Feature Spotlight: The S+ Shift System on the 2026 Honda Prelude

THE SHORT ANSWER Honda Sensing is a set of driver-assistance features that comes standard on the 2026 Civic and uses a camera and radar to watch the road ahead. It can warn you, help keep you in your lane, hold a following gap on the highway, and brake or steer when you don't react in time. You remain the driver the whole time. What does Honda Sensing actually do when you're behind the wheel of a 2026 Civic? Civic shoppers ask us that question at Clinton Honda in Annandale all the time, and the feature names on a window sticker don't always make the answer clear. We'll walk through what's in the suite, how it sees the road, where it helps and where it backs off, so you know what you're getting before you commit. IN THIS POST The Short Answer: What Honda Sensing Does for You What's Included in Honda Sensing How the Cameras and Radar Work Together How It Behaves on the Roads Around Annandale What It Can and Can't Do Adjusting It to Suit the Way You Drive Keeping the Sensors Seeing Clearly Trying It Out on a Test Drive Key takeaways The Short Answer: What Honda Sensing Does for You Honda Sensing is Honda's name for a group of driver-assistance features that watch the road ahead and step in when something looks wrong. On the 2026 Civic it comes standard, so you don't have to hunt for a package or a pricier trim to get it. Think of it as a second set of eyes that never blinks. It can warn you about a slowing car, nudge you back toward your lane, and keep a steady gap in highway traffic. When a warning isn't enough, some features will brake or steer on their own. What it won't do is drive for you. You're still the driver in every sense, and the system is designed around that idea. Its real job is to buy you time: a chime a moment earlier, or a touch of brake before your foot gets there. That's why Civic shoppers bring it up with us so often. It's part of the car on a base model or a sportier one from our new Civic inventory, so understanding Honda Sensing is part of understanding the Civic itself. What's Included in Honda Sensing Honda groups several features under the Sensing name. Here's what each one does in everyday terms: Collision Mitigation Braking System: watches for vehicles, and in many cases pedestrians, ahead of you. It warns first, then can apply the brakes if you don't respond. Forward Collision Warning: the alert side of that system, a chime and a dash message when you're closing in too fast. Road Departure Mitigation: if you start drifting off the road or across solid lines without signaling, it can steer and even brake to pull you back. Lane Departure Warning: a lighter-touch alert when you wander toward the lines. Lane Keeping Assist System: on highways, it makes small steering corrections to help keep you centered. Adaptive Cruise Control: holds a following distance you choose, slowing down and resuming with traffic. Traffic Sign Recognition: reads speed limit signs and shows them on the dash. Auto High-Beam Headlights: switches your high beams on and off on dark roads based on traffic ahead. Some trims add related features outside the core bundle, such as blind spot information. We're glad to walk you through exactly what a specific trim has before you decide. How the Cameras and Radar Work Together Two main sensors feed Honda Sensing. A camera mounted high on the windshield, near the rearview mirror, reads lane markings, signs and the shapes of cars and people. Up front, a radar unit sends out radio waves and measures what bounces back, which tells it how far away things are and how quickly they're moving. Each sensor has a weak spot, and the other covers it. A camera is great at recognizing what something is but less sure about exact distance, especially at night. Radar judges distance and closing speed well but can't read a lane line or a sign. Why combining them matters When both sensors agree that a car ahead is braking hard, the system can act with more confidence and fewer false alarms. That sensor fusion is why adaptive cruise feels smooth rather than jumpy, and why collision braking is saved for real threats instead of shadows or overpasses. Behind the scenes, the car's computer weighs both inputs constantly and decides whether to stay quiet, warn you or step in. Most of the time you won't notice anything at all, which is exactly how it should feel. How It Behaves on the Roads Around Annandale Around here you get a little of everything, and Honda Sensing