by Start of Sales and Pricing Policy
In the United States, deliveries of the new 2026 Honda Prelude have begun, with some buyers agreeing to pay not only the recommended price but also over $10,000 extra. This is due to the limited availability of the car and customers’ desire to be among the first owners.
Key Testing Points
Owners and Markups
One of the new owners, the AeroflowDynamics team, purchased a white Prelude for $59,345, significantly exceeding the base price of $42,000. Dealerships often add substantial markups, masking them under various service packages. In this case, the buyer paid an additional $14,995 for a so-called “2T Protection Package & Market Adjustment,” which includes wheel locks, a trunk protective mat, splash guards, paint protection film, and window tinting.
Appearance vs. Reality
The new Prelude impresses with its sporty appearance but not with its speed figures. During testing with only 66 miles on the odometer, the car showed a 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of 8.28 seconds. It is important to note that the measurement was taken using the speedometer, and using a GPS timer could have shown even worse results.
Honda did not equip the Prelude with a launch control system, which complicates an effective launch. However, tests have shown that the “brake boosting” technique (simultaneously pressing the brake and gas pedals followed by releasing the brake) can reduce the acceleration time to 7.2 seconds.
Factors Affecting the Results
Acceleration figures are influenced by numerous factors: air temperature, road surface quality, altitude, tire condition, and even humidity. Cold air improves engine performance, but cold tires reduce traction. Furthermore, a car with low mileage has not yet undergone a full break-in period, which can also slow down acceleration.
The car was tested in S+ mode with simulated gear shifts, which adds emotion during driving but may worsen dynamics. Japanese tests confirmed that without using special launch techniques, the Prelude is inferior even to hybrid Civic models.
This situation with the Prelude demonstrates how modern cars can rely on electronic systems to achieve optimal performance. Drivers who do not use available methods to improve the launch get an incomplete picture of the car’s potential. At the same time, the market shows that emotional appeal and status sometimes turn out to be more important than pure technical characteristics.
