Forget the electric motors, the first thing you’ll notice about the Honda Prologue Elite is its interior.
This top-of-the-line version of Honda’s electric SUV features snazzy brown and black leather seats and a panoramic sunroof that brings light to both the front and back rows.
But back to the lead on this car, which is that it’s an EV. In fact, it’s a joint venture with General Motors, which shares a platform with the Chevy Blazer EV.
Despite being an electric SUV, the driving experience is decidedly familiar. It is on the quick side, since this version’s all-wheel drive setup comes with more powerful motors than the rear-wheel drive variant.
It’s low center of gravity means it feels solid on the road and handles well, too.
Of course, having an EV comes with the issues of range and charging. When I got this SUV, it showed 241 miles of estimated range. I drove for exactly 100 miles, and amid our stretch of subfreezing weather, the estimated range had dropped to 43 miles. The range had been more than cut in half.
I then charged it to 98% — from 22% — and the dash showed an estimated 269 miles of range, not quite the ideal 300 the car is capable of.
That charge, by the way, set me back a fairly hefty $40.17 at an EVgo fast charging station in North Bethesda. Such are the realities of life with an EV, if you don’t have a home charger.
I usually mention reliability, but with this being an electric and a joint project, I think it’s very hard to predict. As with most electrics, there was no spare tire.
In the safety department, the Prologue could have done a bit better in one of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s frontal crash tests. It got top marks in the other major frontal test and in a side crash test.
This Prologue Elite starts at $59,350 after shipping. A base prologue starts at $48,850 after shipping.
In summary, the Prologue Elite was fun to drive and full of surprise luxury. Just be ready for a small charging shock that has nothing to do with stray voltage.