acts differently depending on the road. On I-78, adaptive cruise is the feature you'll appreciate most. Set your speed and following gap, and the Civic eases off when someone merges in front of you near the Clinton exits, then picks back up once the lane clears. Lane keeping adds light steering help on the long, well-marked stretches. Route 31 and Route 22 are a different story, with traffic lights, turning cars and shopping-center entrances. Here the collision warning and braking do the heavy lifting. You may get an alert when a car ahead turns sharply into a lot; that's the system being cautious, not malfunctioning. Back roads through Hunterdon County bring faded or missing lane lines, tight curves and dark stretches at dusk. Expect lane keeping to switch itself off when it can't find lines to follow, and auto high beams to earn their keep where there are no streetlights. Knowing which feature fits which road makes the whole system feel far less mysterious. What It Can and Can't Do What it does well Honda Sensing shines at the repetitive, attention-draining parts of driving: holding a gap in traffic, keeping you centered on a highway, and catching the moment your eyes leave the road just as the car ahead slows. Those are the situations where an early warning matters most. Where it reaches its limits It can't see everything, and it isn't meant to. Conditions that commonly reduce what it can do include: Heavy rain, snow, fog or road spray Low sun shining straight into the camera Dirt, ice or a sticker blocking the windshield or front of the car Faded lines, construction zones and lane shifts Sharp curves, steep hills and cross traffic at intersections When it can't work reliably, the system tells you with a dashboard message and steps back. Keep your hands on the wheel and your attention on the road; lane keeping will remind you if it senses you've let go. It also may not react to small objects, debris or animals, so treat each alert as help, never as a promise. Adjusting It to Suit the Way You Drive Not every driver wants the same amount of chatter from the car, and Honda gives you room to tune it. Through the settings on the center display and the steering-wheel controls, you can typically: Choose how early the forward collision warning alerts you Pick the following distance for adaptive cruise, from snug to roomy Turn lane keeping on or off with a steering-wheel button Adjust how road departure mitigation warns and responds Our advice is to live with the defaults for a week or two. Plenty of people who find the alerts too eager on day one discover they were simply following closer than they realized. Once you know your habits, set the warning distance to match. We'd steer you away from switching off collision braking or road departure mitigation entirely. Those are the features most likely to matter in the one moment you're distracted. If something feels off, stop by and we'll go through the menus with you, sitting in your own car. Keeping the Sensors Seeing Clearly Honda Sensing only works as well as its sensors can see, so a little care goes a long way. Keep the windshield clean in the area in front of the rearview mirror, and clear snow and ice from the front of the car before you drive, not just a peephole on the glass. In winter, a film of road salt builds up quickly on I-78, and that alone can trigger a sensor message. When calibration comes into play If your windshield is replaced, or the front end is repaired after even a minor bump, the camera or radar may need recalibration. A sensor aimed even slightly off can misread lanes or distance. That work calls for the right equipment and procedures, so ask about it any time glass or bodywork is involved. Our service team can check calibration and look into warning messages if you see them. You can book service online whenever a Sensing alert won't clear or the car seems to behave differently than it used to. Trying It Out on a Test Drive Reading about these features only gets you so far. You'll understand Honda Sensing much faster by feeling it, so when you book a test drive, plan a route that covers a few kinds of road. Here's what we suggest trying: A highway stretch to set adaptive cruise and feel how the Civic manages the gap Lane keeping on a well-marked road, hands resting lightly on the wheel Slower traffic to see how smoothly the car eases off and resumes A quick look through the settings menu before you pull out Ask whoever rides along to point out the dash indicators, so you