Honda Prelude First Impression from The Drive

[spcmafia]

The drive was invited/visited Honda's testing grounds in Tochigi, Japan for a test drive of the new Prelude.

-Price is still not released.
-Impressions seem favorable overall.
-Engaging motor with a more momentum based approach at the track.
-The new S+ Mode seems to be quite nifty considering how the Prelude doesn't quite have a transmission.

At an estimation of around $42K, not sure who this car will be for, and who it competes with.

On a personal note, on my recent trip to Kyoto, Japan. I walked past a Honda dealership and was able to get close to the Prelude. It is quite beautiful and the interior looked very nice. Pictures don't quite do it justice, I think my only gripe was the lack of fluidity between the front and the rear. If it wasn't because of the price, and possibly the lack of actual manual transmission, it would be a great buy for those wanting something slightly above or equal to a Civic Si and below the Type R.

Another aspect to this is tariffs, buying parts from Japan currently is very expensive as you are required to pay UPS or whoever the carrier is before getting your package, even though you may have paid shipping fees via Blackhawk Japan. How much this will increase the price on the MSRP, is also unknown. Plus any incentives Honda may or may not enable for possible buyers.

The Drive Review

[spcmafia]

Additional reviews by Car & Driver

[ZDan]

It's big, it's heavy, it's ugly. That's no Prelude...

To my eye, there is something particularly ugly about fwd 2-door 2+2 coupes with fast(ish)backs. It looks awkward as hell as you've got all this SPACE behind the doors to the rear wheelwells, they try to make it "sporty because 2-doors and roof slants down aft of front-seaters, so 'SPORTY'!" and it just looks TERRIBLE.

Preludes of old looked GREAT. This one looks awkward AF. Totally off on proportions and design language. I hate it...

[ZDan]

Make a 3-door shooting-brake version and I might be interested...

[ZDan]

I mean really, this looks laughably, embarrassingly bad. Swollen overhung front, super-extended wheelbase, pinched profile. YUK.

[Dake]

Bruh. We get it. It's not for you; you don't need to spam the thread three posts in a row.

[Sapphireho]

It actually doesn't look that bad to me. However, the rear looks basic Japanese car. Looks like it wants to be RWD.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

It actually doesn't look that bad to me. However, the rear looks basic Japanese car. Looks like it wants to be RWD.

I guess I can agree it doesn't look "that bad" but it doesn't look great either. IT seems as far as their cars, Honda has gone full "Telsa" where they have to all look the same on the outside, and bland.

[Dake]

I guess it's all subjective, but I like the looks of it in general and I'd say it's the best looking Honda available right now.

The only thing I don't quite dig aesthetically is the black air dam. I can't decide if it should be all body colored, or should wrap around at the bottom. My really crappy edit job has me lean more towards mostly all body-colored with just the inner part black. Or wrap around but reshape the lower opening.