Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.After the Honeymoon PhaseBuying a brand-new car is supposed to be the easy part. You spend weeks – or months – researching, comparing trims, and convincing yourself you picked the right one. Then comes the honeymoon phase, where almost everything feels exciting, from the smell of the interior to finding excuses for late-night drives.But the real test? That starts when the new-car smell fades and reality sets in. That's where one Honda Prelude owner comes in. As one of the first to get his hands on the all-new hybrid coupe in Japan, he's racked up over 5,600 miles and says the car has traded weekend thrills for daily-driver duty.AdvertisementAdvertisementHe's not here to bash the Prelude. In fact, he's sung its praises for fuel economy, comfort, and its easygoing grand tourer vibe. But after 11 months, the little annoyances have started to pile up – the kind you don't notice at first, but can't unsee once they show up.Cole AttishaThree things that started to annoy himSurprisingly, his biggest gripe isn't the powertrain or the ride. It's the Bose premium audio system. On paper, eight speakers should be a treat, and the bass is solid. But crank up the volume, and things start to fall apart.Hit volume 15 and suddenly the doors and interior panels join the band, rattling and buzzing along with the music. Instead of more bass, you get a bonus percussion section courtesy of the cabin. Some extra sound insulation or vibration-damping would have gone a long way.Next up: wireless charging, or as he calls it, the most pointless feature in the Prelude. He's not just picking on this car, either – Honda's whole wireless charging setup gets the side-eye. After an hour on the pad, his phone barely gains 10-15% and comes out toasty.AdvertisementAdvertisementSo now he just plugs in with USB-C like it's 2015. Wired charging gives him 30-45% more juice in the same time, and his phone stays cool. No contest.2026 Honda PreludeCole AttishaS+ Shift Loses Its NoveltyThe Prelude also introduced Honda's new S+ Shift system, one of the coupe's headline features. It simulates gear changes, adds synthesized engine sounds, and tries to make Honda's e:HEV hybrid drivetrain feel closer to a conventional performance car.For him, the S+ Shift excitement fizzled out fast. He played with it for a month, then gave up. The fake engine noise never fooled him, the effect was too mild to bother with, and it just made the engine rev higher and burn more fuel.There's another reason S+ Shift lost its shine. At launch, it was a Prelude exclusive. Less than a year later, Honda slapped it on the Civic e:HEV RS and the updated Vezel e:HEV in Japan. Suddenly, it's not so special anymore.2026 Honda PreludeCole AttishaOur TakeawayS+ Shift was one of the Prelude's headline features, so it's interesting that it's also the feature this owner stopped using the fastest.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat isn't uncommon with modern performance-oriented tech. Drive modes, synthetic engine sounds, and simulated gear shifts often make a strong first impression before settling into occasional use. The Prelude's hybrid setup remains smooth and efficient without S+ Shift, so many owners may naturally gravitate back to the standard driving experience.The bigger question is whether Honda keeps evolving S+ Shift as it spreads to more e:HEV models, or whether it simply becomes another shared feature across the lineup.2026 Honda PreludeCole AttishaThis story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.