Honda HR-V

We compare an all-new, closed-loop hybrid with a popular plug-in hybrid to understand the differences.

Honda’s new hybrid HR-V finds a competitor in the Toyota C-HR, but which of these two SUVs presents the better buyer’s choice?

The 2022 Honda HR-V e:HEV L is a great small SUV, but does its lofty price point see it priced out of the market?

Wait times on new Honda Civic Type R hot-hatch orders stretch beyond 18 months – and Civic and HR-V hybrid models have a nine-month wait, the company has announced.

The new-generation Honda HR-V has fallen short of a five-star safety score, limiting its appeal among private buyers and fleets who place a high priority on top marks.

The new Toyota GR Corolla two-seater is one of a long list of cars with more doors than seats, spanning everything from luxury SUVs to work utes.

We take a quick look at the features of the 2022 Honda HR-V small SUV and decide whether it deserves to be called premium.

Do you wait until the end of any given month? Hold out for a known retail sales period? Or, as in the case of our pair of compact SUVs, wait for a successor to be announced and score the benefit of runout pricing?

The 2021 Honda HR-V offers plenty of technology and incredible practicality in a compact and stylish package. Explore it in more detail by taking a Virtual Test Drive!Sponsored by Honda

Boyd is after a compact car with a strong safety focus.

It was summer in 2016 when my wife and I decided it was time to purchase a car that would be more supportive for the both of us (coming from a Nissan Micra and a HSV VXR). The next few months I seemed to have ignored the 'supportive' prerequisite that my wife set out for us and focused on getting one of those hot hatches that everyone bangs on about, the GTI I think they call it? Try as I might but the wallet and the bank disagreed with me, I... *ahem* I mean, we.. we're not getting a hot hatch any time soon, so back to the supportive bit I go and I shudder to think that I am now making the conscience decision to plunge into the world of mini SUVs. Despite the initial dread, I personally don't mind them now, they have their purpose and we made the decision to purchase a 2015 Honda HR-V, the VTI-S variant to be precise. Why the HR-V over the seemingly endless options out there? Well my wife loved it, that's it. I do wish that I did a bit more research into the car first before showing it to her though but let's just start with the good. The cars interior finish is pretty impressive, there's black piano panelling and nice smooth "leather" where it counts, and there's plenty of nooks and crannies for you to store your water bottles, wallets, phones, keys, etc. The seats are comfy enough though our variant doesn't come with leather seats, which means no heated seats either, but move up to the VTI-L variant and those boxes will be ticked. The driver position is just SLIGHTLY off centre to the steering wheel so that might bother some people. The car is deceptively spacious, being a 'cross over/mini SUV', its actually quite small—yet when you step inside, it's super roomy. The knee space is plentiful and you have decent headroom, plus the middle seat doesn't have that bit of a hump and the foot well is near level to the rest of the back seats, it literally blows my mind. The boot space is generous enough to fit the groceries for the week or the golf clubs plus plus at 437 litres, and folding the rear seats down you'll get 1032 litres. When you do fold the seats, they do not sit flat but do have a bit of fabric that folds over the gap to make it easier to pack things in, handy for those beloved IKEA trips (thanks Honda). Honda also included the 'magic' seat functions in this model, which basically allows you fold the rear seats 'upwards' to give you more space at the foot of the rear seat (comes in handy when transporting tall plants). Basically what I am trying to say, is that this car is extremely practical for the size. So the space is the all the pros I can really manage for my car, everything else is a bit average, personally. The engine is a bit gutless, putting out 105kW/172Nm with a CVT and front-wheel drive. There is this 'lag' you get at times when you need it the most, like when you see a decent gap in the roundabout and you put your foot through the floor only to find that you haven't moved as far and as quick as you think, and you scramble and duck your head in shame while the guy to your right burns a hole through your head with his death glare. I really do feel they should put a punchier engine or at least offer that possibility or maybe I just want a faster car? Now onto the tech. This particular car doesn't come with an inbuilt Sat Nav or Apple Carplay or Android Auto, which is quite annoying (being 2016 at the time) as I now have one of those bulky clamps that you stick your phone in, which of course, blocks one of the aircon vents. The car does come with a forward collision emergency brake system, plenty of airbags but no adaptive cruise control. Now it does technically have a lane departure warning system via a nifty camera on the left rear view mirror, which allows you to view your blind spot but not the right side, yes the car requires you to turn your head and check your right side manually, which I thought was weird. The newer face lifted HR-V still doesn't come with the tech that its older version is missing but they did include a built-in Sat Nav, rejoice! Now I get it, not every car has all the bells and whistles and frankly, the lane departure warning and the adaptive cruise control are totally luxury, and to me, never really should be a necessity but still, I like my luxury okay?! Overall though, the car has been very reliable, such is the Honda reputation (at least what I've heard), no problems to report after two years and 35,000 kms other than some warning lights that just needed to be cleared/reset. If you've got a family, especially a young one, and are looking at the cheaper options, you can definitely take a look at the HR-V but please, if you can, stretch that budget and get yourself something a bit more polished with a bit more tech. A car is something you hold onto for at least five years, and you got to ask yourself, can I live without the creature comforts or the punchy engine? For this owner, those are certainly a must for the next car.

