Living With the 2025 Honda HR-V Vi X: 3 Months, 8,000km and the honest truth

Since its arrival in Australia in the late 1990s, the Honda HR-V has come a long way, evolving over three generations from a boxy, squared-off SUV to the sleek(er) machine offered today.

We reckon it looks a whole lot better now than the first-gen version of the “High-rider Revolutionary Vehicle” (aka HR-V) that hit Aussie roads almost three decades ago.

Although it’s firmly established as a household name Down Under, the Japanese brand’s smallest SUV remains something of an outlier on local roads, where it’s consistently outsold by key rivals like the Mitsubishi ASX, Hyundai Kona, MG ZS, Mazda CX-30, GWM Haval Jolion and Toyota Corolla Cross, among others.

That’s part of the reason why we chose the HR-V for this long-term test: to find out why it’s significantly less loved than many other compact SUVs.

Could it be the result of Honda’s business model?

In case you missed it, Honda Australia launched a controversial agency model in 2021 with fixed purchase and servicing costs nationwide, before posting the worst year of sales in its modern history, after shifting just 13,734 vehicles in 2023.

It’s now bouncing back and according to Honda Australia, the brand intends on fighting it out for sales Down Under, even as competition stiffens with the arrival of newer and cheaper alternatives like the Chery Tiggo 4, the best-selling small-SUV in September 2025, according to VFACTs sales figures.

Anyway, back to the HR-V in question.

We opted for the most affordable variant in the three-pronged line-up – the HR-V Vi X – which kicks off at $34,900 drive-away. It’s also the only petrol option, with the other two options powered by Honda’s e:HEV hybrid powertrain, commanding a premium of between $5000-$8000.

The goal? To see how the HR-V stacks up in everyday life.

Aside from one (really) annoying quirk, the 2025 Honda HR-V was a breeze to live with and our three months and circa-8000km went surprisingly quick.

I’ll touch on that quirk a little later but let’s just say, it was shocking!

Although the HR-V is wonderfully simplistic in its design, it still comes equipped with all the modern creature comforts you’d expect: keyless entry, push button start, dusk-sensing LED headlights and a 9.0-inch central display with wireless Apple CarPlay (and wired Android Auto).

There’s also a host of ‘Honda Sensing’ safety gear on board – autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition – but thankfully no intrusive driver monitoring system constantly hounding you.

Clever storage are found around the cabin for different items, although enclosed areas like the glovebox and centre console are on the small side. I found the boot plenty big enough for everyday duties – a week’s worth of groceries is fine – and the few times we had the car completely full (with two adults, two dogs and a bunch of luggage) we still didn’t feel crammed.

Drivers of different sizes will appreciate a leather-wrapped steering wheel with tilt and telescopic reach adjustment, plus plenty of (manual) adjustments for the front seats. It’s easy to get in and out of thanks to its height (it’s not a low-slung sedan) and because the second row loses the centre seat, it feels rather spacious back there for two adults. 

Longer drives – between Sydney and Canberra and then to Melbourne – proved reasonably comfortable but the seats could do with more padding. The lack of lumbar support also had me stuffing rolled up jumpers behind my back a few times. It’s tolerable but there are more comfortable seats to spend hours in.

The actual driving side of things is again, simple. It’s the kind of car you can just get in, press the start button, and go. Unless you’re really hammering it – in which case the engine is noisy inside the cabin and you’ll hear it working hard – the drive is serene.

Admittedly that could be because it’s powered by a measly 89kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that’s best used to tootle around town. The petrol-powered HR-V will still keep up out on the open road of course, with enough guts to build speed and overtake on freeways (as long as you plan accordingly).

At no point did I require more power – it did everything I needed it to do and I instead adjusted my (usually fast-paced and sometimes too enthusiastic) driving style to suit the little Honda, which is why I think it made me a better driver. Or at least a more patient one.

Over the course of three months with the 2025 Honda HR-V Vi X, average fuel consumption was consistent. In fact, once we hit a low of 6.7L per 100km, that’s where it stayed the entirety of the loan, even with a mix of driving.

