Honda Prologue - the Better Blazer EV

[OVERKILL]

It doesn't have the brand recognition of the Tesla and that's probably not going to help its sales, especially when the EV6 is nearly the same price and in some cases the more expensive of the two when optioned similarly.

That's my point, hence the comparison to Apple.

As somebody who has driven most of the major EV's, and at the time the i4 M50 was roughly the same price as the Model Y Performance, and the difference in terms of how they were outfitted was wild to me.

 

[Torrid]

That's my point, hence the comparison to Apple.

As somebody who has driven most of the major EV's, and at the time the i4 M50 was roughly the same price as the Model Y Performance, and the difference in terms of how they were outfitted was wild to me.

Considering the i4 would compete with the Model 3 and not the Model Y that's exactly what the problem is. It's nearly $10k$15k more across the board than the Model 3. In top trim it's only $10k less than the Model S. They're not remotely in the same class and no one would cross shop that big of a price difference in this range.

I'm sure it's a great car, but it's legitimately more expensive than the average car on sale today. It may have been less at one time, but I never saw the pricing at the time and when we bought it must have been too expensive or not available because as my wife researched cars if we could have drove one we would have been there. I do vaguely remember seeing it and thinking it was way more than we were wanting to spend and we were in for $52k on the ID.4 at the time.

 

[OVERKILL]

Considering the i4 would compete with the Model 3 and not the Model Y that's exactly what the problem is. It's nearly $10k$15k more across the board than the Model 3. In top trim it's only $10k less than the Model S. They're not remotely in the same class and no one would cross shop that big of a price difference in this range.

Yeah, I was cross shopping the i4 M50 with the Model Y Performance, and they were roughly the same price. Then the prices went up, up, UP!

I'm sure it's a great car, but it's legitimately more expensive than the average car on sale today. It may have been less at one time, but I never saw the pricing at the time and when we bought it must have been too expensive or not available because as my wife researched cars if we could have drove one we would have been there. I do vaguely remember seeing it and thinking it was way more than we were wanting to spend and we were in for $52k on the ID.4 at the time.

The i4 (non-M50) now:

vs the Model Y LR now with the upgraded cruise and the mobile charging adapters:

So, $6K more.

IIRC, when I was shopping the i4 M50 M-Sport was like $82K? The MYP is $79K, so roughly the same price.

They were not bringing any to market when we were shopping, it was like a 6-8 month wait, so you may not have considered one because they simply weren't available

 

[Torrid]

Yeah, I was cross shopping the i4 M50 with the Model Y Performance, and they were roughly the same price. Then the prices went up, up, UP!

The i4 (non-M50) now:
View attachment 207693
vs the Model Y LR now with the upgraded cruise and the mobile charging adapters:
View attachment 207695

So, $6K more.

IIRC, when I was shopping the i4 M50 M-Sport was like $82K? The MYP is $79K, so roughly the same price.

They were not bringing any to market when we were shopping, it was like a 6-8 month wait, so you may not have considered one because they simply weren't available

That could be it. There wasn't much that was available at the time. This would have been 18 months ago. We ordered the ID.4 not because it was the best option, but they had a tester to drive and they seemed confident in getting us a vehicle. I did not want an SUV and my wife was indifferent to having another SUV. We gave up after 8 months of waiting.

Her guideline was if they didn't have a car to test drive, they were instantly out of the running. We weren't looking at $80k cars though. If the base was around $60k or more at the time we definitely didn't consider it. I think that's a tough price point.

 

[UncleDave]

Speaking of the Blazer - apparently its available now - with a substantive price drop.
Hopefully GM tightened up the code enough to make it reliable.
It's interesting the Chinese car didn't seem to have near the problems as the domestic version.

We'll see how they move, but it's more lots full of cars with the wrong charge port.

I'm interested to see the metrics on it on Bjorn's 1K trip.

https://www.teslarati.com/chevy-blazer-ev-lower-price/

 

[andrew_j]

Honda Passport II. Can’t build your own SUV and ….

