2019 Honda CR-V

On the surface, it does look like it. Honda CR-V offers a lot of space, has great driving dynamics, and has decent performance as well. There are a lot of cars in this segment though, and some of those might catch your fancy too. So, let's take a deeper look into what makes this car better.

Sans the ‘Touring’ trim, Honda CR-V costs less than 30 Grand. The base variant is surprisingly cheap, under $25,000, at which point it could become an alternative to the best sub-compact cars.

Trim	LX	EX	EX-L	Touring
MSRP (FWD)	$24,350	$27,250	$29,750	$32,750
Key Features	LX trim gets the following features	EX gets the same features as LX with following addition/replacements	EX-L gets the same features as EX with following addition/replacements	Touring gets the same features as EX-L with following addition/replacements
	2.4 Liter Inline-4 Engine	1.5-Liter Turbocharged Inline-4 Engine	Power Tailgate with Programmable Height	Hands-Free Remote Tailgate
	LED Daytime Running Lights	Remote Engine Start	Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel and Shift Knob	Roof Rails
	Multi-Angle Rearview Camera`	Honda Sensing (Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Road Departure Mitigation System)	Automatic-Dimming Rearview Mirror	Rain-Sensing Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers
	Fold-Flat 60/40 Split Rear Seats	Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers
	17-inch Alloy Wheels	Auto High-Beam Headlights
	Eco Assist System	Blind Spot Monitoring System with Cross Traffic Monitor
	Automatic Climate Control System	Adaptive Cruise Control
	Remote Entry System	Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control System
	Easy Fold-Down 60/40 Split Rear Seatback
	Power Side Mirrors
	Bluetooth HandsFreeLink
	USB Audio Interface (Optional)
	Available Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System

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Get the EX trim; it gets all the great safety features like Blind spot monitoring, Forward collision warning, Auto high beam headlamps, etc.

The 2019 Honda CR-V comes in four basic flavors, turbo, and non-turbo with either front- or all-wheel drive. None inspire, but the turbocharged engine in 2019 CR-V EX, EX-L, and Touring trim levels provides decent oomph with good fuel economy.   -The Car Connection

Engine and Transmission

The 2019 model uses the same powertrains as the 2018 Honda CR V. It gets two engine choices, a sprightly 1.5 liter inline-4 turbo, and the base 2.4 liter inline-4 naturally aspirated. The base engine, which is only available in the base model, pushes out a maximum of 184 horses. The smaller turbocharged engine on other trims churns a little more, 190 Horsepower.

While the difference in power output doesn’t seem much, the turbo engine is an absolute joy to drive. Power comes in strong but linear and is in no way hampered due to its tiny capacity. You could have both the engines with either front wheel or all-wheel drive system. CVT comes standard with sports mode in all trims, which although rear for a CVT, isn’t as engaging as a manual could have been. It is much easier for everyday use though.

Models	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester 2.5i	Kia Sorento L
MSRP	$25,345	$24,795	$25,190	$25,345	$26,545	$25,690	$25,795	$26,195	$24,295	$26,980
Engine	2.4L Inline-4	1.5L Inline-4 Turbocharged gas	2.0L Inline-4	2.5L Inline-4	2.4L Inline-4 Regular Unleaded	2.4L Inline-4	2.5L Inline-4	1.5L Inline-4 Turbo Gas/Ethanol	2.5L Boxer-4 Regular Unleaded	2.4L Inline-4 Regular Unleaded
Transmission	Continuously variable automatic	6-Speed automatic	8-Speed automatic	6-Speed automatic	8-Speed automatic	Continuously variable automatic	Continuously variable automatic	9-Speed automatic	Continuously variable automatic	6-Speed automatic
Horsepower	184 hp@ 6400rpm	170 hp@ 5600rpm	184 hp@ 4400rpm	187 hp@ 6000rpm	185 hp@ 6000rpm	166 hp@ 6000rpm	170 hp@ 6000rpm	170 hp@ 5600rpm	182 hp@ 5800 rpm	185 hp@ 6000rpm
Torque	180 ft-lbs.@ 3900rpm	203 ft-lbs.@ 2000rpm	221 ft-lbs.@ 1600 rpm	186 ft-lbs.@ 4000rpm	178 ft-lbs.@ 4000rpm	162 ft-lbs.@ 4200rpm	175 ft-lbs.@ 4400rpm	203 ft-lbs.@ 2000rpm	176 ft-lbs.@ 4400rpm	178 ft-lbs.@ 4000rpm

As for the competition, all the cars here come at the same entry price, and make nearly identical power figures, save for a few horses. The torque figures are a bit more diverse, but nothing that deserves special attention. Mitsubishi Outlander is quite underpowered, with just 160 HP propelling it forward.

