Car@Driver magazine made that claim about a year ago in a multi-car comparison test looking for the worlds best handling under $30 thousand dollar car.A 1999 Honda Prelude SH won that competition hands down over a field of cars that included many rear drive vehicles.

So much for all those claims that front drivers don't handle as well as rear ones do. Anyone who has watched Acura Integra Type R's beating the pants off BMW 328's in head to head racing on SPEEDVISION already knew that.

I've been searching for a replacement for my well worn but much loved Acura Legend Coupe these past few months and yesterday had the opportunity to test a 1999 Honda Prelude.

I remember when Honda first introduced the Prelude back in I think it was 1983. One automotive journalist called it the Honda Qualude. It really wasn't that boring a car back then but admittedly has come a long way since then.

When Honda updated the design in 1992 I loved the super aggressive looking wedge shape it had. It had that ready to pounce look about it. But in 1997 when Honda overhauled it for the third time I was less than thrilled with the results.

The 1997 to present model somehow just didn't appeal to me at first, almost as if Honda's styling department had taken a step backwards in its Preludes evolution. This coupe however is one of those cars that looks much better in person than in photographs. It must be viewed in person to appreciate its shape.

The 1999 that I tested was a base model with a 5 speed transmission. The original owner had made a couple of modifications on this car. The car had been lowered 1.5-2.0 inches. It had an aftermarket stainless steel exhaust system and strut tower stabilizers. Outside of that and some heavily tinted windows it appeared stock.

Having driven some Acura Integra GSR's in the past I knew what I was in for as I accelerated out of the dealers parking lot.At about 5300 rpm this 2.2 liter V-TEC engine comes on cam and the sounds it makes are better than anything I've heard since my Alfa Romeo's V6.

Excellent shifter, makes my Legends feel rubbery. May even surpass my 97 Mazda Miata's. Long considered to be the benchmark of shifters by many automotive scribes. Almost too closely spaced however, I hit fifth a couple of times when I was looking for third.

Torque steer is almost non-existant although admittedly I wasn't trying to induce it.This coupe feels like a rear driver. Pulls strongly thru its entire rpm range. Not peaky like Acura's 1.8 V-TEC. This feels like it has more than 156 ft.lbs. of torque.

Surprisingly good ride quality. Remember this coupe had been lowered a significant amount by the previous owner not to mention the strut tower supports. Both of which tend to make for a more jarring ride level. This however does not seem to be the case as this Prelude rode extremely comfortably.

Fantastic brakes, made my Legends feel anemic and inadequate. And I just installed new pads, rotors and calipers.I came hauling around a blind corner to find a huge tree limb across the road and these brakes really surprised me. Honda has outdone themselves with this car.

Great high speed stability, inspires confidence, maybe too much confidence. My Legend will do 140+ but doesn't feel firmly planted past 90. This little coupe will get you in big trouble if you let it. Has that planted to the tarmac feel I used to get with my Porsche 944's.

Now for the negatives of which there are few. The seats are comfortable but not great. And the interior layout needs to be redone. Something similar to what Honda has done in its S2000 would not be out of place in this car. Some of the interior materials seem a bit cheap. But in all fairness I'm comparing this $25K car to my Legend Coupe which by 1995 some of them where going out the Acura dealers door for nearly $50K.

All and all Honda has one very impressive sports car here. I call it a sports car because to qualify as a coupe it must have some rear seat capabilities and this cars back seat is only suitable to double amputees.

Its exterior has a look that is growing on me and if I can just get by its somewhat "downscale" interior this little rocket may find itself a home in my carport. The positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to sizing up Hondas 1999 Prelude. I'd love to hear what the writer that referred to this car as a "Qualude" nearly twenty years ago has to say about Honda's latest rendition of it Prelude.