Frustrated with the Prologue Rollout – Anyone Else?

[Leone_99]

I'd like to vent about my frustrations with the Prologue rollout and see if others have had similar experiences. Perhaps even a Honda representative will see this and respond.

I've been following the Prologue for more than a year, but the last six months have been particularly intense. They promised that pricing would be available by December, and that orders would begin shortly after. That did not happen—pricing and production did not begin until January, and there are still no pre-orders. Dealerships were randomly assigned vehicles, with no option to order or specify features.

By February, we were seeing advertisements, but production had already begun by the Chicago auto show. Even then, they only had a pre-production model, and it was locked. A huge missed opportunity! I spoke with representatives and contacted Honda, but they only said to "check the website." By mid-March, the site indicated that deliveries should have begun, but nothing happened.

Finally, on May, sales began. A local dealership in a more affluent area received one on April 30, and they were as surprised as I was. They did not even get a demonstration. I went to test drive the car the next day, but when I tried to negotiate, they basically laughed me out of the room, saying things like "some millionaire will come in and pay MSRP." Not surprising given the area, but it was clear they did not want to negotiate or sell the car. Fun fact: two months later, they still haven't sold it. The deal I offered back then is nearly identical to what I have in place now.

Since I am in the Chicagoland area, I contacted several dealerships. Some have been excellent—trained on the Prologue and eager to work with customers—while others simply want to get you in the door before we talk.

In early May, I discovered a dealership willing to match a price I had seen elsewhere. They were fantastic—prologue training for everyone, including the salesperson who did some on his own time. They had the exact color I wanted, and it was set to be built the following week. However, the build was delayed, and it is still sitting at the Mexican plant after two weeks. This isn't the dealership's fault, but it's one of Honda's larger rollout issues—they just keep missing deadlines.

Because my deposit is refundable, I continued looking around. It is clear that the market has shifted. Initially, it was MSRP or higher, but dealers are now beginning to mark them down. I got another quote and returned to my dealership, but their general manager refused to lower the price, despite the fact that the dealership's own website advertised a lower price. After some back and forth, we were able to match it, but it was not easy.

I'm hoping to get my car within the next month, as expected, and put this entire experience behind me.

What do you guys think? Am I overreacting, or has anyone else dealt with a similar situation?

 

[Li0n_Thr0ne]

I think the market demand for EVs is probably similar or even lower here in the Pacific Northwest. I got a great deal on my Prologue lease because I was one of the first people to lease one in my area. I had a low-mileage Passport to trade in and I qualified for the tax credit, so I ended up saving over $15k on the lease. I think you should definitely try to negotiate a discount, especially if you're not pre-ordering. There are plenty of Honda dealers out there, so shop around and find the best deal. Don't overpay for an EV, especially when other brands are offering similar cars for less. The Prologue is a great car, but you should use your leverage to get a good price.

 

[Cj_miles]

I'd like to vent about my frustrations with the Prologue rollout and see if others have had similar experiences. Perhaps even a Honda representative will see this and respond.

I've been following the Prologue for more than a year, but the last six months have been particularly intense. They promised that pricing would be available by December, and that orders would begin shortly after. That did not happen—pricing and production did not begin until January, and there are still no pre-orders. Dealerships were randomly assigned vehicles, with no option to order or specify features.

By February, we were seeing advertisements, but production had already begun by the Chicago auto show. Even then, they only had a pre-production model, and it was locked. A huge missed opportunity! I spoke with representatives and contacted Honda, but they only said to "check the website." By mid-March, the site indicated that deliveries should have begun, but nothing happened.

Finally, on May, sales began. A local dealership in a more affluent area received one on April 30, and they were as surprised as I was. They did not even get a demonstration. I went to test drive the car the next day, but when I tried to negotiate, they basically laughed me out of the room, saying things like "some millionaire will come in and pay MSRP." Not surprising given the area, but it was clear they did not want to negotiate or sell the car. Fun fact: two months later, they still haven't sold it. The deal I offered back then is nearly identical to what I have in place now.

Since I am in the Chicagoland area, I contacted several dealerships. Some have been excellent—trained on the Prologue and eager to work with customers—while others simply want to get you in the door before we talk.

In early May, I discovered a dealership willing to match a price I had seen elsewhere. They were fantastic—prologue training for everyone, including the salesperson who did some on his own time. They had the exact color I wanted, and it was set to be built the following week. However, the build was delayed, and it is still sitting at the Mexican plant after two weeks. This isn't the dealership's fault, but it's one of Honda's larger rollout issues—they just keep missing deadlines.

Because my deposit is refundable, I continued looking around. It is clear that the market has shifted. Initially, it was MSRP or higher, but dealers are now beginning to mark them down. I got another quote and returned to my dealership, but their general manager refused to lower the price, despite the fact that the dealership's own website advertised a lower price. After some back and forth, we were able to match it, but it was not easy.

I'm hoping to get my car within the next month, as expected, and put this entire experience behind me.

What do you guys think? Am I overreacting, or has anyone else dealt with a similar situation?

Despite the delays, it appears that Honda may still be unprepared. Honda's suspension of the usual rules for dealership allocation swaps has been a source of concern for many customers. This policy seeks to ensure fair distribution across regions, but it has limited flexibility in responding to specific needs.

 

[CarUser17]

Many complained about the slow production, miscommunication, and delays around vehicle availability and pricing transparency.
So, you are not alone in this.
Unfortunately, it feels like Honda has not managed to have a smoother pricing and pre-ordering process.
Try to find a better deal elsewhere. The best part of your frustration is you can try to use it to your advantage when negotiating a price.
I hope you will get your car soon. And you are not overreacting, so don't worry.

 

[tadashi1234]

I didn't pre-order mine. I went to several dealerships to find one. Some dealerships were bad. One dealership was good. They answered my questions, offered me a fair price, and gave me a good deal on my old car. Their first car was what I wanted. They were new to selling this vehicle, so everything took a long time.

I leased the car. I don't usually lease cars, but the tax rebate made it easier, and this one is brand new. In a few years, the electric vehicle market will look very different. This is my first EV, and I really enjoy it

 

[Leone_99]

I think the market demand for EVs is probably similar or even lower here in the Pacific Northwest. I got a great deal on my Prologue lease because I was one of the first people to lease one in my area. I had a low-mileage Passport to trade in and I qualified for the tax credit, so I ended up saving over $15k on the lease. I think you should definitely try to negotiate a discount, especially if you're not pre-ordering. There are plenty of Honda dealers out there, so shop around and find the best deal. Don't overpay for an EV, especially when other brands are offering similar cars for less. The Prologue is a great car, but you should use your leverage to get a good price.

I hear that you got a solid deal on your Prologue lease, that’s exactly what I’m hoping for on my end as well. I’m gonna try to negotiate a discount, especially with how inconsistent the pricing has been from dealership to dealership. I agree, it’s not worth overpaying, especially when other brands are starting to offer similar EVs at more competitive numbers.

I’ve noticed the market shifting a bit, with dealers starting to mark down prices, so I’m hopeful I can get something reasonable. It’s just been frustrating dealing with missed deadlines and all the runaround from some dealerships. I think just being persistent and shopping around like you said.

I’m glad you were able to save a lot with the tax credit and trade-in—that’s a huge win! I’ll definitely keep pushing for a better deal and hopefully wrap this up soon. Thanks for sharing your experience!