Which Honda do you prefer? (Come vote!)

[ind1]

Hey,

So after this guy just kinda ditched me with the Civic I was going to buy I'm back at square one.

Now for the past weeks I've just looked solely at Civics and thats what I was going to buy. Looked good, fuel efficient and just seemed to fit me well.

However now after all this nonsense, I'm now considering the Integra and Prelude as well. I always thought these looked amazing, too.

And now I'm kind of stuck - I have 3 cars in my price range (5-7k) and I love them all but can only have one of course.

Now my question is - Of course it comes down to me lastly, but I'm just wondering if each is as good and perfect car for a P plater in terms of reliability and fun.

Would there be anything to stay away from with Integras/Preludes/Civics? Anything that excels more then the other in terms of reliability and fun? Choose what you think is the best.

I've seen a few Integras and Prelude (VTI-R's) for the 6-7k mark but the Civics seem to be a little pricier, getting into the 8k mark.

I have 5-7k to spend. I'm looking at the VTI-R's due to the VTEC engine which everybody seems to really like and I am wanting to do slight modifications, ie rims, etc.

Anyhow, what would you choose?

[WATAJK]

Well depends, you might have 5-7k but remember you gotta be able to pay insurance, money to service the car and there's all the other maintence.. Brakes, no tyres etc etc.. List is never ending lol
I would PERSONALLY get maybe a civic dude... might be a better idea IMO..
Integra's need a fair bit of care and if you don't have the money to fund it, i would go against it.

[japa_VTEC]

Hey man,

I was in exactly the same situation as you, with the exact same budget. I was looking at integras and preludes but didn't pay much attention to the insurance, just assuming it would be fine. Insurance for the integras and preludes ended up being so damn high (if you are spending 7k on a car then you probably want comprehensive insurance). It will be hard to keep the car because of the amount of money you are spending yearly.
I looked more into the civics and started finding a huge variety with lower km's, more modern years, and just in better condition overall compared to the other cars for a much cheaper price (around 4-5k). This gives you the option of probably getting Third Party insurance for a much cheaper price. I ended up with a huge bargain on an EK and I'm confident in it's resale value too.

So all in all, I would go for the Civic. Cheaper to fund in all aspects. Reliable (compared to the integras and preludes in your price range). Resale value. High potential to be modified if you are thinking of doing that!
Final warning; you will find it hard to afford an integra or prelude in long term costs.

Goodluck mate!

[duckey]

Dude just saw your post on whirlpool.net.au

Honda Civic VTIR aka EK4
- lightest of the bunch but the 1.6L lets it down however it is still zippy. most of these owners will prefer engine transplants to (B18C7, B18C – AUDM and JDM Integra DC2 Type R's) or K20/K24 (Accord Euros, Civic FN2R "Type R", Honda integra DC5 Type R and S). A B18 conversion will cost you 4-5.5K with without labour. A K20/K24 conversion will clost at least 7K without labour. These engine conversions should get you to low 12's on a ¼ mile.
- lots of aftermarket support
- they hold great market value
Common mods: rims, exhaust, front/rear lip, duck bill, sound system, lowering, HID's, tints, intake, coilovers
Price: Expect anywhere from 6-15K depending on mods and condition.

Honda Civic Coupe VTIR aka EM1
- best looking of the bunch? http://tweakculture.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/perfect_em1_2.jpg
- slowest of the bunch
- same engine as the EK4 but more body weight so performance is < the EK4
- they also hold great market value
- least common of the VTIR's
Common mods: rims, exhaust, front/rear lip, de-spoiler, sound system, lowering, HID's, tints, intake, coilovers
Price: Expect anywhere from 8-15K depending on mods and condition.

Honda Integra VTIR
- most sporty
- good handling
- lots of aftermarket support for the B18C2 1.8L engine.
- probably cheapest of the 4
- most are thrashed
- check cv joints, driveshafts, vtec solenoid for leakage
Common mods: rims, exhaust, front lip, de-spoiler or DC2R spoiler, sound system, lowering, HID's, tints, intake, coilovers
Price: Expect anywhere from 5-10K depending on mods and condition.

Honda Prelude VTIR
- awesome cruiser, comfy..some come with stock leather
- 2.2L..most torque and power of the bunch but not exactly the most zippy
- dont get semiauto/auto. known gear box problems for 97 models
- not a lot of aftermarket support as the others
- Stay away from the BB4 preludes 1992-96
Common mods: rims, exhaust, de-spoiler, sound system, lowering, HID's, tints, intake, coilovers
Price: Expect anywhere from 6-10K depending on mods and condition.

[jks24]

civic mate, for your price range should be able to get a decent ek. Heaps of potential in them and they can be made look good with some basic mods.. good luck

[ind1]

Thank you all :)

And a big thanks to duckey especially. Omfg that car is hot..

[act_gooner]

I personally would prefer the Prelude Vtir, but they can be fairly expensive compared to the others. Agree with everyone else saying the Civic, they're great cars and Integra's in real good condition also tend to be fairly expensive.

[jks24]

Thank you all :)

And a big thanks to duckey especially. Omfg that car is hot..

em1 is what you need then matey ;)

[ekay1]

em1 is the car you want =P. Test drive the cars first though before you purchase anything! You'll find the one that feels right

[JohnO]

ep3 is getting affordable now.

[Bulbasaur]

even thou i voted integra maybe you should consider a crx if you want something more rare :P

[jase89]

civic because its lighter and more affordable altho its very common.

[Super-DA9]

integra's a great car but as duckey said be very careful as many of them have been raped. check for smoke etc.

[jks24]

civic because its lighter and more affordable altho its very common.

not if you get a EM1 ;)