2026 Honda Prelude

[Blueprint]

Glad you are okay Blueprint and that it wasn't your fault that this occurred.  I fully expect this to get all the points when talking about the safety.  I wonder why the air bags didn't deploy with such a hit, but I'm sure you and Honda Canada are likely happy they didn't, a high five to the side of the head would have added to the confusion and would have put this car on the shelf a lot longer.

Can't say I see much of any reason why someone would pay the amount they are charging for this thing when they could just get the Civic Hybrid and have a trunk load of toonies in savings.  This car should have always came with the 2.0T out of the Civic Type R and paired with a proper manual OR they should have priced it just slightly higher than the top trim Civic Hybrid.  By doing neither, I expect this to have a similar fate as the CR-Z from a decade or more ago.

The key piece that kept me out of an ambulance is the low speed differential between the two vehicles. I was at 70-something and the truck probably no more than 10 km/h more. I was in the right lane, and - I think - once the car was pinned to the truck it just got pushed into the middle lane after the trucker realized he had hit me and went back into his lane. If it wasn't for the effin' mandatory 2 days/week WFW, I would have been home that morning due to succession stuff later in the week.

I'm also effin' p!ssed at losing the car. That whole Civic vs Prelude, ICE vs hybrid, stick vs no transmission discussion angle was to be tackled this week. From my 24 hrs, the thing is fast, and it feels better planted than a Civic. It's low, wide and has dreamy steering. It felt special. You can't get that from reading stuff on a screen.

[Johnnymac]

Glad you are okay Blueprint and that it wasn't your fault that this occurred.  I fully expect this to get all the points when talking about the safety.  I wonder why the air bags didn't deploy with such a hit, but I'm sure you and Honda Canada are likely happy they didn't, a high five to the side of the head would have added to the confusion and would have put this car on the shelf a lot longer.

Can't say I see much of any reason why someone would pay the amount they are charging for this thing when they could just get the Civic Hybrid and have a trunk load of toonies in savings.  This car should have always came with the 2.0T out of the Civic Type R and paired with a proper manual OR they should have priced it just slightly higher than the top trim Civic Hybrid.  By doing neither, I expect this to have a similar fate as the CR-Z from a decade or more ago.

The key piece that kept me out of an ambulance is the low speed differential between the two vehicles. I was at 70-something and the truck probably no more than 10 km/h more. I was in the right lane, and - I think - once the car was pinned to the truck it just got pushed into the middle lane after the trucker realized he had hit me and went back into his lane. If it wasn't for the effin' mandatory 2 days/week WFW, I would have been home that morning due to succession stuff later in the week.

I'm also effin' p!ssed at losing the car. That whole Civic vs Prelude, ICE vs hybrid, stick vs no transmission discussion angle was to be tackled this week. From my 24 hrs, the thing is fast, and it feels better planted than a Civic. It's low, wide and has dreamy steering. It felt special. You can't get that from reading stuff on a screen.

If you think that car is fast, you should try the Civic Type R, it'll melt your face in comparison.  It'll feel planted and steer well mostly due from the Type R components that Honda put into it that the Civic Hybrid doesn't get.

As a sport coupe built for someone who wants style mostly over performance, it's a good car, it just is priced poorly.  For just slightly more money you could get a Nissan Z with 400hp, for a couple grand more you can get a Mustang GT, or get a base model Eco-boost Mustang for around $10K less and still have about 100hp more.  That being said, the Prelude doesn't really compete in that category of vehicle, in fact I don't know what it's competitor would be. 

[Blueprint]

Glad you are okay Blueprint and that it wasn't your fault that this occurred.  I fully expect this to get all the points when talking about the safety.  I wonder why the air bags didn't deploy with such a hit, but I'm sure you and Honda Canada are likely happy they didn't, a high five to the side of the head would have added to the confusion and would have put this car on the shelf a lot longer.

Can't say I see much of any reason why someone would pay the amount they are charging for this thing when they could just get the Civic Hybrid and have a trunk load of toonies in savings.  This car should have always came with the 2.0T out of the Civic Type R and paired with a proper manual OR they should have priced it just slightly higher than the top trim Civic Hybrid.  By doing neither, I expect this to have a similar fate as the CR-Z from a decade or more ago.

The key piece that kept me out of an ambulance is the low speed differential between the two vehicles. I was at 70-something and the truck probably no more than 10 km/h more. I was in the right lane, and - I think - once the car was pinned to the truck it just got pushed into the middle lane after the trucker realized he had hit me and went back into his lane. If it wasn't for the effin' mandatory 2 days/week WFW, I would have been home that morning due to succession stuff later in the week.

I'm also effin' p!ssed at losing the car. That whole Civic vs Prelude, ICE vs hybrid, stick vs no transmission discussion angle was to be tackled this week. From my 24 hrs, the thing is fast, and it feels better planted than a Civic. It's low, wide and has dreamy steering. It felt special. You can't get that from reading stuff on a screen.

If you think that car is fast, you should try the Civic Type R, it'll melt your face in comparison.  It'll feel planted and steer well mostly due from the Type R components that Honda put into it that the Civic Hybrid doesn't get.

As a sport coupe built for someone who wants style mostly over performance, it's a good car, it just is priced poorly.  For just slightly more money you could get a Nissan Z with 400hp, for a couple grand more you can get a Mustang GT, or get a base model Eco-boost Mustang for around $10K less and still have about 100hp more.  That being said, the Prelude doesn't really compete in that category of vehicle, in fact I don't know what it's competitor would be. 

Kinda did  https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20251028/acura-integra-type-s-2025-essai-routier

Thing is - the Prelude would be an easier daily than these three, is more winter proof (traction/stability were great, even on all-seasons) and uses less than half the fuel (and regular grade, to boot). But as you mention, they really aren't in the same category, and nothing really is. I'm still puzzled at what competitors I will list in the review - if any.