Name: Honda Prelude (2026) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Honda Prelude
Rating: 62.0

Honda Prelude (2026 – present) | Expert Rating

Summary

Sharing its name with Honda sports cars of the 1980s and 1990s, the Prelude is a petrol-electric hybrid coupé that first arrived on UK roads in early 2026. It joins a small field of three-door coupé models on sale in the UK, competing against the Alpine A110 and BMW 2 Series Coupé.

Powered by the same hybrid engine as the current iteration of the Honda Civic, the Prelude has picked up plenty of reviewer praise for its composed and agile driving dynamics, as well as its handsome exterior design, but those same reviewers found the car’s performance rather underwhelming.

“If you’re after a fun weekend toy, you’ll be better served elsewhere”, explains Tom Jarvis of Auto Express. The prelude can complete a 0-62mph sprint in just over eight seconds, which isn’t particularly fast by modern sports car standards.

“It’s not quick, rear space is tight, and the price is on the high side”, concludes Parker’s Keith Adams. “But if you’re after something elegant and different that still loves a good road, the Prelude deserves a place on your shortlist.”

As of September 2026, the Honda Prelude holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 62%. While the car’s set of review scores are above average, this overall rating is hindered by high-than-average estimated running costs.

More Honda Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features

Prelude highlights

Attractive exterior styling
Refined hybrid engine
Comfortable driving experience

Prelude lowlights

Not as fast as it looks
Tight rear space limits practicality
Rather sluggish auto gearbox

Key specifications

Body style: Three-door liftback coupé
Engines: petrol-electric hybrid
Price: From £39,595

Launched: Winter 2025/26
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Featured reviews

“The Honda Prelude returns after 25 years, with Type R suspension and glider-inspired styling.”

Model reviewed: Range overview

Score: 7 / 10

Read full review

Evo

Ethan Jupp

“The new Honda Prelude ticks so many of the coupe boxes; eye-catching looks, superb handling, and just enough practicality to make it easy to live with every day. However, the hybrid powertrain takes the shine off what could otherwise have been a superb, relatively attainable performance car.”

Score: 8 / 10

Read full review

Auto Express

Alex Ingram

More reviews

Auto Trader

Score: 7 / 10
“The new Honda Prelude is certainly stylish, efficient and fun to drive, but we fear the enthusiasts it plays to may be put off by the sluggish automatic ‘gearbox’ and lack of outright performance.”
Author: Dan Trent
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It fits perfectly within the lineage of Preludes that came before it – elegant, intelligent, and just a little contrarian. For those who take the plunge, it will likely prove a long, rewarding relationship rather than a fling.”
Author: Keith Adams and Tim Pollard
Read review

Heycar

Score: 8 / 10
“The returning Honda Prelude is far from conventional as far as sports cars go, using a modestly powered hybrid powertrain and ‘fake’ gears. It works better than you might imagine, though, and the handling is brilliant.”
Author: Matt Robinson
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“In its revived Honda Prelude, the Japanese brand has taken a very unconventional approach to building a sports car and just about pulled it off. You’re only occasionally left wanting for a bit more power but more importantly its handling is brilliant.”
Read review

Motoring Research

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Honda Prelude returns as an intelligent hybrid-powered coupe, with svelte styling, sophisticated dynamics and eco-friendly fuel economy.”
Author: Richard Aucock
Read review

Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Prelude is a welcome addition to the market, and one that’s both in keeping with Honda’s engineering and efficiency-led ethos. It’s a new coupe in a market that’s sorely lacking in options – and for that alone, its maker should be applauded. That it’s also rather good makes it all the more satisfying.”
Author: Keith Adams
Read review

Regit

Score: 9 / 10
“It’s almost impossible to predict how the Honda Prelude will be received as it will appeal to quite a niche market, but it is a fabulous car with bundles of all-round appeal.”
Author: Maxine Ashford
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The Sun

Model reviewed: Range overview
“I’ll admit, 184hp doesn’t sound much on paper. But it’s fine when you’ve got 315Nm of instant torques to play with. Plenty quick enough for most people.”
Author: Rob Gill
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The Times

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Honda revives a classic nameplate, yet its 181bhp output sounds underwhelming. Can this intriguing hybrid coupé recapture the brand’s former glory and find its niche?”
Author: Will Dron
Read review

Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Embrace it for being willfully different, as well as meticulously engineered, interesting to look at and precise to drive.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

As of September 2026, the Honda Prelude has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

As of September 2026, the Honda Prelude has not been assessed by Green NCAP.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score
Hybrid models	54 mpg	B

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Hybrid models	117 g/km	B

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	33	D

The Honda Prelude is a relatively expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

With only one variant available – a petrol-electric hybrid – the Prelude has an average official fuel efficiency of 54mpg, which is particularly efficient when compared to other ICE-powered coupés in this price range. That said, it could be more expensive to insure than you might expect. The car’s insurance group is ’33’, which is higher than the market average.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of September 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Honda Prelude to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Prelude, we’ll publish the results here.

Warranty rating

New car warranty information for the Honda Prelude

Overall ratingC50%
New car warranty duration3 years
New car warranty mileage60,000 miles
Battery warranty duration8 years
Battery warranty mileage100,000 miles

Honda’s new car warranty is fairly boilerplate, and similar to what’s offered rival brands in a similar price bracket as the Prelude.

The duration is three years, with a limit of 60,000 miles. In addition to the standard new car warranty, this hybrid coupé has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.

Recalls

Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Honda Prelude

As of September 2026, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Honda Prelude. However, recall information is updated regularly, so this may have changed.

You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Honda dealer.