The 2014 Honda CR-V has a sophisticated, and well-designed cabin that is highly rated for its spacious interior and cargo. Last fully redesigned for 2012, Honda CR-V is one of the best-selling compact crossovers, thanks to its class-leading interior volume that ventures near the mid-size territory. For its affordable pricing, the 2014 CR-V comes equipped with a long list of standard high-tech features.
Though some buyers are skeptical about the materials inside the cabin, overall the CR-V’s interior is largely positive. It is one of the best-selling vehicles in its segment, for its family-friendly features. With a varied trim lineup, the 2014 CR-V LX and EX models come with cloth upholstery, while the top EX-L has leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.
2014 Honda CR-V Dashboard
It is easy to find a comfortable driving position in the CR-V, and the front and rear seats both offer plenty of passenger space. The 2014 CR-V has 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row that expands to 70.9 cubic feet on folding the rear seats. As for the standard features, you will get a backup camera and a four-speaker sound system with Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a USB port, and Pandora compatibility for iPhone users as standard. For premium features, look at the higher trims which include a moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, satellite radio, and a seven-speaker stereo.
For 2014 the CR-V retains the three interior colors of black, gray, and beige from the previous 2013 model. Honda offers more interior contrast inside the cabin by providing the fabric on the seats and doors that is colored differently than the other surfaces. It competes against the likes of Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
"We like the sophisticated overall look and feel inside the 2014 Honda CR-V, highlighted by a smartly-sculpted dash, large and bright gauges and elegant switchgear." -Kbb.com
2014 Honda CR-V Interior Styling, Dimensions, and Comfort
Inside the 2014 CR-V is a welcoming and spacious cabin that seats five comfortably. The interior design makes the most of the available space, with a clean and functional package. Regardless of how the design appears, we can’t argue that it is quite utilitarian. A sleek and modern center stack boasts Pandora compatibility, Bluetooth, and audio connectivity while the buttons and dials are within easy reach of the driver, making the layout very intuitive.
The 2014 Honda CR-V has a couple of interior color options and seating materials as well, including an available leather-trimmed interior and color schemes like gray or black leather on EX-L.
2014 Honda CR-V Rear Seats
The materials used are quite durable with a decent fit and finish, especially considering the price. The LX trim features cloth seats, with very basic materials all around. It includes a urethane gear shifter, cloth door trim inserts, a full cloth headliner, and basic metal-look interior accents.
The EX-L, however, upgrades to leather-trimmed seats, leatherette door trim inserts, a leather steering wheel, and features a simulated wood instrument panel insert. While the materials might not scream ‘luxury’, they are still decent enough for an affordable crossover. Hard plastics are used in abundance though, especially in the lower trims, but they don't necessarily look 'cheap'.
All the trims come with a manual tilt and telescoping steering column, but finding the perfect driving position is quite easy. Also, the windows are wide which makes outward visibility excellent in all directions.
Model
2014 Honda CR-V
2014 Ford Escape
2014 Mazda CX-5
2014 Volkswagen Tiguan
Seating Capacity
5
5
5
5
Total Passenger Volume (cubic feet)
101.5
98.1
103.8
95.3
Front row (headroom/shoulder room/legroom) (in)
38.0/58.6/41.3
39.9/56.0/43.1
40.1/57.5/41.0
39.1/56.2/40.1
Second row (headroom/shoulder room/legroom) (in)
38.6/56.4/38.3
39.0/55.3/36.8
39.0/55.5/39.3
39.0/55.0/35.8
One of the key selling points of the CR-V is practicality and spaciousness, and it offers acres of space for its passengers to sit comfortably. Not only is the front row spacious, but the rear row is quite roomy as well. The rear row offers very generous legroom and headroom, such that even taller passengers wouldn’t have any complaints. Apart from that, the seats are comfortable and so is the ride; making every journey quite pleasant.