 

[E365]

They’re hitting dealers right now. $7,500 tax credit eligible too. The factory must really be pumping out battery modules now too as the Blazer EV shows about 10,000 cars in stock online. Been going up about 1,000 cars/week the last few weeks.

 

[dogememe]

I went by the nearest Honda dealer a couple days ago and they had a white one sitting out front. It looked AMAZING in person and the HUGE wheels don't actually look awkward like they do in some photos of the car online. I would definitely pick the Prologue over the Tesla Model Y to be honest. I like that it's more traditional and boxy. Of course the two Honda salespeople that approached us to see if we needed help knew literally nothing about it.

 

[michaelluscher]

Of course the two Honda salespeople that approached us to see if we needed help knew literally nothing about it.

Sounds about right for Honda and anything unconventional

I remember hearing a story back when they launched the EV Plus (c.1997)
The guy was lamenting how it took 6 weeks of negotiating and paperwork bureaucracy to secure a vehicle that was sitting on the lot
Then they pulled the EV1 stunt and only leased them/pulled them back to crush them
Same with the Insight, same with the NG Civic, same with the FCC Clarity, at least the S2000 had performance fans running in the door

If it's not a sedan/SUV, your average Honda salesman is literally asleep at the wheel
Maybe y'all have better Honda dealers in your area, mine are wretched and turned me off the brand on multiple occasions

I hope it does well, competition is important in the EV space if prices are to come down

 

[dogememe]

Sounds about right for Honda and anything unconventional

I remember hearing a story back when they launched the EV Plus (c.1997)
The guy was lamenting how it took 6 weeks of negotiating and paperwork bureaucracy to secure a vehicle that was sitting on the lot
Then they pulled the EV1 stunt and only leased them/pulled them back to crush them
Same with the Insight, same with the NG Civic, same with the FCC Clarity, at least the S2000 had performance fans running in the door

If it's not a sedan/SUV, your average Honda salesman is literally asleep at the wheel
Maybe y'all have better Honda dealers in your area, mine are wretched and turned me off the brand on multiple occasions

I hope it does well, competition is important in the EV space if prices are to come down

Yeah I think they have a great product, now they just need to sell it.

Understanding the Prologue and its competition is going to be a tough one for salespeople that don't know anything about EVs or EV ownership. Hopefully they have good training and are willing to learn.

 

[alarmguy]

GM, Tesla, Honda, Kia, VW etc...
Makes no difference to me, all good,
Price and Looks win and that is what will win with the public. Its why I find the GM products appealing and maybe the ID4 which I haven't seen but IF (and that is a bit of a stretch) we were to buy an EV I would not buy unless you, my fellow taxpayers are going to give me $7,500. Other than that, it will for sure be ICE based.

At some point in the next week or next two years we are going to replace our "second" around town car with something. Dont know what if I did, I would take my wife and buy one today. We are a sales person worst nightmare. We dont need a car, we have one and as a second car it's RARELY used. The reason for a new one is strictly cosmetic and I know (whether she admits it or not) my wife would enjoy a refresh on the Mazda.

The OP is interesting too. Being we are now in a more or less more rural area of the Carolina Coast local dealer is important too.

 

[E365]

Prologue sales really ramping up as GM’s battery and EV plants gain momentum.

“Last month, the company sold 3,458 Honda Prologue models, which is a new record and a noticeable 3.2% of Honda's total sales”.

I got a side-by-side shot of the Prologue and its sister car, the Blazer EV. Some parked cars in the way so I couldn’t great pictures.

 

[Torrid]

Prologue sales really ramping up as GM’s battery and EV plants gain momentum.

“Last month, the company sold 3,458 Honda Prologue models, which is a new record and a noticeable 3.2% of Honda's total sales”.

I got a side-by-side shot of the Prologue and its sister car, the Blazer EV. Some parked cars in the way so I couldn’t great pictures.

