- May 26, 2026
- 4
- 4
Hi guys, I got my black 'Lude in mid March, and I love it, but it doesn't come without some criticism. But then again, nothing in life does, so my happiness level with this vehicle is definitely high. And it's high because of the peculiar mix of the uniqueness of the car, coupled to the uniqueness of my needs and tastes. I waited years for a sporty hybrid or electric coupe that I could afford in a market flooded by boring muscle cars and crossover SUVs, and not only did it finally come, but it's also still the only one around! So really, a no brainer purchase for me. 
Anyway, I wanted to take some time to share my opinions on this admittedly very unique car after 3 months of owning one, reflect on the purchase, the pros and cons objectively, and just share my feelings about it. And perhaps also provide some perspectives not everyone had considered. Maybe you will share this with someone you know who may be on the fence or skeptical. Either way, thanks for reading.
Intro on myself to understand why I wanted this car: I am a middle class parent of two boys, aged 4 and 6, with a non-luxury budget, so I wanted and needed backseats for my kids and the whole fam when needed, while also satisfying my long running passion for the sporty GT/coupe layout, the only kind of car I care for. I am a musician, and always need decent cargo space to haul gear to and from shows. And because of being so involved in music, I value the time I spend in my car listening to it, so comfort and the audio system matter a lot to me. I like aggressive-looking sporty cars, but this is also my daily driver/commuter, so usability and fuel economy were top priorities. I love road tripping but also live in the Bay Area with traffic, stop lights, and uneven asphalt, so driving comfort was a must. I grew up in Europe with a natural taste for small, sporty, nimble cars with manual transmissions. My last car was a Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1st gen — an AMAZING and super fun car for what it cost. In recent years though I grew fed up with gas prices, maintenance costs, and depreciation, and did not feel confident investing 2026 money in a new gas car. So I started pivoting toward hybrid/electric, but prices were high and designs monopolized by boring crossover SUVs, so the mix of this car's powertrain and looks was definitely appealing.
GENERAL THOUGHTS: I really think this car is both deeply misunderstood but also cryptically genius. Middle class people who like sports cars seem to not see much beyond their "gas, manual, and performance" nose — GTIs, BRZs, Type Rs, WRCs — so if you propose them an affordable hybrid coupe, they instantly struggle with the idea. But the misunderstanding is also due to Honda's cerebral concept seeking a truly niche audience: those who like sporty looks and vibes, but with fuel economy. Yes, just saying that already sounds like a riddle. No one had ever come up with such an idea, as performance and efficiency have historically been considered antithetical. But looks and running costs are actually two of the most important traits when people buy cars — just never rolled into one before, for blind coherence reasons. Bringing them together is actually very SMART. But yes, it's also implied that few people will make that connection, and most will just liquidate it as a "failed sports car." Those who see it that way have not understood it in the slightest, and simply aren't looking at a car that was meant for them, so they should move on — and stop talking about it, to not look silly.
WHEN AND WHY I DECIDED TO PULL THE TRIGGER: Despite somewhat understanding Honda's concept and finding the looks AMAZING, just "fuel economy + looks" wasn't enough for me. I wanted it to also be FUN — non-negotiable. My first test drive was in Oakland. I exited the dealership, threw it into S+ mode, floored it on a freeway ramp and it barely reacted. The artificial engine noises sounded weird, and I spent the rest of the test drive in traffic. Underwhelmed. But the looks and interior had become increasingly hard to give up. A couple months later I found myself in San Bruno, drove past a Honda dealership, and spotted a black Prelude in their showroom. Black is my favorite car color, so I pulled in. The interiors were also black — another plus. The salesperson suggested we take it up the San Bruno Mountain backroads. Odd proposal, but I accepted. And man, that's where the car came to life. The electric torque pulled out of corners like it was magnetized to the road on a rail, and the handling was in a word, PHENOMENAL. I could floor it on tight twisty sections and consistently place the outer tire inches from the shoulder with complete confidence, cut corners with razor precision, and the brakes let me slow down a fraction of a second later than usual without losing stability. The electric torque then immediately pulled me back out. That's when I understood why this Prelude has Brembo brakes and the Type R chassis. There is no way a Civic Hybrid could pull off such a fun and aggressive performance, and people who compare the two have no idea what they're talking about. And yet I was doing all of this at 33MPG.
The drive back on the freeway was another revelation. The Prelude is a hyper efficient GT cruiser, not a sports car — though it handles like one when the road calls for it. The first time my wife and I went on a weekend getaway, she told me she'd never been so comfortable on a road trip in her life.
