Honda Prelude review — ‘The ideal car for empty-nesters’ by Jeremy Clarkson
Posted by UmaThurmish@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 136 comments
Posted by UmaThurmish@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 136 comments
caterham09@reddit
I thought we were done with the Prelude discussion.
Really though the Prelude would have been a great commuter car for enthusiasts or just people who wanted something more exciting looking than the average sedan/CUV. The core idea of a more stylish and sporty version of the civic hybrid, is sound, since the Civic hybrid is IMO one of the best cars on sale today.
The problem is you can't charge a 40% premium over the civic for it. The majority of your buying audience is just going to look elsewhere at that point.
UmaThurmish@reddit (OP)
I think the extra charge warrants a new power plant or at least RWD config. but no
caterham09@reddit
RWD would never happen, but getting a different power train should have been on the table for the price they were asking.
BigPK66@reddit
2.0T
caterham09@reddit
Yup it was right there on the parts bin floor, they could have dropped it right in. They even threw type R suspension at it so the extra HP and torque wouldn't have been an issue for the FWD platform.
Dragonasaur@reddit
Not only that, the Prelude historically was a sportier shaped Accord
IrlArizonaBoi@reddit
The prelude and Accords shared a lot of parts and a common platform but there were some significant differences as well. Some of the ludes has 4 wheel steering and a more sophisticated rear suspension.
Stand-back-up@reddit
The Prelude or Del Sol if one couldn’t buy an NSX. I’d take a clean example of any of those today… but not at these prices.
Dragonasaur@reddit
Why not an S2K?
Stand-back-up@reddit
S2k is always implied.
The_Owl_Man_1999@reddit
Did they even really use that engine in anything on the global market? They didn't in mine
Ftpini@reddit
The type r engine would have been phenomenal! It would be a real alternative for folks who don’t want a sedan/hatchback civic but still want the performance.
caterham09@reddit
The only issue with just making it another type R is that it would almost certainly be priced even higher. At which point it's basically just a type R coupe. They were clearly trying to do something different here and hit a different segment of the market
Ftpini@reddit
People would pay it because people actually want a coupe type r. It would be a trim level and not the only version. But unlike the prelude which isn’t competitive at its price point, a coupe type r would be very competitive in the coupe space even if it was the same price or even a few grand more than a Type R.
OreeOh@reddit
Even a detuned type R with an auto would yield a different beast. But maybe maybe maybe
HeatDeathIsCool@reddit
Everyone is talking about the Type R engine, but I'm more interest in the V6 engine Honda is building for their 'mid-sized' hybrids.
If the Prelude is about showing off future technology, slap a 250+HP hybrid engine in there. It doesn't have to be as fast as the Type R, it just has to be enough to justify the price premium and Type R parts.
A hybrid GT coupe that's slower than a Type R but faster than a hybrid Civic, still fun to drive because it has all that hybrid torque, and isn't gutless when passing at highway speeds makes this car a no brainer for certain people.
teggyteggy@reddit
Well, would you buy it for 56k without destination and it probably wouldn't have passenger power seats or ventilated seats? Because Honda is not cheap.
HeatDeathIsCool@reddit
I don't see why using an engine that will be mass produced for SUVs would increase the cost over 10k.
teggyteggy@reddit
Because it's Honda, are you new? The Integra Type S costs 55k and it's a Civic Type R clone with a few nicer parts. They can't even give it the nicer 12" infotainment that nicer Accord trims \~40k have.
So if they ever put a "mid-sized" hybrid platform, a V6 hybrid like Toyota's, into a SPORT COUPE, then you better be ready to shell out 50+k for a FWD-biased Prelude that probably still doesn't have passenger power seats.
virak_john@reddit
I’d buy it.
jmacnj609@reddit
RWD wouldn’t be a prelude. It has always been FWD. More power would have been nice though
UmaThurmish@reddit (OP)
well they could just name it something else, after all its just a civic, same way they named it a prelude they could have named it S3000 or something
reddit_lemming@reddit
Unless it’s a roadster with a 3.0L engine, I would hope they wouldn’t call it the S3000. But I get your point.