Acceleration

Performance has never been a strong point for SUVs, or for budget cars, and CR V is both! 60 Miles an hour comes up in a generous 7.7 seconds, just enough to not be called lazy at full clip. Quarter mile comes up in a similarly cool and clam fashion, in exactly 16 seconds.

Models	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester	Kia Sorento L
0-60 MPH	7.7 sec	N/A	N/A	8.7 sec	8.9 sec	N/A	N/A	6.8 sec	9.6 sec	7.3 sec
Quarter mile	16 sec	N/A	N/A	16.7 sec	16.7 sec	N/A	N/A	15.4 sec	17.3 sec	N/A
Engine	2.4L Inline-4	1.5L Inline-4 Turbocharged gas	2.0L Inline-4	2.5L Inline-4	2.4L Inline-4 Regular Unleaded	2.4L i4	2.5L Inline-4	1.5L Inline-4 Turbo Gas/Ethanol	2.5L Boxer-4 Regular Unleaded	2.4L Inline-4 Regular Unleaded
Emission (Tons/yr. of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	N/A	6.3	7.7	6.3	N/A	6.5	6.1	N/A	N/A	N/A

The Acadia takes the cake here, though not by much. The little GMC SUV is a second quicker to the 60 MPH mark by a whole second against the Honda.

Braking

Braking is quite effective in the Honda CRV, with disc brakes on all wheels. The front pair consists of 11.1-inch discs, and the rear, 10.2 inches. The curb weight isn’t light, and you can feel weight under panic braking situations. Under all other circumstances, the weight is well masked.

Model	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester	Kia Sorento L
Brake Front (in.)	11.1	N/A	13.4	11.7	12.6	11.6	11.7	11.6	11.8	12.6
Brake Rear (in.)	10.2	N/A	11.8	11.9	12	11.9	11.5	11.2	11.3	12
Curb Weight (lbs.)	3307	3274	3721	3541	3591	3329	3456	3449	3499	3810
60-0 MPH (ft.)	115	N/A	N/A	136	130	N/A	N/A	130	129	N/A

Kia Sorento and Volkswagen Tiguan deserve a mention in the weight segment. They are extremely heavy cars, approaching 4000 pounds on better-equipped trims. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Chevy Equinox, which is about 30 pounds lighter than the Base CRV.

Honda’s compact SUV, is quite an economical choice, as all Hondas are. A city drive would reach to about 26 miles if you’re careful, and on a smooth freeway, you could easily push that figure up to 32 MPG. This averages to a combined efficiency figure of 28 Miles per Gallon, which is quite impressive.

Model	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester	Kia Sorento L
MPG (city)	26	26	22	25	22	25	26	26	26	22
MPG (highway)	32	32	29	31	29	30	33	32	30	29
MPG (combined)	28	28	25	28	25	27	29	28	28	25
Range (city/highway (miles)	364 / 448	387 / 477	337 / 444	370 / 459	414 / 545	415/498	377 / 479	387.4/447	431.6/547.8	414 / 545
Tank Capacity (gal)	14.0	14.9	15.3	14.8	18.8	16.6	14.5	14.9	14.9	18.8

This entire segment consists of very frugal cars, which manage to squeeze anywhere between 25 to 29 MPG for city and highway combined driving. On paper, Nissan Rogue has been rated the highest in class, at 26 and 33 MPG in the city and highway respectively.

 

As noted, the 2019 CR-V's 2-row/5-passenger interior space is one of its best attributes -- an impressive feat given that the previous generation was already among the most spacious in its class. -Kelley Blue Book

Seating and Comfort

The CR V is a typical Honda, in that the interiors aren’t too fancy, but extremely spacious. It is probably the roomiest car here, primarily because it doesn’t try to fit in more than it can handle. There is ample space for 5 people, and the CR V doesn’t claim to seat anymore. All the sets are great for comfortably seating adults, and one could even argue that the Honda is the most comfortable car in the class.

Model	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester	Kia Sorento L
Passenger capacity	5	5	7	5	5	7	5	5	5	7
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg,(In.)	40.1/57.9/41.3	40.0/57.2/40.9	39.6/57.0/40.2	39.7/57.1/41.0	41.2/59.1/44.1	40.6/56.4/40.9	41.6/56.6/43.0	41.2/58.2/43.3	40.0/57.2/40.9	39.5/59.1/44.1
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39.2/55.6/40.4	38.5/55.5/39.7	39.1/55.9/36.5	39.0/54.8/39.6	39.2/58.3/40.9	38.4/56.0/37.3	38.5/55.9/37.9	39.6/57.2/39.4	38.5/55.6/39.7	39.3/58.0/39.4

Mitsubishi Outlander and Kia Sorento 7 seaters SUVs, and they make quite a fine companion for long rides as well. The last row is cramped, as is the case usually, but the first and second rows are quite spacious. Hyundai offers the best in class space, with tremendous headroom and legroom.

