SUVs made by Honda tend to dominate many ‘Best Of’ car lists. It makes sense since many of them are very affordable and come preloaded with a lot of nice technologies. The Honda HR-V is a quick little SUV with excellent gas mileage, and its CR-V sibling is just as appealing.

The Honda CR-V also has another unique aspect: it’s the most popular American-made SUV on the market. U.S. News reports that the CR-V is manufactured in two Ohio plants, one in Indiana, and one in Canada. The plants have to produce thousands of Honda CR-V SUVs each year to keep up with demand.

The power of the Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V’s capable performance comes from its turbo 1.5-liter engine capable of 190 hp. It’s also paired with a smooth-shifting CVT, but try not to push it with any sudden acceleration. Doing so will produce some notable engine groans.

The engine also doesn’t provide that much towing power, and it’s a bit sluggish with a 0-60 mph time of 7.6 seconds. It may not be the quickest SUV you can buy, but the CR-V shines when it comes to fuel economy. With front-wheel drive, it gets 28 mpg on city roads and 34 mpg once you merge onto the highway.

A spacious interior

The Honda CR-V’s cabin is quite large even by compact SUV standards. The materials appear quite stylish and luxurious, with plenty of soft-touch surfaces and fancy door panel inserts on pricier trims. The Touring model even includes faux-wood accents. The second row is also roomy enough for passengers of all heights to have some wiggle room.

The Honda CR-V is also excellent for toting a lot of luggage. Up to 39 cubic feet is available behind the rear seats. Once the second row is folded flat, drivers will have nearly 76 feet of cubic space. The CR-V also has an exceptionally low cargo floor.

The Honda CR-V is safe for the whole family

The Honda CR-V comes packed with several standard safety features. It has road-departure warning, traffic sign recognition, collision mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims will have blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors. 

The CR-V also has top-notch safety scores, earning a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. It also aced all the IIHS’s tests, with superior performance in front crash prevention.

Adequate infotainment

The infotainment offerings in the base Honda CR-V may be too little for some drivers. It includes Bluetooth, one USB port, automatic climate control, and a 5-inch touchscreen. If you want more desirable features, like smartphone integration and a larger touchscreen, you’ll need to buy a higher trim.

The more expensive trims also feature wireless charging and built-in navigation. However, Consumer Reports found that the infotainment system can be frustrating to use, especially in the base model. The touchscreen is too small to register inputs accurately, but at least drivers can also use physical knobs for some functions. Testers also felt that the system itself isn’t very user-friendly.

A smooth, fun drive

On the road, the Honda CR-V is very composed and has a great suspension. Drivers with little ones won’t have to worry about them being disturbed by any harsh bumps in the road. Handling is also very responsive, there’s minimal body lean, and the brakes are easy to modulate.

The Honda CR-V is also an award-winning vehicle, earning Best Compact SUV for the Money from U.S. News. It was also awarded the Best Buy of 2020 designation from Kelly Blue Book. Considering the Honda CR-V’s many strengths, we can see why it’s so popular in the United States.