The Honda CR-V is a popular choice for SUV shoppers. It has many onboard safety features, a high cargo capacity, and plenty of room in its two rows for passengers of all sizes. Models from before 2020 have two available engine choices, both of which get great gas mileage.

Another powertrain option will be available soon. The CR-V Hybrid is built on the same platform as the Accord Hybrid, which was released a few years ago. It will be a little more pricey than the gas-operated model, but the EPA has already released the car’s impressive fuel economy scores. How much can you expect to pay for a Honda CR-V Hybrid?

About the new hybrid system

The Honda CR-V Hybrid has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors under the hood. Altogether, they can produce up to 212 hp. In contrast, the regular Honda CR-V’s engine is capable of only 190 hp. The previous standard 2.4-liter engine, which could produce 184 hp, was discontinued this year.

Like the regular CR-V, the hybrid model will have selectable drive modes and the Honda Sensing safety suite. The acoustic vehicle alerting system, which warns pedestrians when the car is in electric-only mode, is a CR-V Hybrid-exclusive feature. The hybrid version is also more distinctive thanks to a different badge, bumper, and fog lights.

How well the Honda CR-V Hybrid conserves fuel

With the regular Honda CR-V, you can get the best gas mileage by upgrading to all-wheel drive. All hybrid versions come with all-wheel drive as a standard feature. The EPA estimates that the Honda CR-V Hybrid gets 40 mpg on city roads and 35 mpg on the highway.

This is considerably higher than its gas-operated counterpart, especially on city roads. The regular CR-V with all-wheel drive only scores 27 mpg during city driving and 32 mpg at highway speeds.

How much will it cost?

A hybrid version of each of the existing CR-V models is available. The Hybrid LX is the cheapest trim at $28,870. The EX Hybrid goes for $31,380 and the EX-L Hybrid retails for $33,870. The Touring trim comes with every available feature and will cost $37,070.

The prices on the gas-operated CR-V cars are around $2,000-$2,500 less than the hybrids, depending on the trim. However, the fuel economy savings offered by the hybrids probably make up the difference. The CR-V Hybrid was released on March 1.

How does the Honda CR-V Hybrid measure up against the competition?

The CR-V Hybrid’s biggest rival is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The RAV4 Hybrid also comes with all-wheel drive and plentiful safety features, but it has slightly better gas mileage than the CR-V Hybrid. According to the EPA, the RAV4’s hybrid model scores 41 mpg for city driving and 38 mpg on the highway.

Car and Driver also pointed out that the accelerating inside the RAV4 feels smoother compared to the CR-V Hybrid. The CR-V Hybrid’s base trim is $100 cheaper than the RAV4 Hybrid. However, it doesn’t come with as many standard tech features like smartphone integration.

In MotorTrend’s comparison test, reviewers found that the interior on the RAV4 Hybrid was not as functional as the CR-V Hybrid. The second row’s seat can’t be folded down completely, leaving less room for cargo. They also noted that there’s not as much space for passengers compared to Honda’s new hybrid.

Another notable competitor is the Ford Escape Hybrid. It gets the better gas mileage on models with all-wheel drive and comes with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, it’s also more expensive than both the RAV4 and CR-V hybrid versions. It also can’t beat the CR-V Hybrid in terms of power since its hybrid system only produces 198 hp.