{"id":13799,"date":"2026-03-28T16:56:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T23:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=13799"},"modified":"2026-03-28T16:56:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T23:56:23","slug":"your-coupe-runneth-over-honda-prelude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=13799","title":{"rendered":"Your coupe runneth over: Honda Prelude"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0\" data-component=\"SupportNSCNative\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\" style=\"display:contents;color-scheme:inherit\">\n<aside class=\"sc-hez36s-0 dFpFuY\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-1 iBibVd\">\n<h3 data-testid=\"support-nsc-title\" class=\"sc-hez36s-2 jVZWGn\">Your support helps us to tell the story<\/h3>\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-8 juUDRT\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-13 cqPbFA\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-0 rAFIl sc-hez36s-16 jZSKtc\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-6 PdmgT\">\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content-container\" class=\"sc-aja53j-5 eZqxmv\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content\" class=\"sc-aja53j-4 tawua\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"support-nsc-collapsed-content-tablet\" class=\"sc-hez36s-7 gZmYS\">\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iCTyfe\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iCTyfe\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 iCTyfe\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"sc-1uza6dc-1 cglitp\">Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"sc-aja53j-1 keLMOw sc-aja53j-7 eMEmGu\"><span data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-dropdown-tablet\" class=\"sc-aja53j-3 dHXFkr\"><span data-action-type=\"Read more\" class=\"sc-aja53j-2 dcYUYI\">Read more<\/span><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hUgQwJ sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-a5wy94-0 hyKPon\"><use href=\"#ee6613da15642019\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"big-letter\">N<\/span>ot simply because I was looking for a smart-Alec line, I found myself wondering about this latest product from this most gloriously single-minded of car makers whether this Honda is a Prelude or a postscript.<\/p>\n<p>After all, it is not a battery-electric vehicle, not even a plug-in hybrid, as is more or less mandated nowadays (and rightly so, I heard you mumble). It\u2019s not an SUV or even a hatch\/SUV \u201ccrossover\u201d, as is overwhelmingly the market trend. <\/p>\n<p>More startling still, it\u2019s a new coupe, a species once plentiful (old Ford Capri, VW Scirocco), a defiant \u201ctwo plus two\u201d seater of relatively modest proportions. Indeed, whisper it, it\u2019s probably best thought of as a slightly more sporty version of the excellent current Honda Civic Sport, which, in turn, is what we used to call a warm hatch. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"4\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 kwPTUc\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/30\/571798_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/30\/571798_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/30\/571798_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"On the right track: features include \u2018agile handling assist\u2019, like an invisible driving instructor nudging the steering wheel for you\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 gtVitN hgzWpY\">On the right track: features include \u2018agile handling assist\u2019, like an invisible driving instructor nudging the steering wheel for you<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 exGSyR\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Honda<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>There\u2019s not much competition for this stylish creation, which is probably just as well because the coupe sub-sector accounts for no more than one per cent of new car sales, less than pickups. Its rivals, roughly speaking, include the BMW 2-Series and Mercedes-Benz CLE, which are more saloonish, let\u2019s say, or, closer, an Alpine A110, if you can find one of the last ones, which is more involving but also more expensive. <\/p>\n<p>The Prelude will, Honda says, find about 400 or 500 individualists a year who would like it for a lifestyle accessory. They\u2019ll enjoy it, and, as near as can be stated literally, it will not break down. <\/p>\n<p>Style rather than reliability or practicality is the main point of any coupe, sporting or otherwise, and the trick, perfected long ago by BMW, is to make consumers pay more for less \u2013 a two-door rather than a four-door variant of more or less the same machine. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"4\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 eNwCUn\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/04\/571777_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/04\/571777_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/04\/571777_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"At a premium: for the higher price, you get something that suggests exclusivity\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 gtVitN hgzWpY\">At a premium: for the higher price, you get something that suggests exclusivity<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 exGSyR\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Honda<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Prelude does command a clear premium over the list price of a Civic Sport (say \u00a36,000), but for