Prelude SH vs 3000gt SL

This is not really a dragstrip question.
I have the option of buying a 97 Prelude SH (VTEC/195hp) or a 95 3000gt SL (222hp) for about the same price (both 5-sp).
Which do you think I should get? I know this is a very broad question, but here are some pointers..

1. the 3000gt has some 15k miles less on it
2. general performance comparison - acceleration/handling/suspensions (drive feel)
3. quality/ reliability

I have read mixed reports about the gt having various problems and fixes costing a lot. Also I think its just too heavy for a sports car. I have found numbers between 3400 and 3800 lb for curb weight. Anyone know what the correct spec is, or any reliable web source to refer?

Thanks

I think the SH is a much better car and handles better than the FWD 3kGT SL...I dont think that the SL weighes 3800 lbs...the VR4 does mainly b/c of the AWD system...but it's still a heavy car...

The SH will lose in a stock dragrace and in the looks catagory, but in all other situations, It owns the SL. The Prelude is quite possibly one of the best handling FWDs ever. And the aftermarket is huge and cheaper than that of a 3000GT SL. But damn that 3000 GT SL is oh so sexy :naughty:

stock drag race, it'd lose?
you sure on that?

the lude is approx. 2900lbs with 200hp.
the 3000gt is over 3k lbs easy, with only 22 more hp?

for all the performance reasons (and the size of the car itself) i pick the prelude

3200lbs is what the SL weighs and i wouldnt even think about it. get the 3000gt its way better looking and more unique, but then again its true about not many performance parts out there for it. and about which car would win? its very even the Prelude has 195 hp, 156lbs-ft and weighs 3042 lbs. the 3kgt has 222 hp and 205lbs-ft. i think you should be the one to chose but i would go with the 3000gt. oh yea and people please have some respect for the 3000gt SL its not the VR4 but it can still kick ass. man cant wait for that supercharger for the 3000gt SLs. 100whp or more.

stock drag race, it'd lose?
you sure on that?

the lude is approx. 2900lbs with 200hp.
the 3000gt is over 3k lbs easy, with only 22 more hp?

for all the performance reasons (and the size of the car itself) i pick the prelude


Car-Stats.com Report for 2000 Honda Prelude SHObtained from Sport Compact Car April, 2000
0-60:7.7
1/4 Mile 15.5





Yeah, I'm positve that the 3000GT SL is faster, The 3000GTSL can run high 14's-low 15's and the base model 3000GT runs high 15's-low 16's
But Like you, I totally agree with getting the prelude even though it's slower stock because of its handling and aftermarket....... and an h22 swap ;).

the 97 prelude DOES have an H22 already... ;)

I know..... That was a little inside joke. There's a guy out here that my girl raced. He had a Blue Prelude SH. He was such the biggest idiot. After she beat him, he was so pissed and he told her that he's getting an H22 swap in a week and to race him afterwards. I told him that the same thing would happen and he said BULLSHIT and started laughing. I just left it alone. I can't believe some people. I mean, didn't the engine look familiar when he saw it to decide on the swap????????? :dunno:

well i think the 5th gen prelude will age very nicely. its a nice and clean design, and very sleek. while the 3000 GT SL to me looks too yesturday in design. the whole car was designed and made up of what looks hot during the late 90's. the car already looks very outdated to me. even the 96 models. i'm not a fan of the fins doing down the side, or the tail lights and the general shape of the car. the prelude however has a very timeless design. the car will age very well with time. also both of them are FWD so the handling will go to the prelude for its lighter weight and double wishbone setup. also the prelude has tons of after market for it, and its a tried and trued and proven performance machine. if you get a 3000GT SL your sorta venturing to no man's land becuase there isn't much you can do to it.

oh its tattII the 3000gt hater. no just kidding but its just personal taste and the 3000gt in looks can never be compared with a prelude. its dumb to say that 3000gts look outdated.

This is not really a dragstrip question.
I have the option of buying a 97 Prelude SH (VTEC/195hp) or a 95 3000gt SL (222hp) for about the same price (both 5-sp).
Which do you think I should get? I know this is a very broad question, but here are some pointers..

1. the 3000gt has some 15k miles less on it
2. general performance comparison - acceleration/handling/suspensions (drive feel)
3. quality/ reliability

I have read mixed reports about the gt having various problems and fixes costing a lot. Also I think its just too heavy for a sports car. I have found numbers between 3400 and 3800 lb for curb weight. Anyone know what the correct spec is, or any reliable web source to refer?

