2024 Honda Prologue EV: How Does It Stack Up Against the Acura ZDX and Tesla Model Y?

This is the first all-electric Honda SUV, and it's not even their independent design. Instead, General Motors lent a BEV3 helping hand with some Ultium technology – which could spell bad news for the Japanese automaker given the massive roster of (mainly software) problems encountered by models such as the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV that also use the same underpinnings.

All that remains to do is wait and see how Honda's Prologue is faring against its GM brethren starting in March when the company will kick off initial deliveries across nationwide dealerships. The entry-level point is the Prologue EX, which features a single-motor 2WD configuration. There is also a Prologue EX AWD boasting a dual-motor setup from $50,400, followed by Touring 2WD and AWD models ($51,700 and $54,700, respectively), and the Prologue Elite dual-motor AWD flagship trim starting at $57,900.

The good thing about Honda's Prologue is that the carmaker boasts the base model has "a 296-mile (476 km) EPA range rating, the highest standard driving range rating in its class." It is followed by the AWD versions with 281 miles (452 km) and the Elite with 273 miles (439 km) on a single charge. By the way, although Honda describes it as so, the Prologue is not too 'sporty' because the 2WD models have 212 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque while the AWD variants have 288 hp and 333 lb-ft. At least the recharging speed is fairly high – the 85-kWh battery pack is eating up electrons from DC stations at up to 150 kW.

Well, actually, if the Honda Prologue arrived alone on the market, it would be just fine – both in terms of pricing and overall performance. But the trouble is that even Acura has a competitor for it. That would be its ZDX and ZDX Type S siblings, which have an MSRP starting from $64,500 for the ZDX Spec-A with a single-motor RWD powertrain. From the get-go, it arrives with 342 horsepower, a higher charging rate of 190 kW, and a larger 102-kWh battery pack.

There is also a more powerful dual-motor AWD ZDX A-Spec option from $68,500, followed by the high-performance ZDX Type S with an estimated 500 horsepower on tap and kicking off at $73,500. Note that General Motors was careful not to cut the EV branch from under its feet, and the Chevy Blazer SS EV is a bit more powerful than a ZDX Type S as it boasts 557 horsepower. However, there's that nagging issue of the multitude of software problems.

Of course, the biggest obstacle that Honda Prologue faces in its quest for mid-size crossover SUV glory isn't the more powerful and expensive Acura ZDX sibling. Instead, the Japanese automaker should have taken into account the incredible sales performance of the more powerful and cheaper Tesla Model Y, which was America's fifth best-selling vehicle overall last year, Europe's top nameplate (again, overall), and is on track to fulfill Tesla's premonitions of taking over the world!

Currently, the Tesla Model Y RWD starts from $43,990, is fully eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit (unlike its Tesla Model 3 Highland sibling), and has an EPA-estimated range of 260 miles (418 km). Going for the Model Y Long Range will set you back $48,990 while the figure for range reaches 310 miles (499 km) on a single charge, while performance is almost sublime – 4.8 seconds to 60 mph (96 kph) and a top speed of 135 mph (217 kph). We said almost because there's room for better – Model Y Performance boasts a 285-mile (459 km) range and a sprint to 60 in 3.5 seconds while the maximum speed grows to 155 mph (250 kph). So, which one is your favorite?