know what the icons mean before you're on your own. Don't try to trigger collision braking on purpose; we'll explain how it works rather than test it in real traffic. We've won the DealerRater.com/Cars.com Consumer Satisfaction Award every year since 2015. We were also named the Cars.com NJ Honda Dealer of the Year for 2026. Whatever you decide, we'll keep the answers plain and the pace relaxed. Where 1511 US-22 Annandale, NJ Call (908) 255-1985 KEY TAKEAWAYS Honda Sensing comes standard on the 2026 Civic and pairs a windshield camera with a front radar unit. It helps you react sooner, but bad weather, faded lane lines and tricky traffic can limit it. A test drive on both highway and local roads is the fastest way to learn how it feels. FAQ Common questions Is Honda Sensing standard on every 2026 Civic trim? Yes, the core Honda Sensing suite comes on every 2026 Civic trim. Some trims add related extras such as blind spot information, so we'll confirm what's included on the specific Civic you're considering. Can I turn Honda Sensing features off? Several features can be adjusted or switched off through the display settings or steering-wheel buttons, and lane keeping has its own on/off control. Some settings return to their defaults when you restart the car. We recommend leaving collision braking and road departure mitigation on. Does Honda Sensing work at night or in bad weather? At night it generally works well, since the radar isn't affected by darkness and the camera uses your headlights. Heavy rain, snow, fog or a blocked windshield can limit it, and the car will show a message when a feature is temporarily unavailable. Want to see it in person? Come by for a test drive, or browse what is on the lot right now. Schedule a test drive Browse new inventory Or call (908) 255-1985 · 1511 US-22, Annandale Or keep browsing Current offers Financing Value your trade Book service Contact us Used cars

THE SHORT ANSWER Yes. The 2027 Honda CR-V Hybrid offers all-wheel drive as an option on the Sport Hybrid and Sport-L Hybrid, and it's standard on the TrailSport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid. Choosing AWD raises the price a little and lowers fuel economy slightly. In return, you get better grip on snow, rain and loose roads. Each winter in Annandale, CR-V Hybrid shoppers ask us whether they can get it with all-wheel drive. They can. Before you buy, it helps to know which trims have it, what it actually does on the road, and what it costs you. At Clinton Honda, we'll walk you through it from the ground up. IN THIS POST Yes, and Here's Which Trims Have It What AWD Does in Snow, Rain and Hills What AWD Costs You in Price and MPG Matching the Trim to Your Driving Try Both Drivetrains Before You Decide Key takeaways Yes, and Here's Which Trims Have It You get more choice here than many shoppers expect. Four of the six 2027 CR-V Hybrid trims come with all-wheel drive, and two of them come with nothing else. Let's start with the terms. A hybrid pairs a gas engine with electric motors, so the SUV can use electric power to help it move and save fuel. Front-wheel drive, which Honda labels 2WD, sends that power only to the front wheels. All-wheel drive (AWD) can send it to all four, so the rear wheels can push when the front ones lose grip. Here's how the lineup sorts out: Sport Hybrid: choose 2WD or AWD Sport-L Hybrid: choose 2WD or AWD TrailSport Hybrid: AWD only Sport Touring Hybrid: AWD only What stays the same is the hardware that makes the power. Every version uses Honda's In-Line 4-Cylinder Two-Motor Hybrid System rated at 204 hp, and they all seat five. So picking AWD won't make the CR-V Hybrid quicker or roomier. It changes where the power goes, and that matters most on the days the road is working against you. What AWD Does in Snow, Rain and Hills Think of AWD as help with getting moving and staying moving when grip is poor. Traction is simply how well your tires hold the road. On dry pavement, a 2WD CR-V Hybrid has plenty of it, so the AWD system mostly stays in the background. AWD earns its keep on slippery surfaces. Picture pulling out of a snowy side street, climbing a steep driveway after an ice storm, or merging onto I-78 in a cold rain. In those moments, a front-wheel-drive SUV can spin its front tires. With AWD, power shifts toward the rear wheels when the fronts start to slip, so you get going more smoothly and with less drama. Here's the part people miss: AWD does not help you stop or turn. Brakes and steering depend on