Did you test drive a Prelude before buying one?

[CiceroGirl2]

My long-time salesman at my long-time Honda dealership (who knew I was unhappy about the horrible interiors of both the Type R and Civic Si, wanted to go back to driving a fun, sporty car (because I had previously had a Prelude that I regretted selling) let me know when he found out they were getting one at the end of January, and even sent me updates on its transportation from the West Coast and a photo of it still all dirty when it first came off the truck, so I was the first to see it. I test drove it, and bought it then and there (three days after it arrived).

 

[CiceroGirl2]

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.

One of the two dealers where I live (which has a TERRIBLE reputation for treating customers poorly and potential fraud on servicing vehicles) also says they don’t allow test drives of the Prelude or the Type R! I sat in the blue one in the showroom that they got in before the other dealership (my long-time dealership) had one coming in, but because I told him that I didn’t like the dual color interior, they wouldn’t let me test drive it. I told him there was no way in hell I was going to buy a $40K+ car without test driving it, and the salesman told me that lots of people buy $40K cars without driving them. I said “not me” and walked out. Three days later, my usual dealership told me they had a black one on the way. I bought that one when I test drove it 3 days after it came off the truck. (My long-time salesman even sent me a photo of it, still dirty, as soon as it came off the carrier! Easiest sale he ever made.)

My first stop on the way home with the new Prelude was at the crappy dealership to let them know that I will NEVER buy anything from them with the way I was treated at their dealership.

 

[pillred27 18]

My long-time salesman at my long-time Honda dealership (who knew I was unhappy about the horrible interiors of both the Type R and Civic Si, wanted to go back to driving a fun, sporty car (because I had previously had a Prelude that I regretted selling) let me know when he found out they were getting one at the end of January, and even sent me updates on its transportation from the West Coast and a photo of it still all dirty when it first came off the truck, so I was the first to see it. I test drove it, and bought it then and there (three days after it arrived).

I drove mine today on my own for the first time. It really is a nice car to be in. I was able to get a feel for what the car can really do. What surprised me was that, despite having the same engine and electric motors as my Civic, it feels very different to drive; that really surprised me, in a good way.

 

[PGH2]

Dealerships in my neck of the woods have marked up and added some much extra BS to them they are close to 50k. One dealer has 2 on the showroom and have been there for quite some time. The car is overpriced at MSRP much less another 4-5k.

 

[pillred27 18]

Dealerships in my neck of the woods have marked up and added some much extra BS to them they are close to 50k. One dealer has 2 on the showroom and have been there for quite some time. The car is overpriced at MSRP much less another 4-5k.

Think yourself lucky you don't live here then, as it's the equivalent of $55,000 here, yes, really.

 

[rexracer48 1]

Dealerships in my neck of the woods have marked up and added some much extra BS to them they are close to 50k. One dealer has 2 on the showroom and have been there for quite some time. The car is overpriced at MSRP much less another 4-5k.

What area are yo near? You should be able to get $2K off from dealers if you try searching a little farther out from your region. Probably even more than $2K. I noticed dealers have dropped prices even more last week. Or you can use the Costco Auto Program. Costco is $750 off msrp. Good luck.

 

[Alex_Waverley116 19]

It's not overpriced if you want one and can afford it.

 

[kawasakix10 1]

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!

New to the forum and eagerly awaiting my future Prelude Limited Edition, I’ve been devouring every forum post and YouTube review I can find. Two points stand out above the rest:
In the US, the main complaints concern power and speed.
In Europe, these issues are rarely mentioned; instead, handling—especially on winding roads—and comfort are highlighted as major strengths.
Yet, aside from Germany (where some autobahns have no speed limits), speed limits are similar and very strict across all continents. Are American drivers obsessed with stopwatch times? Don't they lose their licenses after just a few infractions?
Another point:
In its great generosity, Honda offers us both the Prelude and the Civic Type R—a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" pairing.
Why do people always compare these two vehicles? I believe they are priced similarly in the US, but they serve completely different purposes.
In my opinion, even the 4th-gen Prelude 2.2L VTEC I was lucky enough to own didn't feel like a true sports car compared to the Toyota Celica GT 4WS Turbo I’d bought two years earlier.
As it stands, there is no longer a choice in France: the Prelude costs €49,990 plus a €240 eco-tax (totaling €50,230), whereas the Type R costs €57,220 plus a massive €64,406 eco-tax, bringing the total to €121,626! In fact, neither the Type R nor the NSX is imported anymore. Thanks, Europe!
Having now had the chance to drive this new Prelude twice—once for half an hour and again for an hour, alone with my wife—I feel that Honda’s philosophy leans more towards grand touring, offering a comfortable and refined interior.
Both models are excellent, but why constantly compare two different philosophies? That may well be why the Prelude appeals far more to retirees than to young people.
Best regards.

