Along with a zillion other ways, the 2020s have been transformative for the Prius and Prelude nameplates. The Prius is no longer the frumpy, slow appliance it used to be. Now, it’s a nearly 200 hp hybrid sport compact with low, swoopy styling, while also still getting 52 mpg. The Prelude name has been raised from the dead after 25 years, but it too finds itself in 2026 as a 200 hp hybrid sport compact with low, swoopy styling, and no sign of the prior version’s high-rpm engine or 6-speed manual. So which one is better? Let’s compare them.
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