Did you test drive a Prelude before buying one?

[rexracer22]

Did you buy your Prelude before test driving it?

I went to a Honda dealer to test drive a Prelude. The dealer I went to will never get my business for a couple of reasons. First reason is they originally had $5K of additional dealer mark-up. That must not have gone so well because they have had that car for a long time. On the way out the door the price dropped. Now it is discounted about $2K off msrp. I will never buy from any dealer who charges ADM. I mean I will never ever consider them again for any car. The second reason is the same dealer does not allow test drives on Preludes. No way will I ever buy a car from a dealer who does not allow a short test drive. Two strikes! They don’t get a third one. lol.

 

[Kguy6]

No, but drove a Civic Touring Hybrid to get a feel for the drivetrain. I've driven plenty of Hondas' and they all drive similar (Acuras' included)...with different levels of sportiness I'd say. It all worked out, because it drives great ! Not the quickest thing (it's not slow though, I've had some dog-slow cars, and this ain it), but the handling is phenominal. Between the shortened wheelbase and Type R suspension, slowing down for turns is more of an option than a must do. And, I love the S+ shifting, just adds more fun to the package.

I paid msrp, no bs dealer games, as I bought my last Honda from the same dealer/salesman. Just put my name on it, did the paperwork, and picked it up when it came in (about two weeks total). There were none on the lot. Only one I saw available was a used one (somehow), also asking above msrp at another dealer. I think they forget they're selling Hondas' not Ferraris'.

 

[Passfeller51]

Yes I did test drive it before ordering. It's common practice over here. Expessed my interest in driving one in February, was called by the dealer when he got a blue one in to drive in May, drove it in May & loved it, ordered one and recieved it in June. Dealer took in my Lexus for a very good price plus I got some discount on the sticker price (as is common practice here, too). All in all it was a fully satisfying experience. Should there be future iterations of the Prelude (different features, new design/colors, more power) I'd definitely get mine from the same dealer again.

 

[Alfettaman76]

I had two test drives before I ordered my Prelude.

For the first one, I turned up unannounced at my local Honda dealer and they kindly let me have a brief (15 minute) drive. They also arranged for me to borrow their demonstrator for a couple of hours the following week.

Negotiated the deal and placed my order that same day, and took delivery of my new car three weeks later.

I've never bought a car without driving it first!

 

[rexracer22]

It looks like Honda dealers in other countries have dedicated demo Preludes for customers to try. We don’t have that in the US. Any cars available for test drives is out of regular dealer inventory.

Here in the US 99.99% of the time customers test drive cars before buying. Prior to the pandemic most cars were discounted under MSRP and even under INVOICE on many cars.

 

[GoZoner36]

No test drive - I didn't even ask - my wife and I just sat in it and a Type R and finalized the Prelude decision. That one and only local Honda dealer's car was white; I wanted red. Searched the entire US, found one (which was under MSRP but that didn't really matter), had it shipped, put it in the garage and waited for the snow to clear. That was in January.

 

[Liverfluke25]

Test drove their demo car for an hour, alone.
Ordered mine within five minutes of getting back.
I cannot understand being expected to buy this kind of car without a test drive.

 

[faithboy15]

No test drive—I trusted my gut feeling entirely; it was that slightly irrational "must-have" feeling, just like with the Civic Type R FK8 back in 2017. My only minor concern was the seating position, since I’m over 6'2" tall—but I was overjoyed when I finally took that first test drive in late March (six weeks after ordering) and realized that there isn't any more space in the FK8 either, and that I could sit comfortably!

 

[rexracer22]

I finally got to test drive a Prelude. Other people must have test driven the same car. It had about 90 miles on it. It is not uncommon to trade cars with other dealers and have to drive the car back from the other dealer. At first I thought it was a trade from another dealership. I checked the window sticker and it was delivered to the dealer I test drove it at. That car just had been test driven a lot. I am glad they had it available for test drives. I had it out for almost 30 minutes.