UmaThurmish@reddit (OP)
an earlier S series car was a RWD coupe. it's not exclusively a roadsters series
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
What other S series Honda models aren’t roadsters ? Their Kei truck ?
UmaThurmish@reddit (OP)
S600 was a coupe and a roadster had two body styles
BlackDS@reddit
A RWD Hybrid car in an affordable package would actually be sick.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
Yeah, both of those things are things that modern Honda does not do.
FentmaxxerActual@reddit
True, but a Type R powertrain transplant would have been pretty damn nice.
KyledKat@reddit
It would've propelled the price of the car well beyond Supra territory too. It wouldn't have ever turned a profit.
I_luv_ma_squad@reddit
“The Prelude should’ve been a boxy body on frame off-roader”
-Doug DeMuro probably
Michelanvalo@reddit
It was never getting a new power plant. The Honda eCVT plant is a good one. I just wish they tuned up the existing one to somewhere between the SI and the Type R. That let's the Prelude fit into their stack and justifies the price a bit more.
CorrectCombination11@reddit
I saw a red one on the road, looks amazing but why not a Nissan Z at that point?
CarpeNivem@reddit
Rear seat space? Cargo space? Reliability expectations? Fuel economy? Cabin materials?
I mean, maybe none of those matter to you, and as such, you should definitely buy the Z. It's more powerful and cheaper. You'll be very happy with it. But you asked why someone else might prefer the Prelude, and those are a few guesses about what might matter to such a buyer.
teggyteggy@reddit
In a coupe? That's like trying to find the cleanest homeless guy on the street.
Why would you care about cabin materials, and then end up getting a car that won't even get your passenger powered seats? The car lacks on features as it is.
Eh, they're selling so few units it doesn't really matter
CorrectCombination11@reddit
You give too much credit to the average consumer.
CarpeNivem@reddit
I mean, people are buying Preludes though. Sure, it's "only" 1152 sold units to the Z's 1771, but those are still people, so I'm just trying to guess what they're thinking, and I quite frankly think those were pretty good guesses.
caterham09@reddit
This is exactly the issue. At 43ish grand (if you can actually find one for that at the moment) a Z is just so much more capable. Sure you can't get the performance trim Z for that much, but when you're comparing to a 200hp hybrid 4 cylinder it doesn't really matter.
Alternatively you can get a base mustang GT and get a really exciting v8 for the same money if you're less concerned about fuel milage (though my S550 GT actually did got pretty good MPG).
LogicWavelength@reddit
Set aside performance for a second and your original comment’s point is still valid.
Someone looking for a stylish commuter and doesn’t need more space simply isn’t buying this for what they are asking. That buyer may not want a Z or Mustang because it’s too sporty for them, but what else is there? They just are simply looking elsewhere, only to find that no two-door options really exist in this market and end up buying a completely different style vehicle.
AoF-Vagrant@reddit
Thinking about it that way, this would basically be the car for the person who would have bought a G35 coupe over a 350z.
LogicWavelength@reddit
...and back then those people DID buy G35/37's. They were popular enough to last for nearly 15 years or something? Sure they offered manual Infinitis, but the largest take rate was the Touring models, and then the models with AWD. People wanted a comfy, "sporty-ish" coupe, not an actual sports car with bouncy suspension.
stealer_of_monkeys@reddit
Miata, brz/gr86 are the options that fill that niche and are more affordable
LogicWavelength@reddit
They aren’t though. The person who wants a sport-presenting coupe will think all of those ride too harshly.
KyledKat@reddit
The BMW 230i, which is priced within a hair of the Prelude, and probably also giving out a killer lease deal.
CorrectCombination11@reddit
Stylish commuter is where coupe CUVs shine.
MumpsyDaisy@reddit
For some people maybe - aesthetics are so subjective - but to me a coupe CUV is just an inherently ugly body style.
