2018 Honda CR-V

Honda CR-V is offered with two engine options. The power is channeled via a CVT automatic transmission. The passengers are treated to spacious, well equipped interior covered in sumptuous and tastefully designed materials.

The CR-V range starts at $24,150 and gets many basic amenities like multiangle backup camera, 4 speaker audio, and rear AC vent. However, the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated engine is less powerful and thirstier than the new 1.5 L turbocharged engine available in EX trim at just over $2000 extra.

Trims	LX	EX	EX-L	Touring
Starting Price	$24,150	$26,950	29,450	32,650
Features	4 speaker audio 5.0 Inch infotainment rear AC vent single USB input multiangle backup camera auto parking brake with brake hold	Heated front seats 7.0 Inch infotainment Android auto and apple carplay Power driver seat 6 speaker audio Passive entry with pushbutton start Honda sensing	Leather-Trimmed Interior Power Tailgate Power-Adjustable Seating Automatic-Dimming Rearview Mirror	Hands-Free Access Power Tailgate Full LED Headlights Rain-Sensing Windshield Wipers Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System

We Recommend

The EX trim is recommended as it gets the 1.5 L turbocharged engine offering more power and more efficiency than the base 2.4 L naturally aspirated engine. Plus you also get the better high resolution 7.0- inch infotainment with Android Auto and Apple Carplay. 

 

The Honda`s approach to the driving dynamics of the CR-V was not to try to mimic a sports car or a limousine. Rather, they engineered a responsive, safe and predictable handling and supplemented it with a solid but pliant suspension. They then plonked in a very fuel efficient engine that makes up for its lack of power with crisp throttle response.

“With capable if not thrilling acceleration, composed handling and confident highway manners, the turbocharged CR-V is a multidisciplined competitor. If you’re looking for a small SUV that doesn’t makes compromises for its size, this Honda fits the bill.” – Edmunds

Engine and Transmission

The 2018 Honda CR-V is available with two engines – a base spec 2.4 L naturally aspirated engine that does duty on base LX trim. The 2.4 L I4 develops 184 hp and 180 pound-feet of torque. All the higher trims get a more efficient and more powerful 1.5 L turbocharged I4 engine developing 190 bhp and 179 pound-feet of torque. The numbers are unimpressive especially compared to 245 bhp Ford Escape.

	Honda CR-V Touring	Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	Mazda CX-5 Touring	Kia Sportage SX
Engine	1.5 Liter Turbocharged I4	2.0 Liter Turbocharged I4	2.5 Liter Naturally Aspirated I4	2.0 Liter Turbocharged I4
Torque	179 lb-ft @ 2000 – 5000 rpm	275 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm	185 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm	260 lb-ft @ 1450 rpm
Power	190 bhp @ 5600 rpm	245 bhp @ 5500 rpm	187 bhp @ 6000 rpm	237 bhp @ 6000 rpm
Transmission	CVT	6-Speed Automatic	6-Speed Automatic	6 Speed Automatic
Drivetrain	All Wheel Drive	All Wheel Drive	All Wheel Drive	All Wheel Drive

However, the 1.5 Liter turbo mated to a CVT is sufficiently powerful for a compact SUV like Honda CR-V. It has sufficient power to merge in with fast-moving traffic on the freeway. More importantly, in a compact SUV, you will appreciate the phenomenal fuel efficiency of the turbocharged engine. This does not mean CR-V is boring – far from it. Actually, the crisp response of the engine-CVT duo can be genuinely entertaining especially within the city.

Acceleration

After considering the power output, the 0-60 time of 1.5 L turbo CR-V seems not that slow. The CR-V reaches 60 mph from rest in 7.6 seconds whereas the Ford Escape powered by a turbocharged 2.0 Liter engine does the job in 7.1 seconds. The Kia Sportage though is significantly faster with 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds.

Vehicle	Quarter Mile	0-60 mph
Honda CR-V Touring	16.0 Seconds	7.6 Seconds
Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	15.6 Seconds	7.1 Seconds
Mazda CX-5 Touring	16.0 Seconds	7.7 Seconds
Kia Sportage SX	15.4 Seconds	6.9 Seconds

Ride and Handling

Modern Hondas are known for providing a great balance of ride and handling and the CR-V is no different. The steering is responsive, predictable and offer good feedback making daily commutes an entertaining experience. Engaging handling is not much important for an SUV and take it as an extra gift from Honda. Compliant and composed ride is.

The CR-V tackles road Imperfections – both small and large impressively. However, the Ford Escape is more pliant. The suspension in CR-V handle body motions tightly and body rolls at any speed is well controlled. However, as expected, the Mazda CX-5 is more entertaining to drive.

Braking

Like everything else, the brake pedal of the Honda CR-V is also responsive and it’s possible to apply just the amount of stopping power intended. The CR-V can come to a halt from 70 mph in 166 feet. That’s 6 feet less than the nearest competitor Kia Sportage. We think the low curb weight of the Honda CR-V is at play here. The Ford Escape trails far behind needing 184 feet to stop from 70 mph.

