The Honda HR-V is the cute little brother to the more popular Honda CR-V. That means you can trust it, right? It’s a Honda, so it’s supposed to be reliable, sporty, and great on gas, right? Well, the Honda HR-V actually is a economical option with tons of value.

You can trust the Honda HR-V 

We know, the Honda HR-V starts around $20k, making it one tempting little SUV option, but don’t let its siren song pull you in. Aside from having a pretty good fuel economy, the Honda HR-V is a little bare bones. 

The Honda HR-V gets up to 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. For comparison’s sake, the Nissan Kicks gets up to 31 mpg in the city. Other than an adequate fuel economy, you get a fun ride and the basics.

Is the Honda HR-V a Good Car? 

Sure, the Honda HR-V is fine for driving around the city, but keep in mind that many drivers find it to be underpowered. It’s only available with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that offers 141 horsepower and 127 lb-ft of torque. 

The Honda HR-V can only tow about 1,000 lb. But the Honda HR-V comes with an advisory that says it’s not recommended for towing. Considering a stronger option like the larger Honda Pilot is a good idea if you have trailers to haul.

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Also, the Honda HR-V is supposed to provide a fun, sporty ride, but it’s sluggish. It takes 8.6 seconds for the HR-V to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. It’s low center of gravity makes it fun to whip around curves, but it’s not the fastest Honda option.

The Honda HR-V does offer all-wheel-drive, so you can carefully test it out in some snow. However, the rear torsion beam suspension won’t handle weight as well as a multi-link option would. We aren’t confident that this SUV provides a stable, smooth ride. 

Honda HR-V Features 

The Honda HR-V’s significant flex is having a lot of cargo space compared to rivals. You can fit two adults in the back and fold the seats down to fit longer items. Apparently, one bike can fit in the back seat as well. 

However, a little more space doesn’t make up for the lack of standard features included with the base model. The Honda HR-V doesn’t come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto as a standard option. If you want a power seat, heated seats, or leather trim, you’ll have to go up a few trim options. 

Also, forget any idea of standard safety features. Honda Sensing Technologies aren’t available unless you pay more for the 3rd trim option, which is the Honda HR-V EX. Otherwise, enjoy driving without forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and more that are often standard with rivals. 

The Honda HR-V is fairly priced for what you get with the base model, which is a shell of an SUV. It’s underpowered, not very smart, and quite frugal with technology and standard safety features. It’s a great SUV to begin with and depend on, though.