how well your tires grip, and driving all four wheels won't change that on glare ice. That's why tires matter as much as the drivetrain. A 2WD CR-V Hybrid on good winter tires can feel more sure-footed in a Hunterdon County snowstorm than an AWD one on worn all-seasons. If you're heading into winter unsure about your tread, you can book service with us, and we'll check your tires before the first storm. What AWD Costs You in Price and MPG AWD isn't free, and real numbers make the tradeoff easier to judge. On the Sport Hybrid, the 2WD version has an MSRP of $36,030, and the AWD version is $37,530. MSRP stands for manufacturer's suggested retail price. It's the starting sticker price before taxes, fees and options. Fuel economy shifts too. You'll usually see mpg (miles per gallon) given as three ratings: city, highway and combined. Combined is the best single estimate of your everyday average. The 2WD Sport and Sport-L Hybrid are rated at 40 mpg combined, and the AWD versions of those trims come in at 37. That drop comes from the extra parts AWD adds, which bring more weight and more friction. TrailSport Hybrid goes a bit lower, to 35 combined. Choose it for its trail-ready personality, not for stretching every gallon. For most drivers, those differences are small next to what you gain in bad weather. If you'd like to see how the price gap looks over the life of a loan, our financing options page is a good place to start. Approval and terms always depend on your credit and the lender. Matching the Trim to Your Driving If you want AWD at the lowest price The Sport Hybrid (AWD) is the most affordable way into an all-wheel-drive CR-V Hybrid. You get the same hybrid system and passenger room as the pricier trims. That makes it a smart pick if you commute on Route 31 or I-78 and mainly want confidence on winter mornings. Stepping up to the Sport-L Hybrid (AWD) adds comfort and convenience features and keeps the same fuel economy rating. If you want trail flavor or the top trim TrailSport Hybrid is aimed at drivers who head to trailheads, campgrounds and gravel roads, and AWD comes standard. Sport Touring Hybrid sits at the top of the lineup, also with AWD standard, and carries the most features. There's one thing to know before choosing the top trim. Behind the rear seats, the Sport Touring Hybrid has 34.7 cubic feet of cargo space, while the other trims have 36.3. It's a small difference. Still, if you often fill the back with strollers, sports gear or big grocery runs, load your own things into one before you decide. You can see what's here right now in our new CR-V Hybrid inventory and narrow it down by trim and drivetrain. Try Both Drivetrains Before You Decide The surest way to choose between 2WD and AWD is to drive both, ideally back to back. On a dry day you may not feel much difference. Pay attention to how each one pulls away from a stop, climbs a steep grade and handles rough pavement. Ask us to route you over some of the hillier roads around Annandale so you get a realistic feel for local driving. A few questions to think through first: How often do you drive in snow, or before the plows come through? Is your driveway or street steep? Do you head to ski areas, trailheads or dirt roads? How much do a few mpg matter on your daily mileage? If you said yes to any of the first three, AWD is usually worth it. If most of your miles are on cleared highways and you plan to run winter tires, 2WD can serve you well. We've won the DealerRater.com/Cars.com Consumer Satisfaction Award every year since 2015. We were also named the Cars.com NJ Honda Dealer of the Year for 2026. When you're ready, book a test drive, and we'll do our best to have both versions lined up so you can compare them. Where 1511 US-22 Annandale, NJ Call (908) 255-1985 KEY TAKEAWAYS Four of the six 2027 CR-V Hybrid trims have AWD, and TrailSport and Sport Touring come with nothing else. AWD helps you get moving on slippery roads, but good tires still do the work of stopping and turning. The tradeoff is a modestly higher price and a few fewer mpg compared with the 2WD versions. FAQ Common questions Can I add all-wheel drive to a 2WD CR-V Hybrid later? No. The drivetrain is built in at the factory, so decide on 2WD or AWD before you buy. If you're on the fence, a back-to-back test drive usually settles it. Is AWD the same as 4WD? Not quite. AWD runs on its own and sends power to the rear wheels when the fronts slip, which suits snow, rain and gravel. