Japanese automaker Honda can disrupt small SUV rankings in 2023. The Honda CR-V consistently challenges the RAV4 for the title of best-selling small SUV, but it has fallen short year after year. The redesigned 2023 CR-V is arguably the most competitive version of the small SUV that Honda has produced yet. Its hybrid version offers even more power and better fuel economy. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring has plenty of great standard features that make it worth every penny.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring includes plenty of driver assistance features

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring includes Honda’s most advanced safety and driver assistance features. The small SUV starts at $38,600, which isn’t bad considering its complex hybrid powertrain system and many great standard features.

One of the best driver assistance features that’s standard on the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring is adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow. Advanced forms of cruise control have been controversial, to say the least. Many consumers are skeptical when it comes to giving up any degree of control while driving.

Adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow uses sensors to detect vehicles ahead of the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring. Honda asserts that the system wasn’t designed to detect all objects, and its effectiveness can waver depending on weather conditions and speed.

In ideal conditions, this feature allows the driver to let the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring accelerate to keep up with moderate traffic. It is not recommended for heavy traffic. ACC with low-speed follow is best for relatively open roads and long drives on highways. Several automakers are offering forms of advanced cruise control to provide the most simplistic driving experiences. Vehicles are getting smarter, but drivers are still completely responsible for operating the vehicle when systems like this are activated.

The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring comes with great creature comforts

The CR-V Hybrid isn’t a luxury vehicle. Honda leaves the glitz and glamor of luxury vehicles to its Acura division. Still, upper trim level CR-Vs can get pretty snazzy. The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring comes with a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel. Few things say luxury like a warm leather steering wheel, especially in cold conditions. Splurging for extra comfort doesn’t have to break the bank.

The small hybrid SUV’s heated leather-wrapped steering wheel is one of many standard creature comforts. The CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring also includes leather-trimmed seats with orange stitching, heated front seats, and a wireless phone charger. Kelley Blue Book praises the CR-V Hybrid’s standard equipment.

The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring prioritizes safety

The Honda CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring comes standard with Honda Sensing. Honda Sensing is a suite of safety and driver assistance features. It includes a blind spot information system. The blind spot information system lets drivers know when vehicles are in the small SUV’s blind spot when the turn signal is on.

The blind spot information system is standard on all 2023 CR-V models. It makes driving safer and changing lanes easier. Honda’s CR-V redesign will compete with the best small SUVs on the market, including the 2023 Toyota RAV4, the 2023 Hyundai Tucson, and the 2023 Mazda CX-5.