A CarsDirect report calling out over $16,000 in discounts on the 2025 Honda Prologue EV caught our eye this morning. Under the right conditions, a Prologue can now be leased for even less money than an HR-V. Looks like you really can grab a great price on one of these; let’s run through the details to see how realistic these deals are.
The biggest deal-stack combo you can theoretically create on this vehicle would add up to $16,500 off, combining:
- A $7,500 federal EV tax credit
- Another $2,500 credit if you’re in a ZEV-incentive state (we’ll list those in a second)
- A $1,000 conquest or loyalty bonus (if you’ve got an ’09 or newer Honda or are switching out of certain rival vehicles, which we’ll also circle back to)
- A $3,500 bonus from Honda (nationwide)
- And finally, another $2,000 discount that Honda reportedly just authorized its dealers to make to move these units
If you’re buying, and have great credit and a big down payment, 2025 Honda Prologues are financing at 0.99% APR through Honda. The automaker’s consumer site lists an example deal of a 10% down payment, with 60 months financing, at $17.09 per month per $1,000 financed. As of this writing, if you can find a 2024 model that’s still on the lot, you can get 0% APR with a big enough down payment.
The 2024 model looks the same, but the new 2025 Prologue claims slightly improved specs:
“For 2025, Prologue’s top-class EPA range rating increases by 12 miles on a single charge to 308 miles, and the output ratings of single-motor two-wheel drive models increase to 220 horsepower (+8) and 243 lb.-ft. of torque (+7). Similarly, the EPA range ratings of Prologues equipped with AWD increase to 294 miles for the EX and Touring (+13), and 283 miles for the Elite (+10). Power and torque ratings in AWD models rise to 300 horsepower (+12) and 355 lb.-ft. of torque (+25),” Honda announced this year.
To me, the lease deals seem more attractive. You can drive a 2025 Prologue EX for $259 per month for 36 months after $3,999 due at signing with a decent 10,000-mile yearly allowance. CarsDirect notes that the compact Honda HR-V SUV can only be had for $289 at best, with $3,299 due at signing. It’s worth noting that leased EVs are still eligible for the $7,500 credit, but it goes to the finance company itself. In most cases, the savings are passed on to the customer through a reduction in monthly payments.
Still, that lease deal is dependent on getting out of a new-ish Honda or rival vehicle.
Honda’s official list of what qualifies for a loyalty or conquest bonus or deal is a 2009 or newer Honda, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fisker, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Polestar, RAM, Rivian, Scion, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, VinFast, or Volkswagen.
As for the geographic limitations on Honda’s best bargains, the company is only offering its advertised Prologue deals in 19 states and Washington, DC. Specifically, that’s California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.
The ZEV states mentioned earlier, with their own EV rebates, are simply states that have adopted California’s Clean Air Act standards. Right now, that’s Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The nation’s capital, Washington, DC, is also on that list, as well as, of course, CA itself.
New-car buying or leasing math is annoyingly opaque, and ultimately, your own out-the-door price is going to depend on many factors, including what kind of mood the salesperson you encounter is in when you meet them. And don’t forget that car MSRPs never list tax, title, and registration costs, or baloney like documentation fees and nitrogen tire-filling fees dealers are often inclined to stick you with.
However, if you live in one of the states mentioned, you should have a lot of leverage at a Honda store to get a deal on a Prologue right now. And if you’re aggressively price-shopping, don’t forget to take your best Prologue deal to a Chevy place to compare it to the price of a Blazer EV, which shares the same platform and should provide a very similar ownership experience.
Got any EV leasing tips? Drop us a line at tips@thedrive.com