My first impression was how smooth and quiet it was. The cabin is a nice place to be. The seating position is very good and visibility is excellent forward viewing. I used both the back-up camera and side mirrors when backing into parking spaces. The Prelude seems a tiny bit wider than some cars the same size. The drivers seat was not sports car firm and as supportive as some cars but very comfortable. The drivers seat is probably pretty comfortable for longer road trips. I did not have much time in the passenger seat. I wish the seat was powered. Honestly it should be on a $43K-$44K car. It took a while to figure out the seat back tilt. The seats don’t seem to remember the seating position if you fold the seats forward to let someone in the back or if you wanted to put something in the back seats.

The cabin is nice and feels more upscale than economy. Honda did a nice job. I really appreciate the radio and HVAC controls still use buttons and knobs. Great layout and nice to look at.

I was expecting to be disappointed by the acceleration based on reviews. Yes and no. I was surprised by how liner the power delivery was off the line. It could be faster but I can say that about most cars. I wished it had more power so it can take advantage of the great and capable chassis. For a 200hp car the steering, chassis, brakes are overkill for the Prelude's drivetrain. I guess it is better to have the suspension performance parts than not. It comes at a huge cost though. The difference in price between a regular Civic Hybrid and the Prelude is $10K-$13K.

How fast or slow is the Prelude? It is about as fast as most daily driven sedans and SUVs. It is probably about as fast as the Prius and Civic. It is fast enough for daily driving. You won’t have to worry about passing or merging in traffic. It is fast enough for daily driving and on highways. It is just fast enough to still be really fun. It is just not fast enough to really take advantage of the suspension and brakes.

How slow is it? It is slower than just about every other fun car at its price or even much cheaper. The Prelude is slower than the Z, Mustang, GR86/BRZ, GTI, Miata, Mini JCW, WRX, Hyundai Elantra N. Being slower than those cars does not mean it is inferior or less fun. It is just a different kind of fun. It just depends on wht you prefer. The Prelude’s steering, chassis, and brakes help make up for the lack of power even though I don’t think the Prelude’s CTR sourced parts are tuned the same as in the Civic Type R. The Civic Type R feels more engaging, alive and raw. Not just from having more power and a manual. The suspension is tuned very different. I suspect the alignment specs might be different between the two cars also. The Preludes chassis is still EXCELLENT. Just not as exciting as a track toy as the Civic Type R is.

The Prelude feels more refined than the sharper Civic Type R. The Prelude is a much better daily driver. The Prelude's steering is really excellent but not as sharp or precise as the Civic Type R to me. Same with the suspension/chassis. The suspension was excellent also but not as sharp, responsive, or stiff as the Civic Type R. The chassis response is much sharper and quicker in the Civic Type R. I really did not use the brakes hard at all so I can’t really comment on how they feel when driven hard. The brakes have a progressive feel when braking and good bite as far as I could tell from my test drive at normal speeds. I wonder if the CTR brakes are overkill on a car with a 200 hp hybrid drivetrain. Some of the braking is assisted when regeneration happens. I think it would be hard to get enough speed up with the Prelude's drivetrain to really take advantage of the massive and capable Civic Type R brakes. I also wonder if the Prelude’s brake pad compound is the same as the Civic Type R.

I am disappointed the Prelude does not have some features for its cost. The Prelude I tried did not have rear emergency braking. Most cars do, even much less expensive cars. Power seats and a heated steering wheel would have been nice.

I also wanted to say something about the different driving modes. Though artificial, the Sport+ Mode is the most fun mode to me. It zaps even more time from the 0-60 and 1/4-mile times but I feel it is worth the it for the throttle blips and shifts. I enjoyed the dual-clutch feeling theatrics. I guess I am a poser?

