2024 Honda Prologue Road Test and Review

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

In 1997, Honda launched its first electric car in the U.S. The EV Plus was a three-door hatchback with 66 horsepower, an estimated 81-mile range, and a $53,900 price tag. But this first-mover status never cemented Honda as an electric-car leader. It sold gas-free vehicles only sporadically, and both the 2013-2014 Fit EV hatchback and 2017-2019 Clarity EV sedan also had ranges in the 80s. 

With EV sales picking up speed, Honda turned to an automaker that has been selling popular electric cars for years: General Motors. The result is the all-new 2024 Honda Prologue, a mid-size fully electric crossover SUV. It’s derived from the new Chevrolet Blazer EV on GM’s Ultium electric-car platform. Unlike its past EVs, Honda expects the Prologue to generate serious sales – and initial results have been encouraging. We just spent a week testing the new Prologue to learn about its pros and cons. Keep reading to see if it belongs on your EV shopping list. 

Reasonable Price After the Tax Credit

The 2024 Honda Prologue has a steep-looking base price of $47,400. But unlike most EVs, the Prologue still qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles – available for North American-built EVs whose battery materials come mainly from the U.S. and its trade partners. Factor in the tax credit and the Prologue has a lower starting price than the similarly sized V6-powered Honda Passport. 

The base Prologue is the EX model, a mid-level trim on some other Hondas. It has cloth upholstery and a six-speaker stereo, but high-end amenities include automatic climate control, a heated power-adjustable driver’s seat, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear automatic emergency braking, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The Touring, $51,700, has leather upholstery, memory settings for the power seat, a 12-speaker Bose stereo, a power liftgate, and a panoramic moonroof. And the $57,900 Elite, like our test vehicle, has ventilated front seats,  a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, a surround-view parking camera, and 21-inch alloy wheels. A second electric motor, providing all-wheel drive and more power, costs $3,000 extra on the EX and Touring and comes standard on the Elite. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Up to 296 Miles Per Charge

Equipped with a single front-mounted motor, the front-wheel-drive Prologue makes 212 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, and it travels an EPA-estimated 296 miles per charge. Adding the second motor for AWD boosts total output to 288 hp and 333 lb-ft of torque, while range drops to 281 miles on most models and 273 miles on the Elite with bigger wheels. (Chevrolet takes a different approach with the Blazer EV: Its two-wheel-drive model has a more powerful rear-mounted motor, and it’s at the top of its lineup for speed, range, and price.)

During our weeklong test, we trounced the EPA’s 273-mile estimate in our Prologue Elite. We didn’t run it down to zero, but it was on track to hit 318 miles in a mix of highway, suburban, and rural driving. Honda estimates that a 240-volt car charger, like you’d install in your garage or find at some public stations, adds 34 miles of range per hour. At a DC fast charging station, Honda projects that you can get from 20 percent to 80 percent charged in 35 minutes with your first 65 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Our test vehicle went from 10 percent to 49 percent (an estimated 31 miles to 149 miles of range) in 22 minutes. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Looks Like a Honda

The Prologue borrows the dimensions and proportions of its Chevrolet Blazer EV cousin. That means it’s low and wide with a long wheelbase and short overhangs. This road-hugging stance is the opposite of the boxy, upright Honda Passport. 

Still, Honda’s stylists got free rein with the details. Unlike another pair of electric crossovers produced in partnership – the Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X – the Prologue and Blazer would never be mistaken for each other. The Prologue wears a mild-looking version of Honda’s standard face, right down to an imitation grille between the gently curved headlights. It’s more cute and cuddly than Chevy’s in-your-face Blazer. The same applies to the Prologue’s more muted color palette versus the Chevrolet’s more striking hues. We don’t see as many Honda cues on the rear end, but once again, the Prologue looks nothing like the Blazer. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Honda Dash Style, Chevy Parts

Honda owners will also see a familiar sight when they hop inside the Prologue – at least at first glance. The slim dashboard includes a strip that incorporates rectangular climate vents. The infotainment touchscreen perches above that, facing forward. Buttons and knobs for the climate controls sit below. None of this looks anything like the more aggressive Blazer EV. The Chevy’s touchscreen connects to the digital gauge cluster and angles toward the driver, and it sports big, round climate vents. 

Still, the details belong to General Motors. Honda’s stylists assembled their preferred look using GM parts. There isn’t the same precise feel to the knobs and stalks as you’d find in a Honda, and Honda owners will have to retrain their muscle memory on some functions. On the flip side, the GM-issue infotainment system works well despite looking plain. And at 11.3 inches, it’s bigger than those in many Hondas. And unlike in the Blazer EV, the system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration when you’d rather use your own mobile apps instead of the factory infotainment system. Overall, we’re glad that Honda resisted the temptation to assume that EV buyers want unconventional interiors with flashy but confusing control layouts. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Roomy Passenger Compartment

We mentioned that the Prologue has a wide, low body with a long wheelbase. That means you don’t have a towering-high seating position or tophat-clearance headroom, but there’s plenty of space for five adults across this electric crossover’s two rows of seats. We wished for better visibility, though, especially to the rear. Whenever we shifted our position in the driver’s seat, the rear windshield disappeared from the rearview mirror until we readjusted it. The rear windshield wiper reaches very little of this low, wide glass area – but at least Honda provides a wiper, unlike some rival EVs. 