THE QUIRK: Owning this car has genuinely changed how I drive. I almost constantly use the paddle shifters outside of S+ mode — downshifting for regen braking control, paddling up for coasting momentum — and find myself using the brake and accelerator far less than before. It's become a strangely addictive, efficiency-focused, wheel-centric driving style. Because both hands are always on the wheel, it's been a radical posture change coming from a lifetime of manual transmissions. A hyper driver-centric, maniacally control-focused style which I oddly enjoy.
FINAL LIST OF PROS:
THE 10/10 SCORE SHOULD HAVE BEEN... The Prelude's amazing chassis and tuning feel like a platform with so much more to give — but that's only possible by inching up the power. However I am not one of those who would strip this car of its uniqueness and revert it to a boring performance hatch with a manual, petrol engine, and two exhaust pipes. NO. If that's what I wanted, I'd have bought a Type R. The dream would be the same 2.0L Atkinson-cycle engine as a pure generator, but powering larger electric motors — maybe two, front and rear, for AWD — with larger converters. More power through the hybrid architecture, not in spite of it.
THE OLD/NEW PRELUDE DEBATE: Some of the silliest nephobe stuff I've seen in recent years. The 2026 Prelude is more Prelude than the Prelude ever was. It was always Honda's experimental platform — sporty coupes that were never cheap or fast. Adjusted for inflation, this one is among the cheapest yet. It was discontinued to make room for the Accord and Civic Coupes, and now it's back to replace them. Total continuity under a different name. This whole debate is so silly.
With that said, I love my Prelude, and not only that, I love it more and more every day with every new nuance and quirk it reveals. Thanks for reading!
—Mattia
Anyway, I wanted to take some time to share my opinions on this admittedly very unique car after 3 months of owning one, reflect on the purchase, the pros and cons objectively, and just share my feelings about it. And perhaps also provide some perspectives not everyone had considered. Maybe you will share this with someone you know who may be on the fence or skeptical. Either way, thanks for reading.
Intro on myself to understand why I wanted this car: I am a middle class parent of two boys, aged 4 and 6, with a non-luxury budget, so I wanted and needed backseats for my kids and the whole fam when needed, while also satisfying my long running passion for the sporty GT/coupe layout, the only kind of car I care for. I am a musician, and always need decent cargo space to haul gear to and from shows. And because of being so involved in music, I value the time I spend in my car listening to it, so comfort and the audio system matter a lot to me. I like aggressive-looking sporty cars, but this is also my daily driver/commuter, so usability and fuel economy were top priorities. I love road tripping but also live in the Bay Area with traffic, stop lights, and uneven asphalt, so driving comfort was a must. I grew up in Europe with a natural taste for small, sporty, nimble cars with manual transmissions. My last car was a Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1st gen — an AMAZING and super fun car for what it cost. In recent years though I grew fed up with gas prices, maintenance costs, and depreciation, and did not feel confident investing 2026 money in a new gas car. So I started pivoting toward hybrid/electric, but prices were high and designs monopolized by boring crossover SUVs, so the mix of this car's powertrain and looks was definitely appealing.
GENERAL THOUGHTS: I really think this car is both deeply misunderstood but also cryptically genius. Middle class people who like sports cars seem to not see much beyond their "gas, manual, and performance" nose — GTIs, BRZs, Type Rs, WRCs — so if you propose them an affordable hybrid coupe, they instantly struggle with the idea. But the misunderstanding is also due to Honda's cerebral concept seeking a truly niche audience: those who like sporty looks and vibes, but with fuel economy. Yes, just saying that already sounds like a riddle. No one had ever come up with such an idea, as performance and efficiency have historically been considered antithetical. But looks and running costs are actually two of the most important traits when people buy cars — just never rolled into one before, for blind coherence reasons. Bringing them together is actually very SMART. But yes, it's also implied that few people will make that connection, and most will just liquidate it as a "failed sports car." Those who see it that way have not understood it in the slightest, and simply aren't looking at a car that was meant for them, so they should move on — and stop talking about it, to not look silly.