I’m talking urban – driving to the gym, shops/cafes, and 20-minute trips to the hair salon – as well as plenty of highway kays, including several trips between Canberra and Sydney, and one final road trip from Canberra to Melbourne, to return our little stead.

One tidbit; I found the HR-V’s fuel tank was on the smaller side. That might sound like a strange thing to mention but the only reason I thought to check the size against competitors was because it seemed like I was having to refuel more often than I have in other (similar-sized) cars over similar distances.

And yep, when I checked the specs, I found the HR-V is fitted with a 40-litre fuel tank, while most of its competitors are fitted with a tank that’s at least 50L (the Mitsubishi ASX’s is a whopping 63L by comparison).

Some modern cars require you to use premium 95 RON (or higher) fuel, however, you can fill up the HR-V with 91 RON.

Another tidbit? It took me much longer than I care to admit to find the fuel flap release lever. That’s only because it’s buried up under the dash, out of sight, until you crouch down searching. Yep, I walked around like a fool for at least a minute trying to work out how to open the fuel cap the first time I filled up.

With all said and done, we never could quite reach Honda’s claim of 6.2L/100km, but 6.7L isn’t far off and hey, at least it was consistent.

On the maintenance front, Honda offers a five-year service plan priced at $995, which equates to $199 per service, with visits to the workshop due every 12 months or 10,000km.

It’s worth noting that most competitors stretch that kilometre distance to 15,000km, so if you do lots of kms, the HR-V could end up costing more in servicing.

Gladly, there’s nothing to report when it comes to any faults or problems with the HR-V and reliability-wise, it was solid. No breakdowns, no warning lights and no dealer visits required during our time with it.

The 2025 Honda HR-V Vi X is the kind of car that grows on you.

A very mild facelift late last year brought about a few pricing changes and minor cosmetic tweaks, but the third-gen city SUV retained its smart, uncomplicated styling.

I know looks are subjective, but I think it’s one of the more attractive options in the segment and based on looks alone, I’d take a HR-V over a Hyundai Kona, MG ZS or Toyota Corolla Cross.

Inside, the feeling is simple yet solid. The cabin layout is straightforward and even though it’s mostly black-on-black plastics that do little to inspire, it also means there’s not much to break or scratch. Those fancy piano black surfaces in higher-end models scuff if you just look at them for too long. So yeah, while it’s not fancy, I quite like the HR-V’s uncluttered cabin.

That un-fancy feel extends to the 9.0-inch touch-screen, which does a good job – the graphics are clear and it’s responsive and intuitive. Usually, I avoid using wireless Apple CarPlay because it so often drops out and loses connection but not once did that happen in the HR-V. Win!

Climate control dials and buttons on a panel below the central screen are a welcome change to modern cars that forego physical dials and shove everything in the screen and I only realised towards the end of our loan that the temperature knob is backlit and changes between red and blue depending on whether you’re moving from cool to hot – a useless but cool feature.

Even the driver’s digital instrument cluster is basic, with pretty much no customisation options beyond being able to choose which information is displayed inside the tacho. Again, at this price point, it does exactly what it’s supposed to and is easy to understand.

For a compact SUV, Honda’s clever ‘Magic Seats’ bring impressive versatility to the second row, allowing for multiple seat and cargo configurations to stow larger or awkward-shaped items.

We did lots of trips with the dogs – a German Shepherd and a King Charles Cavalier, for size reference – in the second row, both of which seemed to enjoy the additional space once the rear seat bases were stowed. Thankfully, not being able to see out the windows wasn’t an issue.

Travelling with a pair of adults in the rear seat proved comfortable enough for all involved too – it somehow feels even more spacious knowing someone can’t be crammed in the middle seat (because there’s no seatbelt for them).

On a random note, the non-porous fabric upholstery was super easy to vacuum and keep clean, too.

On the move, the HR-V Vi X is easy and relaxing. There’s nothing thrilling about its four-cylinder engine’s modest 89kW/145Nm outputs and it really does nothing to excite. Instead, the HR-V encourages a calm, patient driving style which is refreshing in today’s fast-paced world. Indeed, it forced me to slow down.

