the best setup is a 93 with a 91 crossmemember

[bluetwo]

to clear up a few misconceptions...

the issue about which suspension setup is better (91-92 vs 93+) is purely subjective. many autocrossers prefer early models because they give a better feel for the road and steering response is a little quicker. they also weigh less (not sure how much). however, they tend to snap a lot quicker and with less warning at the limit. also, watch out for lifting the throttle in a turn at speed; leading cause of snap oversteer. the 93+ were not biased towards understeer (i can honestly say that my 93 does NOT understeer), but it is a more stable, less lively ride than the 91-92's. and as far as winter driving goes, that also appears to be rather subjective (some people love it, others hate it; i had no problems driving chicago winters with snow tires on and a healthy dose of caution)

the 93+ got bigger brakes and 15" (vs 14" for 91-92) rims to accomodate those brakes.

93+ has shorter throw shifter and dual cone synchros

93+ has larger throttle body inlet

93+ has slightly lower springs (about 1/2")

93+ has 9 bolts on the exhaust manifold, 91-92 has 7 bolts

93 has larger front lip spoiler; 94+ had front lip, along with side moldings, rocker panels, and rear bumper extensions color matched

94+ has revised one piece wing and flush center rounded taillights

94+ has dual airbags and smaller steering wheel; FYI, 91-92's have a recall on the steering wheel/airbags (too much force). you should check to make sure your car has had the wheel replaced (go to any dealer)

94+ turbos came with t-tops standard. 91-93 turbos can still be had with either sunroof or hardtop, although they are very rare.

as far as mods, first thing is first: get a real boost gauge. the stock one is terrible. it tells you that you have boost, but not how much. you have to respect the cool down cycle for the turbos as well (all turbo cars, not just mr2's). either babysit it for a couple of minutes after driving or get a turbo timer (time depends on how hard you pushed the car).

a blowoff valve on the stock turbo is only useful for the sound it makes. it does not increase power in any way. the stock bypass valve is superior until you upgrade your turbo and start running high amounts of boost.

a boost controller is necessary to increase boost above stock levels (around 8-11psi). the ct26 safely boosts to around 15psi (assuming your car is in good shape; get a tune-up!), but you will likely need a fuel cut defencer.

any breathing mods help loads with a turbo. intake, exhaust. the toms scoops are purely for show, unless you make it into a custom 'ram-air' duct. this requires work; it's not just 'plug and play'

as far as suspension, upgrading struts and springs, as well as strut tower braces and bushings, and sway bars will give you a solid, if not jarring, ride.

[Jay!]

Wow. Thanks for the reply. Welcome to AF!!

[bluetwo]

thanks, glad to be here!

[Racing Rice]

Even tho I own a honda Im gonna tell you straight out.. Get the MR2, the turbo will make the car WAY easier to mod and make faster. You go broke for sure trying to get a prelude to keep up...

[KiwiMR2]

I also say the MR2, I have done the usually mods to my MR2 and even in stock trim I would pretty much leave the preludes behind. The prelude is still a great car but if you want to compare it to a MR2 it would be more so to the NA (G-Limited) MR2 not the Turbo.

What Bluetwo has posted aboove is %100 correct, only problem I see you having is finding one in GOOD condition, although Im in NZ my sources in the US tell me they are hard to find!!

Cheers
KiwiMR2

[90CRXZCSi]

hummm...uh duh...i wonder why the MR2 would beat a prelude?!?! maybe cuz it's turbo??

[KiwiMR2]

90CRXZCSi: hummm...uh duh... which is what most of us above have said, it's more comparable to the G-Limited version, oh and thanks for the informative post

KiwiMR2