WHEN AND WHY I DECIDED TO PULL THE TRIGGER: Despite somewhat understanding Honda's concept and finding the looks AMAZING, just "fuel economy + looks" wasn't enough for me. I wanted it to also be FUN — non-negotiable. My first test drive was in Oakland. I exited the dealership, threw it into S+ mode, floored it on a freeway ramp and it barely reacted. The artificial engine noises sounded weird, and I spent the rest of the test drive in traffic. Underwhelmed. But the looks and interior had become increasingly hard to give up. A couple months later I found myself in San Bruno, drove past a Honda dealership, and spotted a black Prelude in their showroom. Black is my favorite car color, so I pulled in. The interiors were also black — another plus. The salesperson suggested we take it up the San Bruno Mountain backroads. Odd proposal, but I accepted. And man, that's where the car came to life. The electric torque pulled out of corners like it was magnetized to the road on a rail, and the handling was in a word, PHENOMENAL. I could floor it on tight twisty sections and consistently place the outer tire inches from the shoulder with complete confidence, cut corners with razor precision, and the brakes let me slow down a fraction of a second later than usual without losing stability. The electric torque then immediately pulled me back out. That's when I understood why this Prelude has Brembo brakes and the Type R chassis. There is no way a Civic Hybrid could pull off such a fun and aggressive performance, and people who compare the two have no idea what they're talking about. And yet I was doing all of this at 33MPG.
The drive back on the freeway was another revelation. The Prelude is a hyper efficient GT cruiser, not a sports car — though it handles like one when the road calls for it. The first time my wife and I went on a weekend getaway, she told me she'd never been so comfortable on a road trip in her life.
THE QUIRK: Owning this car has genuinely changed how I drive. I almost constantly use the paddle shifters outside of S+ mode — downshifting for regen braking control, paddling up for coasting momentum — and find myself using the brake and accelerator far less than before. It's become a strangely addictive, efficiency-focused, wheel-centric driving style. Because both hands are always on the wheel, it's been a radical posture change coming from a lifetime of manual transmissions. A hyper driver-centric, maniacally control-focused style which I oddly enjoy.
FINAL LIST OF PROS:
- Looks: absolutely stunning for what it costs. The rear light bar, flared fenders, and low-slung profile are exceptional. By far the nicest looking affordable sporty car out there right now.
- Rarity: in 3 months in the Bay Area I've only spotted two in the wild. People stop me constantly asking what it is. It's a small, closed club.
- Comfort and interior quality: superb. I literally look for excuses to take my car out since it's so comfortable and fun.
- Drive modes: huge plus. Comfort for potholes and traffic, GT for highway cruising, Sport for hillside fun. I also created a custom mode that's basically Sport minus the fake engine noises.
- Hatch: non-negotiable for me. Huge cargo flexibility without dealing with a trunk.
- Fuel economy: phenomenal. Not much to add.
- Handling: mind-bogglingly nimble, incredibly responsive, completely driver-centric.
- BOSE audio: as a musician and picky audiophile, a huge plus.
- Paddle shifters: the simulated gears in S+ are fun, and the coasting/regen use outside of it is addictive.
- Back seats: a must for my kids, and the car still looks sporty and compact despite them.
- Road noise: a bit too much for the price. The mirrors create real turbulence at speed and the large tires do the rest.
- Price: close/honest, but could have been better.
- S+ gear shifting: why give me manual shifting if you're going to auto-upshift at a certain RPM anyway? Makes no sense.
- Fake engine noises: why be a hybrid and then be ashamed of it? At least give us a toggle in settings to turn it off.
- Seat mechanics: the fact it won't memorize your position after pushing them forward and back is really frustrating.
- No rear wiper: thought I couldn't care less. Three months later, I admit it's quite frustrating.
- Horsepower: yes, I am one of those. Mountain passes are fun, but straight line acceleration is dull for these looks, this chassis, and this price.
THE 10/10 SCORE SHOULD HAVE BEEN... The Prelude's amazing chassis and tuning feel like a platform with so much more to give — but that's only possible by inching up the power. However I am not one of those who would strip this car of its uniqueness and revert it to a boring performance hatch with a manual, petrol engine, and two exhaust pipes. NO. If that's what I wanted, I'd have bought a Type R. The dream would be the same 2.0L Atkinson-cycle engine as a pure generator, but powering larger electric motors — maybe two, front and rear, for AWD — with larger converters. More power through the hybrid architecture, not in spite of it.
THE OLD/NEW PRELUDE DEBATE: Some of the silliest nephobe stuff I've seen in recent years. The 2026 Prelude is more Prelude than the Prelude ever was. It was always Honda's experimental platform — sporty coupes that were never cheap or fast. Adjusted for inflation, this one is among the cheapest yet. It was discontinued to make room for the Accord and Civic Coupes, and now it's back to replace them. Total continuity under a different name. This whole debate is so silly.
With that said, I love my Prelude, and not only that, I love it more and more every day with every new nuance and quirk it reveals. Thanks for reading!
—Mattia
