Compare the2026 Honda PreludeVS 2025 Porsche 718 Cayman

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 718 Cayman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 718 Cayman’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 718 Cayman 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Prelude has standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The 718 Cayman doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Prelude’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The 718 Cayman doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Prelude has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 718 Cayman’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Prelude’s standard Cross Traffic Monitor uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The 718 Cayman doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Prelude’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The 718 Cayman doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Prelude and the 718 Cayman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Prelude 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the 718 Cayman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 718 Cayman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 5 times as many Honda dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prelude’s warranty.

The 718 Cayman’s redline is at 7500 to 9000 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 Porsche vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Porsche is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Prelude gets better mileage than the 718 Cayman:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Prelude uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 718 Cayman 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 Porsche 718 Cayman (1 to 4). This means the Prelude produces up to 45.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 718 Cayman 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 718 Cayman.

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 718 Cayman doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Prelude’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 718 Cayman:

The Prelude’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 718 Cayman’s standard 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Prelude has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 718 Cayman.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prelude’s wheelbase is 5.2 inches longer than on the 718 Cayman (102.6 inches vs. 97.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prelude is 4 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 718 Cayman.

The Prelude uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 718 Cayman doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Prelude has standard seating for 4 passengers; the 718 Cayman can only carry 2.

The Prelude has 36.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 718 Cayman (84.6 vs. 48).

The Prelude has .1 inches more front legroom and 5.8 inches more front shoulder room than the 718 Cayman.

The Prelude has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 718 Cayman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Prelude’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them. Porsche does not offer a locking feature on the 718 Cayman’s standard power windows.

On a hot day the Prelude’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the 718 Cayman can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Prelude has standard Push Button Start and Smart Entry that allows you to unlock the doors from either outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Porsche Entry and Drive costs extra on the 718 Cayman.

The Prelude’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The 718 Cayman’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Prelude’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the 718 Cayman’s standard xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

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 718 Cayman 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 718 Cayman doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.