Our Opinion - 2025 Honda HR-V Review A lot of the usefulness and appeal of Honda’s famous CR-V is still there in the 2025 Honda HR-V, but it is smaller. It’s comfortable and roomy inside, and there are lots of storage spaces and basic features for connectivity and driver aid. What’s bad about the HR-V is its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and continuously variable automatic transmission, which make it one of the slowest subcompact cars. We hope to see a hybrid model with better speed in the future, but for now, this is the only powertrain option. This makes the HR-V less appealing to people who like to drive. People who want more fun should think about the Hyundai Kona and the Mazda CX-30, which are both subcompact SUVs. What's New? The HR-V has mostly stayed the same in 2025; the only thing that has changed is the price. Pros and Cons Pros Standard driver aid that is helpful. Cute Cabin. Great driving and a smooth ride. Cons Need to be faster. Not very good fuel economy. When you drive fast, it’s loud and rough. Engine, Transmission, and Performance Outside of the US, you can buy an HR-V hybrid, but this model only comes with one fuel option: a standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine that makes 158 horsepower. If this sounds like something you’ve heard before, it’s because the Civic car and hatchback have the same basic engine. In the bigger and bigger HR-V, this engine is very slow. Since the SUV and Civic are built on the same platform, a 180-hp 1.5-liter turbo-four or a hybrid engine will be added in the future. You can get all-wheel drive on any model right now, but front-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) come as standard. Safety Honda puts a lot of driver-assistance features in the HR-V, such as adaptive speed control and lane-keeping assist. For more information regarding the HR-V’s crash test scores, you can visit the websites of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Some important safety factors are: Normal automatic stopping in an emergency. Normal lane exit alarm that helps you stay in your lane. It comes with adaptive speed control. Internal and External Cargo Capacity The Civic has a lot to do with the HR-V’s sleek and stylish interior. The front seats can be adjusted in a lot of different ways and are supportive and comfy. Despite its basic exterior, the HR-V has several thoughtful touches and well-placed storage. The HR-V’s usefulness is one of its best features. In our tests, the trunk space was big enough for seven carry-on bags, and with the back seats folding down, we could fit 22 suitcases behind the front row. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG The most fuel-efficient automobiles are front-wheel drive, which gets 26 mpg in the city and 32 on the interstate. All-wheel drive reduces highway and city mpg to 30 and 25. The all-wheel-drive HR-V got better gas mileage than the EPA estimated (32 mpg) on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test route, which let us go 440 miles on a single tank of gas. Infotainment and Connectivity All versions have 7.0- or 9.0-inch touchscreen navigation with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Only the top-of-the-line EX-L trim has the bigger screen for wirelessly connecting to both services. The EX-L also includes a portable smartphone charging pad, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Range, Charging, and Battery Life In our acceleration tests, the HR-V took 9.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. This is more than a full second slower than the faster Mazda CX-30, which doesn’t have a turbocharger. The HR-V’s lack of power is clear every time you try to pass on a two-lane road or move onto a highway. Price and How to Choose The best deal is on the Sport trim level, which costs less than $30,000 and comes with a few more options than the base LX. We’re really interested in the 18-inch black wheels. For an extra $1500, you can get all-wheel drive on any model level.
