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whitexboi69
09-09-2006, 10:36 PM
im interested in an 2000+ celica or a 1997 + prelude but i cant decide which one to get, which one would u guys choose? any pros / cons with each ?
thanks guys

jcrules99
09-09-2006, 10:38 PM
prelude ftw!

i am not biased...;) even if u get a gt-s, i would pick prelude over a celica anyday, vtec rules lol

ashee
09-09-2006, 10:40 PM
Prelude =)

whitexboi69
09-10-2006, 11:16 PM
any more opinions? i prefer the celicas interior to the preludes. the preludes look old an out dated

FiveFreshFish
09-10-2006, 11:19 PM
Prelude. Looks better inside and outside.

EK 2.0
09-10-2006, 11:19 PM
I don't know about the major pros and cons from each...having never owned either...but have had friends who have owned both...

My choice is the Prelude. It has a much easier accessed aftermarket parts supply if thats something you are planning on...as well as having driven both of them...I much prefer the "drivability" of the Prelude over the Celica...

Styling is very subjective...and I do love how the Prelude sits overall versus the Toyota...

LilDrunkenSmurf
09-10-2006, 11:21 PM
I love the look of the celica.... But now knowing anything about them... I'd have to suggest a prelude

arian_ma
09-10-2006, 11:22 PM
I vote Prelude as well, I am biased, but when I was looking into buying my car, I was torn between the two as well. I'm glad I picked the Prelude, the interior may be a little bland but overall it is a much better car IMO. Celica reminds me too much of a Civic for some reason. Prelude looks more "classy" I guess you could call it.

zain123
09-10-2006, 11:22 PM
if its gts.. 6 spd is the shit..
celica :thumbsup:

Grip172
09-11-2006, 09:12 AM
i had a 98 prelude and it was one of the funnest daily driven cars i've ever driven in or owned. it was a pleasure to drive and i found the seats to be really comfortable on long drives, like 9+ hours. the sunroof is nice and the AC system kicks ass. i miss my car like crazy and highly recommend them..

however, i know nothing about celicas and i think that a stocky prelude kicks ass over a stock celica in the appearance department easily.... i think it takes WAY more effort to make a celica look nice vs. the easily sexy prelude

HRD2PLZ
09-11-2006, 09:41 AM
Celica :thumbsup:

IMO, the Preludes are kinda lame looking....

Crymson
09-11-2006, 11:51 AM
Celica GTS is harder to keep in the power band.

whitexboi69
09-11-2006, 02:31 PM
Originally posted by Crymson
Celica GTS is harder to keep in the power band.

what do u mean

BoS_DC2
09-11-2006, 03:42 PM
Celica! With TRD kit is nice.

A2VR6
09-11-2006, 03:54 PM
Originally posted by whitexboi69


what do u mean

I've read that the powerband for the Celica GTS is fairly narrow, even more so than the Prelude apparently. They say that the power only really comes on strong in the last 1000 rpm before redline (7800). I guess it's harder to keep the car in lift.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2373/four-wedges-a-bubble-page5.html

The Celica power-wise didnt feel too much different than my RSX-S. :dunno:

Haven driven both the prelude and the celica GTS, It would be a tossup for me. I LOVE the driving position of the Celica, you sit right on the ground unlike the Prelude where you sit higher up. I like the shifter of the Prelude better than the Celica. Also, the Prelude to me has a bit more room inside. Also in my opinion they are both very good handling wise, with maybe the prelude with a slight edge.

whitexboi69
09-11-2006, 11:42 PM
yeah i heard celicas only perform well under high revs. still a hard decision tho.

IncredibleToad
09-11-2006, 11:55 PM
Having driven both as well...id say the PRELUDE gets my pick NOT because i own a 4th gen, im trying to be as unbiased as possible

Celica's lack the torque the prelude has and since 97+ all have H22 u dont have to deal with the lack of balls on the H23. On the Celica u do have to be up there in the revs to get a little more excitement wheras the prelude's power n 'go time!' is more accessible. The shifter and clutch is very comfortable on the prelude but on the celica it felt a bit too notchy and the clutch doenst have as much play. I also like the deeper sound the prelude has. The prelude's longer wheelbase gives it a bit more stability and i still find it quite nimble even for stock. Pretty good compromise between comfort and sportiness.

For me, the styling is a bit more on the 'young and flamboyant and lets get rowdy' kinda side on the celica while the prelude is more sleek and feels like its got more class to it.

Cons on the prelude tho...Interior wise the celica is one up on the prelude but even so everything is easy to work with in the prelude. The trunk is pretty small on the prelude too.

Celicas tend to be a bit more expensive but then it feels like im getting less of a drive out of them...
prelude +1 :love: andddd im off to bed

LilDrunkenSmurf
09-11-2006, 11:58 PM
Honda's usually perform only under high revs as well... but more than 1k rpm... lol... Prelude is rated @ 200hp and 175fl/lbs of torque, vs 180hp? ??tq?

Vtec is in there too... depends on your honda viewpoint there...

arian_ma
09-12-2006, 01:50 PM
Originally posted by IncredibleToad

Cons on the prelude tho...Interior wise the celica is one up on the prelude but even so everything is easy to work with in the prelude. The trunk is pretty small on the prelude too.


My trunk was a BOAT compared to the Celica trunk I thought...

5hift
09-12-2006, 02:25 PM
Originally posted by arian_ma


My trunk was a BOAT compared to the Celica trunk I thought...

:werd:

I have two 12" subs in a large box and still have space for my gym bag, school bag and etc. If trunk space is a reason for not buying a lude you should look at a minivan or something.