Car	Curb Weight	70 mph to 0
Honda CR-V Touring	3508 Lbs	166 feet
Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	3840 Lbs	184 feet
Mazda CX-5 Touring	3678 Lbs	175 feet
Kia Sportage SX	3768 Lbs	174 feet

Hauling and Towing capacity

Those eagerly ogling at the great fuel efficiency, cavernous cargo capacity, spacious interior and affordable price and planning to get a CR-V to tow a trailer to the woods are in for a massive blow. Compose your emotions and prepare for the fact that CR-V has lowest in class towing capacity – by a wide margin.

CR-V has a tow rating of 1500 pounds in all powertrain options and the nearest competitors are Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage at 2000 pounds. The Ford Escape with 2.0 L EcoBoost engine can tow comparatively massive 3500 pounds.

Vehicle	Towing Capacity
Honda CR-V 1.5 L Turbo I4 FWD	1,500 Lbs
Ford Escape 2.0 L Ecoboost FWD	3,500 Lbs
Mazda CX-5 2.5 L I4 FWD	2,000 Lbs
Kia Sportage SX 2.0 L Turbo I4 FWD	2,000 Lbs

“Good to look at, good to drive, and good on gas. The CR-V is the most fuel-efficient compact crossover we’ve tested so far, and it’s not a hybrid—yet. Plus, the newer, more compelling powerplant has better EPA fuel economy than the base engine.” – Car and Driver

The CR-V`s lower engine displacement helps it to achieve better fuel efficiency numbers. The CR-V produces best-in-class fuel economy at 27 mpg in city and 33 mpg on for a combined EPA rating of 29 mpg.

Car	MPG (City/Hwy/Combined)
Honda CR-V Touring	27/33/29
Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	20/27/23
Mazda CX-5 Touring	24/29/26
Kia Sportage SX	21/26/23

The second best competitor is Mazda CX-5 with combined EPA figure of 26 mpg while the powerful 2.0 EcoBoost equipped Ford Escape gets combined EPA rating of 23 mpg. Do note that optioning AWD reduces highway and city efficiency rating by 1 mpg.

Seating and Comfort

The CR-V seats offer good support and spending a long time driving won`t be tiring. The driving position feels natural and all the controls fall easily in the hand. The elbow rest is generously padded making CR-V a comfortable highway liner. The also CR-V has best in class headroom and legroom – both in the front and at the back.

Car	First Seat Passenger Space   (Headroom/Legroom)	Back Seat Passenger Space   (Headroom/Legroom)
Honda CR-V Touring	(40.1/41.3)	(39.2/40.4)
Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	(39.9/43.1)	(39.0/37.3)
Mazda CX-5 Touring	(40.1/41.0)	(39.0/39.3)
Kia Sportage SX	(39.3/41.5)	(39.1/38.2)

A common complaint in modern Hondas is lack of physical buttons for basic controls. The 2018 CR-V is no different. Every control is moved to the touchscreen and to make matter worse, that touchscreen is irritatingly slow to respond. While driving, it’s a pain to use that touchscreen.

Cargo Space

The CR-V has best in class cargo space – either with second row up or down. With all seats up, the Honda CR-V has 39 cubic feet of cargo volume. For comparison, the next best competitor is Ford Escape at 34 cubic feet. Second row folds in 60/40 split. When second row is folded, the cargo volume increases to 78 cubic feet, again 10 cubic feet more than the nearest competitor – Ford Escape.

Cargo Space (Cubic Feet)
	All Seats Up	Second Row Folded
Honda CR-V Touring	39	78
Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	34	68
Mazda CX-5 Touring	34	65
Kia Sportage SX	31	60

Infotainment System

The base 2018 Honda CR-V LX gets a standard 5-inch touchscreen and 160-watt audio system with 4 speakers. The EX trim gets a high-resolution 7-inch touchscreen which offers smartphone integration via android auto and apple carplay. The EX trim offers has increased speaker count and power output – 6 speaker and 180 watts. The upgrade in speaker count continues as you upgrade to higher trims – EX L trim gets two additional tweeters and Touring trim gets 9 speaker for total power output of 330 watts.oe

The new Honda CR-V also gets a much needed volume knob. However, the touchscreen is still slow to respond and the driver has to interact with the touchscreen to control most of the function. This can be troublesome and distracting during driving.

The Honda CR-V will delight you when you open the door with its spacious occupant’s seat and best in class cargo capacity. The seats can be folded in a variety of configuration for flexibility and they fold conveniently too. Further, seats are draped in sumptuous materials if you get reasonably priced EX trim. Infotainment remains a nagging point.

2018 Honda CR-V Interior Features
Heated Front Seats	Optional
Multi-Angle Rearview Camera	Standard
Rear AC Vents	Standard
Android Auto and Apple Carplay	Optional
Rain Sensing Windshield Wiper	Optional
Auto Parking Brake with Brake Hold	Standard

The all new CR-V adopts a futuristic styling that has a hint of aggression to it. The thick chrome garnish on the grille, chrome surround on the glasshouse and sculpted bonnet looks purposeful. The impression of sloping roof and rising window line may imply impractically. However, these are genius design elements to fool the eye and overall shape is still essentially practical and all accommodating.

