Is the 2024 Honda Prologue a Good EV? 5 Pros and 3 Cons
Honda has been less eager to join the electric vehicle party than most of its competitors, having just launched the carmaker’s first mass-market, battery-electric vehicle. The good news is that Honda’s first effort, the Prologue, arrives as a solid contender.
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Shop the 2024 Honda Prologue near you
Sharing a platform and powertrains with the Chevrolet Blazer EV, the Prologue is a joint effort with GM. The partnership was a big help getting Honda into the EV game, which is phenomenally complicated and expensive to do from scratch. However, the technology won’t be used for Honda’s own coming line of EVs in a couple of years.
Like the Blazer EV, the Prologue is an SUV with seating for five. Unlike the Blazer EV, the Prologue comes standard with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, neither of which is available with the Blazer EV. It also has a much more affordable starting price.
Cars.com West Coast Bureau Chief Conner Golden recently spent some time getting to know Honda’s new EV and liked much of what he saw, but as you might expect, not all was ideal. Tap the link above for Golden’s full expert review; for a quicker rundown, read on for five things we like about the 2024 Honda Prologue and three things we don’t.
Things We Like
1. Looks Like a Honda
The Prologue may share a platform and more with the Blazer EV, but Honda has done a good job of masking the Prologue’s roots — at least on the outside. Designers have managed to inject enough Honda DNA into the exterior to give it a familial, distinctively Honda look, even if the proportions may be a little different. Overall, the styling works and gives the Prologue an appearance that is modern and rugged.
2. Decent Range and Charge Time
Powertrain choices include a single electric motor with front-wheel drive and 212 system horsepower, or a dual-motor setup with all-wheel drive and a total of 288 hp. The EX and Touring trims with FWD can travel 296 miles on a charge, according to Honda, while AWD versions drop that estimate to 281 miles; the top Elite trim is only available with AWD and has a range of 273 miles. When connected to a DC fast charger, Honda says the Prologue can go from a 20% charge to 80% in as little as 35 minutes.
3. Driving Dynamics
The Prologue may not have been developed with quick acceleration and sporty dynamics as priorities, but we never felt the need for additional power when merging or passing on the highway. Thanks to its EV architecture and low center of gravity, as well as Honda’s long-standing talent for chassis wizardry, the Prologue feels at least a bit more agile and entertaining to drive than some compact crossovers, including Honda’s own CR-V and Passport.
4. Smooth Braking
One area where the Prologue does exceptionally well is with its brakes, particularly its nearly seamless blend of the conventional and regenerative braking systems. Where some regenerative systems tend to be hard to modulate or even jerky, braking with any of the Prologue’s three levels of regen braking can feel nearly as smooth as a conventional system.
5. Cabin Kudos
Interior materials quality in our top-trim Elite test vehicle was better than typically found in any Honda other than top trims of the Pilot and Odyssey, and designers have done a credible job of imbuing Honda style and trim cues throughout the cabin — even if some bits are inevitably shared with the Blazer EV. The Elite’s long list of standard features includes heated and ventilated leather seats, a panoramic moonroof, wireless charging and a head-up display. All trims include an 11.3-inch touchscreen with Google Built-In, but unlike the Blazer EV, you also get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
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Things We Don’t Like
1. Showing Its Roots
There’s no denying the Prologue’s GM roots, which is not necessarily a bad thing since GM technology made the Prologue possible to begin with. But the closer you look, there’s more evidence of a rebadge. The start button and key fob are straight from the Chevy parts bin, for example. It’s easy to find GM branded components under the hood, too, and the Prologue even offers GM’s OnStar emergency services system and emergency assistance.
2. Slow Steering
While the Prologue rides and handles well enough in normal driving, the overall driving experience is let down by steering so slow that it almost feels like there’s a delay between when you turn the wheel and when anything actually happens. We found this to be frustrating, whether making low-speed maneuvers or just trying to maintain lane position on the highway.
3. Pricey Proposition
With a starting price of $48,795 (all prices include destination), a base FWD Prologue can be had for substantially less than a Blazer EV, but that doesn’t make it a screaming deal. Both the Tesla Model Y and Nissan Ariya are significantly cheaper, and that’s before you start working up through the trims. A mid-lineup Prologue Touring with AWD starts at $51,795, while the top Elite trim starts at $59,295.
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