Honda CR-V 2020 Review

Like a mountaineer caught in a blizzard, it could be argued the Honda CR-V has lost its way. The jacked-up Japanese wagon may not be top of the mid-size SUV ‘must-buy’ list like the Toyota RAV4 or Mazda CX-5, and it doesn’t have much wow factor, but it’s a neat and tidy product with several unique and functional features.

Available in five- and seven-seat configuration, the MY2021 Honda CR-V has come in for a handful of universal updates, adding dual-zone climate control and a 7.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system with improved connectivity, along with a fresh new look.

From the outside you can pick the facelifted model via its new front bumper and grille design, resculpted rear bumper, tinted brake lights and redesigned alloy wheels, and from the inside via a redesigned centre console.

These aren’t radical changes and the CR-V still blends into the crowd like Charlize Theron wearing a hoodie and crocs, but they do add a more contemporary touch to the SUV’s visuals.

Inside, the MY21 Honda CR-V gets repositioned USB ports within easier reach of the driver and front passenger, but the same 7.0-inch infotainment touch-screen system is starting to look small compared to rivals’ bigger screens. The operating system is a bit slow and clunky, but she turns up cherry ripe when Apple CarPlay and Android Auto boot up.

Other standard features include keyless entry and push-button engine start, an electric park brake with auto-hold function (which is a godsend around town, holding the brakes so you don’t have to when stopped at a red light, for instance), LED daytime running lights, a multi-angle reversing camera, six airbags and trailer stability assist.

Trailer towing weights are rated to 600kg unbraked, 1500kg braked, more than enough for a jet ski, for example, but nothing too substantial.

Given its standing at the top of the family tree, the CR-V VTi LX variant also comes with 19-inch alloy wheels – including a full-size spare in the boot – and new LED headlights provide better road illumination after dark.

LED fog lights and tail-lights are added, as is a panoramic sunroof (with separate controls for sunblind and sunroof), tinted windows, rain-sensing wipers and, for the first time, a wireless phone charging pad. The latter is big enough to fit almost any smartphone and even a few phablets.

Also part of the package are sporty-looking (and surprisingly comfy) leather-appointed, power-operated and heated front seats, ambient interior lighting, digital radio, heated door mirrors and an auto-dimming rear-view camera.

The quirky (by conservative Japanese standards) but affable mid-size SUV no longer has a fold-out picnic table like the original 1990s models, but it does come with some unique – and useful – features.

We’re talking about ultra-wide 90-degree rear door opening angles that improve rear seat access, a lane-watch live camera feed that acts like a left-hand head check, and a conversation mirror that allows front seat occupants to see those in the rear seat and vice versa.

Owners can also hold down the lock/unlock button on the key fob to remotely close/open all windows, which is a neat touch not offered on all SUVs.

Incidental storage up front is very good thanks to large door pockets with hidden compartments and a flexible centre bin/armrest that has a sliding shelf and a 12-volt power socket. Twin central cup-holders offer good stability and average size.

Back seat legroom and headroom is spacious and there are twin USB ports, air-vents and discreet LED reading lights in evidence, as well as a fold-out armrest with cup-holders. In seven-seat models there are third-row air-vents and sliding second-row seats.

Our five-seat Honda CR-V offers 522 litres of boot space, which is an impressive amount considering it has a large 19-inch alloy spare wheel under the boot floor – and 80 litres more room than the Mazda CX-5.

But like plain black Dr Martens, the boot is devoid of features; there’s no shopping bag hooks, elasticised pockets or power sockets in the boot, just four tie-down hooks in the floor.

But it does have a wide boot opening and with the rear seats folded down the load space extends to just over 1.8 metres in length. Hello Ikea flat-pack furniture! Or fold-out mattress…

Top-spec CR-Vs get a powered tailgate that can be operated in four ways: a button on the tailgate, the key fob, a button under the steering wheel or via a foot kick gesture, the latter coming in handy when your hands are full (and unlike cryptocurrency can be used by anyone).

There are seven colours, two of them new, and on all models except the entry-level Vi, pearlescent and metallic paints are no-cost options, which is almost unheard of in this class. There are two upholstery choices dependent on model grade, black fabric or black leather-appointed seats.

As previously reported, Honda has attempted to simplify the range (by adding three new variants?!) and prices now span $30,490 to $47,490.

By way of comparison, the two top-selling medium SUVs in Australia are the Toyota RAV4 ($32,695-$48,915) and Mazda CX-5 ($30,980-$52,330). The CR-V is currently the eighth most popular vehicle in the fiercely-contested category.

There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the CR-V – it looks good, drives well, is feature-packed and has a strong five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and average capped-priced service costs ($312 each visit, for up to 10 years). Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km.

