LIKES
- Hybrid powertrain on half of the trims
- Exterior details on Sport models
- Ample rear leg room and head room
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Volume and tuning knobs
DISLIKES
- Lacks the premium options of rivals
- Hybrid loses 1 mpg
- Tiguan-esque styling
- Only 1,000 lb of towing capacity
BUYING TIP
- The base Sport hybrid costs only $1,340 more than the base EX, and is well worth it at the pump.
Loaded with standard features, the redesigned 2023 Honda CR-V also expands with more room inside than ever before.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Honda CR-V? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Honda CR-V is a five-seat compact crossover sized and styled like a Volkswagen Tiguan. But with a hybrid option it also compares with the Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, and Hyundai Tucson.
Is the 2023 Honda CR-V a good SUV?
Yeah. It hits like soup: Satisfying when you want it, even better when you need it. Loaded with more standard safety and convenience features and an even roomier cabin, the redesigned CR-V earns a TCC Rating of 6.6 out of 10 that could improve once crash testing is completed.
What's new for the 2023 Honda CR-V?
The CR-V gets a full redesign for the 2023 model year that discontinues the base LX trim for a better-equipped EX grade. The powertrains remain the same, though the CR-V Hybrid has more power.
Exterior styling reflects the CR-V’s growth and the sedate EX and EX-L trims could easily be mistaken for the Volkswagen Tiguan with its high-shouldered hood and simple body panels. A broader front grille channels the mid-size Passport, while thin A-pillars nod to the latest Civic. The Civic’s influence carries over inside, with dark metallic trim and tasteful accents that instill a sense of calm.
The Sport and Sport Touring hybrid models add some pop with black wheels and dark exterior trim elements.
The base 1.5-liter turbo-4 mostly carries over with tweaks to the turbocharger that let it hit peak torque a little earlier and extend the same efficiency on the CR-V’s larger body. It’s never quick off the line, but it’s capable of bursts of passing power when needed. The continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) does a predictable job of approximating shifts in shuttling power to the front wheels or available all-wheel drive. Honda introduced standard hill descent control and a new snow mode but we wouldn’t be too daring off-road.
The Sport hybrids make a bigger splash with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors that boost total output to 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque. For the first time, hybrid models can tow up to 1,000 lb.
The CR-V’s larger proportions increase cargo and passenger volume. The big front seats can swallow smaller occupants in comfort, and 6-footers can act their size in rear seats that have more than 40 inches of leg room. Excellent use of small and large item storage, including a tiered cargo floor, extend cargo room to 39.3 cubic feet. Fold down the reclining 60/40-split rear seats and hit Costco, retrieve John from the dog groomer, and pick up Fido from school with 76.5 cubic feet of cargo behind the front seats.
Honda equips the CR-V with so many standard safety features that there are virtually no driver-assist options. The automatic emergency braking system comes with a wider field of view, adaptive cruise control works down to a stop, active lane control and blind-spot monitors help drivers avoid crashes. Crash tests are pending from the IIHS and NHTSA.
How much does the 2023 Honda CR-V cost?
The $35,005 EX-L adds a 9.0-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone compatibility with a wireless charger, and an 8-speaker audio system, but the true value lies in the Sport trim that comes standard as a hybrid for $33,695. All-wheel drive adds $1,500 on Sport and EX grades.
On the range-topping Sport Touring, AWD comes standard. It has the EX-L gear plus a Bose audio system, a wi-fi hotspot, and 19-inch wheels.
Where is the 2023 Honda CR-V made?
In North America at one of three plants, in Ohio, Indiana, or Canada.
Styling
Uncluttered but uninspired, the 2023 Honda CR-V slinks back more than stands out.
Is the Honda CR-V a good-looking car?
The redesigned CR-V is not a bad-looking car, but Honda hides its larger proportions in a style meant to blend in more than stand out. The revised interior earns a point for its simple layout and subtle details. It’s a 6.
Wider, longer, with a longer wheelbase, and a larger overall presence, the new CR-V could be mistaken for a Volkswagen Tiguan as easily as a Honda Passport. It sports the Passport’s broader stepped grille with razor-thin DRLs wedged under a hood cut by twin flanks. New wheel designs bookend thinner rocker panels, and the rear is more squared off like the Passport. The Sport and Sport Touring hybrid models add some pop. In addition to blacked-out trim elements, the hybrids have available 19-inch black wheels and rectangular exhaust openings.
Performance
Minor changes to the base turbo-4 add a bit more spunk, but the CR-V was built for comfort.
Nothing about the retuned turbo-4 injects excitement into the hearts of drivers, and that’s perfectly fine with most CR-V owners. The uprated Hybrid might earn it a point once we test it, but for now the CR-V stands pat at 5 for middling acceleration and competent handling.
Is the Honda CR-V 4WD?
It’s front-wheel drive, but available all-wheel drive adds $1,500 except on top Sport Touring hybrid models where it is standard. A wider stance and extended wheelbase conspire with a stiffer body to help stabilize the CR-V.
How fast is the Honda CR-V?
