Disappointed. That’s how everyone is feeling about the all new 2026 Honda Prelude that is slated to take on the Toyota GR86 and Mazda Miata when it arrives at showrooms. We all saw this coming for weeks before it was officially launched and we still were in a state of denial when Honda confirmed what was already known. No manual option and hybrid only. Pricing was the only wildcard, and then it was announced the Prelude was going to start at a tear shedding $40k. Could a vehicle unveiling be any more lackluster? Honda may be in a league of their own right now in regard to dissatisfying enthusiasts.
But is it all bad? Maybe in attempts to find a silver lining, I’m not so depressed as everyone else. Frustrated? Yes. In all honesty this isn’t a Prelude, nowhere close. Honda is attempting to bank off nostalgia in hopes that by bringing back an iconic nameplate it will tug at the heart strings of car lovers. I don’t want to call it a “money grab” because there might not be any money to grab based off current sediment, but it does feel a little dirty naming this good looking coupe a Prelude. And that’s my biggest issue with this car.
It’s a Honda Civic Coupe, built on the same platform, sharing the same powertrain, and having a very similar interior aside from some minor aesthetic changes that are truly an improvement. Starting off with the good, the Prelude will have a 2 liter hybrid 4 cylinder engine producing 200 hp and 232 lb ft of torque and maybe a little enticing is the S+ Shift system with paddle shifters and faux rev-matching to provide some sense of exhilaration. This hatchback also takes suspension components from the Civic Type R, so at least on paper you’re looking at a sports coupe that should handle and perform better than the Civic Hybrid which was my Car of the Year last year. Another bright spot is with Honda’s hybrid system the Prelude will likely be extremely efficient which I know isn’t a metric enthusiasts really care about.
The bad for the Prelude isn’t necessarily the lack of a manual transmission. Volkswagen dropped the manual for the GTI last year so Honda isn’t bucking the trend here. It’s the fact that 1) this coupe is in no way a GR86 fighter or any sports car fighter for that matter and 2) it’s unacceptably expensive for what it is. A $40k price tag for what is basically a Civic Hybrid Coupe is preposterous and this once again leads me back to Honda trying to capitalize off nostalgia.
Admittedly the Prelude is one good looking car though with its swooping front end and full LED light bar for the rear fascia. In some ways it looks like a modern CR-Z which would have been a more appropriate nameplate, but I digress. Then you hop inside and you’re greeted by Honda’s signature classy dashboard design, with a 10.2 inch digital gauge cluster and 9 inch touchscreen with wireless apple CarPlay and Android Auto Compatibility. Highlighting the Prelude’s interior is the uniquely styled seats with contrast stitching and streamlined center console which has parts from other Honda and Acura models. In fact I’d go as far to say that the Prelude has a welcoming cockpit that should appease even the most stubborn of buyer.
However, if Honda really wanted to set this coupe apart in the lineup, they didn’t go far enough with differentiating this new nameplate from the others. It’s bad enough there’s no manual and it’s extremely difficult to see what its value proposition is. By basically taking the Civic’s interior and covering it with a unique and sporty exterior there’s just nothing special or memorable, and it’s not good enough to succeed in market with established competitors like the Miata and GR86.
There’s a lot to like here about the Prelude, but the $40k price tag sours what could and should have been a cool, fun, and efficient coupe is a segment that desperately needs new models in this mix.
