HONDA CR-V 2021

Body, cabin and cargo space

Loyal followers of the Honda CR‑V won’t feel lost by the 2020 restyling and the add-ons of the Sport model. The latter include dark-tinted taillights, shark grey 19-in. wheels, aluminum pedals and front seats partially trimmed in faux leather.

Though the cushions are a bit short, the front seats deliver good comfort for most physiques and an unrestricted driving position. When it comes to space, the CR‑V is a standout. The rear doors open wide to reveal seating worthy of a midsize SUV in all aspects except width, which cannot fit in three child car seats.

The trunk area is impressive even with the split-fold rear bench in place, thanks to a very low floor. The seats fold at the flip of a lever on either side to create a completely flat load surface. Only the Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4 can compete with the CR‑V in terms of cargo capacity. The only hic is the cheap, scratch-prone plastic side trim.

Elsewhere in the cabin, finish and the quality of materials are on the good side of average for the segment. However, we noted several scratches and imperfections in the paint of our tester, with less than 10,000 km on the odometer.

Speaking of complaints, Honda should have taken advantage of the partial remake to update its dated, slow and non-user friendly touch screen. It’s good to have a volume knob but the absence of real buttons for the main controls still means having to take one’s eyes off the road. Other Honda models like the Accord and Odyssey already have a much more modern interface. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are a help, especially since 2020 when the designers relocated the USB ports for more convenience.

The Honda CR-V has always been a highly practical daily driver. Well-laid-out controls, a myriad of roomy storage spaces and an easy-to-read instrument cluster make life easy. All models come generously equipped, including as of last year a heated steering wheel and power liftgate starting with the Sport version, one step up the trim lineup.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill start assist
• Front airbags
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Pretensioners for front seatbelts
• Five head restraints (adjustable in front and on rear outboard seats, foldable in the middle)
• Tire pressure monitor
• Rearview camera
• Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking
• Lane departure alert with automatic steering assist
• Lane centering assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic high-beams
• Passenger-side blind spot camera (standard, Sport and EX‑L; unavailable, LX, Touring and Black Edition)
• Blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert (standard, Touring and Black Edition; unavailable, other models)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 5 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 4 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick

Visibility

Visibility is good, front and side, notably thanks to relatively narrow windshield pillars. As in all SUV’s, the high liftgate window restricts the view to the rear; the rearview camera compensates in part.

The well-dimensioned side mirrors have a blind spot alert function on Touring and Black Edition models only. Sport and EX‑L trims still offer Honda’s LaneWatch passenger-side blind spot monitor displaying the camera image on the centre screen. We find it less efficient than the mirror alerts; it does not cover the larger, driver-side blind spot and obliges the driver to check the centre screen right in the middle of a lane-change. Honda should replace it with a conventional system on all trims, as it did in the U.S.

Headlights: the LED headlights on Touring and Black Edition models earned an acceptable rating (3/4) from the IIHS, despite a lack of high-beam straight-line intensity. The halogen projectors on the other models received a poor rating (2/4) because of insufficient lighting in curves.

Mechanical overview

The partial remake made no changes to mechanical components, the platform or powertrains. It should be noted that most of those elements were completely revised in 2017. 

The Honda CR-V still uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged direct-injected four-cylinder good for 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque available between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm. Those numbers, and the continuously variable transmission and on-demand all-wheel drive are competitive for the segment. AWD is optional on the base LX and standard on the other models. 

Unlike certain rivals, Honda does not offer a more powerful engine for its compact SUV. The Honda CR-V has a towing capacity of 680 kg (1,500 lb); several competitors offer an optional engine with a towing capacity of 1,588 kg (3,500 lb).

The conventional (non-plug-in) hybrid version that went on sale in the United States last year is blatantly absent on our side of the border. It is a strange decision from a pioneer in the field, just when electric powertrains are becoming more and more popular, particularly in the SUV segment. For proof you just have to look at the success Toyota is enjoying with its RAV4 hybrids, traditional and plug-in.

A hybrid powertrain would also circumvent a problem with the CR-V that Honda doesn’t like to talk about, i.e. reliability issues with the turbo engine. A new design in 2016, it has given rise to numerous complaints of gas leaking into the oil and trouble heating the cabin of 2017 and 2018 models. The situation is apparently more common in cold climates. Honda was finally persuaded to reprogram the control module to heat up the engine more quickly, which supposedly alleviated the problem. The modification is said to have been applied at the factory starting with the 2019 model-year, but the situation still needs to be monitored before this engine can get a clean bill of health.

No need to wait, however, to confirm the CR-V’s good fuel economy report. Our tester achieved 8.7 L/100 km in city/highway/combined driving at the end of the summer of 2020, which is a good average for the segment. Here again, the hybrid engine could improve that by 25 percent, according to estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Driving impressions

The Honda CR-V is already a top choice in the segment for its remarkable versatility. Its secure and predictable road comportment confirms that status. 

The steering is just precise enough to guarantee good stability at highway speed and good control in curves. However, it does not match the steering sensation that makes the Mazda CX-5 or even the Ford Escape so enjoyable to drive on a winding road. Moreover, there is a bit too much body lean in turns for handling to be termed as dynamic. 

On the other hand, thanks to its more compliant suspension the Honda CR‑V is more comfortable than its two rivals on degraded pavement. The suspension also provides better control of small body movements than the RAV4, for a more composed ride. Though not best-in-class, the current CR-V offers an acceptably quiet ride on the highway. 

However, the small engine accelerates noisily with none of the captivating sound of Honda engines of the past. Part of the blame lies with the continuously variable transmission, which keeps the engine running at high RPMs until you let up on the gas pedal. It almost makes the engine feel like it is underperforming, even though performance is quite adequate. A firm stab of the accelerator will deliver the desired results. 

Few four-cylinder turbo engines are as lively as Honda’s at high RPMs, which should satisfy the driving enthusiast. However, many offer superior torque at urban speeds, which meets the expectations of the general public. A test drive will confirm where you stand. 

Other highlights

Braking: secure straight-line stops even in an emergency situation. The pedal is firm at the beginning and then very progressive, thanks to the good electric power brake booster.

Driver assist systems: usually efficient in good weather but quickly overwhelmed in rain or snow. Forward collision alert is too quick to intervene: “Brake” alerts blinked often during our test, which almost never happens in our tests of other models.