The CR-V eschews quickness for comfort, but the revised 1.5-liter turbo-4 still kicks out the same 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. Three drive modes accessible by a toggle on the center console vary from Normal to Snow to Econ, with only the Hybrid models getting a Sport level. The Snow mode delays shifting so more torque can get to the wheels, and up to 50% of it gets sent to the rear wheels for better traction. That mode also shuts off the automatic start/stop.
It’s not quick but it is responsive and lacks any significant turbo lag. A new turbocharger lowers the peak torque from 2,000 rpm to 1,700 rpm, so it feels a tad quicker and it stays relatively strong so as to not hesitate in passing moves. Road and wind noise infiltrates the cabin on the highway, but it’s nothing that’s overwhelming enough to make you raise your voice.
2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid performance
We’ll update this section once we’ve driven the uprated Hybrid. Sport and Sport Touring grades use a hybrid powertrain with an updated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that runs on the Atkinson cycle and a pair of electric motors. The system outputs 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque, an improvement of 3 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque over last year’s Hybrid model. Honda says it does a better job of mimicking the stepped acceleration feel of a gas drivetrain.
Comfort & Quality
The Honda CR-V relies on a passport to size out of compact crossover confines.
The CR-V grows into nearly mid-size crossover SUV proportions and it’s optimized for storage with a huge armrest console, large door pockets, and a tiered cargo floor. It’s 2.7 inches longer and the wheelbase stretches by another 1.5 inches for more passenger and cargo space. Comfy front seats, roomy rear seats, an expansive cargo hold, and room for five passengers earn the 2023 CR-V a point each to a 9.
Starting with the Civic, Honda burnished its dash materials with a nice mix of darkened metallic mesh trim, rubberized plastic, and actual climate control dials. It’s understated but calm, and complements the subtle but spacious storage areas throughout.
A heated 8-way power driver’s seat comes standard and it has more lumbar and side support, and good thigh cushioning. The deep seat bottom can feel like it’s about to ingest undersides after a while, however. The passenger seat only gets 4-way power seats, and not until the EX-L trim that also comes covered in leather.
Folding down the 60/40-split rear seats expands the cargo room from 36.3 cubic feet (or 39.3 with the tiered floor in its lowest position) to a three-row-SUV-like 76.5 cubic feet of space. The Hybrid only loses a couple cubic feet of space in back.
Latches on the top of the rear seat backs make it easy to fold down from the side doors, and latches in the cargo wall make it even easier to fold from the cargo area. No pull straps to reach for and risk mucking up your trousers against the rear bumper.
Safety
Loaded with standard driver-assist tech, the 2023 Honda CR-V was designed to avoid crashes.
How safe is the Honda CR-V?
The NHTSA and the IIHS haven’t crash tested the redesigned 2023 Honda CR-V, but it is a perennial Top Safety Pick and five-star recipient. We’ll update this space once those ratings are conducted, but Honda equips the CR-V with so much driver-assist tech, there are virtually no options.
Every 2023 CR-V comes with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, an updated adaptive cruise control that works down to a stop, active lane control, traffic sign recognition, and a driver attention monitor. A rear-seat reminder is also standard. The AEB camera and radar system has a wider field of view to better detect smaller moving objects such as pedestrians and cyclists. Traffic Jam Assist comes standard as well, and operates with limited hands-free driving at speeds under 45 mph. It’s more conservative than confident, however, so a hand should always be on the steering wheel.
Features
A better-equipped base model offsets higher prices in the 2023 Honda CR-V.
The EX replaces the outgoing LX as the new base model for the 2023 Honda CR-V, and it comes much better equipped. Standard gear includes a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility (as well as physical knobs for volume and tuning), heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, heated side mirrors, 18-inch wheels, and LED headlights. That gear plus a value ranging between $32,000 and $40,000 earn it a point each to a 7.
The 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty is indeed basic and doesn’t include any scheduled maintenance.
Which Honda CR-V should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded Honda CR-V?
The $39,845 Sport Touring hybrid tops the lineup with standard AWD. It features a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone compatibility and charging, leather upholstery, 19-inch wheels, Bose 12-speaker audio, navigation, and a wi-fi hotspot.
Fuel Economy
Despite improved hybrid efficiency, the 2023 CR-V Hybrid still follows the leaders.
Is the Honda CR-V good on gas?
Yes. The turbo-4 returns the same EPA rating as last year of 28 mpg city, 34 highway, 30 combined. AWD costs 1 mpg combined. The Hybrid, which Honda expects to account for at least 50% of sales, is less straightforward. It improves at least 2 mpg from last year to 43 mpg city, 36 highway, 40 combined. But that’s with front-wheel drive. Last year’s model only came with AWD. This year’s larger model is actually 1 mpg lower with AWD than last year’s, to 40/34/37 mpg. Still, the CR-V Hybrid earns a 6 on the TCC scale.
That AWD rating matches the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid with AWD, but it trails the 40-mpg combined rating of the AWD Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid. All three of those models could be had as plug-in hybrids with at least 33 miles of electric range.
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