- Dealer asks $64,985 for a 2026 Honda Prelude in Arizona.
- Includes $20K markup, tint, and appearance protection package.
- Honda aims to sell 300 Preludes monthly, only 174 sold last month.
Just when it seemed like the days of inflated Honda Prelude prices could be coming to an end, another dealership has stepped up to prove otherwise. This time it’s in Arizona, where a dealer is trying to offload a 2026 Prelude for nearly the same price as a brand-new Chevy Corvette Stingray. No joke. If Honda hopes to match Subaru’s BRZ sales this year, dealerships like this aren’t doing it any favors.
Read: Honda Saw What GR And Nismo Did, And Now It Wants In
The culprit is Germain Honda of Surprise, currently showcasing a single 2026 Prelude in its showroom. Finished in Rallye Red with a black interior, it could appeal to buyers looking for something sporty yet fuel-efficient, a car with just enough edge to enjoy. But with a $20,000 markup slapped on the windshield, it’s hard to imagine anyone being that interested.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that at least they were upfront about it. A photo shared by a Reddit user shows the window sticker bluntly calling it a “dealer markup.” No sugarcoating here.
But Wait, There’s More
To be frank, even before any markups, the Prelude’s $43,195 starting MSRP stirred plenty of debate. Critics were already circling, yet this dealer didn’t hesitate to pile on more. Alongside the $20,000 markup, there’s a $495 tint package and a $1,295 appearance protection package, which bundles in interior protectant and ceramic coating. Total asking price? $64,985.
With that $65K asking price, this Civic Hybrid-powered Prelude now comes in more than $22,000 above the 400-horsepower, twin-turbo V6 Nissan Z ($42,970). It’s also about $3,000 more than a high-spec Toyota Supra 3.0 Premium ($61,450), and just $5,000 under the starting price of a base Corvette Stingray ($70,000).
Someone would have to be absolutely madly in love or just plain mad to spend this kind of money on the new Prelude. Maybe, just maybe, a cold response will push the Honda dealer to reconsider and let the car go for something closer to sticker.
During the Prelude’s first full month on sale in the United States, just 174 examples were sold. According to Acura and Honda’s vice president of automobile sales, Lance Woelfer, the company aims to sell 300 Preludes per month in the US, noting that roughly 4,000 units are allocated to the US annually.
