u/olympicenes

Hi all, I'm thinking about maybe pulling the trigger on a 2026 but am on the fence due to the rear seats. To be clear, I've personally sat in the backseat of one at 5'5". My takeaway was that I had to slouch a little to keep my head from touching the back glass which is obviously not ideal, but it would be doable in a pinch for a short drive. I do 99% driving alone but like to have the option of carpooling my friends occasionally.

I'm curious if any actual owners have had anyone in the back seats while driving. Is it manageable for shorter passengers or just too uncomfortable once the car starts moving?

Hi gang,

I’ve been bouldering for a few months, around v3-v4 now (in Bouldering Project terms I can do most purple and some oranges). I’m pretty happy with my progress but I’ve really struggled with any dynos, particularly ones that require vertical height.

I’m 5’5” so definitely a bit of a disadvantage but I’m pretty athletic and have a good vertical so I feel like I can do better if I just like… open my third eye or something. I try to watch people’s forms but it’s not really clicking for me idk. I feel like I’m not able to get any explosiveness.

Any tips or videos would be much appreciated, especially from my less tall comrades 🫡

Context:

• Currently drive a 2012 CT 200h. Fantastic car but getting long in the tooth and is SO SLOW.
• I don't drive a lot of miles and mainly do city driving with occasional highway. Driving a couple of hours to a nearby city a few times a year at most.
• No access to chargers so no EV/PHEV.
• The zip of something like a Prelude or Golf GTI is appealing to me coming from the CT but the difference between a 6.5s and 5.0s 0-to-60 probably won't really matter to me. Anything below ~7.0s will feel insane compared to the CT at 10s.
• I am 5'5" and sit pretty close to the wheel, and anyone I would possibly stick in the back seat would almost certainly be 5'7" or below which means the back seat is actually usable.
• Besides the lack of horsepower compared to other sporty coupes, I understand the main drawback of the Prelude is just the pricepoint. I totally get this but the price is still very comfortably affordable for me and there isn't another car that has the same combination of practicality and cool factor (see thoughts about the Civic below).
• My other top candidates are the Lexus UX and NX. Obviously very different cars and I would be trading some space and luxury features for the unique character of the Prelude. I would only want/need the extra space of the compact SUV on rare occasion, 99% of my driving is solo. Mainly means my car would be disqualified from the occasional carpool with my team. I might miss out on some of the new Lexus features like ventilated seats, but I don't think the Prelude would be a downgrade in any dimension compared to my 2012 CT except maybe NVH.
• Also considering the new Prius Limited which actually comes pretty close in terms of performance but holy shit can you not find a Limited for sale anywhere. Plus I think the Prelude looks cooler.
• I think the new Civic's front fascia is supremely ugly. Just a personal opinion but it means that I am not considering the Civic Sport.
• I obviously still need to test drive the car. Just test drove a UX though and I think I do enjoy the modern eCVTs with the additional horsepower compared to my CT. No part of me wants a manual.

I'm just so charmed by this car and not particularly put off by the price point. I am in the somewhat unique position of wanting a hybrid, being unable to get an EV, and still wanting something with a bit of pep so this car kinda seems perfect? Curious how people think this car will depreciate as well.