Compare the2026 Honda PreludeVS 2026 Subaru BRZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Prelude have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Subaru BRZ doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Prelude are reminded to check the back seat. The BRZ doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda Prelude has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The BRZ doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Prelude deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Prelude’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The BRZ’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Prelude has a standard Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The BRZ doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Prelude has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The BRZ doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the Prelude and the BRZ have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

There are over 66 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prelude’s warranty.

The BRZ’s redline is at 7300 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Prelude has a 6250 RPM redline.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in long-term dependability. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

The Prelude’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (232 vs. 184) than the BRZ’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Prelude gets better mileage than the BRZ:

Regenerative brakes improve the Prelude’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The BRZ doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Prelude’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The BRZ doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Prelude uses regular unleaded gasoline. The BRZ requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Prelude higher (6 out of 10) than the Subaru BRZ (2). This means the Prelude produces up to 27.7 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the BRZ every 15,000 miles.

The Honda Prelude comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the BRZ.

The Prelude has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The BRZ doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Prelude’s brake rotors are larger than those on the BRZ:

For better traction, the Prelude has larger tires than the BRZ (235/40R19 vs. 215/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Prelude has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the BRZ.

The Prelude has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The BRZ’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Prelude has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The BRZ doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prelude’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the BRZ (102.6 inches vs. 101.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prelude is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the BRZ.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Prelude has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The BRZ uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The Prelude uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The BRZ doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Prelude a Subcompact car, while the BRZ is rated a Minicompact.

The Prelude has 7.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the BRZ (84.6 vs. 77.2).

The Prelude has .2 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear legroom, 3.5 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the BRZ.

The Prelude has a much larger trunk than the BRZ (15.1 vs. 6.3 cubic feet).

The Prelude’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The BRZ’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

The Prelude’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The BRZ has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

On a hot day the Prelude’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the BRZ can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prelude’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The BRZ’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Prelude has standard extendable sun visors. The BRZ doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Prelude has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The BRZ doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.