Thanks

my dad used to have a 3000gt sl, and i didnt like how it drove. i didnt hate it, but it felt heavy, and the steering was a little weird. i drove the prelude to, and it was a lot better, fun to drive factor was a lot higher. the steering gave a lot more feedback, and the shifter was accurate and smooth. id definately get the prelude, but you should drive both cars before you make your final decision.

in my car and driver magazine, the prelude did 0-60 in 6.8 sec, and i think 15.1 for the quarter mile. curb weight says 2950lbs. it was one of the 99 issues i think, and it got first place out of all the cars in its class. the 97 prelude sh was chosen as ten best. also, i bet it gets better gas mileage than the 3000gt.

well i think the 5th gen prelude will age very nicely. its a nice and clean design, and very sleek. while the 3000 GT SL to me looks too yesturday in design. the whole car was designed and made up of what looks hot during the late 90's. the car already looks very outdated to me. even the 96 models. i'm not a fan of the fins doing down the side, or the tail lights and the general shape of the car. the prelude however has a very timeless design. the car will age very well with time. also both of them are FWD so the handling will go to the prelude for its lighter weight and double wishbone setup. also the prelude has tons of after market for it, and its a tried and trued and proven performance machine. if you get a 3000GT SL your sorta venturing to no man's land becuase there isn't much you can do to it.


i agree with even word you wrote. very well done.

one other note: 150,000 miles would be a lot on a 3000 gt (if it ever got there)
150,000 miles on a lude ain't shit

mitzu's don't have a good service record. it's not a secret.

well, call me biased but i say go for the prelude for reasons stated above and then some. that 'some' being i told you so. :p

seriously, the lude is overall a good car. it's not very fast but it's quick and handles exceptionally well given it's FWD. my prelude never gave me problems in the 5 yrs i owned it. well, problems i didn't cause myself haha. theyr'e fun to drive, reliable, makes for a great and decently quick daily driver. :D

The Prelude, in every conceivable area. Though as far as aesthetics are concerned, the 4th gen was always going to be the best looking Prelude....

really? i thought the 4th gen's tail lights looked too much like hte 94 accord tail lights, and i can't stand the nostrils on the front. it looks like its getting ready to sniff lines of crack. also i'm not a fan of that eagle beak either. to me the 4th gen looks extremely cheap with its large round rear end corner and extremely small wheel wheels that fits even smaller 15 inch wheels with only 195 mm wide tires, along with its ugly 7 spoke design. or its weird digital temp and fuel gauge on the middle of the dash thats kinda out of the way of the line of sight, or the half moon shaped speedo and tach. and the extremely small glove box.

i see these two cars enough since both of my good friends owns both the 93 special edition v-tec model, and a 00 prelude. even though the 5th's interior is also very bland, atleast it doens't look and feel cheap like the other 4th gens. also the shape of the car is more consistent. where the whole car is boxy and looks symeterical on the 5th gen, the 4th gen has a very pointy and blocky front end along with a round fat 94 accord looking ass. just my opinion though.

i can't stand the nostrils on the front. it looks like its getting ready to sniff lines of crack.


that's really going to bother me now, everytime i look at the front of my car. :(

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/117936P5020186.JPG

seriously if it ddint' have those vents, it wouldn't look so bad. thats why my friend got the jdm front head lights, casue they're grey housing, and they blend in with the vents pretty nice. or if you want to go all out, you can graft a set of jdm integra type R head lights on it, and htat will elimate the front vents completely.

that's why i painted mine white. to make them less obvious. eagle visions have those vents too. it bothers me how the fronts look similar.

p.s. the accord looking ass on the prelude, was around before the accord. so actually the accord would have a prelude looking ass :grinyes:

that is true. but you see more accords then ludes. so the first thing you think of is the similarities between the accord and the ludes. also it does look almost exactly like the front end of a eagle vision, but i think that would be too much of a low blow so i refrained from sayin it.

the funny thing is that one of my best friends is looking to buy a 94 accord 2dr, and it is white, and the first thing he wants to do is put on gun metal rims. he's all,"it'll look a lot like your car dude" but you know what. the lude is still faster. and STILL LOOKS BETTER THAN A 3000GT. i had to through that in there :smile:

a lude looks better than a 3000gt is your opinion my friend!!!! good thing not everyone shares your opinion. Ludes are ok cars but they are not the most awesome looking cars out there. now if you want to compare the best Lude to the best 3000gt, lets not even start cause the lude is owned.

i'll agree with 3kgt8, the best prelude will get eaten by the best 3000gt. of course one is turbocharged, awd and what, 120hp more than the n/a fwd prelude? :slap: : but like you said, let's not even start that debate.

looks are subjective. i don't think either cars are bad looking cars. though the 5th gen lude has that love it or hate it styling. i happen to love it. it's unique and will age a lot better than the 3000gt. not that that's always a bad thing.

don't take me too seriously, i'm not trying to start a war, just being stupid :smile: . both are nice cars, and you're right, vr4's are far superior. and also, looks are subjective. but hey... if we all agreed... life would suck.