5th Gen Prelude vs 6th Gen Accord?

SJGomez · Jul 27, 2016

So, I've been debating on what car to get, a 5th Gen Prelude 5 Speed, or a 6th Gen Accord V6. I'm wanting the one that's faster and/or has more power. Now, I'm not gonna act like I know a whole lot about motors, because I don't. I guess in my mind, V6 is gonna beat out 4 cylinder, but I know that there are other factors involved. Any help is appreciated

And by the way, if for some other reason you think I should pick one car over the other, please let me know

RedRyder · Jul 27, 2016

I would say the main reason to pick the 5spd manual Prelude is the 4spd auto transmission in 6thgen Accords are notorious for failing, both for V6 and 4cyl. It is not guaranteed it will fail, but it is a possibility. A lot of V6 owners have swapped to 6spd manual, I did even though my auto was fine when I took it out at 133k miles. Plus a manual is just plain more fun to drive. I knew about the V6 transmission before I bought my car back in 2007, but I just didn't want to drive a 4 banger so I took my chances.

I don't know much about the Prelude so I can't speak to its reliability, but it is a 4cyl manual Honda so I think it's hard to go wrong. I've just heard to stay away from the SH model. As for looks between it and the Accord, it's a matter of personal preference. Both are good looking cars imo.

The 6GA also doesn't have much of an aftermarket, I would think the Prelude does but I don't know for sure. But the nice thing about the Accord is it shared a lot with some Acura models of similar years, so there are some nice OEM upgrades available. And it might be easier to find parts for it as well since it's more common. But if you want to make power with a 6GA, it takes a lot. Maybe that's the same for the Prelude, again I don't know.

Anyway there's a few things to think about or look into, hope it helps.

Sketch o5 · Jul 27, 2016

i'd take a 5mt prelude over an auto accord any day of the week.

SJGomez · Jul 27, 2016

RedRyder said:
I would say the main reason to pick the 5spd manual Prelude is the 4spd auto transmission in 6thgen Accords are notorious for failing, both for V6 and 4cyl. It is not guaranteed it will fail, but it is a possibility. A lot of V6 owners have swapped to 6spd manual, I did even though my auto was fine when I took it out at 133k miles. Plus a manual is just plain more fun to drive. I knew about the V6 transmission before I bought my car back in 2007, but I just didn't want to drive a 4 banger so I took my chances.

I don't know much about the Prelude so I can't speak to its reliability, but it is a 4cyl manual Honda so I think it's hard to go wrong. I've just heard to stay away from the SH model. As for looks between it and the Accord, it's a matter of personal preference. Both are good looking cars imo.

The 6GA also doesn't have much of an aftermarket, I would think the Prelude does but I don't know for sure. But the nice thing about the Accord is it shared a lot with some Acura models of similar years, so there are some nice OEM upgrades available. And it might be easier to find parts for it as well since it's more common. But if you want to make power with a 6GA, it takes a lot. Maybe that's the same for the Prelude, again I don't know.

Anyway there's a few things to think about or look into, hope it helps.

Thanks a lot for that advice! Truth be told, I've always thought about getting an accord and swapping the auto for a stick but people told me that would cost more than the car itself. Other than the transmission, it's a real tough call for me. Both cars look great, although the accord looks much roomier. What have you heard negative about the SH Preludes? I always thought those were the go-to models?

Eclipse99fwb · Jul 27, 2016

What would be your plans with the prelude? If you dont see yourself dumping alot of money into or autox, there is nothinh wrong with the sh model. If you do plan on truly modding it than go with the base model. Ive driven both at work and think the sh makes a better daily with the atts.

SJGomez · Jul 27, 2016

Eclipse99fwb said:
What would be your plans with the prelude? If you dont see yourself dumping alot of money into or autox, there is nothinh wrong with the sh model. If you do plan on truly modding it than go with the base model. Ive driven both at work and think the sh makes a better daily with the atts.

The Prelude would basically be my daily driver. Luckily, I live right by the highway, which goes straight to my college and work (about 15-20 miles to each one), so even though it'd be a daily, at least a lot of that would be on the highway. I also do a lot of highway driving in general, going out to bigger cities that are around 1 - 2 hours away.

I really don't plan on modding the car. I'd like to look into some cosmetic mods, so some interior work and maybe a body kit (I don't wanna rice it up though :rotflmao: