Automakers love a good gizmo, don’t they? From phone-as-key functionality to built-in Amazon Alexa, technophiles aren’t exactly hurting for choice when purchasing a new car. That’s all well and good if you’re into gadgets, but what if you just want an economical small car that’s pleasant to drive and carries a ton of stuff? Well, you might want to take a look at the Honda HR-V.
It might not be the most visually appealing thing on the roads, and it might be a bit expensive for a subcompact crossover, but it’s way better to live with than you might expect. In fact, after living with it for a week, it’s easy to see why someone might buy an HR-V over a Civic, even though the Civic’s an excellent car in its own right.
[Full disclosure: Honda Canada let me borrow this HR-V for a week so long as I kept the shiny side up, returned it with a full tank of fuel and reviewed it.]
The Basics
Engine: Two-liter naturally aspirated inline four-cylinder.
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission.
Output: 158 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, 138 lb.-ft. at 4,200 rpm.
Fuel economy: 25 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, 27 mpg combined.
Body style: Five-door subcompact crossover utility vehicle.
Base price: $26,795 including freight ($33,096 Canadian)
Price as tested: $32,850 including freight ($41,796 Canadian)
Why Does It Exist?
It’s no secret that subcompact crossovers are so hot right now, and they’ve undergone quite the transformation over what you’d have seen in showrooms five or six years ago. While most of these little CUVs used to be built on subcompact car bones, the majority of them have migrated to compact car platforms, and that’s exactly what Honda’s done here. Think of the current HR-V a bit like a less expensive Civic hatchback with available all-wheel-drive, and you’ll be on the right track.
How Does It Look?
Some cars don’t hold up to anthropomorphic standards well, and man, is the HR-V ever one of them. The front fascia has this dead-eyed expression of sulking contempt, a wide-mouthed look that would emit a constant groan, if this face could talk. It somehow looks annoyed at its own existence, a rather shocking feat to manage.
Elsewhere, the HR-V looks a bit too big for its wheels, and its oversized taillights sit heavy on the bodywork, adding to a slight sense of disproportion. More linear surfacing to visually stretch out the wheelbase would help, as the curves and folds in profile seem to shrink the length of the doors, and the black spoiler filler panels don’t quite cheat the oddly concave rear of the greenhouse. Of course, styling’s a matter of taste, but it seems that Honda could’ve spent a bit more time creating a more visually appealing product here. It’s a shame, because even though the coachwork doesn’t look special, the HR-V has plenty of heart.
How’s It Drive?
Setting off in the HR-V, the first thing you’ll notice is gloriously heavy, accurate steering that you don’t quite get from anything else in the segment. It gives the HR-V a sense of confidence and immediacy that’s matched by a suitably buttoned-down chassis, and the combined result is a nimble little car in classic Honda tradition. It also rides with the comfort and maturity of a larger crossover, thanks in part to its independent rear suspension isolating bumps nicely compared to the torsion beam rear-end setups so common in this segment.
In a way, the HR-V needs to be able to straighten on-ramps because there really isn’t a whole lot of forward motivation on tap. On paper, 158 horsepower sounds pretty great, but in this fully loaded all-wheel-drive trim, it needs to push around 3,333 pounds of crossover utility vehicle. As a result, the continuously variable transmission is eager to let the two-liter engine rev out to 4,000 rpm just keeping up with the pace of traffic, but as you’d expect from a Honda, the engine feels like it lives for redline. The bottom line is that despite modest power, there’s a fun to the HR-V you won’t find in many other subcompact crossovers. It feels lower and more agile than its silhouette suggests, which makes sense considering it’s essentially a modern reimagination of the Civic Wagon.
How’s The Interior?
Over the past few years, Honda’s made a real upmarket push when it comes to materials, interior design, and switchgear, so how does that translate to an entry-level model like the HR-V? Quite well, actually. From the smooth leather on the steering wheel to the satisfyingly clicky switchgear, everything you interact with inside this subcompact crossover feels a cut above the standard of the segment. Even the upscale, minimalist cabin themes of the Civic and Accord have been scaled back well for this application, with enough textiles and ultra-soft plastics to elevate the dashboard without hugely ballooning the bill of materials.