All Prologue trim levels include a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a six-way adjustable front-passenger seat (manual on the EX, power on the other trims), and heated front seats. Leather and memory settings appear on the midlevel Touring, but ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel are reserved for the Elite. We wish Honda had been more generous with those items, since it’s more energy-efficient to heat or cool common touch points than the entire cabin. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Less Capacious for Cargo

The Prologue is shaped for plenty of passenger space, but cargo room comes up a bit short. On the base EX, there’s just 25.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 57.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. And upper trim levels cut that to 23.7 and 54.5 cubic feet, respectively. There’s no front trunk (or “frunk”) like you find in a Tesla Model Y or some other models. 

That’s less than a subcompact Honda HR-V. And a mid-size Honda Passport has 70 percent more cargo room behind its rear seat – an important consideration on a family road trip, airport run, or even shopping errand. And while many rival EVs also have unimpressive cargo space, can fit more inside than the Prologue. The Prologue can also tow a small 1,500-pound trailer. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Easy to Drive

The Prologue is a smooth, comfortable, and overall easy SUV to drive. It rides more gently than a Tesla or some other performance-themed electric cars. You can also adjust its regenerative braking to provide an EV-exclusive experience where lifting off the accelerator is enough to dramatically slow the vehicle – or set it to feel pretty much like driving any gas car. 

The Prologue is no performance champion. It’s decently quick for a mid-size SUV, especially with all-wheel drive, but most electric rivals are quicker. The Tesla Model Y in particular is a rocketship by comparison, needing less than half the time to hit 60 mph. The Prologue also feels big and heavy around corners – which it is. This isn’t a sprightly little Honda so much as a comfortable, relaxed cruiser. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Competitors to Consider

The Prologue enters the market to face a host of competitors. First and foremost is the Tesla Model Y, which goes farther on a charge, can use Tesla’s Supercharger network, costs less, has more standard features, accelerates more quickly, and has more room inside. This combination is tough to beat and it explains the Model Y’s dominant sales position. Still, the Prologue’s smooth ride, simple controls, and broad dealer network are also tempting assets. 

Aside from Tesla, the Prologue’s top rivals are the bZ4X/Solterra twins, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 cousins, Nissan Ariya, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Volkswagen ID.4. Of those, only the ID.4 qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit – and it also costs much less than the Prologue. It’s smaller and doesn’t feel as fancy, but it’s roomier and nimbler. Cumbersome controls and a bumpier ride are key knocks against it. The Ioniq 5 and EV6 offer extra-fast charging, striking designs, nimbler handling, and more room than the Prologue, but many folks will pay less for the Honda. The bZ4X and Solterra are comfortable and easy to drive, but they badly trail the Prologue’s range per charge and have clunkier control layouts. The Ariya has a fancier interior and nimbler handling than the Prologue but a shorter range on most models. The Mustang Mach-E has classic Mustang style and a sporty vibe, and its pony-car body somehow accommodates more cargo than the Prologue, but the Honda is more comfortable.  

We also prefer the Prologue over the Blazer EV for including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, for providing a lower-cost front-wheel-drive variant, and for a smoother ride. But the Chevy handles a bit more nimbly and looks more dynamic. 

Shop around carefully for your new EV. Note that many dealers and automakers offer incredible discounts off the sticker price, and lease deals are particularly compelling. Once you see what the different players really cost in your region, you’ll be able to weigh their strengths and weaknesses in the proper context. 

2022 Tesla Model Y and 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

For its first high-volume electric vehicle, Honda has avoided many of the serious missteps that plague rival EVs. The 2024 Honda Prologue is comfortable and its controls are easy to use. It has enough range to meet most folks’ everyday needs and also take some road trips without too much stress. It doesn't look like a spaceship. And it’s not wildly expensive, thanks to its $7,500 federal tax credit. 

Honda has left room for the competition to leapfrog it. We’re never thrilled when big-car size and price meet small-car cargo capacity. We wish there were a better view out the back. Driving enthusiasts won’t love its acceleration or handling. And its range and charging specs, while competitive, aren’t class-leading. 

But the competition hasn’t leapfrogged it. So at least for now, when comfort and ease of use trump maximum speed and agility, and maximum cargo room isn’t a priority, the Prologue is a leading electric crossover. 

2024 Honda Prologue Elite ・ Photo by Brady Holt