When I was in HS, the first car I drove was my parents '91 5 door Acura Integra. I loved it. Light, low to the ground, fun to drive.
When I ended up getting my 5g Prelude, I was dismayed at how similar it "felt" to the my old Acura--same plastic on dash, same low stance, also a relatively small car, same switches, same overall feel. I wondered at how it was amazing that things hadn't really changed in 6 years.
So I've grown to love Honda's and especially my Prelude. Some things I like:
1. Low to the ground.
2. Truly panoramic view, I can see the end of my hood and everything around me more than any other car I've sat in. Awesome.
3. Still a relatively light car (I know we all think the lude's too heavy, but still). I still feel like I can toss the car around and get a go-cart like feel. It need not be said that the handling is the best part about the Prelude. It's power is definitely not, but the handling makes up for it; we all know that.
4. Simple. No drive by wire, just springs and pedals--nice direct feel. When I tap the brake it's like I can feel the pads touching the rotor. Not some mush. When I press the accelerator, it feels like I'm operating a real spring-loaded lever, not some dummy pedal. I like that.
So my question is, what other cars capture this same feel? I know a CRX would, but how about a modern car?
Because many of what are considered the "upgrade" cars on this board definitely do not have this feel. The G35 may have power, but there is no escaping that you are conscious of driving around a heavy car. Too heavy for my tastes. Short of the used NSX, all these other new cars have considerably higher driving positions too. So you get my point, how do you all move on to the other cars if they lack the feel that we love most about the lude? Is power worth the price of losing that go-cart, simple, fun feel? Am I destined to liking only Lotuses in my sports car buying future?
Right. Of recent cars I've test driven, I have of course liked the S2000. I've also liked the RX-8 and the Miata as far as having that lighter/"connected"/raw feel I'm talking about.
There are the disadvantages to the simplicity of our ludes, like all the clunks and rattles, non-luxury feel, etc. I guess my ideal car would have that same "direct" feel, but also be extremely mechanically refined (ie, absent the vibrations, rattles, clunks). Eg, I can't stand the vibrating shifter on the Z/G35. Boggles me howthis can be considered acceptable. Maybe the RX-8 would come closest to the balance I like. Too bad it doesn't look like the lude, gets 15mpg, and its engine only lasts 80k miles.
i know where your coming from. i use to change vehicles every year or two. i have had my lude since new (99'). I just do not really care for much of the newer cars. They all seem big and bloated.
People think I'm crazy for putting money into maintaining a car like mine. I love it. It's a great driver. I want to know what other cars would be similar in feel as well. Carry on...
4. Simple. No drive by wire, just springs and pedals--nice direct feel. When I tap the brake it's like I can feel the pads touching the rotor. Not some mush. When I press the accelerator, it feels like I'm operating a real spring-loaded lever, not some dummy pedal. I like that.
This is the very reason I don't think I'll be buying a new car any time soon. Lots of new "performance" cars does not have that performance "feel" IMO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by devtec
Can you believe I've driven a BMW 3-series, a Porsche 911, a Z, and G35, etc. and still prefer the feel of my Prelude. Am I crazy?
I'm with ya. I can say that my E36 M3 is a blast to drive, but I can never say it's more fun than my Prelude
The only car that I've driven that reminded me a lot of how the Prelude felt was the S2k. It's the only car that I've found to have a slicker tranny than the lude. The feeling of the car is perfect, almost like the Prelude. I'd look for pre 2006 if you want to avoid drive by wire.
So many new(ish) cars I've driven have that soft, "muted" feel to them. Unless I start putting a respectable amount of money into the prelude, I'll be looking for something to replace it . . .
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The reasons I got my '98 Prelude, and why I am going to ditch a '99 mazda, is because of the reasons stated above. No bells and whistles to get in the way of the feel of the car. Not to smooth...not to rough. Sure it may not have the power of other vehicles, it's a 4-banger after all, but the Preludes still seem to respond more crisply to the driver than the current generation of cars. But then again I'm limited in the number of cars I've driven, and I simply love my 5th gen...so I'm a little biased.
I am a big fan of the 91 Miata I used to auto-x. It was certainly a no-frills car, not very practical, and wasn't as fast, but for pure driving pleasure, it was fantastic. The feel of the car in my hands was much like the prelude; very responsive, and balanced. The 5spd wasn't as slick as the prelude, however.
^^^ I wish I could get a car like that - but when you can only afford one vehicle, it's gotta have a little bit more utility than a 2-seater convertible.
I was actually thinking about this thread recently as well. With the damage to my car probably going north of 3 grand, I'm pretty sure I don't want to put that money into this car. Instead, use the insurance check as a down payment on something else (or more likely, a $3k civic).
Who here has driven a Fit? How do the driving dynamics compare? Other than the obvious downgrade in the power department, I'm a little leery of the rear suspension - having the rear end jump out on every bumpy corner I encounter doesn't excite me very much. Although it's been a while since since I've regularly driven a solid rear suspension, hopefully Honda has it sorted out alright.
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^ My cousin had an RSX for 2 years. He sold it and bought a 4th gen VTEC recently. He said the lude is the best car he's ever owned. I've driven the RSX, it doesn't even compare to the lude.
I've driven my moms G35 around and although it has oodles of torque that the 'lude does not, it doesn't feel anywhere near as nimble or responsive as the 'lude. It just kinda feels like the 'lude knows what I want to do before I do, whereas the G35 just behaves like a pig.
Personally, I've always loved driving BMW's. Even if it were just a 323ci, they all just seem so responsive and balanced, even if it's not the fastest one in the lineup.
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People think I'm crazy for putting money into maintaining a car like mine. I love it. It's a great driver. I want to know what other cars would be similar in feel as well. Carry on...
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