I researched a variety of all electric vehicles and narrowed the list down to three. After test driving the Honda Prologue, I determined it was a suitable EV to purchase. My Kia Niro PHEV EX had been a great car but I needed more interior cargo room with a desire to go all electric. The bonus was being able to capture the $7,500 federal tax credit that was set to expire at the end of September, 2025.
After five wonderful years with my 2020 Kia Niro PHEV EX, I decided to move to an all-electric vehicle (EV.) Shortly after I bought the Niro, it was evident that I could ditch the internal combustion engine for an EV. My lifestyle and driving habits meant that only a handful of times per year would I need to consider a public charging station as long as the car had range of 250 miles.
I traded in my Kia Niro for a Honda Prologue
Early in 2025 I had a level 2 charger installed at the house. This dropped the Niro recharge time from 6 hours to 2.5 hours. Of course, it only has an 8 kWh battery. Perhaps a false impetus for considering an EV was the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit. Regardless, it was part of my overall calculation as to whether I could afford new car.
The conditions for jumping into the EV pool was:
- $7,500 federal tax credit for select EVs.
- A vehicle that mirrored all the features I valued with the Niro, compromises.
- A slightly larger vehicle because the Niro could be small with lots of luggage.
- EV range of 250 miles plus.
- All-wheel drive for those rare occurrences when I drive in the snow.
- Priced in my comfort zone.
Vehicles that I initially considered were:
- Acura ZDX
- Cadillac Optiq, Lyriq, Vistiq
- Chevrolet Equinox, Blazer
- Honda Prologue
- Jeep Wagoner
- Kia EV6, EV 9
- Subaru Solterra
Several of these cars I eliminated because they were too expensive, too large, and in the case of the Subaru, the range was too small. I will never consider a Tesla under the current management regime.
The Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer EV models are strong contenders. For better or worse, the way Chevrolet – and most American car companies – structure their trim levels and packages is bewildering. They have some great features, but adding a few options pushes the price way up. The Chevy EV Blazer, comparable to the Honda Prologue Elite was $64,000. In addition, the design elements of Chevy cars do not appeal to me.
EV research and finalists
I narrowed the options down to:
- Cadillac Optiq
- Honda Prologue
- Kia EV6
When I first looked at the Honda Prologue, I immediately ruled it out because it was so big. The Prologues I saw driving around looked much smaller. I’m not sure if it is some sort of optical illusion or I associate the Prologue with the smaller Honda HRV, but I also assumed the Prologue was a compact SUV.
Honda made a vehicle called the e-car. The e-car was in production when the Prologue was being designed. I see a lot of similarities between the two vehicles.
The Cadillac Optiq shares its foundation with the Chevy Equinox. The Optiq is a nice car. I had no problem with it. Kia EV6 is a great car. Kia EVs are proven. I really liked my Niro instrument cluster and infotainment center.
The Kia EV6 is the most efficient car when it comes to battery size to range ratio. The Prologue is the worst at 3.33 miles per kW. I attribute the lower ratio to the weight and exterior dimension of the Prologue being heavier and bigger than the other cars.
The Prologue is not small and has the same relative dimensions as the Chevy EV Blazer. The foundation of the Prologue is the Chevy Blazer from chassis to battery. The exterior body and interior trim are designed and built by Honda.
I compiled a side-by-side comparison of the vehicles. They compared favorably when considering the physical dimensions. I was only looking at the upper trim levels of the all-wheel drive (AWD) cars. Each car has feature that is unique and not shared by the other cars. However, all of them have virtually entire suite of safety features that are important to me.
Prologue physically larger, less efficient
It was my physical interaction with the Prologue that sold me. The Prologue is 2 inches higher off the ground than the EV6 or Optiq. The ground clearance is in the Subaru Soltera (8.2 inches) range, another EV I considered, but the range was under 250 miles. It was easier for me to get in and out of the car. Behind the rear bench seat, I could visualize where all the luggage and gear could be situated.
Currently, when we take a road trip, we usually have to fold down part of the bench seat of the Niro to accommodate all the luggage and gear. In my mind, the ability to more easily pack or haul larger items in the Prologue was worth the trade-off of the lower efficiency of kW per mile.
While the driver seating position and visibility is good in the Prologue, the Kia Niro seats are better. Kia driver seats just offer a little more thigh support. Both the EV6 and Optiq have better integrated infotainment dashboard binnacle. The Prologue seems to be more of a cost-saving after thought.
I was a little shocked over the discount – over the federal tax credit – we were offered by the Honda dealer. I don’t approach car negotiations with an adversarial spirit. I don’t make demands. The unsolicited dealer offer was far more generous than I imagined. Perhaps I didn’t need to rush to purchase an EV before the tax credit expired. Icing on the deal was the dealer offered the full trade-in value for my Niro I had calculated earlier on car appraisal websites.
Of course, I’m not the only person in the decision-making equation. My spouse, while not contributing to the purchase monetarily, has an equal voice in the decision. At every step of process from view cars, test drives, negotiations, and final purchase agreement, I checked with her to see if she approved. She is the one favored the white Prologue with black and brown interior.
Hear Aid Test
For people who wearing hearing aids, there can be a lot of popping from sudden changes in air pressure. In the Kia Niro, over rough pavement, my hearing aids lots of popping that resemble static electricity. So far, I have not experienced the same issues driving the Prologue.
There are some pleasant bonuses with Prologue that I did not have on my Niro including
- Auto dimming side mirrors
- Brake chime alert, usually when using one-peddle driving
- Hands-free cargo lift
- Heads Up Display
- Easier driver seat access, higher off the ground
- Two position rear seat backs
- Google Built-in apps
- Larger storage bin between front seats
- Large flat center tray
- Welcome lights underneath mirrors and rear cargo liftgate
The Prologue has some deficiencies compared to my Niro
- Driver seat a little short for thigh support
- Driver visibility not as good as Niro
- Fewer chime alerts
- Climate control not as configurable
- No sunglass overhead soft close storage bin
- No tire inflator kit: self-sealing tires
- Kia remote app has more features and alerts
Learning
One-peddle regenerative braking, no paddle controls. The Kia Niro had the paddles on the back of the steering that were fun to play with. The one-peddle drive setting of the Prologue seems to be better at adding energy back to the battery. However, you have to get use to the brake being lifting your foot off of the accelerator pedal. If you don’t touch the brake, even though you are slowing appropriately, the Prologue screams at you to brake before hitting the car in front of you.
Here is a link to a YouTube video I created on my Honda Prologue purchase.
