Dealer That Listed Prelude for $174,600 Insists It's Just $15K Above MSRP | Carscoops

      A Honda dealership in Florida claims that its listing of $174,600 for the Prelude was an error, but the actual $15,000 markup is legitimate.

      6 hours ago

      By Stephen Rivers

      A Florida dealer listed the 2026 Honda Prelude for $174,600.

      The dealer later stated the inflated price was a typo.

      Excessive markups continue to damage brand perception.

      The return of the new Honda Prelude was meant to be a positive development. However, as the car arrives in showrooms, high markups and modest performance expectations have already diminished enthusiasm. One dealer in Florida has turned this situation into an unintentional joke.

      Delray Honda / Acura recently advertised a 2026 Prelude, priced at an MSRP of $43,650, for $174,600 on Cars.com (later corrected). Fortunately, they do not actually expect anyone to pay that amount. They really want the buyer to pay $15,000 above Honda's suggested price.

      More: Overzealous Honda Dealers Marking Up New Prelude By More Than $60,000

      After spotting the outrageous price in a Reddit thread, Carscoops reached out to the dealer promptly. Occasionally, although it’s uncommon, prices like this can be genuine. A dealer might want to keep a specific model, but will offer it at an outrageous price, as seen in this case.

      However, the dealer confirmed that it was merely a typo.

      “That’s a typo… $58,970 is the selling price,” the dealer explained in an email to Carscoops. So, just $15,000 above MSRP then. In other words, it’s approximately 33 percent higher than what Honda would have set as the price.

      Fees, Accessories, and Extras

      Instead, Delray Honda / Acura seems to have decided that enhancing brand image is less important than making extra money. They did respond to a request for detailed pricing, clarifying that only $10,000 was a markup, or what they refer to as a “market adjustment.”

      The increased price also included charges for accessories and fees, which consist of door edge guards, a nitrogen tire kit, wheel locks, custom pinstripes, a trunk tray, more wheel locks, wheel well molding, a dealer fee of $999, an electronic title fee of $399, and additional items.

      We inquired if customers could purchase the vehicle without those accessories. Regarding items like wheel locks, trunk trays, all-weather mats, and door edge guards, Delray Honda indicated they could remove them, but this would only reduce the price by $500.

      Multiple industry studies and consumer surveys in recent years have shown that excessive markups undermine brand trust, not just dealer reputation. Buyers frequently report linking price gouging to the automotive manufacturer, regardless of how often carmakers claim pricing decisions are “out of their control.”

      Over time, this dissatisfaction affects repeat purchase intentions, brand loyalty, and recommendations to others. This is the understated, long-term cost of actions like this. The screenshot remains permanent, the joke spreads quickly, and the brand, in this case Honda, ends up sharing in the negative impact alongside the dealer’s branding.

      So yes, the Prelude isn't actually $174,600. Yet, in an age where perceptions spread more swiftly than corrections, the effect of seeing that figure, at all, is very real.