2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The sixth-generation CR-V represents the most significant styling departure to date. Where its predecessors were mild-mannered, almost retiring, the 2023 CR-V is assertive. It leans forward. It’s tougher and more truck-like. It stretches about 2.5 inches longer and a half an inch wider than the outgoing model, and the longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks are visually evident in its more muscular stance.

The new CR-V retains the classic D-pillar taillights, but they’ve leveled up. Each now comprises three L shapes rather than just one, for a modern and more aggressive look. The rear end appears blockier overall, mimicking the bolder front fascia, and all CR-V headlights and taillights are now LED.

For this review, we drove the Sport Touring trim in deep Canyon River Blue. As Sport models, both 2023 CR-V Hybrids get special Sport styling, including black roof rails, black mirrors, dual chrome exhaust finishers, and black wheels. 18-inch wheels are standard across the CR-V lineup, but as the top-of-the-line model, Sport Touring gets 19-inch wheels.

The interior follows the design direction we’ve seen in the 2022 Civic and 2023 HR-V. The consistency with its Honda stablemates is heralded by the telltale honeycomb grille surrounding the climate control vents and spanning the width of the dash, but that detail feels somehow less obtrusive here. As with the new Civic and HR-V, the trend toward a more premium feel is successful. Materials in the Sport Touring cabin feel high-quality, and the contrast stitching on the seats and steering wheel is an attractive touch.

The simplified offerings for this new generation mean that if you’re buying a 2023 Honda CR-V, you’re either getting a turbocharged or a hybrid powertrain. Many consumers will find the assignments of powertrain to trim to be counterintuitive at first glance: turbo power is traditionally associated with sport models. But consider for a moment that that association is the result of marketing. What is it that we really want in a sport model? We want more power, we want jauntier looks, and, most importantly, we want more driving fun. What Honda’s done here is acknowledge that a hybrid setup is the way to provide more power without compromising efficiency, and it has paired that with the looks and extra goodies we expect from a vehicle labeled “sport.”

The result is a compact SUV capable of traveling at up to 115 mph. The new-for-2023 hybrid powertrain combines a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a two-motor hybrid-electric system to produce 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful CR-V to date. (Note that horsepower measurement standards have changed since the 2022 CR-V Hybrid was rated for 212 hp; that would be 201 according to the new ISO measurements.) An increase of three horsepower is nice, but it’s the 15 lb-ft boost to torque that really impacts the driving experience, making the CR-V Hybrid more responsive and more suitable for tasks like merging onto a highway. It is also now rated for towing, with a capacity of up to 1,000 lbs.

For 2023, the CR-V Hybrid gets a fourth drive mode: Snow joins Sport, Normal and Econ. In practice, the drive modes function primarily by adjusting accelerator response, making it smoother or more sensitive. Snow mode also makes use of the updated Real Time AWD system on Sport AWD and Sport Touring models. Where the outgoing CR-V had a 60:40 ratio, the 2023 version can now send up to 50% of its engine torque to the rear wheels. 2023 CR-Vs also come equipped for the first time with a hill-descent control system.

A new “B” shifter position allows the driver to increase the CR-V Hybrid’s regenerative braking, sending more power back to the battery during braking and approximating a one-pedal driving experience. Acceleration and deceleration can be partially managed with the steering-wheel-mounted paddles. Honda offers this “B” mode as a way of easing consumers into the electrified future—and giving CR-V Hybrid owners more control over their vehicles’ fuel efficiency.

Shoppers who are specifically looking to maximize fuel efficiency will be glad to know that there is now a front-wheel drive (FWD) CR-V Hybrid available. The Sport trim with FWD gets 43 mpg city, 36 highway, and 40 combined, saving 3 mpg combined compared with an AWD CR-V Hybrid and 10 compared with a FWD turbocharged model.

The sixth-generation CR-V’s larger exterior also translates to more interior volume. The Hybrid enjoys a substantial increase in cargo space over the 2022 model, up 3 cubic feet overall, with 36.3 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 76.5 with them folded. This is very comparable to the 2023 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, substantially more than the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and it even has an edge over the 74.1 cubic feet that the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid offers with its dual-level cargo floor lowered. The range-topping Sport Touring model has a hands-free power tailgate, and all new CR-Vs get wide-opening rear doors designed for easy access to the rear seating area. That along with the improved LATCH system should be a boon to families who frequently move car seats from vehicle to vehicle.