 

[PR76UDE133 74]

New to the forum and eagerly awaiting my future Prelude Limited Edition, I’ve been devouring every forum post and YouTube review I can find. Two points stand out above the rest:
In the US, the main complaints concern power and speed.
In Europe, these issues are rarely mentioned; instead, handling—especially on winding roads—and comfort are highlighted as major strengths.
Yet, aside from Germany (where some autobahns have no speed limits), speed limits are similar and very strict across all continents. Are American drivers obsessed with stopwatch times? Don't they lose their licenses after just a few infractions?
Another point:
In its great generosity, Honda offers us both the Prelude and the Civic Type R—a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" pairing.
Why do people always compare these two vehicles? I believe they are priced similarly in the US, but they serve completely different purposes.
In my opinion, even the 4th-gen Prelude 2.2L VTEC I was lucky enough to own didn't feel like a true sports car compared to the Toyota Celica GT 4WS Turbo I’d bought two years earlier.
As it stands, there is no longer a choice in France: the Prelude costs €49,990 plus a €240 eco-tax (totaling €50,230), whereas the Type R costs €57,220 plus a massive €64,406 eco-tax, bringing the total to €121,626! In fact, neither the Type R nor the NSX is imported anymore. Thanks, Europe!
Having now had the chance to drive this new Prelude twice—once for half an hour and again for an hour, alone with my wife—I feel that Honda’s philosophy leans more towards grand touring, offering a comfortable and refined interior.
Both models are excellent, but why constantly compare two different philosophies? That may well be why the Prelude appeals far more to retirees than to young people.
Best regards.

But I'm only 34, thats young right? Right?????

 

[pillred27 18]

New to the forum and eagerly awaiting my future Prelude Limited Edition, I’ve been devouring every forum post and YouTube review I can find. Two points stand out above the rest:
In the US, the main complaints concern power and speed.
In Europe, these issues are rarely mentioned; instead, handling—especially on winding roads—and comfort are highlighted as major strengths.
Yet, aside from Germany (where some autobahns have no speed limits), speed limits are similar and very strict across all continents. Are American drivers obsessed with stopwatch times? Don't they lose their licenses after just a few infractions?
Another point:
In its great generosity, Honda offers us both the Prelude and the Civic Type R—a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" pairing.
Why do people always compare these two vehicles? I believe they are priced similarly in the US, but they serve completely different purposes.
In my opinion, even the 4th-gen Prelude 2.2L VTEC I was lucky enough to own didn't feel like a true sports car compared to the Toyota Celica GT 4WS Turbo I’d bought two years earlier.
As it stands, there is no longer a choice in France: the Prelude costs €49,990 plus a €240 eco-tax (totaling €50,230), whereas the Type R costs €57,220 plus a massive €64,406 eco-tax, bringing the total to €121,626! In fact, neither the Type R nor the NSX is imported anymore. Thanks, Europe!
Having now had the chance to drive this new Prelude twice—once for half an hour and again for an hour, alone with my wife—I feel that Honda’s philosophy leans more towards grand touring, offering a comfortable and refined interior.
Both models are excellent, but why constantly compare two different philosophies? That may well be why the Prelude appeals far more to retirees than to young people.
Best regards.

The CTR is at least $10,000 more than the Prelude in the States. I have no idea where this idea that they are similarly priced comes from, and yes, they do seem to have missed the point entirely in N America about the Prelude seemingly being obsessed with the fact that it's not a stick shift or doesn't have 300+ hp, or that the reason it's so expensive compared to some cars, especially the Civic, is that there is around 6/7 thousand dollars in tariffs on it due to Trump.

 

[kawasakix10 1]

But I'm only 34, thats young right? Right?????

Pierre Corneille is a 17th-century French playwright and poet.
Quote:
In *Le Cid* (1636), Act II, Scene 2, Pierre Corneille has Rodrigue say:
"I am young, it is true; but in noble souls, valor does not await the passing of years."

 

[rexracer48 1]

The CTR is at least $10,000 more than the Prelude in the States. I have no idea where this idea that they are similarly priced comes from, and yes, they do seem to have missed the point entirely in N America about the Prelude seemingly being obsessed with the fact that it's not a stick shift or doesn't have 300+ hp, or that the reason it's so expensive compared to some cars, especially the Civic, is that there is around 6/7 thousand dollars in tariffs on it due to Trump.

