--- title: "2026 Honda Prelude Gets 44 MPG and Costs $43,195" date: "2025-11-18" modified: "2025-11-18" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/2026-honda-prelude-gets-44-mpg-and-costs-43195" categories: - "Honda News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "compact" - "Coupe" - "honda" - "Honda Prelude" - "hybrid" --- # 2026 Honda Prelude Gets 44 MPG and Costs $43,195 ![2026 Honda Prelude side view]() *\Honda\* [Honda]() announced Tuesday that the [2026 Prelude]() is landing at dealerships as you read this, and it costs $43,195 including delivery. That price shouldn't vary too much—excusing dealer-installed accessories and to say nothing of potential markups—because the Prelude will come in one trim level. That'll include adaptive dampers, Brembo brakes, leather-trimmed seats (and steering wheel), and an eight-speaker Bose audio system. Additionally, Honda's confirmed the Prelude's EPA-rated fuel economy, and it's a tick behind the [Civic Hybrid]() it borrows its powertrain from, at 46 miles per gallon city, 41 mpg highway, and 44 mpg combined. In other respects, though, the Prelude is well ahead of the Civic Hybrid—like in how much it costs. At $43,195, it's almost $13,000 more expensive than a base Civic Hybrid. In fact, it only comes in about $4,000 less expensive than the [Civic Type R](). ![]() ![]() ![]() Comparing the Prelude to other compacts is a bit challenging because competing brands don't really offer a counterpart. Most cars this size tend to be tuned to be economical, efficient, or performant above all else, and the 200-horsepower, hybrid Prelude sits between those last two extremes. The [Hyundai Elantra N](), for example, is a fantastic driver's car on a budget, at $35,595, but it won't be anywhere near as comfortable as the Prelude should be, let alone as good on gas. At the other end of the spectrum is the [Mazda3](), which has a sublime interior for the money and is certainly powerful enough if you spring for the 2.5 turbocharged powertrain. A fully loaded sedan costs $37,975. But the edge it has on the Prelude in power it'll naturally lose in gas mileage, and without a Type R-caliber suspension, it doesn't lend itself quite so well to spirited drives. We haven't even considered the fact that the Prelude has two fewer doors than either of those cars. And it should go without saying that the rear-wheel-drive [Toyota GR86]() and [Subaru BRZ]() aren't intended for *quite* the same audience as Honda's small coupe, either. With this, Honda's answered all of our basic questions around the Prelude, and even [let us loose on a track]() for a couple of laps in one. But we're looking forward to spending a little more time with the budget grand tourer to get a better sense of what it's like to live with—and if $43K is, in fact, too rich for this car. Stay tuned. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com*[]() ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()