Overall the Prelude can use more power but it is still really fun. It has best in class steering feel, chassis tuning, brakes. Only the Civic Type R and Integra Type S has better front-wheel drive steering, chassis, suspension, brakes. The Prelude steering, suspension, steering is just a softer, less intense, version of the CTR and ITS. Make no mistake it is wonderful and probably best in class for steering, road feel, suspension, chassis dynamics.

Yes, the Prelude is expensive for its power output. But what other non-EV car is as much fun and can get the MPG it gets? I can’t think of anything 2-door or 4-door. Then there is the sporty aesthetics of the Prelude. It is really nice looking. Overall the Prelude really is much better than what is written about it. I suspect most negative comments or reviews are by someone who has not actually driven one.

I think the Prelude would make for a really fun and economical daily driver and road trip car. I am still interested. Not at the $44K MSRP but maybe at $39K-$40K. I don’t think it is unrealistic to see prices drop more than the $2K+ off msrp I am seeing today so maybe one will be in my garage sooner than later. Or maybe Honda will add more equipment. I don’t know if it would ever happen but another 50-75hp would not hurt either!

 

[faithboy15]

Nice review; but what about those 90 miles ?

 

[rexracer22]

Nice review; but what about those 90 miles ?

I probably put another 5-10 miles on it during my test drive. I was very respectful during my drive. Other people might not have been as nice. Personally I would never buy a brand new car with 90 miles on it. Those first 90 miles could have been some really abusive hard miles.

 

[faithboy15]

But 90 miles isn't really much for a demo car or test-drive vehicle, is it?

 

[rexracer22]

But 90 miles isn't really much for a demo car or test-drive vehicle, is it?

It is at most car dealerships in the U.S. 90 miles is considered a lot of miles for a new car. Most new cars are delivered with fewer than 5-10 miles. I have bought cars with as few as 4 miles. Those miles are from testing at the factory and transporting the vehicles from the factory, to boats, trains, trucks, to dealers. Most car dealerships here in the U.S. do not have dedicated demo cars reserved for test drives. Most test drives are done in cars that are in normal sales inventory.

VW recommends a break-in period of 600 miles. No high revs for 600 mile and then gently upping rpms from 600 miles to 1000 miles before full out revs. I once test drove a new ’24 Golf R with 200 miles on it. It was supposedly driven by the owner of the dealership. That car was obviously abused. The tires looked like they needed replacing.

 

[faithboy15]

Mine had 7 kilometers / 4.3 miles on the clock; of course, demo vehicles are resold—though usually at a significant discount, since they are often mistreated by "prospective buyers," and they are explicitly designated as used demo models.

 

[Passfeller51]

I probably put another 5-10 miles on it during my test drive. I was very respectful during my drive. Other people might not have been as nice. Personally I would never buy a brand new car with 90 miles on it. Those first 90 miles could have been some really abusive hard miles.

Absolutely! Never buy a demo car! It's been treated like s**t during the most important phase. German dealers tend to keep their demo cars until they have run 1000-2000 kilometers, then sell them with a solid discount. I'd never touch one of those with a ten foor pole. Programmed to break down way before its time due to relentless abusive driving by test drivers who knew they'd get a brand new car anyway if they ordered one after testing.

 

[GoZoner36]

I also wanted to say something about the different driving modes. Though artificial, the Sport+ Mode is the most fun mode to me. It zaps even more time from the 0-60 and 1/4-mile times but I feel it is worth the it for the throttle blips and shifts. I enjoyed the dual-clutch feeling theatrics. I guess I am a poser?

It is my contention that S+ is NOT artificial/fake - it allows driver control of the engine RPMs thereby keeping the engine in its electricity-generating power band. (Thus S+ is really no different from mechanical gears - which also exist to keep the engine at its peak power/torque RPM range.)

Three reasons for my contention:
1) when you brake-torque launch the engine RPMs pin at 6,000 so higher RPMs produce more electricity/acceleration.
2) In S+, if you pull and hold the left paddle the engine will ‘shift’ to the gear allowing the maximum RPMs. You can go from, for example, 6th to 3rd with one pull. Why would Honda offer this shortcut if the point was only fake shifts?
3) In S+ when exiting a corner the engine will ‘down shift’ to a higher RPM thereby producing more electricity for the post-corner acceleration.

