We finally know the most important statistic about the new Honda Prelude, and it’s that it’s going to cost $43,195. Thomas made the case that the price for the Prelude is probably fair. Some of you weren’t as optimistic. Echo Stellar:
“Citing slow sales, Honda to cancel Prelude after 18 months.” T. Hundal article in, The Autopian, March 2027.
In fairness, the Prelude might sell just fine. It looks cool, it should still be a decent car, it comes from Honda, and it has a huge hype machine behind it. Honorable mention for COTD goes to DialMforMiata. But we do try to be nice to our friends at our previous sites, so you’ll have to find the comment in the Prelude post yourself.
[Ed note: You don’t have to go looking, I’ll just show you the comment – Pete]
“10 Reasons Why the Prelude Didn’t Survive (slideshow),” Jalopnik, April 2027.
Brian wrote about his Range Rover’s lying camera. Sid Bridge lands back on the COTD circuit with:
Tech: Hello! Land Rover Service!
Owner: My 2008 Range Rover is smoking from the exhaust and losing power.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Owner 2: My 2008 Range Rover is knocking from the timing cover area.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Owner 3: My 2008 Range Rover’s parking brake is screeching and won’t release.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Owner 4: My 2008 Range Rover’s making a lot of noise from the front differential.
Tech: Better bring that in. Thanks, I have another call.
Brian: My 2008 Range Rover doesn’t quite show me the exact end of the rear bumper from the back-up camera.
Tech: Hold please. I think I just had a stroke.
Matt wrote a Morning Dump about how you’ll probably hold on to your next Toyota for a while. We’re not sure if FormerTXJeepGuy made a typo or a joke here, but it’s still funny:
It’s not like Toyota is new to vehicles going a long time without real updates:
Land Cruiser/LX570.
Lexus IS.
2005 to 2015 Tacoma.
1875 to 2024 4Runner.
Jasaon wrote about how there’s a rescue version of the Amphicar, and the Wisconsin residents of the Autopian perked up. IRegertNothing, Esq.:
The fork frame is for grilling bratwurst. It looks like you could do 20 a time on that thing. Those Germans love their brats!
MATTinMKE:
I’m a Wisconsin resident and I approve this message.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Top graphic image: Honda
Finally, I have arrived.
Autopian readers as a group do not understand the new car market. Simply looking for much different things than the average new car buyer.
How many times have we heard that if automakers would just make wagons, regular cab trucks, manual transmission, and basic stripped down trims they would be printing money?
What are people supposed to do? Not voice their opinions? The death of the manual transmission is a huge deal to some people, and they won’t stop shouting about it because it can be prevented. Car culture is dying and instead of putting pressure on the normies to back off and let enthusiasts have what they want, they get berated by other “enthusiasts”.
Didn’t say that. Enthusiasts can get together and talk about things they like but maintaining the idea that the world is stupid and out of touch with reality because they have moved on to something different is not productive. Complaining about modern car trends is no different than old men sitting together and complaining about kids these days or that modern music is nothing but noise.
Enthusiasts can have whatever they want – IF they buy it in large enough volume to make it worthwhile for manufacturers to continue offering it. The trend is to not actually what we say we want – then complain when automakers stop making them.
I’m guilty of this too. I like wagons and have owned them since the 90’s. However, I only bought one new and that was in 2003. Now they are gone and I have no room to complain.
Part of the problem is that if you have a certain level of financial sophistication but a slightly less developed net worth, you are more likely to buy used cars. The people who buy new cars have lousy taste, and they, and the automakers, are fine with stuffing cars full of dubious features that will probably not last past the warranty.
One of the things that I am most annoyed with is that not only do all cars now come with an “infotainment” system, but it is so integrated with the rest of the car that you can’t rip it out.
The maverick is sort of intriguing. I’d like a car version of that idea.
I last bought a new car in 2003 so it get that frustration. However, it is a tradeoff for saving a bunch of money on cars.
This isn’t really new either. Cars stopped using standard “DIN” radios about 2 decades ago. My wife’s 2011 Acura has the “Technology” package which means a screen controlled by a horrible knob and joystick interface that has seen no updates. The radio / HVAC interface is also a horrible selection of 32 buttons. That is why I like the current move to touchscreens and Android Auto / Carplay.
I’m not following you on a car version of the Maverick. To me that would just something like a Corolla or Civic Hybrid.
The problem is, normies aren’t going to buy the new Prelude either. Normies want practicality, and practicality extends well-beyond fuel economy/range. The new Prelude exists for literally no one because normies, by and large, want cargo capacity and good visibility, and enthusiasts want something engaging to drive.