SwarmOfRatz@reddit
How?? My dark horse is awful
polyscimajor@reddit
He prob had the automatic which has taller gearing, think 3.55 gears, where manuals come in 3.73 gearing or even 4.10.
caterham09@reddit
Do you have the 6 speed? Mine was the 10 speed automatic. I do mostly highway driving and I would routinely get about 23-24mpg.
jk147@reddit
There are a lot of cars at this price range which offers much more for the buck. Look at GTI, GR86, or even ford mustang eco boost.. these cars are also cheaper.
by_a_pyre_light@reddit
These hit showrooms legit like 2 weeks after I got my Z. Curious, I went to see one and got to experience them back-to-back. For context, I have the Proto Spec, so it has the nicest interior you can get, and it's a limited edition combo. I will say the Prelude's interior is nicer, more upscale. Somewhere between my Z and my Jaguars. As a tall guy over 6'4", the seats are also more comfortable due to the wider setup and softer bolsters, and the legroom is better.
The rear hatch space is *deep*. Like a big cooler type of deep. Much more room than my Z, which has less than the XKRs I've had. The Prelude I think has less horizontal hatch space than that one, but deeper space and overall more space than the Z. That makes it a bit more practical for groceries and longer trips. It also makes it a bit difficult to get things in and out of over the edge of the hatch.
The exterior design of the car is...nice. It still looks too derivative of the Prius in the front and every other generic new car copying Porsche's lightbar in the rear, to my tastes. I find the rear design of the Z more distinct and interesting, with the tail lights callback and the dual exhaust (the Prelude doesn't have even a single visible exhaust). I also prefer the side profile of the Z, which is more rakish and has the historic ties to the classic 240 Z shape. The Prelude doesn't look like any of the previous Preludes, but it looks like the prior gen Civic Coupes with the derivative elements attached - which design you like more I guess comes down to personal preference.
The dealerships aren't allowing test drives due to the low allocations, but we can look at other reviews for inputs on that.
At the end of the day, the Z will be a fun, proper sports car with the pros and cons that brings. The Prelude is a slow, nicely appointed coupe that has excellent MPGs, a very nice cabin, and an engaging drive thanks to the Type R components and S+ mode. Both have tradeoffs that the other doesn't.
So it comes down to whether you'd like a more "sensible" car for a more comfortable daily ride and better daily capabilities, or if you want a proper sports car. They don't really scratch the same itches, so they're not direct competitors. You have to really decide what's more important to you.
CorrectCombination11@reddit
That's fair. I got a safari vehicle for the harrowing terrain of I-40.
CarpeNivem@reddit
Sorry for not checking the math myself. I'm just going to ask instead, because you seem to have already done the math.
Are those comparably equipped cars? Or just base price to base price?
caterham09@reddit
Civic hybrid starts at under 29k, I used 30k as the figure. Prelude starts at 42k which is what I used. 12k difference is a 40% increase
CarpeNivem@reddit
But what does a comparably equipped Civic cost?
I mean, doesn't the base Prelude have more equipment than the base Civic?
AllYouNeed_Is_Smiles@reddit
Yeah it has a massive generator for the electric motors that have no battery lol
Michelanvalo@reddit
The Civic Hybrid tops out at $32k. A 10k difference is still 29% more.
virak_john@reddit
Indeed. I currently drive an MK7.5 GTI and my wife just got a Civic Hybrid Touring. I love driving my wife’s car, and appreciate the Honda reliability. And I’d buy one in a heartbeat and pay 10k more if it had like another 30 hp and a moderately sportier suspension. But there’s nothing in the Honda lineup between my wife’s car and a Type R.
Nisiom@reddit
They made this same mistake with the Honda E. It was a cool idea that could have shifted people into stylish and interesting smalls EVs, but it was so unreasonably priced buyers just completely overlooked it.
And in the same way that the Honda E also lacked range, the new Prelude lacks a powerplant interesting enough even fore the more casual enthusiast.
Charging hefty premiums for great products can work in some cases, but doing so for average ones with significant flaws condemns them to be an irredeemable flop.
SwarmOfRatz@reddit
The current prelude gives me big crz flashbacks
Tony-cums@reddit
They’re trying to push this as a good car so hard. It sucks. Nobody is buying it is my proof.
long_fish3000@reddit
the problem is a true enthusiast is not capable of having a solid commuter. they will take a daily and eventually lower it, put a catback on, and wider wheels. then they have to buy another daily for the daily. and the prelude doesn't lend well to a catback i fear
kylesisles1@reddit
If they can get the pricing under control and deliver the same experience in the next gen civic hybrid, this will all have been worth it.