Since the HR-V holds a more entry-level market position than the Civic Hatchback, there are definitely panels that feel cheaper than what you’d get in a comparable Civic, but you won’t find any offensive plastics here. Everything’s tightly grained, nothing’s outright scratchy, and almost everything feels so solidly assembled, it’s like the whole interior’s glued together with epoxy. The only demerit I could find inside was an ill-fitting console armrest, but otherwise, you get your money’s worth out of the HR-V’s cabin.
Does It Have The Electronic Crap I Want?
If you’re big into tech, the 2025 Honda HR-V might not offer all the features you’re looking for. There’s no head-up display on offer, no all-digital gauge cluster available, and Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is only available on the top trim, with wired connections mandatory on the HR-Vs most people will actually buy. Speaking of infotainment, the native system is on the slow and clunky side,
There’s no branded premium audio system on offer here, and while the 180-watt eight-speaker sound system on this top EX-L trim is adequate, it’s certainly eclipsed in power and clarity by the likes of the JBL system in the Toyota Corolla Cross and the Bose system in the Nissan Kicks. You don’t get paddle shifters either. However, what you do get is a gimmick-free interior with amenities you can actually use. Automatic climate control is standard on all trim levels, the available heated seats keep their memory, and two three-amp USB-C ports and a 2.5-amp USB port have the juice to charge modern devices. Even if you haven’t bought a new car in 15 years, you can still hop in the HR-V and know how most things work, and that’s important.
Three Things To Know About The 2025 Honda HR-V
- The door cards feature this funky wavy texture that hides scuffs and makes them look and feel more expensive than they are.
- It’s remarkably fun to drive.
- Unlike in the previous generation, the lower cushions of the rear seat no longer flip up for vertical transport of tall cargo.
Does It Fulfil Its Purpose?
By taking gimmicks off the table and focusing on fundamentals, Honda’s seriously improved the HR-V for its second generation, turning it into a rather compelling compact crossover for people who want a nice car in a small, practical form factor. It does everything you’d ask of it, delivering where it really counts: out on the road. Sure, it might seem expensive for what you get on paper, but cars aren’t driven on paper.
What’s The Punctum Of The 2025 Honda HR-V?
Don’t judge this subcompact crossover by its styling and pricing alone.
(Photo credits: Thomas Hundal)
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I spend the day helping a friend test-drive cars, and the HR-V stood out as a clear winner, particularly in interior design and driving experience. The packaging is very clever, with the easiest fold-flat rear seats that yielded the best cargo space of everything we tested, a drivetrain that felt well-suited to the body and the best ride/handling combination we tested.
The Mazda 3 had it beat in luxury and performance, but infotainment was challenging, the fold-flat seats were an afterthought (same with the CX-30), and price was another issue altogether. The Impreza RS was also faster than the HR-V, equal in packaging, but the Honda’s mid-level trim easily outclassed the range-topping Subaru’s interior design and quality. Ride wasn’t impressive, and neither was the enormous infotainment screen, packed with useless and obtrusive widgets.
As a bonus, the HR-V’s engine bay has oodles of empty space, and looks like it would be really easy to work on.
We did lament that there isn’t a proper square-roofed Civic on offer, as that would have been the perfect choice for his use case, which doesn’t require ground clearance. Sadly, the fastback/liftback form factor doesn’t hold enough big boxes for his line of work. If the Civic had a full estate roofline, it’d be a lot more compelling as a one-car solution. As it sits, it’s a fine commuter for someone without his hauling needs.
Thanks for this quick visit with the current-gen HR-V Thomas! 🙂 I always enjoy your writing and I also happen to be a fan of the cheap and cheerful genre of cars, which the HR-V supposedly inhabits (the first-gen started at about $21K, so it definitely qualified).
I’m also one of those weirdos who actually likes the first-gen HR-V despite its somewhat appliance-like driving experience. That ‘magic seat’ it got from the Honda Fit on which it was based was indeed magical if you were the sort of person who never quite knows in advance what kind of large and/or bulky object you might be hauling tomorrow.
I deeply APPLAUD Honda for not saddling the current HR-V with that 1.5 liter turbo engine found in so many of its other cars… oil consumption issues aside, I’d always rather have the bigger, naturally aspirated engine with a proven record of longevity despite/because of the simpler tech.
