Honda has been a bit coy about releasing official performance figures for the 2026 Prelude. But people want to know those figures, and if Honda doesn’t release them, someone else will. Our friends at Car and Driver have put their Prelude through its paces, and the results are in: It did 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds (exactly what Andy predicted after his early track drive), and the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds at 90 mph.
That’s slightly slower than the far less expensive Civic Hybrid. Both cars use the same 2.0-liter inline-4 and two electric motors to produce a combined 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. The Civic scooted to 60 in 6.2 seconds in C/D‘s testing, covering the quarter in 14.9 seconds at 92 mph. At 3,225 pounds the Civic weighs just 20 pounds less, compared to the Prelude’s 3,245 pounds, so the difference in acceleration must come from somewhere else.
Unsurprisingly, the Prelude’s much-hyped S+ Shift system hurts acceleration. Those pauses in power delivery to simulate gear changes increase the Prelude’s 0-to-60 time to 7.3 seconds. That’s even slower than a Prelude SH with a genuine five-speed manual that C/D tested all the way back in 1997. Fortunately, you can leave S+ Shift turned off. You’re not really missing much if you do.
What about sporty Civics?
It may be a let-down that a Prelude that costs a Trump-enhanced $43,195 is slower in a straight line than a $30,590 Civic Sport Hybrid (both including $1,195 destination), but the Prelude holds its own against some of the Civic’s sporty variants. The Civic Si makes the same 200 hp but the old fashioned way, with a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4, no hybrid assistance, and a six-speed manual transmission. It did 0 to 60 in 6.6 seconds according to C/D, one tenth slower than the new-fangled Prelude.
But the Prelude was never about maximum straight-line acceleration. It’s about great handling and an engaging driving experience. While S+ Shift falls short of that mark, the Prelude’s 0.97 g cornering grip is excellent, again beating the Civic Si at 0.94 g. Its 70-to-0 braking performance is also two feet shorter than the Si, 152 feet compared to 154, and almost beats the Civic Type R, which donated its dual-axis MacPherson strut front suspension and brakes to the Prelude.
It’s also worth noting that we’re comparing the Prelude to sporty Civics here. There is no Prelude Si or Prelude Type R, and currently no future plans for them. But many still crave more power under the hood, and Car and Driver‘s tests quantify exactly why. Considering how Hondas are like Legos when it comes to interchangeable parts, we’ll have to see if Honda changes its mind based on customer demand or sticks to its current plan for the Prelude.
