This is the latest Honda CRV
It comes in 4 trims – 2 trims per powertrain
So we’re going to break down the highlights both good and bad of this new CRV
This is the newest CRV from Honda
Another way of saying that is, this is the newest version of one of the most important vehicles in Honda’s lineup
Do Honda better have made suer it’s a smash.
So did they? Today we’re talking about the best and the rest of the new Honda CRV…starting with the rest
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Bad:
1 – Interior things
We’ll start with the interior and there are a handful of things to note in here so i’ve lumped them all into one list. Ready?
No HUD
No cooled seats
No heated rear seats
No pano roof
No 360 camera
HALF a digital cluster – meanwhile the Civic touring gets the full 8 inch
These aren’t things that I arbitrarily decided aren’t good enough, these are things present in other competitors that aren’t present here..on the top trim CRV
2 – Missing powertrain
This one is a big mystery to me because I know they have it in their lineup overseas
It’s a plug-in
The CRV gets a 1.4KwH battery pack which is big enough to add power and act as a normal hybrid
However, competitors like te Tucson, Rav4, and Sportage all get PHEV options to help bridge the gap as we move to EV
Honda have even said they expect 50% or more CRVs sold to be hybrid..so why not offer that next step before full BEV?
3 – Towing
This is pretty straight forward and pretty obvious, but towing maxes out on the CRV at 1,000 lbs
Which isn’t great
However, we’re also in the Toyota BZ4X which could be considered a BEV competitor to this
And Toyota recommends you don’t tow at all in that thing
4 – Fuel economy
Looking at the AWD hybrid specifically we see 40 mpg city and 34 mpg highway
Which sounds pretty good on the face of it..at least in the city
HOWEVER, when we compare that to last years CRV hybrid with AWD it’s actually down 1 mpg
Of course it’s a new more boxy shape and it’s bigger and heavier – but less mpg is not the direction we want to go, Honda
5 – Price delta*
So base for base the CRV hybrid seems to only cost about $400 more than last year
That’s not an unheard-of jump in price, especially considering it’s a new generation with new styling and interior
HOWEVER, that $400 jump is from a AWD CRV hybrid from last year
To a FWD CRV hybrid this year
Then to add AWD to this years CRV it’s $1500 so pound for pound you’re looking at almost $2,000 upcharge…for less mpg
The only bright side here is that even with this jump in price it’s stil lmore affordable than a RAV4…and way better looking too
6 – HAVE to get the hybrid
Lastly, it feels almost like HONDA is PUSHING you into the hybrid
The hybrid gets better fuel economy..obviously
It brings way better performance (0-60 is like 2.5 seconds faster)
It looks so much more expensive than the EX and EXL
I know Honda said they were expecting at least 50% of new CRV purchases to be hybrid and looking at the differences between these two…I can see why
I wish the non-hybrid was a little better to be more competitive
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Good:
1 – Looks great…in the right spec
I will say the turbo CRVs is EX and EXL don’t look quote as good, but this Sport Touring looks the business
super clean modern design
canyon river blue pearl
black accents
bold grille
silver lower valence
LED headlights
bigger 19 in black wheels
clean boxy profile design w/ chrome accent
rear end looks kinda Mazda in the taillights
Wheelbase is up about an inch
total length up over 3 inches
I’m a fan
2 – Trunk is huge
Last year’s CRV already had a pretty huge trunk – it was one-of if not the biggest in the segment
And this new CRV brings an even bigger trunk
The rear setas fold 60/40..nice
But there is a bit of a hump..it’s not a totally flat floor with the seats down
Also weirdly you can lift the trunk floor
In the new pilot there’s a huge cubby underneath offering more space
3 – Interior design
I really like the dashboard design of the new CRV…which is the same as saying i like th dashboard design of the HRV, the Civic, teh Pilot, and the accord since they’re essentially the same
You’ve got a really clean design with honeycomb vents
9 inch info screen
Wireless ACP & AA
Annoyingly only half the cluster is digital
The civic and pilot and accord all get full digital cluster
You DO get physical climate controls
And it’s just a nice design mixed with nice features and practical storage
The cluster thing is weird but overall i like the modern clean design
4 – Physical climate controls
I just touched on this, but so many cars now are baking the climate controls into the infotainment screen
The Chevy colorado I was in last week added the headlight controls into the infotainment screen
Like there are just some things that are better with a physical dial or toggle
So nice work Honda…also thank you for bringing the volume knob back in the Civic
5 – Rear seats are huge
These, much like the trunk were already nice and big and possibly even segment leading
And now for 2023 the rear seats are even bigger
Great legroom, great headroom
It’s not perfect, it’s missing a pano roof and heated rear seats
However, as far as space and comfort goes…the CRV is tough to beat back here
6 – Power & performance (over engine)
So on paper, this CRV actually LOST power compared to last year
This is not the reality though
Honda changed the way the calculate HP…which seems like an eyebrow raiser, but that’s probably someone else’s video
Based on the NEW way they gauge power, the OLD CRV makes 201 hp while the NEW CRV makes 204 hp
Is it a huge difference, no – but it’s an important distinction to go from losing power to gaining with a new car
The Hybrind CRV with it’s 204 hp and 247 lbft get to 60 in 7.4 seconds…while the non-hybrids are around 9 or 10
7 – Ride & Dynamics
The CRV has never really been super luxurious or isolated in terms of its cabin refinement
It’s the same chassis as the Civic, but unlike the Civic this is a jacked up, taller SUV
That means the dampers have to be frimer
That means there’s more wind noise
That means it won’t corner as well
BUT with all that said…i still don’t mind the ride
It’s smooth enough
The steering is fine
There is a little more road noise coming in than i might like
But overall it’s still a great thing to bop around and commute in
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So the new CRV from Honda
I will say there are some pros and there are some surprising cons
The lack of a PLug_In is weird to me
And all those omissions on the interior that we covered right away seem like base-hits they forgot to swing at
But when it comes to being comfortable, specious, and practical, the CRV doesn’t miss
Thanks to Russ Darrow Honda for letting me a have a go so i could show you this new CRV