2026 Honda Prelude First Drive Review: Class of One

OCEANSIDE, CA—Porsche. Tesla. Prelude?

Those are the two brands random strangers mention most as they come up to me to talk about the 2026 Honda Prelude. Which is happening quite a lot if I’m honest, as the bright blue coupe sure does stick out in a near-empty parking lot. They want to know the details: “is it fully electric?” and “is it expensive?” are the leading questions.

One is easy to answer. The other requires a bit more explanation. Here we go.

The Prelude itself after 25 years of sitting on the sidelines. Things are a little different these days than when the model quietly rolled off stage in 2001. Coupes are a rare commodity, especially down at this price point.

So the reborn Prelude rides on the Civic platform. Hey, if it’s good enough to form the basis of one of the best sport compacts of all time, it can work for a plusher mini-GT too, right? The Prelude knicks the trick front suspension and Brembo brakes from the Civic Type R but then pairs them with the two-motor hybrid powertrain found in the Civic, Accord, and CR-V. A unique S+ Shift drive mode allows the gas engine to rev more like a traditional transmission while adjusting the electric motor’s power to simulate the sensation of “stepped” gears. The feature debuts here but will quickly spread to the Civic later this year.

At launch there will be just one Prelude trim as it’s meant as the de facto halo model of the hybrid lineup. 

Boy is the new Prelude pretty. It’s hard to place within the Prelude echelon as it’s too new, but based on the rubbernecking and aforementioned inquiries the public digs the look. The production model stays faithful to the original concept, keeping the dimensions tight and overhangs short. The thin grille still has a bit of a Prius vibe to it, though the kinked headlights and pumped-up wheelarches give the Honda its own identity on the road.

The rear three-quarter is easily the best view of the Prelude, the full-width taillight emphasizing the car’s stance and yes, drawing plenty of the Porsche comparisons. It’s a wonderful blend of modern and classic: the wedge-like ‘80s Preludes used full-width taillights too, and while the classic Prelude script badge is front and center, it lives below the new Honda title case badging.

Canadians, I hope you don’t want Boost Blue: it won’t be heading north of the border. To use the word of our people, sorry.

With 200 horsepower the Prelude is no more powerful than the last one, though it is much torquier. It’s also the first to be had without a manual transmission—or indeed any traditional transmission. As is the case in the rest of Honda’s modern hybrid lineup, the gas engine almost never drives the wheels here, save for steady-speed highway cruising.

The nature of the hybrid’s power delivery is that this never matches the rush of banging through the gears in a Civic Si. It’s not quicker, either. There’s an easy-going, predictable wave of torque to ride, and that does have its own, smooth appeal.

What of S+ Shift? I’m not sold. While it does add a more traditional soundtrack to activities, there’s very little impact on the car’s attitude. At low speeds one can feel the negative torque slow the car almost like a downshift with each pull of the paddles, but that’s it, even on the most dramatic regenerative braking setting. There’s also no way to lock into manual mode; after a few seconds the Prelude reverts to D. According to chief engineer Yoshiharu Saito this is intentional: keeping the engine on boil all the time would have deleterious effects on fuel economy, defeating the purpose of a hybrid.

That is one area the Prelude excels. Even pushing on and dealing with massive elevation changes, our tester was approaching 40 mpg (5.9 L/100 km), only a little shy of the official 44 mpg (5.3 L/100 km) rating.

With the Type R’s dual-axis front suspension all but eliminating torque steer, the Prelude is a sharp and satisfying companion when the road gets twisty. It’s definitely a momentum car, so the steering being so crisp and clean makes it all the easier to trust. Sport mode could use a touch more resistance in its steering, but largely the Prelude impresses.

The other big advantage here is literal: the Brembo brakes measure 13.8 inches (350 millimeters) up front with four-piston calipers. We’re not exactly setting a hot lap here, but descending down the mountain still demands consistency, and there’s not a hint of fade through the drive. I’m not convinced an Integra A-Spec or Civic Si would match that.

No Civic rides like this. Honda has retuned the Type R’s adaptive dampers for Prelude duty, and the result is a car that glides down the road. Okay, it’s not as pliant as some of the classic models on the same roads: there’s only so much give available in modern tire sidewalls after all. Larger bumps do jostle, but the Prelude’s body re-settles quickly. Pop the car into the GT drive mode and it’s quiet and comfortable—not the sexiest of attributes sure, but a relative rarity in this segment.

The front seats are excellent. Like in everything else on this platform they’re mounted nice and low, providing a great view out over that sloping hood. There’s good bolstering and the white and blue pattern is the way to get them. It’s a little shocking that a “mini GT” doesn’t have power adjustability, however.

Honda will call this a 2+2 but it’s more of a 2+0. Tiny humans will fit back there for short bursts but sticking an adult in the back results in heads resting on the rear glass. That and the space to actually get in is tight. The liftback shape does make the Prelude surprisingly practical, mind you. Photos don’t do its width and depth justice.

The sixth-generation Prelude cabin is something of a mixed bag. The basic architecture is clearly Civic/Integra based, and even if those clicky rotary dials are just as satisfying to use here as there, the DNA is evident. A wide center console and the low, double-bubble roofline help give a different feel. The white accents may look like suede but it’s more of a diet version, with a soft texture but hard backing. I do quite like the two-tone stitching.

Quality is standard Honda: tight fit and finish and feels like it will last approximately forever.

Getting back to the value proposition: if you’re a numbers person there’s no way the Prelude comes off as anything other than expensive.

For $43,195 ($51,820 CAD) including destination, it’s a big ask for a 200-horsepower coupe. That’s well-equipped EcoBoost Mustang territory. A Civic Si and a nice vacation. Any variation of the Toyobaru twins. A base Nissan Z with some cash on the hood, which is the only competitor that comes close to as pretty as the Prelude—but also doubles its pony count.

Food for thought: cars built in Japan like the Prelude are currently subjected to a 15-percent tariff by the Trump administration. Let’s say the original plan was a $37,000 car; 15 percent on top of that is a little over $42,000. Hmmmm.

Despite all the attention it garnered during our time together, the 2026 Honda Prelude isn’t for everyone. Honda is targeting a meagre 4,000 units in the USA for 2026, and from a post-drive perspective that feels achievable.

The new Prelude is, like its predecessors, carving its own path. Forget the existing coupes, it’s aiming to revive a class long dormant: the personal luxury coupe. It’s a softer, more considered approach, feeling almost feminine-coded in a predominantly male-focused scene. In a lot of ways, it's the anti- Charger. If style and weekday economy matter to you as much as the weekend canyon blast, look past the numbers and give the Prelude a shot.

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