Honda Prelude Is Beating BRZ, But Miata Still Rules

That did not take long. Honda’s new Prelude, a coupe some enthusiasts dismissed as a Civic Hybrid in sharper clothes, is already pulling ahead of the Subaru BRZ in the sales race. Not by a huge margin, but enough to make the point clear: buyers are warming to Honda’s new idea of a sporty car, even without a manual gearbox.

In April, Honda sold 357 Prelude coupes, pushing its year to date total to 1,152 units. For a nameplate that returned with plenty of skepticism hanging over it, that is a respectable start. It also puts the Prelude just ahead of the BRZ, which reached 1,086 sales for the year after moving 283 cars in April. Subaru did post a healthy 14.5 percent gain for the month, so the gap is not exactly dramatic, but the early scoreboard still favors Honda.

The bigger surprise is not that the Prelude is ahead of the BRZ. It is why. This is not the kind of lightweight, purist sports coupe many fans had imagined when Honda revived the badge. Instead, the Prelude leans into efficiency and everyday usability, pairing coupe styling with hybrid power. That recipe may sound tame on paper, yet it appears to be landing with real world buyers who want something sleek without committing to the compromises of a traditional weekend toy.

And then there is the car both of them still cannot touch.

The old favorite still has a firm grip

The Mazda MX-5 Miata remains the benchmark for small Japanese sports car sales. Mazda delivered 1,163 Miatas in April alone, comfortably ahead of both the Prelude and the BRZ for the month. That figure marked a striking 60 percent jump over the same month last year. Even so, the Miata’s year to date total stands at 2,858 units, which is still down 9.9 percent overall.

So yes, the Miata had a strong April. More importantly, it is still the segment’s unmistakable sales leader. That says plenty about how durable the formula remains. Light weight, rear wheel drive, open top charm, and a reputation built over decades still matter. A lot.

Here is how the numbers stack up so far:

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• Mazda MX-5 Miata: 1,163 sold in April, 2,858 year to date
• Honda Prelude: 357 sold in April, 1,152 year to date
• Subaru BRZ: 283 sold in April, 1,086 year to date

For Honda, though, the Prelude’s opening run still looks encouraging. The company is reportedly aiming to sell between 4,000 and 5,000 units in 2026, and at this pace, that target looks realistic.

There may be a simple explanation for the Prelude’s appeal. Its 200 horsepower hybrid setup offers something neither of its closest rivals can match: serious fuel efficiency. Honda’s coupe is rated at 44 mpg combined, while the BRZ sits at 22 mpg. In a market where buyers are watching fuel costs and still want something stylish, that difference is hard to ignore. No, it is not a hardcore driver’s machine in the old school sense. But maybe that is the point.

The Prelude is carving out a lane of its own, somewhere between sporty coupe and smart daily driver. That may frustrate traditionalists, but it could be exactly why it is finding customers.

A mixed month for Honda overall

Honda’s broader sales performance in April painted a more uneven picture. The brand was up 1.6 percent overall for the month, with total sales reaching 125,571 vehicles. The standout was the Accord, which surged 42.5 percent. Hybrid Accord sales also climbed 27.0 percent, giving the midsize sedan a serious boost.

Beyond that, only a couple of models managed to post gains. Civic sales rose 6.3 percent, while the CR-V edged up 2.9 percent. Several others moved the other way. Odyssey sales dropped 23.0 percent, making it one of Honda’s weakest performers for the month. The all electric Prologue fell 28.5 percent, while Ridgeline was down 15.7 percent in April and off 4.2 percent for the year so far.

The HR-V, notably Honda’s only crossover with a starting price below about €27,700, also slipped, falling 11.8 percent. That makes the Prelude’s early momentum stand out even more. In a lineup where several familiar names lost ground, the returning coupe managed to generate fresh demand.

The Honda Prelude may not be the sports car purists wanted, but right now it is proving to be a sports coupe people are actually buying.

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