Although it’s not quick, the HR-V feels composed and confident behind the wheel and its Michelin-clad 18-inch wheels provided plenty of grip across a range of weather conditions – even icy 1°C winter mornings.

Dependable and reliable, other things that made the HR-V easier to live with was its adaptive cruise control, which seemed to judge distances between vehicles well, slowing down and speeding up gradually rather than slamming on the brakes as some others do.

Lastly, the HR-V has a safety feature I’ve seen on only a few other modern cars: the driver’s seatbelt must be clicked into the buckle to shift before you can shift from ‘park’ to ‘drive’, meaning you can’t go anywhere without buckling up.

I first discovered it when I was shuffling vehicles around on the driveway and figured I didn’t need a seatbelt to travel five metres at 2km/h, but the little Honda disagreed. It happened a few more times in similar instances and I came to the conclusion that it can only be a good thing.

Let’s start with the static electric shocks, which seem like such a ridiculous and niche thing to bring up but when I tell you I got a shock almost every single time I got out, I’m not joking.

I’m convinced the cloth seat upholstery was the culprit because it made no difference what clothing I was wearing, what time of day it was or how long I was behind the wheel, be it five minutes or 50; I got a shock just about every time I stepped out of the car and put my hand on the door to close it.

It was a drawback I could’ve never predicted, and it was so frustrating that it almost forced me to buy one of those silly-looking static straps that dangle from a car’s rear bumper on to the ground to earth it. I even tried a method of grounding myself by touching the glass to try and reduce the shock and while sometimes it lessened, I was still zapped.

Elsewhere, the entry-level HR-V Vi X misses out on some key equipment offered on higher grade hybrid models – luxuries such as fog lights, heated side mirrors, dual-zone climate control, electric tailgate, cornering function for the headlights, blind spot monitoring and heated front seats.

In all honesty, it was that last feature I missed most during the frosty Canberra winter, but fortunately the heater worked well, warming up the cabin very quickly.

The base HR-V’s sluggish petrol engine is another drawback, yet admittedly one I grew accustomed to quickly, even if its gutless performance was uninspiring for the entire three months.

Even worse was the droning CVT, which only amplified the noise anytime you pushed the HR-V to go a little faster. For all the noise it produces, the speed doesn’t necessarily correspond.

Again, it’s not a painfully slow machine, but it does encourage a more patient, laid-back driving style.

On road, the HR-V’s firmly sprung suspension can cause it to bounce rather harshly over bumps or potholes, particularly on rough or broken country roads. It’s a calmer experience on smooth city or suburban roads, which is where we suspect HR-V owners will spend most of their driving time.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t a problem for us but it’s worth noting that the petrol HR-V’s 304 litre boot is smaller than key rivals including the Hyundai Kona, MG ZS and first-generation Mitsubishi ASX.

It wins back points, however, with those magic rear seats that bring added versatility its counterparts struggle to match.

Again, one of the HR-V’s critical downfalls – for families or people with lots of friends – is the fact that it only has four seats.

Truth be told, I didn’t expect to grow as fond of the 2025 Honda HR-V Vi X as I have over the last three months, and I’ve come away thinking a) this is an easy car to recommend and b) I could happily continue living with it.

That said, I’d invest in one of those unsightly static straps to reduce the unrelenting electric shocks – or perhaps a set of seat covers would reduce the static build-up I’m almost certain is caused by the cloth upholstery.

I’d also put money on the fact that having one less seat (even though most will rarely use all five seats in a small SUV) has deterred many potential buyers. Put simply, there are more affordable options out there, and they come with five seats.

More fuel-efficient offerings also exist but if a Honda is what you want and you can justify the extra cash, one of the hybrid HR-Vs will reduce running costs.

Are there better options in the compact SUV class? It depends on what you’re looking for. If your idea of a good compact SUV is one that doesn’t stress you out, makes daily life easier, and doesn’t try to impress with gimmicks, then yes, this is a car we’d genuinely recommend.

No, it probably didn’t make me a better person. But it did force me to slow down and be more patient, bringing a sense of calm to the everyday commute.

And that’s a rare thing in today’s car market. 

2025 Honda HR-V Vi X at a glance:
Time with car: 3 months

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