The 2024 Honda Prologue is designed for both road trips and daily driving, yet feels surprisingly familiar

There are no major changes for the 2024 Honda Prologue as it enters the 2025 model year and perhaps that’s a good sign that they got a lot of it right from the beginning. While it’s a good assumption, it’s also fair to say it’s a one-and-done design as Honda’s partnership using GM’s Ultium platforms (& components) is over.

With that being said, I must say that the Honda Prologue is one of my favorites among the Ultium family. Yes, even among the sportier ZDX, Lyriq, Blazer, and so on, I feel like the Honda is a solid player. Part of that has to do with the aesthetics, which I love, but the rest is based on its overall performance

The Theme Park debacle (long-distance drive)

During my week loan, I daily commuted the Prologue Elite, which is the dual-motor, highest trim model. This $60K+ model gave me the aforementioned dual motors, all-wheel drive (AWD), and a total of 288 horsepower. Despite weighing over 5,000 lbs, that turned out to be plenty of power for daily use.

I also had a 273-mile range. If you get the base, front-drive model, which still has the same 85 kWh battery, that figure jumps to 296 miles. Those are EPA numbers, and real-world driving can be completely different. In my case, I could not manage to completely equal the EPA estimated numbers, and that was unfortunate as my road trip was nearly ruined.

It wasn't the Honda Prologue's fault

I had a 50-mile loop to drive from Redondo Beach to Buena Park, CA. During that drive, I made two stops that made the trip nearly 100 miles in total. I figured that I could juice up in Buena Park, near the Knotts Berry Farm amusement park.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to find a charger that was open, or working anywhere. I used three apps and was willing to settle for a 50 kW charger. With a maximum charge rate of 155 kW, the Prologue has the potential to charge from 20-80% in about 35 minutes but that is rarely the case as many chargers underperform.

Related: The Maserati GT2 Stradale is as close as you can get to a racing Maserati for the road

Honda will offer Tesla's NACS charger in their EVs next year but for now, an adapter is available. I had no such adapter and was stuck with the CCS setup, making this trip a bit of a bummer as the charger infrastructure in Southern California isn’t ideal. My trip to Knotts Berry Farm was a simple example as I was forced to forgo charging and anxiously head home.

Fortunately, the Honda Prologue came close to its advertised capabilities and I was able to finish the trip with half a charge remaining. After a hard week of driving, and hundreds of commuting miles, I averaged just under 3 miles per kWh, which is acceptable.

The ride quality: Is it a GM? Yes, but it is a Honda too

I truly like the exterior design, especially in Pacific Blue Metallic. It’s sleek, and uncomplicated, yet modern and elegant. I know the looks are subjective, but I also know many journalists who agree with me.

While I’m not a fan of massive wheels, the 21-inch wheels that came with my Elite package complete the look. A cushier ride is certain to be the case if you opt for the smaller 19-inch wheel packages on the ES and Touring.

Speaking of the ride quality, it is, in my estimation, the best trade-off of any of its platform mates. It's no Acura NSX, but it has good grip. It’s very well suited for a calm commute and comfortable ride.

Related: A Glimpse into the Future of Hyundai Design

I find the Blazer EV, which has exactly the same wheelbase and similar weight to be far more sports-oriented. The brakes are fine, but a tad spongy for my taste.

One-pedal braking is standard, which means you can ask for an aggressive regenerative braking system that allows for the accelerator to move and stop the Prologue. Many EVs and some hybrids have this, but not all. It’s a system that makes driving more fun for me.

There is one issue with the handling, and that's the super long wheelbase. Its wheelbase is a full 8 inches longer than a three-row Honda Pilot and thus it takes time to get used to when parking or during tight maneuvers. I felt like its turning radius was comically wide too.

The Prologue was designed to look like a Honda product

The thing is that as easy as the Honda Prologue is to live with and drive, can we get past all of the GM parts sharing? I don’t think it’s a big deal, and most of the parts sharing is done with decently made components. That goes for the climate control, audio controls, and a majority of the internal switchgear.

Still, Honda designed a majority of this vehicle to look and feel unique. The overall interior design is mostly Honda so when you sit down behind the steering wheel, it sure doesn’t feel like a Blazer EV. Internal materials, the use of soft, injected molded rubbers, leather, and quality plastics look pleasant.

The driver’s 11-inch gauge cluster looks somewhat unique too as it’s separated from the other screen. GM connects their screens in one bezel and both are usually the same size. The 11.3-inch infotainment screen size is unique to the Prologue, as is their Apple CarPlay system. This is something GM EVs do not offer, which I find odd.

The cargo space is good, but not class-leading. 23.7 cubic feet of space is available behind the second row and folding down the back seats gives you a total of 54.5 cu-ft of cargo space. You get a couple extra cubes if you get the front-drive Prologue, which saves space from that absent rear motor.

Related: Lotus Eletre will bring a touch of luxury to Uber riders in London

It sure looks like it can hold more though. It holds far less than the similar-in-length Honda Passport. That very long 121.8-inch wheelbase is partially to blame for the subterfuge. Despite its length, the front hood does not house a frunk.

Final thoughts

With all the cards on the table, I think that Honda is asking a wee bit too much for what the Prologue offers. With a base price north of $40K, I think there are more compelling packages out there like the Nissan Aryia and Mustang Mach-E to name a few.

Still, this is a solid, comfortable, and easy to live with EV. I’ve seen other journalists state that it doesn’t drive like a Honda. That’s odd to me because I can’t feel the similarity between a Civic and a Passport.

Sure, it’s not all that athletic feeling, and I think that’s what some folks infer. To say it's a competent daily driver that has good road manners would be spot on. They truly dialed in the suspension tuning for folks who drive a lot.

One final point: I think this vehicle goes up against the Nissan Aryia and Toyota BZ4x nicely. I believe the Nissan gives you the highest caliber performance and interior design but the Honda is more attractive. To me, the Honda in that lovely blue has a sweet identity of its own.

Related: How Nissan’s Ariya EV fares on a SoCal road trip adventure