Infotainment

For the 2019 Honda CR V, a 7-inch touchscreen comes standard on the infotainment. Other standard features include:

• Apple CarPlay
• Android Audio
• Satellite radio
• Rearview camera
• USB Audio interface and charging ports for front row
• USB charging ports for second-row
• Bluetooth HandsFreeLink

Cargo volume

Cargo Volume is an important criterion while buying an SUV. Their large dimensions on the outside lend themselves to open spaces inside. The little Honda SUV holds nearly 40 cubic feet in the trunk, or the equivalent of 4 large, stuffed travel bags. If that falls short of your needs, then simply lower the seats to reveal nearly double amount of space in total.

Model	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester	Kia Sorento L
Cargo Volume (ft.3)	39.2	29.9	12.0	30.9	35.9	10.3	39.3	35.4	29.6	11.3

The 7 seaters sacrifice trunk volume in favor of one more row of seats. The trunk space is smaller than what you’d find in a small hatchback. Fold the last row though, and you get a useful storage space. Honda CR V and Nissan Rogue have the most space in the rear, nearly 40 cubic feet.

The 2019 Honda CR-V has done well in crash-tests and most versions come well equipped with advanced safety gear. Moreover, unlike many of its rivals, the 2019 CR-V offers great outward vision thanks to its low window line and narrow roof pillars.  -The Car Connection

Dimensions and Weight

As stated earlier, this Honda crossover is a compact SUV. You would have probably guessed by know that it isn’t a big car. If you want to visualize, the CR V isn’t even bigger than the Civic, except for the height. You could muscle the car into tight spaces like a sedan and easily see your way around due to the raised seats.

Model	Honda CR-V LX	Chevrolet Equinox L	Volkswagen Tiguan S	Mazda CX-5 SPORT	Hyundai Santa Fe SE	Mitsubishi Outlander ES	Nissan Rogue S	GMC Terrain SL	Subaru Forester	Kia Sorento L
Curb weight (lbs.)	3307	3274	3721	3541	3591	3329	3456	3449	3499	3810
Length(in)	180.6	183.1	185.1	179.1	187.8	184.8	184.5	182.1	182.3	189.0
Width(in)	73.0	72.6	72.4	72.5	74.4	71.3	72.4	71.5	72.4	74.4
Height(in)	66.1	65.4	66.3	66.2	66.1	67.3	66.3	68.1	65.4	66.3
Ground clearance (in)	7.8	N/A	7.9	7.5	N/A	8.5	7.8	8.7	6.9	7.3
Wheelbase (in)	104.7	107.3	109.8	106.2	108.9	105.1	106.5	105.1	107.3	109.4
Track width (in) F/R	62.9/63.5	62.2/62.2	62.2/61.8	62.8/62.8	64.3/64.7	60.6/60.6	62.8/62.8	61.6/61.8	62.2/62.2	64.3/64.7

Numerous advanced safety features are standard on the Honda CR V, including the following:

• Six airbags
• 4-wheel Antilock Braking system
• automatic high beams
• blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• lane keeping assist
• adaptive cruise control
• forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking
• Vehicle Stability Assist
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Hill Start Assist
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children

Honda CR-V vs Nissan Rogue

Nissan Rogue is perhaps the most popular crossover in the US, and if there is a car that can lock horns together with the Honda CR-V, it’s this SUV by Nissan. Both these cars lead the sales charts for the segment and are a bang for the buck. You couldn’t go wrong with either of these SUVs. The Honda pulls ahead in terms of passenger space, though not by much.

Honda CR-V vs Chevrolet Equinox

To combat the Japanese contenders, homegrown car maker Chevy has brought out the relatively big guns. Equinox isn’t as spacious or as comfy. Honda also offers better drivability and handling. Overall, the Equinox is quite a few steps behind the CR-V.

Honda CR-V vs Mazda CX-5

If practicality and space aren’t too high on your priority list, then you can consider the Mazda CX-5 as well. It is a much more exciting car, with better performance and handling. Its steering is extremely precise and feedback-rich, and ride comfort isn’t compromised either. It also has a sleeker look. Still, for space and practicality, you’ll be better off with the Honda.

You can always count on the Japanese to build solid, reliable cars for an affordable price. Honda CR-V is a great car, arguably the best in the segment. If you don’t have your heart set on some other car, you should definitely go for this one. With good space and usable performance, it will keep the driver and the passengers happy.