Back on the main topic, I was in your situation and after doing my research and driving both cars quite a few times I went with what clearly to me was the better one. Plus I dont know if I could drive a car that all the girls think is "cute".

Grip172
09-12-2006, 04:01 PM
true

alot of girls tell me "oh god i want a celica" whereas the prelude as a guys car as well as a girls car.

and i also fit 2 12" subs and amp in the trunk without a problem and it was pretty big box. i still had room for ahockey bag or hooker...or a hooker in a hockey bag

andres_mt
09-12-2006, 04:16 PM
consider some other options too!

But if your looking for a newer year car it always gets harder to find an affordable sporty car.

Prelude ftw if you want a better overall car though.

asp integra
09-12-2006, 05:56 PM
how much money do u have to spend? to be quite honest i am not a fan of either cars, but if your ony looking at a prelude or celica then i would say prelude, but i think there are better options out there depending on how much money u have

Grip172
09-12-2006, 06:38 PM
Originally posted by asp integra
how much money do u have to spend? to be quite honest i am not a fan of either cars, but if your ony looking at a prelude or celica then i would say prelude, but i think there are better options out there depending on how much money u have

he said he was interested in these two..foo

arian_ma
09-12-2006, 07:10 PM
What's a better car for $15-17k and in the same years. I'd take either over an Integra, 240sx, anything JDM, etc.

IncredibleToad
09-12-2006, 07:22 PM
I dont feel as ripped off paying that much for a newer car as opposed to an older early 90's japanese sports car lol even though im sure some of them can give a better driving experience since most of them are modded to some extent already
But i shouldnt get into customization since we're comparing stock cars.

I think the vote is almost unanimous here if you're looking for an opinion from us, Prelude FTW...VTEC POWA

Fcuk
09-12-2006, 07:32 PM
I've owned a 2001 Prelude and a 2000 Celica GT-S

The prelude is a excellent car all around, the only problem i had is im 6' feet tall and my legs would get cramped up after a few minutes of driving. Other then that this car is AMAZING.

The celica is comfortable however i don't think they used there heads when they made the rear windshield because you cannot see at ALL. The car has TONS of blind spots which can be very dangerous. Other thing i didnt like about the celica is that the gear box for 6 speeds was WAY to small and did not feel like i was shifting at all.

You seem like your leaning more towards the celica though and from a girls point of view i think they like it more so if thats what your aiming for.. go ahead lol.

If you seek all around style, performance etc pick a prelude hands down.

TEAMFaint
09-12-2006, 07:34 PM
Here's an interesting fact...7th Gen Celica GTS' are the fastest stock celica out there, yes even over the 5th gen 3SGTE.
You put on an intake, exhaust, and run the 1/4 mile. You'll run mid 14's with the GTS.


I'm not saying this just because I own a celica myself, but go with the Celica if you are just looking for a fun daily driver, Interiors are to die for.

liquidboi69
09-12-2006, 07:44 PM
Prelude:

-More torque/better low end power
-More subtle/classy exterior
-Better shifting/clutch feel
-Deeper trunkspace (unless you want to stack up to the Celica's window [which you can do] since it's a fastback) I'd say about tied on this one since you can take off the trunk cover on fastbacks.
-Super good aftermarket support
-Heated seats
-Way better rearward visibility
-Average MPG (~21-23)

Celica:

-Way better handling/braking scores than Lude/RSX-S on the tests by Edmunds...and IMO better as well
-Better interior (everything slants towards you, and your sitting almost flat on the ground it seems like...gives a nice cradling feeling)
-Better stock sound system
-IMO more fun to drive due to it's lightness (~ 2450lb) and driving position
-Faster 0-60mph time
-Really good on gas (in Civic class)
-Expensive aftermarket
-Wears it's exterior mods very well imo
-One of the best forward visibility I've seen
-Big blindspots

And the Celica powerband isn't from 7800-7900...it is 6000-8500. This is not too much different from Preludes powerband....~5500-8000. Lift/VTEC kicks in at those RPMS...you do need to be around 7800 to land back into 6000 RPM on the next gear though. The power DOES NOT come in at 7800. The powerband thing that everyone comments about is just liek VTEC...you just feel a really small jolt when you hit the Lift cam like you do in VTEC. It's not as bad as you probably think.

I was also torn between RSX, GTS, and Prelude as well as Arian was. We both decided to go with different cars due to different reasons though. I felt Celica was just really fun to drive...but on paper I was really leaning towards the RSX (until the test drive)

Just testdrive every car before you decide...our opinions may not reflect yours. No matter what car you get tho IMO, you will not regret it. They're all pretty good.

whitexboi69
09-12-2006, 08:38 PM
liquidboi69 thank you, you made some good points. just gotta test drive both since i havent driven them before. but the prelude seems like it has more bang for your buck. 16000 vs a gts which is at least 19000

andres_mt
09-12-2006, 09:17 PM
Both cars make great daily drivers and wow jon you know your celicas.

Are you looking for something with more power than most though or just a commute car?

Think about some of the non-TDI Volks too.

whitexboi69
09-12-2006, 09:43 PM
just a pretty quick daily driver that i can slowly mod

Fcuk
09-12-2006, 09:46 PM
actually a gts isn't 19000$, i listed mine for 16 and it didn't sell.

I ended up selling mine for 14.2k

IhateDomestic
09-12-2006, 09:48 PM
prelude is a better car all around... no battle

whitexboi69
09-12-2006, 09:54 PM
Originally posted by Fcuk
actually a gts isn't 19000$, i listed mine for 16 and it didn't sell.

I ended up selling mine for 14.2k

im planning on getting it from a dealership tho. no dealerships seem to have any gts at a reasonable price