Earlier this week, Honda announced the starting price of the Preload. Today, you can finally make one for yourself. The Preload Configurator is now live on Honda’s website, but you probably won’t be able to waste all day — or even a few hours — configuring your perfect Honda coupe, as there are only a handful of available options.
The 2026 Preload starts at $43,195, including a $1,195 destination charge, which is expensive. That said, it comes well equipped, featuring the Civic Type R’s front suspension, adaptive dampers and brakes. It also gets standard 19-inch wheels and leather-trimmed seats.
Honda’s online configurator first offers two options: Preload Hybrid or Preload Hybrid Two-Tone. The two-tone is $500 more expensive to start and comes with a black roof, but that limits you to the White Frost Pearl exterior color, a necessary $655 option to bring its starting price up to $44,350.
It’s too limiting for me personally, so I’m going with a regular preload hybrid. There is only one powertrain option. A 200-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid. Honda also doesn’t offer the car with a manual transmission.
Photo by: Honda
With that choice, next is color. Honda only offers five exterior colors, three of which are complimentary: Crystal Black Pearl, Meteor Gray Metallic, and Rally Red. Two optional paint colors are available:
- Promote Pearl Blue (5 455)
- Frost in Winter (5555))
I like cars with color, so I’ll spend the extra $455 for the Boost Blue Pearl. It feels like Honda designed the forecastle to wear it specific Color
Next is the interior, with Honda offering two choices. The standard cabin features black leather, but you can opt for a blue and white color combination. This option adds white trim to the doors, dashboard, and center console, along with blue and white front seats.
It looks nice and is standard on two-tone trim, but I prefer the black interior. The fact is that exterior blue and interior blue are not identical.
There are front wheels, and Honda offers the only option. They’re $2,000 extra, and clash with the blue paint, so I’d opt for the standard 19-inch Berlina Black alloy.
The packages that Honda offers on both pre-trims are all dealer-installed upgrades, and there are four of them:
- All Season Protection Package I ($470)
- All Season Protection Package II (5 435)
- Cargo Protection Package ($485)
- Protection Package (0 370)
I wouldn’t choose any of them, which all offer some combination of a splash guard seat, cargo tray, wheel locks, all-season floor mats, and seatback protector. These are also available as individual accessories, which is the last item in the configurator.
Photo by: Honda
Goodies include black door mirror covers ($80), which are standard on the two-tone trim, gloss-black emblems (5,175), a tailgate spoiler ($500), and a front underbody spoiler ($350). These are all the options I get, but there are more if you want:
- Car Cover ($250)
- Door Visors ($215)
- Logo Pattern Projector ($200)
- Protection Film Package ($200)
- Rear Fender Protection Film ($75)
- Splash Guard Set (5 135)
- Valve Stem Caps ($25)
- Black Whale Locks ($100)
- All Seasons Fluoro Matte ($200)
- Cargo tray (5 135)
- Cargo Cover ($150)
- Bright Door Sill Trim (330 330)
- Interior Illumination Kit ($200)
- Seatback Protector ($150)
- Engine Block Heater ($120)
If you choose the upfront two-tone, upgrade the wheels, and add every available accessory, your entry will cost $48,665. It’s doubtful that any buyer would describe their appearance this way, but there aren’t many options available.
The one I offered comes in at $44,755, with Boost Blue Pearl, 19-inch Berlina Black wheels, and a handful of visual accessories. Would you pay that much for a hybrid Honda, and if so, how would you describe your decision? Let us know in the comments.
