Honda Prelude review

I’m not sure why, but there was always something surprisingly good about Honda Preludes of times gone by. I should of course have learned my lesson and raised my expectations accordingly, but each time one of these new coupés appeared, all sober styling and sensible interiors, I could be counted upon to underestimate its abilities.

Indeed I can remember one of the best drives I had in this country came courtesy of one, flying across Blakey Ridge on the North York Moors, revelling in its firecracker engine and apparently unflappable chassis control which, believe me, is what you need most up there.

But all that was a quarter of a century, or more, ago. Would this new Prelude pick up where its sires left off? It would not, and for reasons I’ll get to shortly.