The fact that Mazda can keep selling the Miata and the Toyobaru twins have been in production since 2012 proves that relatively affordable sports cars still have a place on the market.
You seem to be forgetting that the US market used to have dozens of non-performance coupes for people that wanted a look but didn’t care a bit about performance. Now those are gone and Honda thinks it sees a niche in that forgotten segment.
Maybe a 50 something empty nester trading in her Pilot for something a bit more sporty.
Yes, there is a niche for the Miata and GR86 / BRZ but it is small. Combined they sold 23,000 in 2024.
11,426 – GR86
3,345 – BRZ
8,103 – Miata
I think those people are either buying the new Integra or the Ioniq 5. Maybe a C5/C6 Corvette if they’re really adventurous. This is anecdotal of course.
Yes, enthusiast cars are a niche, sure, but I fear they’re building a car that they anticipate enthusiasts buying, and will then complain when enthusiasts don’t bite.
I’m not an expert in terms of the psychology of car buying by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m skeptical the new Prelude is going to find the audience you’re hypothesizing. Those kinds of cars died out because most modern drivers have it in their heads that they may need to haul two mega-tons of crap around (luggage or passengers) just to pop down to the grocery store.
Cargo capacity and good visibility is not mutually exclusive with something engaging to drive.
BTW, most SUVs and pickups have terrible visibility.
I completely agree. To most people though, big and tall = visibility and capacity, even if it isn’t necessarily true. Car buying is not a rational process.
While I usually agree with this sentiment, it seems odd to post this about the Prelude, which is kind of a non-enthusiast’s idea of an enthusiast car and too expensive. Most takes were along the lines of: who is this for? Why not get the more practical Civic Hybrid for cheaper or a more enthusiast-focused car for less to not much more?
Who is it for? The same guy that bought an Accord coupe or one of the dozens of non-performance coupes that used to exist in the past. Now those are gone and Honda thinks it sees a niche in the market. Maybe there is / maybe there isn’t. If it doesn’t sell it will get cancelled.
This is also a global car and is sold out until 3Q2026 in Japan
Japan is a different market the the US, but it’s also a new sporty coupe with a resurrected name, so that’s expected. The CT had a supposed waiting list many years long, but what counts is how they’re actually selling in two years. That guy who bought an Accord coupe has turned to CUVs like most of the people who used to buy cars in other segments that are mostly dead/dead or he’s a rare breed waiting to buy a successor (and he might not like the lack of power vs the old 2.0T or V6).
I love coupes and I like the idea of this (if not the price and not vs the sportier GR86 or practical Civic Hybrid, both of which are cheaper), but there’s a reason they’ve largely died off and the survivors are of a more sporting nature. Most people want something more practical and that sits high (even sedans have fallen off considerably to CUVs), particularly as their only cars and, if someone can afford a toy car, they’re likely going to want a toy, not a fancier commuter with less practicality and handling capability most won’t use (and will be more difficult to exploit with such little power and discouraged by a non-sporting drivetrain). Not that I’m mad about it existing and Honda is free to build pseudo-halos with head-scratching profitability questions, but I think a lot of us are wondering what the thinking is behind it and if it will be another neither-fish-nor-fowl CRZ. The Prelude is a bit different in that it’s almost more of a compact PC with an efficient drivetrain, which I think is interesting, though it’s still kind of in the neither-fish-nor-fowl category.
But I’m drifting from the point that I think you’re making the right argument about the wrong car and that most commenters here are being unusually sensible in this case. While many enthusiasts might not be enthused about the lack of outright sportiness and may be misremembering the old Prelude, questioning the case for a coupe that’s kind of expensive for what it is, especially when they sell a practical sedan that’s essentially the same and significantly cheaper, is the opposite of the usual position you’re criticizing them of having. This isn’t about, say the RAV4, where a number of commenters might come on questioning why anyone buys such things when a RWD manual wagon would be better, this is something apparently packaged for enthusiasts, but given a Normal’s drivetrain and a more premium car’s price.
No, we don’t have people commenting that RAV4s are stupid (on that article). Instead they are arguing that Honda shouldn’t bother making the Prelude if it doesn’t meet their definition of what a Prelude should be. That if it had 350 hp and a manual it would mint money but with a 200 hp hybrid it is dead on arrival.
(And they are misremembering that the volume selling Prelude 30 years ago was a 135 hp automatic that cost the equivalent of $42K today)
I saw those, too, and you’re right on those, but there always seems to be delusional people saying nonsense like that no matter what’s posted. Maybe it’s because I tend to roll my eyes and scroll past that the more sensible questioning comments stuck out more to me.
