Honda Prologue Test Drive.
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I was very eager to test drive the all-new Honda Prologue EV. As you know, it is based on GM’s Ultium platform like the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV as well as the Cadillac Lyriq and the Acura ZDX on the luxury end.
In my extremely unprofessional opinion, I think Honda did a great job and came up with the best-looking of all Ultium-based models so far. The Prologue was designed by Honda’s Design Studio in Los Angeles. It has a much cleaner look than the Blazer EV and even the Equinox EV, inside and out. The North Shore Pearl blue color on my test car looked great and got many thumbs up from strangers.
The GM models don’t seem to offer such interesting color choices and are mainly available with black or ghastly black/red interiors. The Prologue is available in black/grey, brown/black, or the light grey/black combo pictured here.
The light grey interior of my test car looked great. I am not a fan of Honda’s tablet screen in general, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me too much in the Prologue. The interior is pretty clean and attractive, although there might be a bit too much piano black for some. Something that doesn’t really bother me.
The dials under the screen have an obvious Honda feel and look, however, the steering wheel and stalks are the same as in the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Except for the Honda logo of course.
The infotainment system works great and is pretty easy to figure out. (Once you get out of the “Guest’ setting). Unlike the GM models, Honda still offers Apple Car Play, and the 12-speaker Bose system in my test car (standard on Touring and Elite trims) sounded great.
The seats are also very comfortable on top of looking good. They are actually more comfortable than some other Honda models like the Passport.
That flat area in front of the cup holders looks a bit weird and cheap at first, but it’s actually very convenient. As usual, the phone charger often overheats the phone, but at least it works. And there is a warning on the screen if you leave it inside while exiting the car.
I also noticed the climate control takes a bit longer than usual to cool the interior. Nothing bad but noticeable. And the rear climate unit is actually quite noisy when turned on.
The rear seat is very roomy and offers USB C plugs and rear vents. Nothing too fancy looking but it all worked fine.
The cargo area is of course very useful. However not as vast as in the Honda Passport. There is also a deep storage under the cargo floor.
Before I mention how the Honda Prologue drives, let’s say a few words about charging. The best charger experience I had was of course when renting a Tesla to drive to Joshua Tree a while ago. Plenty of fast chargers in working order etc… I also have a fast charger usually available about two blocks from where I live.
This time, the closest charging station was busy with only one charger available and it was busted… I tried another one at a shopping center in L.A called the Grove, where everything was busy except for 2 chargers occupied by jerks who had used the spaces to park their Honda Civic and GMC Yukon. My third try was not successful either since the 2 free chargers were also not in working order.
The CSS charging system is really behind the times. Let’s hope Honda/GM get NACS adapters soon.
I ended up just plugging the Prologue into one of my good old 110 plugs at home and it worked great. Getting around 40 miles overnight was plenty since the battery was almost fully charged when I got the car.
The Honda Prologue drives great. It has a true one-pedal driving feature and it works perfectly. While there is plenty of power all the time, there is even a “sport” mode that feels just plain crazy fast.
The steering is very pleasant and precise. And much nicer than some other Honda models like the Passport, or Odyssey. And even better than the current Accord (however, the previous Accord had a better feel)
The Prologue is always very comfortable, even with the large 21-inch wheels from the Elite model. 19-inch wheels are standard on the base EX and Touring trims.
Unfortunately, there is a bit of fake car sound piped in from the speakers. But you only hear it if you really floor it or use the Sport mode, otherwise, it’s just fine.
However, the mandatory “weirdo electric car sound” at low speed is annoying, just like in all EVs.
I really loved my week with the new Honda Prologue.
Many are still asking if it is a “real” Honda. Modern Hondas aren’t as special as they used to be, and to me, the Prologue drives like many other Hondas. I don’t really care who makes a car and this one feels great. It is solid, comfortable, roomy, and well put together and a pleasure to drive.
I enjoyed it much more than other Honda SUVs. And I think it also looks much better than maybe any other current Hondas out there.
The main problem could be its price. My loaded Elite AWD trim costs $58,000 before incentives. While the FWD EX starts at $47,400.
Like any other Hondas, there aren’t options available, just different trims. I think the $51,700 Touring trim is the best deal. It comes with most of the features from the Elite, including the panoramic roof and Bose system. The Prologue qualifies for federal and Local incentives and the price in most states will end up being under $40,000. Which is actually very similar to a loaded Honda CR-V.
In my opinion, the Prologue is a much better vehicle than the CR-V. And the Passport as well. Unless you really need the off-road capacity of the Passport.
That clean modern design and the lack of a huge obnoxious grille are also such a breath of fresh air…
Video of my week with the Honda Prologue coming soon.
The EV sound of this car is the strangest I’ve ever heard. It almost sounds like a gospel choir distorted.
The problem is it’s both too loud and can be heard on the inside of the car (it’s for the outside), and it keeps going whenever the car is in drive even if it’s not moving. So when you’re at a dead stop it’s too loud. I wish it would just turn off when not moving or at least get quieter because it was insanely loud in the Honda Prologue.