But Honda’s Aussie fortunes are about to take a big hit as it closes dealerships and moves to a new agency-based retail system. For customers, this means no wiggle-room or price haggling in the showroom.

The Honda CR-V is starting to show its age in terms of safety but all model grades except the entry-level CR-V Vi now get the Honda Sensing safety/driver assistance suite. This comprises adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation and autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which is a solid start.

Electronic stability control and six airbags (including full-length side airbags) are fitted as standard but some of its rivals offer more airbags.

While entry-level variants miss out on the advanced safety systems added as part of the MY21 mid-life update, all CR-Vs retain their five-star ANCAP safety rating because testing was conducted in 2017, when the testing regime wasn’t as strict.

Other tech features include a smart climate control system that can sense when one side of the car is getting more sun, such as on long freeway drives, and adjust automatically. There’s also a driver attention monitor that suggests when to take a break, and a tyre pressure monitor to alert drivers to a puncture before things go pear-shaped.

The digital instrument panel doesn’t have the clarity or resolution of newer digitised systems, nor does it span the entire width of the binnacle. But it’s an effective set-up with clear graphics, a horizontal rev counter and large digital speedometer. There are plenty of modes you can scroll through too, from in-depth fuel consumption data to a handy all-wheel drive display that shows the amount of drive at each wheel.

The reversing camera also has three modes (regular, fish-eye, vertical) which help make parking easier. However, some rivals now offer 360-degree parking cameras, which is missing on the CR-V.

All MY2021 Honda CR-V models are powered by a hardworking 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine (140kW/240Nm), except for the base-grade CR-V Vi, which gets a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (113kW/189Nm).

The 1.5-litre turbo on test is a diligent unit, providing the Japanese SUV with plenty of urge when you nail the accelerator pedal. Throttle response is prompt and there’s paddle shifters that allow a quasi-manual mode, but like grandpa after a big Christmas lunch, it takes forever to react.

The engine can also get a little noisy at higher revs, and while the automatic CVT (continuously variable transmission) delivers impressive claimed and as-tested fuel economy – 7.4L/100km and 9.1L/100km – it feels a little laggy at times and isn’t as quiet or smooth as newer CVTs.

Both front- and all-wheel drive configurations are offered, the latter starting in AWD mode but defaulting to front-drive if not required, largely to save fuel.

The Honda CR-V is a quiet and comfortable mode of transport, by and large, but unlike Christopher Nolan movies it doesn’t do anything to pique one’s interest.

The cabin design is quirky rather than contemporary and the engine sometimes gets a bit rowdy too – but if nothing else ride comfort is very good.

The CR-V’s independent suspension does an excellent job of cushioning occupants and cargo from cracks and cruddy road surfaces and it settles quickly after traversing speed bumps and big fissures in the road.

It has a knack of smoothing-out pockmarked surfaces and proved effective at keeping my two-year-old son sound asleep in some challenging conditions. No easy task, that one.

Honda’s updated CR-V is an exceedingly relaxed car to drive too, the high-mounted gear-shifter falling easily to hand, the auto-brake and adaptive cruise control features working well across a wide variety of roads and scenarios.

The light steering makes parking and tight manoeuvres a doddle, and the raised seating position helps in the cut and thrust of the shopping centre car park.

While the Honda doesn’t hug the road as keenly as Mazda’s CX-5 or feel as grounded through roundabouts and corners, it’s not what you’d call undynamic.

Part of me wishes there was a Mugen-tuned high-performance version or a Honda CR-V Type R to rival chunked-up, fun-to-drive sporty versions of the Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5 and bathe the rest of the CR-V range in its superior halo and get more tyre kickers into showrooms. I also wish trees were made of chocolate sometimes…

Sporting a fresh exterior design and a handful of new convenience features adding to its already versatile repertoire, the Honda CR-V will be a sound fit for many buyers looking for a solid, reliable SUV.

It’s easy to drive, and while some of its rivals are edging ahead in terms of technology levels, it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been completely left behind. Not yet anyway, with plenty of newer metal on the way such as the redesigned Hyundai Tucson…

The CR-V has been around since 1995, one of the original mainstream compact SUVs along with the Toyota RAV4 (1994) and Subaru Forester (1997) to establish a market presence, and has evolved into something bigger and smarter since then.

Like an Adam Sandler movie, the updated Honda CR-V does not represent a paradigm shift – you know what you’re in for here.

The mid-size family SUV has nothing novel to propel it to the top of the sales charts, but it gets the basics right and delivers a number of unique and rather charming features that make it easy to live with.

How much does the 2020 Honda CR-V VTi LX cost?
Price: $47,490 (plus on-road costs)
Available: November
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/240Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 9.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 169g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)