The MSRP price difference between the base '26 CTR and '26 Prelude in the US is about $5400.

 

[pillred27 18]

The MSRP price difference between the base '26 CTR and '26 Prelude in the US is about $5400.

That's crazy. When the CTR was on sale here in the UK, it was a lot dearer than the Prelude, in dollars at least 10,000, so I can sort of understand why there is a lot of hate towards the Prelude. That's not much of a difference, really. I must admit I would probably have gone for the CTR, but I bet the markup would mean it was a lot more than the $5400 you state.

 

[rexracer48 1]

That's crazy. When the CTR was on sale here in the UK, it was a lot dearer than the Prelude, in dollars at least 10,000, so I can sort of understand why there is a lot of hate towards the Prelude. That's not much of a difference, really. I must admit I would probably have gone for the CTR, but I bet the markup would mean it was a lot more than the $5400 you state.

Where I am you can buy a CTR for msrp now. Even below msrp. A friend of mine bought one last February for $1000 off msrp. I was offered a new Prelude a few weeks ago for $2200 off msrp.

 

[PR76UDE133 74]

You can buy a CTR for msrp now.

Not in the UK or Europe ya can't. Though paying more than MSRP for cars does largely seem to be an American thing. I've never seen or heard of it here.

 

[rexracer48 1]

Not in the UK or Europe ya can't. Though paying more than MSRP for cars does largely seem to be an American thing. I've never seen or heard of it here.

The car business in America is different. Prior to the pandemic 99% of cars were sold below msrp. Usually below invoice unless it is a high demand limited production vehicle. They are discounting cars again.

 

[pillred27 18]

Where I am you can buy a CTR for msrp now. Even below msrp. A friend of mine bought one last February for $1000 off msrp. I was offered a new Prelude a few weeks ago for $2200 off msrp.

Why did you not buy it? I suppose there is always the chance that Trump will see sense and remove tariffs on imported cars, but I would not wait for that if I were you. If you get a chance like that again, I would take it; it's already cheap there compared to what we have to pay, and we have no tariffs on it, just typical high UK prices.

 

[rexracer48 1]

Why did you not buy it? I suppose there is always the chance that Trump will see sense and remove tariffs on imported cars, but I would not wait for that if I were you. If you get a chance like that again, I would take it; it's already cheap there compared to what we have to pay, and we have no tariffs on it, just typical high UK prices.

Trump is so unpredictable. It is not hard to find a Prelude for $2K-$2.2K off here in the States. I have a few fun cars to drive and not in any hurry. I am waiting to hear more about the head gasket issue. I want to see if the Prelude will be included in the warranty extension.

 

[rexracer48 1]

Not in the UK or Europe ya can't. Though paying more than MSRP for cars does largely seem to be an American thing. I've never seen or heard of it here.

The automotive business here in the States is screwed up. The system and automobile consumer laws favor the dealers not the consumers. Consumer laws are regulated by each different state so some states are worse. Getting a good price on a car is only part of the battle. Getting a fair price for a trade-in is another battle. The finance office where you close on the deal is where the real nastiness can happen if you are not knowledgable. Those pit viper finance managers will try to play games with loan interest rates, push service contracts, sell worthless insurance by 3rd party insurance companies that are known to go out of business by the time someone needs them. They will try selling unsuspecting consumers "magic" paint protection for $1500. The list goes on and on.

In the US Additional Dealer Markup or ADM is fairly common for very limited production cars in very high demand. ADM is what killed the new Nissan Z market here in the States. Greedy dealers tacked on huge ADM on the new Z when it was first introduced. I saw +$25K ADM on new Nismo Zs when they were first introduced. The consumers did not buy and lost interest in the Z entirely. Nissan and dealers had to offer HUGE factory incentive and dealer discounts to sell brand new unsold '24-'25 Zs. Brand new Nismo zs were discounted $20K off msrp last year!

 

[pillred27 18]

Trump is so unpredictable. It is not hard to find a Prelude for $2K-$2.2K off here in the States. I have a few fun cars to drive and not in any hurry. I am waiting to hear more about the head gasket issue. I want to see if the Prelude will be included in the warranty extension.

Hopefully it won't need to be; there is a bit of radio silence as far as the Prelude is concerned. Have any Honda Hybrid engines actually had any problems?