Honda CR-V SUV (2018-2023) review
At a glance
| Price new | £26,730 - £40,410 |
|---|---|
| Used prices | £10,664 - £29,792 |
| Road tax cost | £180 - £590 |
| Insurance group | 22 - 25 |
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| Fuel economy | 31.7 - 42.8 mpg |
| Range | 464 - 677 miles |
| Miles per pound | 4.6 - 6.3 |
| Number of doors | 5 |
| View full specs for a specific version | |
Available fuel types
Petrol
Hybrid
Pros & cons
- Excellent practicality
- Composed ride
- Well-equipped
- Hybrid is impressive
- No longer available with seven seats
- Very limited engine range
- Noisy engine
- Finance can be expensive
Honda CR-V SUV (18-23) rivals
Overview
Is the Honda CR-V any good?
The CR-V is the largest SUV in Honda's range of cars. It's a well-made and reliable family hauler that's ultimately lacking a bit of vim compared with rivals.
This means it's not the obvious choice for family buyers who care about their image. But if your focus is reliability and practicality, it can make a sensible choice.
The CR-V’s breadth of talents means it finds itself on the same shopping list as cars like the Kia Sportage, Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 3008 and Toyota RAV4.
What’s it like inside?
It's remarkably spacious throughout and even three fully-grown adults will sit comfortably in the back thanks to large seats.
The dashboard up front isn’t the most exciting, but you sit high with a commanding driving position and we found ergonomics to be nearly faultless. There are some genuinely nice touches, too – fake wood trim that actually looks classy, for one, and a flexible centre console that can do far more than just hold cups.
It’s a shame that the infotainment system feels so dated, and that the design is so staid. It’s a trade off of usability vs style – the opposite of something like a Peugeot 3008 with its bold but awkward dash.
What’s it like to drive?
The CR-V uses Honda’s own particular hybrid power system, which is different to ones used by rivals such as Toyota. Essentially, at low speeds the Honda functions as a pure electric vehicle, with a 2.0-litre petrol engine operating as a generator while the electric motors drive the wheels. That makes for a very smooth and relaxing car to drive at low speeds, with a totally seamless power delivery and near-silent operation.
Go faster, and the petrol engine locks in via a clutch to drive the wheels directly. It’s notably noisier, especially if you ask it for a lot of performance, and economy suffers here as it’s essentially a low-torque petrol engine driving a rather heavy car all by itself. But it’s still smooth and reasonably punchy.
You’d be hard-pressed to call the Honda CR-V a fun car to drive, but it doesn’t embarrass itself in the corners with Honda’s typically tidy handling and well-weighted steering. You’d find more driving enjoyment with a Mazda CX-5 or a Ford Kuga, though.
Read more about how the Honda CR-V drives
What models and trims are available?
The CR-V is simpler than ever to understand. There's one engine, five trim levels, and it no longer comes with seven-seats.
The five trim levels are S (2WD only), SE, SR, Sport Line (2WD only) and EX (4WD only).
All models come well-equipped with LED lights, climate control, cruise control, and Honda’s SENSING safety pack, but higher trim levels do come with a lot more – from SE you get an infotainment system, leather upholstery comes from SR, while top-spec EX models offer the whole hog of a head-up display, power tailgate, wireless charger and all-round heated seats, plus a panoramic glass roof.