LongjumpingJob3452@reddit
The Civic Hybrid Sport Touring is just too good of a car for the Prelude to compete with.
I drove mine from Vancouver to Whistler and back, and it was sublime. I’d love to rent a Prelude for a weekend and see how it compares.
india2wallst@reddit
Bruh any car will sublime on sea to sky.
MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit
My Nissan says otherwise
JDM_WAAAT@reddit
New owner of a Civic Hybrid ST Hatchback here. Fully agree. The car isn't fast, but it's not slow either - and it's fun. That's coming from someone who has a sports car in the other side of the garage.
DingDingDao@reddit
Why would you waste the money and the weekend for such an experience
HardLithobrake@reddit
Would've bought one if it was 33-35k msrp like what it's worth
caterham09@reddit
when it was initially announced this is what I expected it to cost as well. a 10-15% premium over the civic hybrid for a cooler body style and better seats/brakes seems pretty fair. Instead we got a 40% increase and a vehicle that is DOA
LongjumpingLock5875@reddit
It ended up being priced directly next to the 230i lol...
A much more competent car that accomplishes the same thing, and comes with 3 years of free maintenance, and is a true luxury car.
Captain_Alaska@reddit
How many people want to spend $42k on a car that doesn't even have adaptive cruise let alone lumbar support and auto high beams (assuming you can find a completely optionless 230i in the first place)?
teggyteggy@reddit
Probably the same people spending $42k on a car that doesn't have passenger power seat?
Captain_Alaska@reddit
What, you genuinely think adaptive cruise is as far down the priority list as the passenger seat…? I’d be genuinely surprised if a normal spec of a 230i isn’t somewhere between $45k-$50k.
s0lace@reddit
I think I would’ve spent up to 37.
trail-g62Bim@reddit
IIRC, that isn't far off where it was going to be before tariffs.
Least_Confidence_225@reddit
The Prelude used to be affordable, fun, and engaging.
African-Rain-Blesser@reddit
Was it affordable? It was a $25K car almost 30 years ago. $25K in 1998 is $51K in today's money. By inflationary metrics, the new one is actually a little cheaper.
Beencho@reddit
Makes sense why Honda priced it so high too. They built a car for a niche market buyer who wants to relive their nostalgia of driving a third gen prelude when they were young.
Fuckin sad life being a Gen Z. Even the economical, youthful, practical cars aren’t made for the youth.
Sewnback2gether@reddit
It didn't come with a manual option so it was definitely targeted to attract gen z buyers, they just can't afford it
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Every fun car in today is targeted to attract Gen Z and millennials.
LongjumpingLock5875@reddit
Gen Z apparently really likes manual.
https://www.jalopnik.com/gen-z-saving-manual-gearbox-zillennials-stick-shift-1850172818/
Mimical@reddit
Based recession generation.
Good for them.
narwhal_breeder@reddit
"its a really good car for old people"
So was the Kia Soul.
Ok_Two_2604@reddit
Scion Xb. Everyone I met with one was a senior.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
That was a main reason why Scion brand nonsense and death.
hockeyjmac@reddit
Nissan Cube replaced the PT Cruiser as the car college kids were given after their grandparents either died or aged out of driving.
Mend1cant@reddit
The horrifying future my younger self could not handle is that the aesthetic design language of the Soul and Element would be what drove the future of cars.
99hotdogs@reddit
It’s never too late to embrace the box with soft corners.
Sincerely, Element enthusiast that takes every opportunity to talk about useful the cargo space in the Element is and that I wish Honda would make a modern version of the Element
Mend1cant@reddit
It’s not a bad car. Really set the trend of crossovers/CUVs. But it was also the signature car of my hometowns local tv news personality (no idea how that happened), so I just think of the terrible local news ads whenever I see them.
DingDingDao@reddit
They made a cool commercial with that break beat dancing in the car though. And the hamsters
jk147@reddit
Tbh, they would just get an accord. This car is for people who don’t want a civic or integra and want to be a bit different from everyone else.. and it willing to pay a premium for it. This is also targeting younger than older.
DingDingDao@reddit
If you have to specify a narrow buyer demographic driving under very specific circumstances to justify a car’s existence, it’s a shit car.
