Choosing between the 2023 Honda CR-V and Honda HR-V may not be easy for buyers. There’s the cheaper, more compact HR-V and the larger, more powerful CR-V. However, there are four advantages over the CR-V has over the HR-V.

The 2023 Honda CR-V’s advantages over the Honda HR-V

Many advantages of the CR-V over the 2023 Honda HR-V deals mainly with extra comforts and utility. Being the bigger car, the CR-V has much more interior space than its HR-V counterpart. More specifically, it has 103.5 cubic feet of passenger space to the 2023 HR-V’s 98.7 cu-ft.

The gap between the two is even more pronounced concerning cargo space. The CR-V offers 76.5 cu-ft of storage space with the back seats folded compared to the 55.1 cu-ft of the HR-V in similar circumstances. This is up from 39.3 cu-ft and 24.4 cu-ft, respectively, for the two Honda cars with the second-row seats raised.

Also, with the CR-V, you get the option of an 8-way power driver’s seat. You can only get a 6-way manual adjustment option with the HR-V, according to Honda.

Another advantage of the 2023 Honda CR-V over the HR-V is the infotainment system. Here J.D. Power notes there are quite a few similarities. However, the CR-V pulls ahead with a 12-speaker premium audio system, while on the HR-V, the best you can get is a reasonably decent 8-speaker system.

You even get better performance and fuel efficiency with the CR-V, which comes with a 4-cylinder turbocharged or a hybrid engine.

The former is a 1.5-liter option producing 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0-liter hybrid, on the other hand, has a combined 204 hp with 247 lb-ft of torque.

In comparison, the Honda HR-V is only available with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine that maxes out at 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque.

The hybrid CR-V is the most fuel-efficient of all options available for the two Honda SUVs. It offers a combined 40 mpg fuel economy if you pick the FWD variant. This figure drops to 37 mpg for the AWD. The best you can get from the HR-V is a combined 28 mpg.

Lastly, despite the Honda HR-V being cheaper than the CR-V, the latter provides a better value proposition to buyers. After all, the only advantage the HR-V has is price, and the CR-V more than makes up for it with the extra power, space, and features.

Sections where neither Honda SUV has an advantage

The 2023 Honda HR-V and CR-V have comparable driving assistance and safety features. Examples include lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic warning, etc. As such, there’s no clear winner between the two.

The same is true for the reliability and quality of the two vehicles. This shouldn’t be surprising, given they’re based on the same platform.

Also, while the two may not rank among the most reliable SUVs in their segments, Honda is historically a very reliable brand. Add that the warranty terms for both Hondas are the same, and there’s really not much to separate the two.

Honda CR-V and Honda HR-V specs comparison

The 2023 Honda HR-V has a $23,800 starting price with three trims available, i.e., the LX, Sport, and EX-L. Each comes with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and a CVT transmission with 158 hp. Buyers get FWD and can easily swap it out for an AWD system in their purchase.

On the other hand, the 2023 model year CR-V comes in four trims: the EX, Sport Hybrid, EX-L, and Sport Touring Hybrid, with the cheapest available from $31,110. The turbocharged non-hybrid engines in two trims are rated at 190 hp, with their more fuel-efficient counterparts rated at a total of 204 hp.

Depending on engine configuration, these options can be had with a CVT or an E-CVT transmission. Nevertheless, the CR-V is the more powerful of the two Honda SUVs, giving it advantages in acceleration and towing capabilities.

Furthermore, at 106.3 inches to 104.5 inches, the CR-V has a longer wheelbase with a similar trend in the length, height, width, and even the ground clearance of the SUVs. Naturally, this translates to more passenger and cargo space.

While the two Honda SUVs have some similarities, the CR-V comes ahead in a few areas making it a better value proposition. That said, the HR-V is a more budget-friendly option, which is a huge perk.