I may well buy one for my kid to take to college. Or for my mom if she had to move in with my family. Maybe not, too! But it sits in a niche that is vacant and might have some value. Small cars aren’t on-trend, but they’re certainly useful.
And I daily a GR86, even tow a utility trailer with it because I can’t put 17′ kayaks on the aluminum roof, but I am a far outlier. It’s not about use or liking small cars—or more specifically here, a small coupe that’s not that cheap as smaller CUVs sell, though even those are at largely cheaper prices—it’s wondering how Honda thinks they can sell enough of them with such mixed, niche appeal. I don’t know how old your mom is, but fairly healthy people in their 40s are out here complaining about having to get into something “low”, which is a big reason why CUVs sell so well. At $45k, it’s not likely to end up with many college kids, but empty nesters as they’re the ones who will have a greater fondness of the type of car as younger people tend not to have the 2-door sporting association as much and don’t see it as associated with or don’t care about the “cooler” image of a coupe that older people do. They find themselves without the need for as much practicality, have the money, and don’t care as much about performance or driving feel as looks, but that leads back to the preference for higher seating and maybe a more accessible seat for their dog(s). If this isn’t a strict enthusiast car, then it needs to draw in Normals, which there are far, far more of, but a lot of us are wondering how big they think that pool can be when CUVs have killed off higher volume categories because that’s mostly what normal people want or are at least settling for as best match for their lifestyles. This looks like a redux of the problems Honda had selling the CRZ—too lacking in performance for the sake of economy for enthusiasts who saw a modern CRX Si, but too weird and impractical for the normal people who wouldn’t care as much about the lack of performance, particularly when Honda themselves offered a more practical choice for the same price or less that was just as or more efficient.
I share your skepticism. But when I was honest with myself, I realized that I’m not the market for this car, and I still may well buy one. It isn’t going to bankrupt the CUV project, and it may well fail, but an empty niche is something that invites a product and I’m curious to see how it pans out. The price feels steep, but the internet tells me it’s $21,200 in 1998 dollars (when I went to college), which is pretty much what a safe, reliable ride cost then, and felt steep.
I welcome anything different and Honda can afford to lose money if they want to, that’s not my issue—I don’t have an issue at all as I actually like the car even if it isn’t for me—it’s merely intellectual curiosity about Honda’s business case for this odd product that seems to split appeal to opposing camps and high-ish price when they’ve already trod very near this path and failed. It’s not really a halo car even if it sort of looks like one—that’s the CTR—and surely, highly paid people at Honda should know that putting in the CTR steering will only make enthusiasts complain about what they’re not offering while the average driver likely wouldn’t notice the difference (maybe not many enthusiasts, either). What they cost in the ’90s isn’t really relevant outside barroom comparisons as the market and real spending power is different now, though the Prelude was killed off shortly after for lack of sales in that better environment, which supports what I’m saying, if anything.
I should be one of the buyers—I can deal with lesser utility, am satisfied with mediocre power as long as it should be reliable and gets good mileage, I value good handling, don’t mind FWD, and I like coupes, but I would buy something else for cheaper, even if it’s Honda’s own Civic Hybrid.
As much as it pains me to say it, EVs have sort of democratized the “sporty” feel that a lot of older normies who still want something that feels “quick” are looking for. Assuming you aren’t too bothered by politics, Tesla’s lineup is going to give you relative comfort and will be fast off the line. If you dislike Elon, Hyundai’s Ioniq line will do the same and in more style.
Though I do like instant lower end torque, the current EVs are otherwise not at all what I look for in a driving experience. I enjoyed driving my early ’80s Subarus, so 90 lbs/ft at low rpm with good throttle response was fine enough for me. No electronic programming (especially when it’s written nearly exclusively by idiots) can change the feel of heaviness, lack of feel or engagement, and nobody offers anything I consider attractive or remotely interesting outside the Taycan wagon thing, which is way too expensive and a Porsche, a brand I have some weird innate aversion to. Anything DBW, with electric door handles, or with a big center display is unacceptable and anyone responsible for them should be executed on PPV. There’s also too much BS “safety” garbage. Though some of these complaints also cover modern ICE cars, it at least doesn’t cover all of them. I bought a GR86 which is a compromise in utility less for the vaunted RWD than for the lack of garbage in terms of fake safety, “self-driving” nonsense, and lack of massive, hideous center display that needs to be used for everything. The driving experience is inferior to my slightly modified early FWD Legacy that the platform is derived from, but it still beats most anything else that’s modern.
The Prelude is good looking though (at least to my eyes), that’ll probably sway a few people.