Oh this car is perfect if you don’t have kids and only drive under 30mph for commutes less than 5 min each way and have a bad back and don’t play golf and can’t drive manual and you were born with mercury and venus in alignment. Get the fuck out of here with that shit.
ghostogresnowrabbit@reddit
This is ironic since this also described every manual car ever. By your logic every manual is a shit car.
DingDingDao@reddit
You’re aware that manuals have been and continue to make up a significant percentage of all the cars in the world, right?
Also by what logic would manuals be a) a narrow buyer demographic for b) a narrow use case?
Shallow_wanderer@reddit
Yup, this all day long
Sick of people defending this car and tossing out the whole "well if Honda put in a V6 or Type R engine it would cost as much as a Dodge Demon or 400Z Nismo" no it won't, it only would cost that much due to manufacturer greed let's be so for real
nefrina@reddit
id have seriously considered the prelude if honda offered it with a manual. i'm still daily driving a fwd 2dr hatch 5spd because i can't find that formula anywhere.
KevinMHC@reddit
I love my used CRZ and I can’t wait to get a used Prelude too
hi_im_bored13@reddit
Everyone is saying its demise is deserved etc. etc. & it doesn't review well
But it does sell well, as the article itself admits, everyone is acting like its a commercial failure
qb4ever@reddit
But it does review well though, almost everyone who gets to drive the car, agrees that the car feels better than expected. Only needs to be cheaper.
koopa00@reddit
We can all argue what this car is or isn't, but the only metric that says this car is selling well is Honda's target of moving 4-5k per year. That's not exactly "selling like hotcakes" as Clarkson put it.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
I mean, what other target should it be matching? If I set out to sell 5k & sell 5k that seems like a success to me
Clarkson has always exaggerated everything, positive or negative, I wouldn't take any of his words at face value. Not a fan of his written work for that reason, he needs the face to go along with it
koopa00@reddit
At the end of the day I guess it's just semantics. Honda knew this car wouldn't sell in numbers so they set a low target and appear to be in the ballpark for hitting it. But I think hitting a low target isn't the same as selling well. A Civic Hybrid will sell more in any month than this car will in a year.
RichardNixon345@reddit
GM sells more Silverados in a month than they sell Corvettes in a year, ergo the Corvette is a failure.
hi_im_bored13@reddit
> A Civic Hybrid will sell more in any month than this car will in a year.
Yeah but the same would be true if it were a manual w/ the 2.0t, the gr86 is undoubtedly a fantastic car & fantastic value & sells like 500 units/mo nowadays, w/ another 300 BRZs
koopa00@reddit
That's true, but at least the car would make sense at that point because it would be Honda's halo car. It's not like other brands (for the most part) are selling coupes hand over first. But when it's a halo car for the brand it at least makes sense when they only sell a few hundred a month.
lurpeli@reddit
Selling well in terms of how many made, sure. But I could make 1 car, it's the worst car ever made, and then if it sells claim it's selling well.
73629265@reddit
This car will be considered special in 10 years and go for crazy money on cars and bids. Or no one will remember it. It could go either way.
by_a_pyre_light@reddit
Damn, hahaha
Oo__II__oO@reddit
The trick to disguising the Coffeemate is to mix it in with Folgers.
In this analogy, a Camry hybrid is Folgers.
T-Baaller@reddit
I thought a K-swap would be the Folgers here.
Shallow_wanderer@reddit
K-swap would be Cafe Bustelo
Oo__II__oO@reddit
A K-swap would be good.
Folgers is not good, but gets the job done.
Coffeemate is terrible.
Does_Not_Use_Clothes@reddit
This is him talking about the paddle shifters, Not the car as a whole. He said the price was good and was overall fairly positive about it.
ChuckFinley_is4Ever@reddit
Jeremy’s rating is 3/5 stars. Idk. Seems to like some parts of it, but I didn’t get the impression it was a fairly positive review overall.
Mimical@reddit
From allztme reviews I have seen the take away is usually the same.
But, the product is super niche at price and any marketing at all of this thing being sporty is disingenuous to what's actually going on.
