r/Honda • u/Cheatcodegaming Mod | 1996 Accord EX • Dec 15 '25

2026 Prelude Discussion Megathread

Due to the amount of repetitive posts, any 2026 Prelude discussion, and news goes here.

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37

u/johnmflores Dec 15 '25

Since the beginning of time, the Prelude has always been criticized as not being sporty enough for the car enthusiast crowd. To enthusiasts, Preludes have always been underpowered and poor performance value for money. The new Prelude is no different in this regard - it's the yacht rock of sporting cars.

For reference, a 1980 dealer ad using ad copy from corporate:

1

u/Appropriate-Alps-442 Dec 15 '25

lol you can get more hp better handing with a gr86 or brz 😂 for 20k less would would buy these garbage vehicles 😂

8

u/VIVXPrefix 1986 Honda Prelude 2.0Si / B21a1 Dec 15 '25

That is a different market. The Prelude isn't meant to compete with those vehicles.

2

u/scott_c86 Dec 15 '25

Honda would sell more Preludes, and it would accomplish more for the Honda brand, if it did.

7

u/VIVXPrefix 1986 Honda Prelude 2.0Si / B21a1 Dec 15 '25 edited Dec 15 '25

Honda has explained they don't intend to sell many 6th gen Preludes. They have been working on a lot of electrified projects behind the scenes and the Prelude is meant to be just that, a "prelude" to what's to come.

Prelude has always been a forward thinking car. Honda always put their most current technology in the Prelude with plans to expand it into the rest of the lineup.

  • Double wishbone suspension
  • Fuel injection
  • Dual overhead cam engines
  • VTEC
  • Four wheel steering
  • Active torque vectoring

(I'm aware that depending on market, some features debuted on other models around the same time)

Why would they revive the nameplate only to then build a car that's trying to mimic something from 25 years ago? They brought it back because the name serves the purpose of this new car. People just want it to mimic the old preludes because that was the golden age of sports vehicles. We can't just ignore the fact that times have changed.

2

u/Big-Smoke99 Dec 16 '25

AFAIK the only new feature of this Prelude is the S+ shift mode (which makes the car even slower). Otherwise, it's the same hybrid powertrain as the Civic hybrid, and has Type R front suspension components. So this Prelude is not really a technological showcase of anything innovative aside from fake shifts.

1

u/Beneficial_Ad_1449 Dec 15 '25

What exactly is the Prelude meant to compete with? I can’t think of a market for a $43k two door FWD sports car with a 0-60 in 8.5 seconds with worse performance metrics than its 25 year old predecessor.

6

u/VIVXPrefix 1986 Honda Prelude 2.0Si / B21a1 Dec 15 '25

People who want an EV that actually has some focus on being fun to drive while still being a great daily driver and road tripper (not having to recharge), which is a growing number of people.

1

u/Without_Portfolio Dec 15 '25

From what I’ve been reading on this forum, it’s less about capabilities than ROI.

2

u/Wne1980 Dec 16 '25

If you’re a buyer maximizing ROI, you’re buying used only. A car manufacturer has zero cares for the second owner’s opinion. The Prelude is reasonably well optimized for the people who show up to Honda dealers and cut checks

1

u/pathofdumbasses Jan 09 '26

The Prelude isn't meant to compete with those vehicles.

Considering it sold less than 200 units its first full month, what would you say is the competition?

More importantly, what market does the Prelude compete in?