On my next autocross (in 10 days) I’m going to try #2, on the straights, to keep maximum RPMs during the entire ~60 second race - thereby perhaps adding more power and/or keeping the battery SOC high for subsequent runs.

 

[GoZoner36]

Also, regarding performance versus other cars… sure inline acceleration isn’t the best compared to GR86 and the like. But Motor Trend has a standard figure 8 test (handling) that the Prelude wins.

See https://www.prelude6g.com/threads/motor-trend-figure-eight-lap-times-prelude-wins.120/

 

[Jusbs54915]

Yes I did...they took it off the showroom floor for me (I was driving 200 miles to purchase the car, contingent with them on the preapproved OTD price that I approved of the ride and feel of the car after a test drive)

 

[rexracer22]

It is my contention that S+ is NOT artificial/fake - it allows driver control of the engine RPMs thereby keeping the engine in its electricity-generating power band. (Thus S+ is really no different from mechanical gears - which also exist to keep the engine at its peak power/torque RPM range.)

Three reasons for my contention:
1) when you brake-torque launch the engine RPMs pin at 6,000 so higher RPMs produce more electricity/acceleration.
2) In S+, if you pull and hold the left paddle the engine will ‘shift’ to the gear allowing the maximum RPMs. You can go from, for example, 6th to 3rd with one pull. Why would Honda offer this shortcut if the point was only fake shifts?
3) In S+ when exiting a corner the engine will ‘down shift’ to a higher RPM thereby producing more electricity for the post-corner acceleration.

On my next autocross (in 10 days) I’m going to try #2, on the straights, to keep maximum RPMs during the entire ~60 second race - thereby perhaps adding more power and/or keeping the battery SOC high for subsequent runs.

Autocrosses are a lot if fun!

Honda had a press release describing the Honda S+Shift. They say it simulates a performance 8-speed transmission. It produces simulated gear shifts like a 8-speed dual clutch or 8-speed traditional automatic transmission. To me it is artificial if it is not a genuine gear shift with genuine noises from the engine, transmission and exhaust. It really does not matter to me. I prefer the S+ Mode even though it robs some actual performance. I enjoy feeling and hearing the artificial engine revs, pops, gears and shifting sounds piped into the speakers. The S+ Shift technology is one of the few reasons I am interested in the Prelude. Other things I like about the Prelude are the style, MPG. Even though the Prelude is not tuned the same as a CTR I like that it has the CTR suspension, brakes. It is a great chassis for playful daily driving and touring. I think the Prelude would be a fun grand touring car for longer road trips. And easy on the gas pocketbook!

• Linear Shift Control creates vehicle speed-linked engine rev feel
• New Honda S+ Shift simulates a performance transmission experience

"The 6th-generation Prelude marks the debut of Honda S+ Shift, an innovative
new drive mode that simulates a performance 8-speed transmission experience. Honda S+ Shift advances Linear Shift Control to deliver maximum levels of driver engagement. By precisely managing engine RPM and integrating paddle shifters, Honda S+ Shift simulates quick gearshift responses through seamless coordination between the engine and the high-power traction (drive) motor, including downshift blips, rev matching and gear holding.

With the innovative new Honda S+ Shift system, Prelude delivers the ultimate electrified Honda driving experience with a responsive and engaging shifting simulation, featuring virtual rev-matched downshifts in S+ mode and enhanced engine sounds to increase the driver's sensory connection with the vehicle."

 

[rexracer22]

Yes I did...they took it off the showroom floor for me (I was driving 200 miles to purchase the car, contingent with them on the preapproved OTD price that I approved of the ride and feel of the car after a test drive)

I love that some of you traveled to buy your Prelude. I have traveled to buy several cars myself and the trip is part of the adventure!