View attachment 234142

View attachment 234143

I'm glad to see them side by side. It really surprises me. The Blazer looks great and the Prologue just comes across as generic. I honestly thought I'd choose the Prologue if I was cross shopping the two. I must prefer the Blazer.

I don't understand why they did the Honda logo on the back the way they did. It just doesn't look like proper Honda design language.

 

[ME_Andy]

But it is good to note that 1) GM has little real world long term experience with EV's. 2) GM is using "pouch" cells packed tightly into a rectangular box, to contain expansion, called "prismatic", which have good specific energy and shorter lifespan. 3) GM techs/dealerships have zero experience repairing EV's.

Tesla on the other hand, has more experience with EV's than all other manufacturers combined. They use cylindrical cells for a good reason, they last for years. Even BMW and some others are now moving to the Tesla-style 46mm cylindrical cells. Remember a cylinder can contain expansion very well. Preventing cell degradation under challenging conditions.

Circling way back to this in post #7, I don't think there's any reason to say Tesla batteries last longer than GM batteries. The Volt batteries were known for their longevity.

 

[DannyM]

 

[paqza]

I would trust a GM EV over a Tesla.

You do you!

Personally, I would much rather deal with orange peel and bad panel gaps than have a $60k vehicle that's constantly shutting itself down because it was designed and built so poorly. The Blazer EV launch has been truly embarrassing. Multiple reviewers have noted it's the most problematic vehicle they've ever tested. It's had multiple stop sales on it, already, too.

Teslas have proven to have among the most reliable EV drivetrains, and they're also American cars built by Americans in America, unlike the Mexican Blazer EV. Frankly, I'd buy a Chinese EV over anything electric coming out of GM right now, since the only thing they've proven is they can't pull it off.

 

[paqza]

They have been playing the commercials everywhere, non-stop.

I don't follow the platforms, I wrongly assumed it was smaller than a C-RV

It's most comparable to the Passport in the Honda lineup.

 

[97prizm]

Thats a whole lot of info and videos but what is the price.. we dont need another 50k ev.

Edit: googled it.
base price for the ?midtier? EX is 49000 not sure if that includes delivery so 50k+ maybe 54k with TTL fees etc.

Also be curious to see if the range number is more tesla(doesnt come close to advertised range) or actual.

For example tesla returning a 258mile highway range on a 358mile EPA range in IDEAL conditons.

Tesla was found to have the worst accuracy in mileage especially in the cold when compared to other manufacturers.

 

[paqza]

Tesla sells because they are “trendy” at the moment. I think 50% of the sales are virtue signaling, maybe the other 50% can actually appreciate it for what it is. Personally they are not for me…. not because they are an EV, or for quality control, I just don’t have any love for them.

This is not a great take. Teslas sell because they're quite literally the cheapest way to get an EV sedan and EV crossover that can be used with the only robust charging network around. The Model Y is priced cheaper than than the Toyota RAV4 Prime and the Model 3 can be had for Camry/Accord money ($34,990 for a 4.9s to 60 with 300mi real world range). The Model 3 Performance is $48k for a car that can hit 60 in (allegedly) 2.9s. That's absurd.

People buy Teslas for the exact same people buy Ikea stuff - value. You're not looking for heirloom quality. You're looking for the cheapest way to get the job done. And right now, the Model Y is the fastest, safest, best-packaged crossover you can get for under $45k. It's not about politics - it's about dollars.

 

[michaelluscher]

They're finally spending on the advertising budget, at least around me

Historically, Honda cross breeds don't do terribly well
The OG Passport/SLX comes to mind
I watched a poor Honda dealer tech get run through the ringer on a wiring issue, looks like Eric & Ivan are gonna be in yacht money by the time they retire



I know something's up, they're leasing at very competitive prices
Honda doesn't usually do that
For a '24 EX, that's not a bad payment at all
If you've got somewhere to charge, it might be more cost effective than a Civic