I deeply DERIDE Honda for saddling the HR-V with a CVT. Sure, it’s better than Nissan’s CVT of course (setting a low bar there comparison wise) but fer crissakes, would an existing automatic transmission off of Honda’s parts shelf (like Mazda still bestows upon us) have cost much more than a dreaded CVT? The fact that the HR-V only comes with a CVT will probably sell more than a few Mazda CX-30s IMO.
Finally, and I know this horse has already been beaten to death, but whyowhy wouldn’t someone at Honda have somehow managed to get them to offer the HR-V with a manual transmission, even if only on front wheel drive/base trim level cars? Honda DID offer a manual for the first three years of the original HR-V and having driven it, I can tell you that rowing your own gears in it made it more fun to drive by a considerable measure… it really felt much more like a Civic, just higher off the ground. I know the take rate for manuals is tiny in America, but just imagine if Hoda did offer a truly base trim version with only FWD and a manual tranny… and maybe only in a few basic colors? Surely all that would enable Honda to let us have one for a few grand below the current HR-Vs base $26.5K MRRP?
I don’t imagine a $21K is possible anymore, but maybe they could’ve managed $23,500? At that price, I’d probably have one for a daily driver right now.
And of course, by “Hoda” I meant “Honda” not Hoda Kotb, who I presume holds no sway whatsoever when it comes to marketing decisions at Honda.
I can’t tell if I like the undercut on the tailgate or not, would have to see it in person, but it looks a bit goofy in pictures. At least they’re trying something style-wise even if it doesn’t appear to be working, and the overall styling isn’t as overwrought as many modern cars.
A friend of mine got one of these (and subsequently traded it for a Prologue because it could go up hills)…
You have no idea how frequently people refer to this unfortunately named vehicle as the Honda HIV and Honda HPV.
It’s a viral sensation!
Designed like a dinner roll
This h-rv exists to prove you should buy a crv instead.
I still drive an ‘03 CR-V purchased new with a stick. 300K+ and I’m still on the original clutch. The K24A1 cannot be stopped and barely uses oil. I was ready to give Honda my money for a new car (for my wife – I’m still driving the CR-V), but the new CR-V and especially the HR-V are just not good values. Ended up with a Forester Premium – quiet, smooth and full of features and I paid about what an LX fwd CR-V would have cost me. The thing even has heated seats, power drivers seat, headlights that turn with the car and a sunroof so large you could launch at ICBM though it. I would accept less with the Honda, believing that the durability and longevity of the car would pay me back over time. I was interpreted in the HR-V for myself but the interior space is not that useful and the cabin feels somewhat cramped. The center console with shifter is excessively and unnecessarily large – it doesn’t need to be there. The rear window slopes downward at a relaxed angle, limiting cargo space. The floor at the back is higher than it should be, limiting the vertical height for cargo. It just seems like a missed opportunity and a waste of space. The HR-V feels like it was designed with leftover parts, put together by a committee who were not trying to build the best possible car. When I looked at everything it has to offer there were just no diamonds buried in it. All that said, had they offered it with a stick shift option I’d probably have bought one anyway. But nope – they’re deleting manuals in favor of CVT’s as fast as they can. Give me an off-road version for a person who likes to go camping with dual sport tires, a tad more clearance, 4wd standard (and their system is dirt cheap to build) and a stick shift option – I would own it right now. I don’t want your soulless boredom box Honda, try harder because I know you know how. The original CR-V was a great and fun, adventurous concept, but the current HR-V says you have a boring life, work in a gray office, sit in rush hour traffic and hate your life.
Does Honda still limit auto headlights to the top tier models? The previous generation didn’t have it available until you stepped up to EX.
If I had to replace my car unexpectedly, I would get either an HR-V or a Crosstrek. My biggest issues with the HR-V are the fuel economy and the lack of power. Honda should be able to do better than 25 mpg city when the engine is only putting out 158 hp. Also, the HR-V’s 0-60 time is barely faster than the ancient Prius I drive now. I was hoping to buy something with a little more zip.
I tried hard to like the HR-V but a Subaru Crosstrek makes it a hard sell. You get a bigger engine (Premium) and superior all-wheel drive as standard for about the same money as a base HR-V. I’ve owned Hondas and they are extremely well made and durable, but they need to be more competitive.