In pictures: living with the Honda Prelude as it tackles twisty roads, family life, and a trip to the tip

I’ve been looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Honda Prelude ever since it was announced. As a Japanese-car enthusiast, the name holds some nostalgic charm, but on top of that, as a motoring journalist it’s not often these days you get to drive a (proper) coupe, nor a car that isn’t fully electric.

Its first task in my hands would not be its forte: a three-hour motorway journey. Bringing the car back to my home on the south coast from one of Carwow’s satellite offices in Bedfordshire, I set the sat nav, cranked up the music and headed off.

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Unsurprisingly, it’s not the most refined thing. Road noise is quite intrusive, and the sound system is only okay, having a tendency to distort your music at higher volumes. The driving position is good and visibility forward is decent, but the view out the back is rubbish so you really have to double check your blind spots when changing lanes.

Fortunately, on the fantastic, winding country roads through the South Downs, the Prelude more than made up for being a mediocre motorway companion. Honda really knows how to make cars that are fun to drive, so even though it doesn’t feel like a hardcore performance car, it’s satisfying to make swift progress through corners and gives you confidence that it will hold on to the road.

The engine is a bit of a let down here, though – every time a corner puts a smile on your face, the groaning hybrid under the bonnet disappoints when you punch it out the other side. It’s not necessarily slow, but the car feels like it could handle so much more performance. Sadly, Honda has no plans to make a Prelude Type R.

Where the engine does score back some points is the 99% of times you’re not driving like a hooligan. I saw an impressive 51.4mpg over the course of my week with the car, which is not a figure you would expect from something with any sort of sporting pretence.

Could I live with one long-term? In theory, I’d love to, but I have to admit it doesn’t suit my lifestyle. Getting my four-year-old in the back was the second-most difficult thing I did all week. The most difficult thing was getting the child seat to fit in the first place.

The Honda Prelude is great fun and looks wicked. I love it, but it’s rather niche – if you don’t have kids, generally don’t require any sort of practicality, and don’t spend hours on the motorway every day, it’s well worth a look.

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