I bought my Honda HRV VTI-S in December 2016. Was attracted by the price, look and overall package of the vehicle. I was also looking for reliability, and good resale value, as I put a few kilometres on my cars. I figured Honda is one of the best options for the great build quality, fit and finish, and wear and tear. Comfortable seats with great support. Functional seats with fold flat option is very handy. Although, middle one is rock hard. The quirky console with all the touch pad style buttons are very responsive, although you need to take your eyes off the road for a split second longer, if you want to turn the fan up or down for instance. A more tactile screen would be better suited Fuel economy, disappointing with average 8.5/100km..small fuel tank doesn't help either. Glove box will only fit a pair of gloves! Ty side cupholders in the doors hold a bottle (just) and there is a smaller shallow one next to that. I'm not sure what this is for.. Maybe an egg? Well appointed although GPS not an option across the range. The piano black finishes are attractive and make the interior look more upmarket, but they are dust magnets. Lucky my microfibre cloth isn't bigger than a pair of gloves! Very smooth and quiet on open road, but stop start is a little on the noisy side, thanks to the CVT Am considering new suspension, as the factory ones are jaw shattering to say the least. All in all, a great car, with sharp looks to boot, but another 20KW wouldn't have hurt...

This is the first car we have bought in years having company cars most of my life. The criteria for this newly retired person was ease of entry/exit, sitting a little higher for better vision,flexible carrying space, economy, reliability and look good in the driveway. The VTi-S had a suite of extras that work. Having changed from 3 Golf's in a row, I thought the HRV may have been way down compared with these Golfs but that is not the case. Luggage and Passenger space are both much larger than many same-size competitors and the magic-seat function so easy and flexible. Getting in and out the drivers door is a breeze (when I tried the CX-3, I kept hitting the base of my back on the B pillar which knocked it out of contention). My big feet also fit well and my 6'3" son can still just fit in the back-seat...just. The gadgets also get a decent tick of approval, Bluetooth pairs easily, lane watch is so handy and It has alerted me on a few occasions the the Kamikaze cyclists who love to duck in between cars and today the Automatic Braking worked when a Camry darted out from my left just missing me driving off by a metre or two... the braking surprised me but no damage... now that was close. The reversing camera is great... my wife loves it and except for some dark nights, I too think it's great. It is not as comfortable as the Golfs especially over speed bumps where the Golf soaked these up much better but my wife never liked the seats in the Golf but the HRV gets approval. One downside in the trim area is the door trims... I often rest my arm or elbow on the inside of the window and it is starting to show early signs of wear at 22 months old. Our HRV sees freeway and mainly City use. Around town it averages about 8 or so litres/100klm and I have seen into the 5 Litre mark on the freeway... for our often stop/start use I feel this is very acceptable. Like others, I too have tried different fuels and return to 91RON all the time. The CVT however is an acquired taste as I still prefer the DSG boxes in the Golf but, I must admit it works well when it is up and running. It does take a little time to get going when swapping from Reverse to Drive (it seems to think for too long). It is however light years better than my wife's Mitsubishi Colt with CVT which revs high just to get going and the revs never seem to correspond with forward motion... the 7 steps of the HRV are much better. The HRV however does not seem to roll as much as other similar small fwd SUV's, road noise is acceptable and I am surprised how the electrically assisted power steering does not feel remote from what the wheels are actually doing. The LED lowbeam headlights are fantastic but high-beam conventional beams are not that special at all. The dash lighting is very good but the strobe type effect in the speedo can be a little off-putting at first until you get used to it. The HRV VTi-S is a solid compact fwd SUV, has had no warranty issues, insurance is very inexpensive and it looks pretty good too. It has met our criteria perfectly and that good old 1.8 litre engine does a pretty good job hauling us around. My first Honda was a 1974 3 door Civic hatch and I would say Honda can still build pretty good compact cars...well done Honda.

.Having owned a HRV for over a year there has been nothing to complain about but lots to rave about.It looks great and people have commented that it looks like a BMW.The interior is fantastic, sumptuous leather seats that are heated for those cold winter days,a full length sunroof and an interior layout that has everything in its right place.It only took me about 5 minutes to feel right at home with the car.Back seat passengers are also well catered for with comfortable seats, a centre arm rest and ample head and leg room.The 'magic seats' are a 'breeze' to operate and I have been able to carry a lot of different shape and sized items including 1.8 metre fence posts.In fact you could probably fit a baby elephant, provided it was well behaved one.It has a very comfortable ride, it handles well and the NVH is very good.The CVT transmission works well with the engine and the paddle shifts give it a bit of a sporty feel.The electric brake with its brake-hold function when the car comes to a complete stop is a real boom in stop start traffic congestion.Not only does it have an excellent reversing camera but also front and back sensors which take the stress out of parallel parking. Fuel consumption has been impressive with 4.9 l/100km achievable in highway driving provided you don't have a lead foot. There's a lot to like about the HRV whether driving in the city or the country.In my opinion some motoring magazines have under rated the HRV particularly in comparison to the Mazda CX 3.Having driven a CX 3 it may have a bit more get up and go and feel more sporty but its noisy by comparison, doesn't ride as well and for cargo area usability and rear seat space the Mazda is a distant last.So for a small SUV with big features it's a Honda HRV.