“Though still unmistakably a CR-V, the latest version of Honda’s small SUV looks like it has hit the gym, with a long, wide stance and more aggressive wheel designs.” – Kelley Blue Book

2018 Honda CR-V Exterior Features
Power Tailgate	Optional
Hands Free Access	Optional
60/40 Split Fold-Flat Seating	Standard
Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror	Optional
Aluminium alloy Wheels	Standard

Style

The last gen (fourth generation) CR-V had a friendly vibe to it that went hand in hand to its character. The new fifth generation is a bit different when it comes to looks. Those sweeping lines are replaced by sharp edges and a chrome trim extends from front grill and extends to the headlights aggressively. The wheel arches are tightly sculpted and they accommodate 17 inch aluminum alloy wheels.

The tail light continues to intimidate, extending all the way to the roof mounted spoiler surrounding the sear glass. Twin exhaust will impress (or intimidate) many. Worry not, these are just to scare away those neighbors and the CR-V remains as friendly in other areas as ever. After all, a cyborg guarding your driveway isn’t a bad thing.

Dimension and Weight

The CR-V is the longest vehicle in its class at 180.6 inch. It’s also one of the widest at 73 inch. The CR-V stands taller than all its competitor at 66.5 inch and has great ground clearance too at 7.8 inch. See, it is imposing.

Vehicle	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Ground Clearance	Weight
Honda CR-V Touring	180.6 inch	73.0 inch	66.5 inch	104.7 inch	7.8 inch	3508 Lbs
Ford Escape Titanium Ecoboost	178.1 inch	72.4 inch	66.3 inch	105.9 inch	7.8 inch	3840 Lbs
Mazda CX-5 Touring	178.7 inch	72.4 inch	65.7 inch	106.2 inch	8.5 inch	3678 Lbs
Kia Sportage SX	176.4 inch	73.0 inch	64.8 inch	105.1 inch	6.8 inch	3768 Lbs

The 2018 Honda CR-V gets Honda Sensing driver assistance technologies on EX trim and higher. The Honda sensing suite now includes Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF). Along with common alerts, you also get:

• Blind Spot Information (BSI) system
• Cross Traffic Monitor
• Auto High-Beam system (AHB)
• Driver Attention Monitor

The CR-V`s unibody construction now employs 57-percent high-strength steel and crash stroke front frame rails and rear frame structures helps in absorbing if you do manage to get in a collision. Advanced front airbag system, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags with rollover sensor round of the passive safety package.

All this is no fairy tale and has real world benefits. 2018 Honda CR-V is same as 2017 Honda CR-V. The 2017 CR-V gets 5 star safety rating from NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and gets TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Following table shows IIHS rating for various type of crashes.

“Standard on EX and higher trims, the CR-V’s suite of standard driver-assist and safety features includes such vital accident-avoidance systems as collision-mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist.” – Kelley Blue Book

2018 Honda CR-V crash test rating by IIHS
Small Overlap	Good
Moderate Overlap	Good
Side Impact	Good
Roof Impact	Good
Head Restraint and Seats	Good

The Honda CR-V has a reputation of reliability. The 2018 CR-V reliability rating is not available. However, the 2017 CR-V gets 3.5 predicted reliability score. Further, the CR-V`s are known to hold their value well over the years.

The Honda CR-V is a comprehensive package that does what a compact SUV is meant to do brilliantly. However, other competitors do excel in some areas and it's worth looking at them.

Honda CR-V vs Ford Escape

The Ford Escape is a well built, good looking and comprehensively equipped option in compact SUV segment. It is also available with a 2.0 L EcoBoost that develops considerably more power than CR-V (245 bhp). However, do note that a well-equipped Escape will be significantly expensive than CR-V.

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5

The Mazda CX-5 is a great option if you want great driving characteristics from a compact SUV. Further, it now also has a dose of practicality with tastefully designed exterior and delicious interiors. It does lack the interior space against the CR-V and your choice should boil down to your preference.

Honda CR-V vs Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage is a recent contender in the compact SUV segment and offers solidly built and roomy interiors with great styling. It retails significantly lower than its peers for a similarly equipped trim. However, that is offset by its disappointing fuel economy.

The new 2018 Honda CR-V continues follows in the steps of its predecessor, offering spacious interiors, segment-best fuel economy, good ride quality and standard tech features. All this in a reliable and safe package that’s priced appropriately.

However, there is one nagging issue. The infotainment is slow to respond and lack of necessary physical controls aggravate the matter. If you want a compact SUV that excels in one particular area, the Ford Explorer is more powerful and Mazda CX-5 has benign handling characteristics. If you are strict about your budget, Kia Sportage is considerably affordable.

However, none of the compact SUV delights us like the CR-V. For the past 20 years, the CR-V has been one of the best-selling SUV in America with a total of 4 million units sold since debut in 1997. It’s these numbers that make the point clear.