When the Honda Prelude began arriving at dealerships late last month, social media feeds were flooded with window stickers showing wild markups. One early post allegedly captured a dealer attempting to sell the hybrid coupe for $61,714, an obscene amount of money for a car like the Prelude, which starts at $43,195 with destination.
Honda's new coupe shouldn't cost that much, and if you look online, plenty of dealers are selling the Prelude at MSRP—which is great news. Some shady dealers, on the other hand, are trying to make a quick buck with ridiculous add-ons—like the Reddit post of a Facebook Marketplace listing showing the car priced at $63,850.
We called a few dealerships around the country to see exactly what was happening. While there are indeed markups on the Prelude, none are as egregious as the few posted last month—at least, not what we found.
Take Vandergriff Honda in Texas, for example. The dealer lists a base Prelude in Meteorite Gray Metallic with a $10,000 addendum, increasing the price to $53,195. Still a markup, but not nearly as egregious as the $63,000 price circulating on social media. Honda Leander, another Texas dealer, has a Boost Blue Pearl Prelude listed for $56,647, which is well above what a fully loaded Prelude should cost.
Another Reddit post shows Honda Santa Maria and Norm Reeves Honda Superstore adding $10,000 to the Prelude's price, as well as a few other dealer extras to the final asking price. That puts the price of both models over $55,000, which seems to be about the average for the new Prelude at the moment.
Truth be told, this is a pretty common practice for a brand-new vehicle like the Prelude. Dealers know that enthusiasts are eager to get their hands on Honda's new sporty, hybrid coupe, and some want to cash in on those early adopters. Once the Prelude is on sale for a few months, we can't imagine these ridiculous markups will last.
When we spec’d our perfect Prelude last month, the most expensive one you could get cost $48,665 from the factory. And that included every single dealer-installed option, which few, if any, buyers would actually purchase.
Honda offers only a few options for the Prelude, like Boost Pearl Blue or Winter Frost exterior paint, which cost $455 and $655, respectively. There are also four “packages” available, but they consist of various dealer-installed options thoughtfully bundled together.
Thankfully, you don’t have to overpay for a Prelude, as plenty are listed on Cars.com at MSRP. It’s wild to think dealers would think consumers would pay $50,000 or more for a 200-horsepower hybrid. A 2026 Ford Mustang GT starts at $48,555 and makes 480 horsepower—and you can do the math.
So, if you’re looking for a new Prelude and see a price tag above $50,000, ask some hard questions and don’t be afraid to shop around. The internet and a phone call are your best friends.
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