They built a really really good small hybrid economy car and then slapped $10,000 of parts on it to call it sporty.
costafilh0@reddit
Unless he said it's overpriced, I'm not interested.
Come to think of it, I'm not interested either way.
Fvck that piece of overpriced crap.
costafilh0@reddit
Jeremy needs to let go the old media and embrace YouTube. So he can talk freely.
solo118@reddit
I read that whole thing in Clarkson's voice
coffee mate car lmaooo
Equivalent-Battle973@reddit
I always forget how good of a writer the Orangutang is, I should read more of Jeremy's articles.
reddit_lemming@reddit
I just don’t understand the Type-R suspension bits on a car like this. Wouldn’t it still handle well enough for the power/size/weight with something like the suspension from the Integra A-Spec? Throw that in there and drop a few grand from the price. Type-R suspension and brakes just feel like overkill on this thing. Especially if it’s aimed at more senior drivers as is claimed here, I’d say they wouldn’t find the cheaper suspension and brakes to be plenty “sporty”.
AndreLeGeant88@reddit
My complaint is why sacrifice practicality of the already nice looking Civic Hybrid for a car with the same performance that looks like someone glued the rear of a Porsche to the front of an EV?
FourEyesAndThighs@reddit
Since when is an overpriced Civic coupe an ideal car?
Popular_Soft6668@reddit
I was the target demographic for this thing.
I like coupes, hybrids, Hondas, relatively lightweight cars, decent tech, great handling. Furthermore, I have zero kids, I love the way it looks, I have disposable income, and I had zero expectations for car to be RWD as none of the previous Preludes were.
BUT I'm also not a idiot, this thing is TERRIBLY priced. Hondas top trims are all terribly priced for what you get over the mid-tier trims, but those look like a STEAL in comparison to the Prelude.
ChiefButtfumble@reddit
simply needed 300hp or more. I don't know how they boned this up so dramatically.
The_Bucket_Of_Truth@reddit
I said similar things when the reviews first started coming out. Who is the car for? The only thing I could imagine was well off retirees or empty nesters in New England, CA, or WA who want something stylish but still sensible. Or car enthusiast parents who want to buy a safe but technically "cool" first car for their kid in high school. Just seems like a narrow pool of buyers because most people want either a better deal or more performance if they're paying for a fancy coupe.
Enough-Scientist1904@reddit
Its Sad the prelude name was used for this car
PurpleSausage77@reddit
Empty nesters wtf, I’d be rockin a V8 two door.
platypus_farmer42@reddit
Give it a turbo V6 (or even an NA V6) and a manual transmission and sales would sky rocket
bush_killed_epstein@reddit
Shit if they had just used the kinda meh l15b from the si and a traditional drivetrain (no weird connected-but-not-connected hybrid engine-transmission engineering), it would be a pretty dope car. A lot of Honda fans talk about how they should have gone all out with the type r’s k series but the l15 would keep costs down. They could have even kept it automatic but with a regular non-cvt + paddles. Wouldn’t be a mind blowing car but would be pretty fun.
Jabjab345@reddit
I've seen a few in person now and it's a great looking car, my only real qualm with it is the price. Either give more power if you are going to charge a premium over the civic, or have it priced more reasonably. Divorced from piece however, it's not a bad car.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
It's the best Civic hybrid over 40k.
wip30ut@reddit
no 50-something empty nester would want this, even for their weekend ride. Let's face it greying GenXers are big & fat & wealthy. It's why they keep their ginormous crossovers even after their kids are off to college. Tbh i don't know a single guy or girl over 40 who drives a similarly priced Mustang since the pandemic. Touring coupes just aren't it for this age group. Saying that, BMW 4 series coupes are still fairly popular among wealthy SoCal drivers. You see 20-something professionals as well as Beverly Hills retirees driving them around.
Storm_Chaser06@reddit
Deserved, this prelude is slow, ugly, heavy, and expensive. It’s also only automatic, which is an insult to the previous generations.
But we were the stupid ones to trust modern Honda to make a car that people actually like, they haven’t done so in a decade.
DingDingDao@reddit
Not since the S2000. I say that with a fancy Honda in my garage and a straight face.
lurpeli@reddit
It's really not much of an endorsement.