Passengers also benefit from the new CR-V’s extra length. Rear seat legroom is .6 inches longer for 2023, bringing it to 41 inches total. At the launch event we attended, Honda invited two members of the audience to test out the tandem seating space, demonstrating that there was room for two people over 6 feet tall to sit comfortably, one behind another. The reclining rear seats offer eight positions, partly to maximize headroom and partly to accommodate large boxes in the cargo area. Headroom measures 38.2 inches in both rows, just a tad lower than the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage but with a standard one-touch power moonroof to take the sting out of it.

The cubby positioned ahead of the shifter is designed to hold two smartphones side by side. Each CR-V gets eight cupholders placed throughout the cabin, and Honda says the console, which is a traditional design rather than the sculptural layout seen in the new HR-V, provides best-in-class storage.

Honda knows many shoppers still prefer to have physical buttons for important functions, and the automaker has continued to reflect that preference in the new CR-V. The standard 7-inch touchscreen display comes with physical volume and tuning knobs, while the 9-inch touchscreen for the Sport Touring trim has just a volume knob and leaves the hard Seek buttons to manage tuning. Home and Back buttons round out the array.

With the base model cut for 2023, the CR-V is well-equipped across the board. Both Hybrid models have two USB-A and two USB-C ports plus Bluetooth connectivity. Dual-zone climate control, heated mirrors, and heated front seats are standard, with a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. As the top trim, Sport Touring comes fully loaded with driver’s seat memory, a four-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, heated steering wheel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (the wired version of each is standard on the Sport trim), Sirius XM, HD radio, Wi-Fi capability, a wireless charging pad, and a 12-speaker Bose Premium audio system. Sport Touring also gets Honda’s smart navigation system: When the driver enters a destination, the nav system will look ahead, consider the route, and optimize the vehicle’s fuel efficiency according to the terrain it will cover.

Active safety features are becoming par for the course on many new vehicles these days, but certain offerings are still a differentiator. Adaptive cruise control, for example, can ironically be harder to find in luxury segments. With fewer trims, the CR-V Hybrid becomes much easier to compare to its rivals: It has just about everything. The range-topping Sport Touring trim gets a few extras, such as front and rear parking sensors and rain-sensing windshield wipers. But while those may be nice to have, nothing critical is left out of any 2023 CR-V. The Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies is standard, with new and updated systems for 2023. The collision mitigation, road-departure mitigation, and lane-keeping assist systems have all been improved for smoother use and a more natural feel, as has adaptive cruise control.

New safety features for the 2023 CR-V include traffic jam assist and traffic sign recognition, both standard, plus low-speed braking control for the top two trims. A blind-spot information system and cross-traffic monitor are newly standard across the CR-V lineup, and the top two trims now get a parking sensor system as well. The new rear-seat reminder and rear seatbelt reminder are also standard for all 2023 CR-Vs.

In addition to these many tech-forward enhancements, Honda has also endowed the new CR-V with some good old-fashioned updates to improve safety on a vehicle that had already earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). New airbags, dashboard patches, and 15% stiffer structure provide additional protection in the event of a crash, and increased visibility gives the driver a leg up for avoiding collisions in the first place.

The compact SUV segment is popular and, therefore, highly competitive. But even though mass-market hybrid SUVs came to the US market over 15 years ago in the form of the 2005 Ford Escape, there still aren’t nearly as many hybrid options. Fortunately, CR-V Hybrid shoppers benefit from the gas-powered CR-V’s need to keep up with the Joneses—and from Honda’s wisdom in positioning the hybrid as the top choice.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid starts at $33,695, including the destination fee, for the Sport trim with FWD. Sport trim with AWD costs an additional $1,500, and the range-topping Sport Touring, which comes only with AWD, starts at $39,845.

It bears repeating that there really is no “base” CR-V in 2023. So while some of the CR-V Hybrid’s traditional competitors may still have starting prices that remain under $30,000, they aren’t necessarily comparable to the CR-V Hybrids being made in 2023. True, shoppers who want a no-frills compact SUV with a hybrid powertrain will need to look elsewhere: the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and Toyota RAV4 all offer less-expensive hybrid options. But for consumers who appreciate creature comforts and capability with their fuel efficiency, the 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid is a compelling option.