Yeah, I mentioned that, but it still needs to satisfy people who don’t prioritize practicality and are willing to spend more money for essentially the same car they can get cheaper as a sedan, and with performance that doesn’t really match the looks or handling capability. It might even be slower than the Civic Hybrid if it’s heavier, which is likely, never mind the cheaper GRZ that people say needs more power. Sure, there are the “it’s cute” buyers, but at $45k with some competition (if no direct competitor), I think that’s a pretty small pool of people.
Oh we do, but corporate doesn’t give a fuck. They’d rather maximize profit by appealing to boomers and the ultra wealthy, and leave the majority of the population with scraps.
You do what?
Automakers make what sells – it really is that simple.
No, they do what MAKES THE MOST PROFIT POSSIBLE, not what sells.
Profits are the purpose of business.
You can invest in two things – one has a higher return than the other – which one do you invest in?
Depends on your strategy. Privately held companies often have LONG TERM thinkers to create stability and reliable profit. Publicly traded companies are run by SHORT TERM thinkers who only care about next quarter’s profits, and don’t really have any care for long term ramifications of alienating customers, attracting younger customers and fans, and instead focus on selling products to the wealthy and boomers.
Let’s look at Toyota – a company legendary for decades long planning.
Until recently their smallest car was the Yaris sold in both a sedan and hatchback form. Peak sales were in 2008 when Toyota sold 102K in the USA. By 2016 that had fallen to 17K. In 2016 Toyota offered a new sedan that was made by Mazda sold first as a Scion and then as a Yaris. Sales popped up to 44K in 2018 and then quickly dropped off again to 22K in 2019 .
In 2019 Mazda’s factory in Mexico was down to making only 88,253 of the Mazda 2 and Yaris combined for sale in North America. Mazda pulled the plug on both the Yaris and Mazda 2 and converted that factory to make the Mazda CX-30. Last year they made 268,538.
Say you are in charge of that assembly line. Do you use it to build a hatch and sedan or a single crossover that sells 4x the volume? Sorry but that is not a hard choice for any company – private or public.
Automakers also haven’t abandoned the middle-class buyer. Look at the Corolla. In 1995 a Corolla sedan had a MSRP of $13,782 and the Median US Household made $34,080. It took that average family 21 weeks of income to buy a new Corolla.
A 2024 Corolla sedan started at $22,050 and the median US household income was $83,730. It took the average household in 2024 only 14 weeks of income to buy a Corolla
Toyota cut the price of a Corolla 33% and offers a car that is safer, cleaner, and more efficient not to mention much better equipped – yet you complain and say they only sell cars for the rich.
It isn’t just Toyota either. GM has the Chevy Trax that median household the same weeks of income as a 1995 Geo Metro.
Conversely, people can only buy what automakers make.
One of the reasons that I hate shopping is that If I know what I want, it is pretty much guaranteed that I won’t be able to buy it. People mostly buy whatever is the least objectionable choice.
Customers are an inconvenient part of making profits.
Correct – people can only buy what automakers make. What they make is based on direct feedback on what sells. When a model, trim, or option combination doesn’t sell it gets cut.
The USA market is a bit unique is that we tend to buy from dealer stock while most of the world orders a car and waits for delivery. We are inpatient and what to drive off in a new car the same day.
Driver engagement and vehicle uniqueness kinda defines this site. There is a spot at the table for everyone*.
*Except Sheamus. No no no
Thanks Mercedes! The fork frame will remain a mystery, like crop circles or why men have nipples.
That’s where they removed the injection mold attachments!
Belly button? Ummm, no idea.
It’s an inflation port.
I feel all naughty now. I kinda like it.
I think the Prelude can survive, if they bring a Type-R with SH and a 6 spd.
It absolutely needs a Type-R trim with the beefiest motor available and a manual transmission.
I’d be fine with hybrid and manual trans IF it got better MPG than their automatic/insight or civic hybrids.
Brats for the win!
It’s only 8:43 in the morning, but now I want some brats!
It’s now 3 pm and I still want brats!
Brats all around!
Dinner time = Brat time!
I always question the logic of people who purchase vehicles with a long long history of unreliability, especially those companies that continue to produce vehicles that exemplify poor reliability.
I can understand new LandRover buyers, who are buying a vehicle that feels incredible posh, on a 3-year lease. They don’t care, as they car’s getting returned after 3 years anyway.
But who are these absolute masochists who are buying new Stellantis products and financing them (and up to 96months!), let alone buying one as a second owner?
“With your credit challenged history and all of this negative equity on your trade-in, I only have two vehicles on the lot that will work for you: A 2008 Range Rover or a 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT.”
Source: Used to sell used cars and this was way too common
Not even an Altima!?
I think we were talking unreliable cars. For all the flaws of Altima (mainly the owners), they’re like cockroaches.