The Mazda technically offers the maximum passenger volume out of all the SUVs mentioned above, however, the CR-V isn’t too far behind. Both these vehicles offer comfortable seating in both rows, with plenty of room even for taller passengers.
2014 Honda CR-V Interior Features and Creature Comforts
Honda's CR-V LX for 2014 is a well-equipped model and offers a long list of standard equipment such as manually-adjustable front seats, manual tilt and telescoping steering column, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power assists, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with USB/AUX inputs, Bluetooth HandsFree Link, Pandora Internet Radio interface, read-aloud SMS text messaging capability, an intelligent Multi-Information Display, multifunction steering wheel, multi-angle rearview camera, and cruise control.
The EX builds on the base trim and adds various interior enhancements including a power moonroof, and privacy glass. The CR-V EX-L gains leather upholstery with leather-trimmed seats, heated 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, leather steering wheel, dual-zone front automatic climate control, XM Radio, and more.
2014 Honda CR-V Infotainment Features
The base trim of the CR-V comes with a very basic infotainment setup that is quite barebones in terms of features. The EX and EX-L come with a small color screen as a display. The system is pretty basic too, but it does its job well enough to keep you entertained throughout your journey. There's nothing particularly wrong with the infotainment system, but we would’ve loved a better and more moderns system.
2014 Honda CR-V Infotainment System
The base LX comes with features such as AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, Pandora Internet radio, USB ports, MP3 player, RDS, and Bluetooth HandsFreeLink. The EX comes with the same features. However, the EX-L adds a better audio system.
The LX and EX trims offer a 160W 4-speaker sound system and 160W 6-speaker sound system, respectively; but the EX-L comes with a 328W 7-speaker sound system with a subwoofer. Granted that none of these systems will blow your mind, they still are decent enough to keep you entertained.
Key infotainment features
AM/FM radio
Pandora radio
USB ports
MP3 player
Bluetooth
Speed-sensitive volume control
328W 7-speaker sound system
""In back, you'll find a useful spring-loaded auto-fold feature that allows you to fold the rear seats almost flat by gently pulling on a lever." - Edmunds.com
2014 Honda CR-V Cargo Space
The 2014 Honda CR-V has a cavernous 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. The favorite aspect of the CR-V’s cargo area is its new 60/40-split rear bench seat that flops forward with the pulls of levers to create a flat load floor. With the second row folded, the cargo area expands to 70.9 cubic feet, which is much better than the most affordable compact SUVs in the class.
2014 Honda CR-V Cargo Space
With the best-in-class cargo space, the 2014 CR-V is the most versatile and valuable car in the segment. Moreover, after the 2012 redesign, Honda dropped the lift-over height of the new model, further making the loading/un-loading of luggage quite easy.
Model
2014 Honda CR-V
2014 Ford Escape
2014 Mazda CX-5
2014 Volkswagen Tiguan
Standard Cargo Capacity (cubic feet)
37.2
34.3
34.1
23.8
Maximum Cargo Capacity (cubic feet)
70.9
67.8
64.8
56.1
Both the Escape and CX-5 offer adequate cargo capacity, but they still can’t match the CR-V on paper. The Tiguan, on the other hand, gets the lowest cargo capacity by quite some margin. Also, the CR-V offers the highest cargo capacity with the second row folded down.
Additional Interior Storage Spaces
Inside the cabin, you will find a deep center console storage box, a storage tray, a lockable glovebox, and a few small cubbies to store small items. The door pockets are quite deep and you also get cupholders for both the front and rear passengers. Overall, the interior storage solutions are quite intuitive.
2014 Honda CR-V Interior Verdict
The CR-V is one of the most practical vehicles you can get in this segment. Apart from being practical, it is also spacious, has excellent reliability, has a decent list of standard features, and offers a comfortable ride. Of course, the best part about the entire package is the price, making it the perfect family cruiser for Americans. In conclusion, the 2014 Honda CR-V crossover offers everything you could ask for, and we think that it is definitely worth a recommendation.
