Honda dealers are requesting more than $43,000 for the 2026 Prelude | Carscoops

      The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) has not been officially announced, but one dealer is asking for a price that could buy you a 400 hp Nissan Z.

      A Honda dealer in California is listing the 2026 Prelude for nearly $44,000.

      Barber Honda’s listings on Autotrader show the hybrid coupe priced at $43,850.

      If this information is correct, the Prelude’s MSRP would be around $10,000 higher than that of a base Mustang.

      We are still waiting for Honda to disclose the price for driving the revived Prelude coupe, but at least three dealers in the U.S. have provided hints, and they suggest a high price point.

      Barber Honda in Bakersfield, California, currently has an advertisement on the Autotrader website listing the MSRP as $43,850, while their own website cites a suggested MSRP of $42,655. The $1,195 discrepancy between these amounts aligns with Honda’s destination fee for MY25 vehicles, indicating that $42,655 might be the true MSRP.

      Additionally, we found at least two more active listings, one from Honda of Denton in Texas with an MSRP of $43,650, and another from Lehigh Valley Honda in Pennsylvania for the same amount. However, it remains unclear which trim levels these listings refer to or if they come with extra options.

      **What Will It Cost in America?**

      Previously, we reported a story from Motor Trend that estimated the MSRP at $38,000, which was later increased to $42,000. However, Barber’s quoted price is higher yet again.

      To provide context on where such a price positions the Prelude in the affordable coupe segment, a brand-new Toyota GR86 can be purchased for just $30,800, while a Ford Mustang Ecoboost is priced at $32,320.

      Neither option is equipped as well as the Prelude, which is offered solely in one high-end trim with standard leather seats and a Bose sound system, but the price gap is significant.

      The 2026 Prelude’s hybrid configuration distinguishes it from competitors, but you can decide whether the additional electric powertrain is beneficial, as it eliminates the option for a manual transmission and the 200 hp (203 PS) output seems modest. In comparison, the GR86 delivers 228 hp (231 PS), and the Mustang Ecoboost, which is only available in automatic, offers 315 hp (319 PS).

      **The Nissan Z Comparison**

      However, the most relevant comparison to Barber Honda's $43,850 price is with the $42,970 Nissan Z. While a base Z doesn’t come with premium upholstery or an advanced sound system, you need to upgrade to the $52,970 performance trim for those features, which also adds improved brakes and a limited-slip differential.

      What the entry-level Z provides, however, is a 400 hp (406 PS) twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and the ability to shift gears manually—something the Prelude does not offer.

      There is also another performance icon that is closely priced to the Prelude and uncomfortably familiar. The 315 hp (319 PS) 2025 Civic Type R has an MSRP of $45,895, and while we anticipate the new version may be slightly pricier, the difference in monthly payments between a Type R and the Prelude (at Barber’s listed price) would be minimal.