2018 Honda HR-V Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Those hidden, vertically mounted rear door handles make the HR-V look like a coupe, but the days of little two-door SUVs are mostly gone. The rounded roof and streamlined front fascia provide a clean, handsome appearance at any angle. By contrast, a CR-V, Civic, or an Accord looks downright aggressive with its sharper edges and thick chrome accents. Two-tone 17-inch wheels come standard on EX and EX-L trims, and thankfully, the days of plastic wheel covers are also gone. The base LX has similar alloys in one color. Exterior colors are limited to four basic shades (white, gray, black, and red) for LX and EX trims, while the EX-L offers eight, including a bright blue, green, silver, and the purplish-black seen on our test car. Large LED taillamps and generous expanses of glass allow an HR-V driver to easily see and be seen, unlike the significantly reduced visibility from inside a Toyota C-HR or Nissan Juke.

An all-black interior adorns all HR-V models, but only EX-L trims come with leather. We were impressed with the build quality and design. Panel gaps and finish are above the class standards, such as the padded upper trim on all four doors and the backlit climate controls that illuminate behind a shiny black cover trimmed in chrome. The faux stitching on the dash is convincingly upscale, plus that thin, wide strip of air vents for the passenger is a simple way to dress up what could have been a drab, boring place. Points to Honda for making the HR-V feel welcoming and well-made.

A single 1.8-liter 4-cylinder serves up 141 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque across all trims. The kicker: Honda offers its exemplary 6-speed manual transmission as standard on the front-wheel-drive (FWD) LX and EX. Not only is the manual quicker than the continuously variable transmission (CVT), it’s far more fun to drive and one of the few crossovers on sale that still offers a stick-shift. All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional on all trims and pairs exclusively with the CVT. Our AWD EX-L accelerated to low urban speeds without fuss, although the throttle was slightly jumpy off the line.

At highway speeds, the engine becomes coarse and loud. The CVT, without gears, will keep the engine racing at 6,000 rpm when all you’re trying to do is merge or pass a slower car. On back roads, the HR-V is a much calmer, quieter, and altogether nicer car to drive. In Sport mode at these lower speeds, the transmission helps the driver stay in the engine’s ideal power band, and the paddle shifters simulate gear ratios very well, which helps when coasting downhill. Even though the HR-V is not ideal on the highway, the steering tracks dead straight and is unusually composed for such a short-wheelbase car—composure is something the larger Nissan Rogue lacks entirely.

The soft suspension and light steering make the HR-V easy to maneuver and compliant on all surfaces, although it’s not as communicative or engaging as the Civic. Similarly, the brake pedal feels soft. It all makes for a composed, comfortable car, but only if you’re gentle with the throttle. Honda’s turbocharged 1.5-liter four in the CR-V is a superior engine. The HR-V's older engine (from the previous-generation Civic) prevents it from exceeding the larger CR-V’s efficiency and power. Fuel economy is EPA rated at between 25 and 27 mpg city and 31 and 34 mpg highway. Our EX-L is rated at 27/31, and we averaged 25 mpg over 300 miles.