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ELANA SCHERR: Electric vehicles are big news.
But if you aren't ready for a plug-in commitment,
you can split the difference between gas-guzzler
and amp-eater--
I guess that would really be a watt hog--
by going hybrid.
That's just what Honda has done for 2020 with this version--
a hybrid--
of its popular crossover, the CR-V.
Now, the CR-V has long been an Edmunds number one
pick for small crossover.
We just really like it.
And that's even with competition from the Mazda
CX-5 and the Toyota RAV4.
Can the new Hybrid CR-V compete with its gas-only sibling?
Can it compete with Toyota's Hybrid RAV4?
There's only one way to find out.
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When hybrid cars were first introduced,
they used to have this kind of wacky, sci-fi design,
like they were really distinctive.
And nowadays, they're a lot more subtle.
But you can still identify the Hybrid CR-V by a special color
badge, says Hybrid on the side, and it's
got five LED fog lights.
It also has a unique rear bumper that
tucks away the exhaust to make it seem
like it has no exhaust at all.
It's kind of the opposite of the traditional performance
car, which might have fake exhaust
tips to make it seem like it has more exhaust than it really
does.
Here, they're like, no, no.
We admit nothing.
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You can get the hybrid powertrain
for any of the four trim levels that CR-V comes in.
So base-level LX is about 27,000.
And the top-level Touring, which is what we're in right now,
sets you back about 37, once all is said and done.
Honda Sensing, which is their safety suite of technology
to keep you from running into things, or backing into things,
or running off the road into things on the side--
it's standard on everything.
Base level, Touring trim--
you all get it.
So I think that's a good idea.
I think more car companies should consider safety
to be a necessity and not an option.
What we, at Edmunds, have always liked about the CR-V
is that, compared to some of the other small SUVs,
it just feels a little more refined than the RAV4, which
is kind of rowdy, a little loud, and maybe not quite
the handling machine of the Mazda CX-5,
but responsive enough.
The CR-V is never going to vie for a handling
machine of the year, but the steering feels tight.
It's not sloppy.
And the brakes are not too grabby.
So, so far, I'm having a nice driving experience.
We're in EV mode right now.
We're just humming along.
And it's quiet.
It's literally humming.
It makes a sort of angel sound to make sure
that we don't hit pedestrians.
But no engine noise whatsoever.
And that is because we're in a hybrid.
So it has a gas engine-- a 2-liter four-cylinder--
but it also has two electric motors.
And they were redesigned so that you can stay in EV mode
longer than you could on any other Honda hybrid.
The hybrid fuel economy is a little less
than Toyota, which gets 40.
But it is very close.
If we get on the gas a little bit,
then the gas motor kicks on, and it acts as a generator
to recharge those batteries.
It's nice.
They all work as a team.
They're friends.
I like that.
I think that's the way we should all work.
And if it ends up getting you about 212 horsepower,
well, I'm not sad about that, either.
In normal driving conditions, the CR-V basically
acts as a front-wheel drive vehicle,
because that's how you get the best fuel economy.
But if it senses a loss of traction-- say,
in sand or rain--
it'll move power to the rear wheels,
and then it's an all-wheel drive vehicle.
Smart.
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One of the things that I have always liked about the CR-V--
and, actually, about Honda vehicles in general--
is that the seating position, the driving position--
it's all great for short people, of which one I am.
I can use the dead pedal on the left side.
It's not too far forward.
I can see past the A pillar.
I can use the armrest.
It's not too far back when I move the seat forward.
I just really appreciate it, and it makes my driving experience
so much more comfortable.
The materials in the CR-V are, I would
say, nicer than you would expect if you've never been in one.
There's the plastic that's going to happen
when you're in a car that doesn't cost $50,000.
Sometimes it happens in a car that costs $50,000.
So I'm not going to complain about that.
And I do think some of the details, like the wood trim,
are really nice.
And Honda always does a good job with storage
and just general layout but it does have a shifter.
Also has-- mode buttons are really easy to find over here.
Sport-- did I notice a difference?
A little bit-- a little bit more throttle response
when you get on it.
But it's not a big deal.
Really, these buttons are--
you don't need them.
Those are my only interior complaints,
because I think the cup holders are in the right place.
I like this charging pad right here.
They put the USB ports here so the place
where you put your phone is near the place where
you put your cables.
The best thing is this console, because a purse fits in it.
And this is a medium-sized purse.
And you could fit a slightly bigger one in.
And I could still get to it while it's
in here, which is fantastic, because those of you-- at least
half the population, who carries purses-- knows how difficult it
is to kind of get stuff out of your purse
when it's on the far seat, or, even worse, in the backseat.
If you're not a purse person, you can, I don't know,
put your wallet there or something.
What do you even do?
How could you not be a purse person?
Where do you put your stuff?
Anyway, point is, clever console.
Infotainment screen is sort of in the middle, design-wise.
It's not that sad, stuck-on tablet look,
but it also isn't super integrated
into the design of the dash.
It's sort of a matte finish, which
means that it doesn't get quite as
fingerprinty as the glossy ones, but it also
isn't quite as clear, picture-wise, especially when
you have the camera views on.
You do have an actual volume knob, which is just the best.
Volume knobs are so much better than touchscreen volume
controls.
Everyone knows it.
Honda's infotainment system is not my favorite.
I feel like it's a little behind the times
in how it syncs to a phone.
Yeah, it has Apple CarPlay and that sort of stuff,
but it seems like it makes you jump through a lot of hoops
to get CarPlay set up.
And sometimes it wants you to do it multiple times when
you get in and out of the car.
And I can't figure out how to make
it stop auto-playing my music.
My music is great, but I want to make the decision
about playing it.
There might be a way of doing it.
I just haven't found it yet.
I really like the seats in the CR-V.
I was talking to a good friend of mine,
who is the same height as me, and she does not
like the seats in the CR-V. So I really don't
know what to tell you there.
For me, they're comfortable.
They are a little small.
If you are a larger person, you might feel
a little bit cramped in here.
But if you are exactly like me, then you
will think these are good seats.
You might be wondering why, in a car that has no transmission,
there are paddle shifters-- or, at least
what look like paddle shifters.
That's not what they are.
I think they probably were.
That's why they're here.
But what they do in the CR-V Hybrid
is control your regenerative braking.
So if you're going downhill, and you want the car to slow itself
down more without you stepping on the brakes,
you can kind of up that with the paddle.
And if you want to be able to coast
without touching brakes or gas, then you
can change that setting as well.
So that's what these guys do.
Not shifters.
Sometimes with the hybrid versions of gas vehicles,
you lose floor space and cargo space,
because the batteries take up so much room,
and the floor is sort of lifted up.
But that isn't the case in the CR-V.
There's a nice, low floor here.
And look.
Ah!
The seats still fold flat.
[LAUGHS]
Hybrid crossovers make sense.
You get to have that big vehicle with room
for all your people and all your stuff,
but you don't have the guilt over how much money you're
spending on gas and all the damage you're
doing to the environment.
It's best of both worlds.
I think we're going to see a lot more hybrid crossovers,
hybrid SUVs, and maybe hybrid trucks coming in the future.
In the meantime, the Honda CR-V Hybrid
is an excellent addition to the marketplace.
I personally liked it better than I
like the non-hybrid CR-V, and I think
it gives Toyota's RAV4 Hybrid a run for its money.
If you're shopping for a conveniently-sized SUV
with a hybrid drivetrain, definitely
put the CR-V on your list.
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