that, you do get something that looks, especially from the rear with its full-width lighting and pronounced boot lip, quite a lot like a Porsche. Or rather like Porsches used to be when they were lighter, smaller and more delicate. The Prelude does cut a dash, and does have a certain exclusive quality, rare in a world of oversized faceless blobby SUVs. <\/p>\n<p>For the \u00a340,000 or so it\u2019s demanding, Honda will also throw in some uprated brakes, some other handling tweaks from the Civic Type R (now dropped in the UK due to its emissions), and \u201cunique leather seats\u201d. It also boasts an extension of the usual stability control\/lane assist technology with something called \u201cAgile Handling Assist\u201d, which helps amateur drivers more easily find the apex to a bend, in effect like an invisible driving instructor nudging the steering wheel for you. <\/p>\n<p>Driving it is easy for you, but hard work for the car. I got the impression that what the Honda people would really have liked to do is drop into that neat bodywork just the 2-litre petrol unit, but more highly tuned and mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Instead, because of modern tastes and the transcendent need to save the planet (murmurs of agreement again, I trust), they\u2019ve had to make a hybrid with a smooth, continuously variable gearbox and two electric motors that behave and even sound like a more traditional set-up by using some incredibly clever engineering. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-1kgrxrh-0 cwsJCk\">\n<h2 class=\"sc-1kgrxrh-3 gquCqE\">THE SPEC<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"sc-1kgrxrh-4 btLAc\">Honda Prelude Advance<\/h3><figcaption class=\"sc-1kgrxrh-5 iIHnqS\">\n<p><strong>Price:<\/strong> \u00a340,995<\/p>\n<p><strong>Engine capacity:<\/strong> 2l petrol, 4-cyl + battery, auto<\/p>\n<p><strong>Power output (PS): <\/strong>184<\/p>\n<p><strong>Top speed (mph):<\/strong> 117<\/p>\n<p><strong>0 to 60 (seconds):<\/strong> 8.2<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fuel economy (mpg):<\/strong> 54.3<\/p>\n<p><strong>CO2 emissions (WLTP, g\/km):<\/strong> 117<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There are many driving styles available, and you can make each journey \u201cbespoke\u201d by favouring comfort over performance, or increasing the amount of energy regeneration gained through braking; but the ultimate setting is \u201cS+\u201d which revs the engine harder and makes each (artificial) gear \u201cshift\u201d louder and more dramatic. <\/p>\n<p>Like I say, an awful lot of modern software and engineering is employed just to make it sound and behave like something from the 1970s. The upside, though, is maximising fuel economy \u2013 I got 50mpg out of my example in mixed driving. <\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"4\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 eNwCUn\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/56\/571811_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/56\/571811_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/25\/18\/56\/571811_Prelude_Press_Images.jpeg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Retro-fitted: it seems designed to make it sound and behave like something from the 1970s\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 gtVitN hgzWpY\">Retro-fitted: it seems designed to make it sound and behave like something from the 1970s<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 exGSyR\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Honda<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Like all Hondas, even the wackier stuff, the Prelude is an extremely civilised machine, smoothly high-revving, with safe, predictable handling and decent levels of comfort. When you accept that it\u2019s not an out-and-out performance machine, with a zero-to-60mph time of 8.2 seconds, then you can concentrate on posing. <\/p>\n<p>Indoors, I\u2019d have to say some of the plastics aren\u2019t the most \u201cpremium\u201d, but most are attractive, and the interior mostly feels like it\u2019s worth the money \u2013 and with the right mix of touchscreen and physical steering wheel and dashboard controls. <\/p>\n<p>My only unfulfilled desires were for some lumbar adjustment on the seats and a head-up display, both of which would complement its GT credentials. I\u2019m just glad the thing exists. I really do hope it isn\u2019t a postscript. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Not simply because I was looking for a smart-Alec line, I found myself wondering about this latest product from this most gloriously single-minded of car makers whether this Honda is a Prelude or a postscript. After all, it is not a battery-electric vehicle, not even a plug-in hybrid, as is more or less mandated nowadays (and rightly so, I heard you mumble). It\u2019s not an SUV or even a hatch\/SUV \u201ccrossover\u201d, as is overwhelmingly the market trend. More startling still, it\u2019s a new coupe, a species once plentiful (old Ford Capri, VW Scirocco), a defiant \u201ctwo plus two\u201d seater of relatively modest proportions. Indeed, whisper it, it\u2019s probably best thought of as a slightly more sporty version of the excellent current Honda Civic Sport, which, in turn, is what we used to call a warm hatch. On the right track: features include \u2018agile handling assist\u2019, like an invisible driving instructor nudging the steering wheel for you (Honda) There\u2019s not much competition for this stylish creation, which is probably just as well because th&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13799"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}