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is typically a heavier-duty system built for serious off-road use. The CR-V Hybrid uses AWD. Does AWD lower the CR-V Hybrid's fuel economy? A little. The 2WD Sport and Sport-L Hybrid are rated at 40 mpg combined, and their AWD versions are rated at 37. The TrailSport Hybrid is rated at 35 combined. Do I still need winter tires if I get AWD? For snowy New Jersey winters, they're a smart idea. AWD helps you accelerate on slick roads, but your tires do the work of stopping and steering. Winter tires paired with AWD give you the most grip. Want to see it in person? Come by for a test drive, or browse what is on the lot right now. Schedule a test drive Browse new inventory Or call (908) 255-1985 · 1511 US-22, Annandale Or keep browsing Current offers Financing Value your trade Book service Contact us Used cars

THE SHORT ANSWER Before you buy a used Honda CR-V Hybrid, check four things. Start with the service history and open recalls, then the health of both the hybrid battery and the small 12-volt battery. After that, look underneath for New Jersey road-salt rust, and finish with how the two-motor system feels on a real test drive. A CR-V Hybrid that passes all four is usually a solid, low-drama SUV to own. A used Honda CR-V Hybrid can save you money at the pump and on the purchase price, but only if you pick a good one. At Clinton Honda in Annandale, we were named the Cars.com NJ Honda Dealer of the Year for 2026, and we talk with shoppers about hybrids every week. Here's a beginner-friendly walk through what to check, starting with how the system works and ending with the test drive. IN THIS POST How a CR-V Hybrid Works, in Plain Terms Start With the Paperwork Hybrid Checks You Won't Need on a Gas Car Rust, Tires and New Jersey Roads The Test Drive and Picking a Trim Key takeaways How a CR-V Hybrid Works, in Plain Terms A hybrid pairs a gas engine with electric motors and a battery that recharges itself as you drive. You never plug a CR-V Hybrid in. Honda calls its setup a two-motor hybrid system. One motor drives the wheels, while the other works as a generator that the gas engine turns to make electricity. Most of the time, the electric motor is what actually moves you. The engine often runs just to feed the battery, which is why you may hear it rev while your speed stays steady. That's normal. Knowing it ahead of time keeps a test drive from feeling strange. Terms you'll hear Regenerative braking: when you slow down, the motor turns the car's momentum back into battery charge. EV mode: short stretches, usually at low speed, where the car runs on battery alone. 12-volt battery: a small, ordinary battery that powers the electronics and wakes the hybrid system up. Once those pieces make sense, the checks below will too. You're really inspecting two systems, gas and electric, plus the usual parts that wear on any used SUV. Start With the Paperwork Before you look under anything, look at the history. Ask for the VIN, the 17-character vehicle identification number on the dashboard and the driver's door jamb. It unlocks almost everything else. Run a vehicle history report to see accidents, title problems and how many owners it's had. Check for open recalls by entering the VIN on the NHTSA website or asking any Honda service department. Ask for service records. Honda's Maintenance Minder tells owners when service is due, so look for oil changes and inspections that roughly follow it. Warranty matters more on a hybrid than on a gas car. Honda covers hybrid components separately from its basic warranty, and that coverage may still be active on a newer used CR-V. A Honda dealer can tell you what's left using the VIN. For extra peace of mind, consider a certified pre-owned Honda. Certified pre-owned, or CPO, means the vehicle passed Honda's inspection and carries added factory warranty coverage, not just a promise from the seller. Expect to pay more than for a comparable non-certified CR-V, so weigh that against how long you plan to keep it. Hybrid Checks You Won't Need on a Gas Car The big battery The high-voltage battery is the part shoppers worry about most. Honda builds these to last, but their health still depends on age, climate and how the car was used. Ask a Honda service department to run a hybrid system diagnostic, a scan that reads the battery's condition and any stored fault codes. A clean dashboard can't tell you that. Everything around it Warning lights: at startup they should come on briefly, then go out. Anything that stays lit needs an explanation. 12-volt battery: a weak one can cause odd electrical glitches or a no-start. It's inexpensive to replace, but test it anyway. Brakes: regenerative braking does much of the slowing, so pads often last longer. On the flip side, calipers and rotors can rust or stick from light use. Climate control: run the heat and A/C hard. The A/C compressor runs on electricity, so it should keep cooling even when the engine shuts off. Already own a CR-V Hybrid, or weighing a private sale? You can book service with our Honda technicians to have the hybrid system checked. Rust, Tires and New Jersey Roads Hunterdon County winters mean road salt, and salt is hard on the underside of any car. Bring a flashlight and look under the CR-V before you fall for the interior. Check the subframe, brake lines, exhaust and rocker panels (the strips of body below the doors). Light surface rust is common. Scaly or crumbling metal is not. Look inside the wheel wells and along the bottoms of the doors and tailgate. Lift the cargo floor cover and feel for moisture. Tire condition tells you a lot. Uneven wear can point to alignment problems from potholes on Route 78 or Route 22. On an all-wheel-drive model, all four tires should match in brand, size and tread depth, because mismatched tires can strain the AWD system. Mileage tells only part of the story. A CR-V that spent years cruising Route 31 may show more miles but easier ones than an SUV that made short hops around town, which are tougher on brakes and the 12-volt battery. When you browse our used car inventory, ask how a particular CR-V was driven, and we'll share what we know. The Test Drive and Picking a Trim Plan a drive long enough to include back roads and a highway on-ramp. Start the car cold if you can, and notice how smoothly it shifts between battery and engine power. Listen for clunks over bumps and grinding under braking. Feel for hesitation when you press the accelerator hard to merge. Make sure the touchscreen, phone pairing, backup camera and driver-assist alerts work. Which trim fits Honda's trim names have changed over the years, so match the badge to the model year. On the current lineup, you'll find the Sport Hybrid, Sport-L Hybrid, TrailSport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid, all with 204 horsepower. The front-wheel-drive Sport Hybrid is the efficiency pick at 40 mpg combined, while AWD versions give up a few mpg for all-wheel drive traction on snowy Hunterdon hills. Clinton Honda has won the DealerRater.com/Cars.com Consumer Satisfaction Award every year since 2015, and we work to keep earning it. Once you've found a CR-V Hybrid that passes your checks, book a test drive and we'll have it ready when you arrive. Where 1511 US-22 Annandale, NJ Call (908) 255-1985 KEY TAKEAWAYS Run the VIN for history, recalls and remaining hybrid warranty before you fall for the car. Ask for a hybrid system diagnostic, because a clean dashboard doesn't reveal battery health. Inspect the underside and tires closely, since salt and potholes are hard on any used SUV in New Jersey. FAQ Common questions Is a high-mileage CR-V Hybrid a bad idea? Not automatically. Highway miles are often gentler than short trips, and a complete service history matters more than the odometer alone. Pair the mileage with a hybrid system diagnostic and a close look underneath before you decide. How can I tell if the hybrid battery is healthy? Ask a Honda service department to run a hybrid system diagnostic. It reads the battery's condition and any stored fault codes, which you can't judge from the dashboard or a short drive. Should I get front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive in New Jersey? Front-wheel drive with good all-season or winter tires handles most local driving and earns slightly better fuel economy. All-wheel drive adds traction on snowy hills and unplowed roads, which some Hunterdon County drivers value enough to give up a few mpg. Can I finance a used CR-V Hybrid with Clinton Honda? We can walk you through financing options and work with lenders on your behalf. Approval and terms depend on the lender and your credit, so we can't promise a specific outcome, but we'll explain each step clearly. Want to see it in person? Come by for a test drive, or browse what is on the lot right now. Schedule a test drive Browse new inventory Or call (908) 255-1985 · 1511 US-22, Annandale Or keep browsing Current offers Financing Value your trade Book service Contact us Used cars