Honda HR-V
New from £32,270 / £351 p/m
Is the Honda HR-V SUV a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Erin Baker
"Honda has always been a byword for engineering excellence. Drivers pay more, but get reliability, good residual values and superb build quality. Where does that leave the Japanese brand now, when technology and electrification are everything? The updated HR-V is another solid Honda, but is that enough these days?"
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Running costs for a Honda HR-V
We are pleasantly surprised by the price of this HR-V to the point we guessed it cost another £5,000 more than the actual the base price. So, not only is this a reasonably-priced Honda, but its fuel efficiency is top notch. The quoted figure is 52mpg and we comfortably got 47mpg, which is very decent for a family SUV. That’s thanks to Honda’s hybrid system which doesn’t come with a plug or any meaningful electric range, but does boost the 1.5-litre petrol engine to keep things frugal.
Reliability of a Honda HR-V
It’s a Honda. Enough said. The warranty covers you for five years or 90,000 miles, which is 30,000 miles and two years more than the industry standard.
Safety for a Honda HR-V
You don’t get the most useful safety feature - blind spot warning - as standard which is a shame, and cross-traffic alert also only arrives when you step up a trim level. But everything else is there, like automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and so on. However, we’re docking points for the very old-fashioned and busy displays, which mean you spend a lot of time glancing at stuff.
How comfortable is the Honda HR-V
There’s an impressive amount of legroom in the rear and despite the more sloping roofline than many SUVs, headroom is good, too. The boot size feels average. Comfort is impeded, however, by the raucous petrol engine, which whirrs away noisily in its usual function as a generator for the electric motor. We'd rather have a battery and the silent propulsion this brings, on reflection
Features of the Honda HR-V
Honda is lagging at least five years behind other brands’ technology and in-car features, and if it carries on like this, it will lose its remaining customers to the Chinese brands such as BYD, Chery, Geely, Leapmotor and Jaecoo, which have prioritised in-car technology over all else, having correctly surmised this is the way consumer desires are headed. Even Renault clocked early that drivers want big, bold, colourful, accessible designs for functions like DAB, sat-nav, temperature control and so on, on large touchscreens. Honda’s screen is small, its display too fiddly. It won’t cut in for customers in their 40s or younger. You do get wireless phone connection, which is a plus.
Power for a Honda HR-V
Excuse us getting technical for a second but Japanese brands like Honda have always loved what in the jargon are called Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) that have the engine revs rising and falling seemingly independently of how fast you're actually going. Which can get as noisy as it is confusing when you demand full power, given there can be lots of revving but not much acceleration. We no like. The e:HEV hybrid system in the Honda isn't actually a CVT but it behaves like one, the combustion engine quick to cut in and making a right racket when it does so. And leaving you with very little truly emissions-free driving. Why would you have one of these, and not a plug-in hybrid, which would offer you between 20 and 90 miles of electric driving, depending on the model? While the public charging system is not yet perfect for pure battery vehicles it’s adequate enough for shorter, less frequent plug-in hybrid charging while those lucky enough to have home charging are quids in. Meanwhile, the HR-V is also front-wheel drive only, with a maximum output of 130 horsepower, which isn’t enough when the car is fully laden.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
£459.69
Monthly payment
£2,758.15
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£580.19
Monthly payment
£3,481.13
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£593.78
Monthly payment
£3,562.68
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Honda HR-V SUV. This may vary between trim levels.
- 18in Alloy Wheels - Black Cut
- Body Colour Grille
- Door Handles - Body Coloured
- Door Mirrors - Body Coloured
- Door Mirrors - Electrically Adjustable - Folding and Heated
- Electric Windows - Front and Rear
- Exclusive Styling Location - FR - RR - Bumper Skid Garnish - Non Paint Silver
- Exclusive Styling Location - Fog Garnish - Paint Black
- Exclusive Styling Location - Lower Bumper FR - RR - Non Painting - Black
- Exclusive Styling Location - Non Painting Black - Lower Door Garnish
- Flat Tyre Solution Temper - Tyre Repair Kit
- H Badge - Black
- Privacy Glass
- Spoiler
- Window Garnish - Low Gloss
- e-HEV Emblem
- 2x USB Front - 1x Type A Data - 1x Type C Charge
- Accessory Socket - Front
- Bluetooth Hands Free Telephone - HFT
- Digital Audio Broadcast - DAB
- ECall - Europe
- Honda CONNECT with Navigation
- Shark Fin Antenna
- Speakers x4
- Wireless Apple Carplay
- 3 Mode Drive System - Sport-Normal-Eco
- Collision Mitigation Throttle Control - Front and Rear
- Cruise Control Adaptive - ACC
- Deflation Warning System - DWS
- Driver Attention Monitor
- ECON Mode
- Forward Collision Warning - FCW
- Lane Departure Warning - LDW
- MID - Multi Info Display - 7in Screen
- Parking Sensors - Front x4 and Rear x4
- Rear View Camera
- Road Departure Mitigation
- Traffic Sign Recognition - TSR
- ABS - Anti Lock Braking System
- Agile Handle Assist
- Airbag - Driver SRS - Single Stage Inflation
- Airbag - Front Driver and Passenger
- Airbag - Front Side
- Airbag - Passenger SRS with Cut Off Switch
- Airbag - Side Curtain - Front and Rear
- BA - Brake Assist
- Brake Hold
- Collision Mitigation Braking System - CMBS
- Driver Monitoring Camera (DMC)
- EBD - Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
- Electronic Parking Brake with Automatic Brake Hold
- Emergency Stop Signal
- Front and Rear Seat Belts with Emergency Locking Retractor - ELR
- Hill Descent Control - HDC
- Hill Start Assist - HSA
- ISOFIX Fix Points - I-Size
- Immobiliser System
- Lane Keep Assist System
- Low Speed Brake Function
- Low Speed Following
- Regenerative Braking - Deceleration Control - Paddle
- Remote Central Locking with 2 Keys
- Security Alarm System
- Smart Entry and Start
- Super Locking
- VSA - Vehicle Stability Assist
- Adjustable Speed Limiter
- Electric Power Steering - EPS
- Electric Power Steering with Variable Gear Ratio
- Intelligent Speed Limiter
- Power Meter
- Air Conditioning - Rear Vent
- Ambient Light - Roof
- Auto Wipers
- Automatic Climate Control - Single Zone
- Cargo Net Hook x4
- Courtesy Light
- Driver Seat Manual Height Adjustment
- Driver and Front Passenger Seat Armrest
- Front Seats - Heated
- Idle Stop-HEV Mode
- Interior Panels - Black
- LED Front Turn Lights with Sequential
- Leather Shift Knob
- Luggage Floor Box
- Magic Seats
- Map Light - Front
- Meter Illumination
- Normal Pedals
- Paddle Shift
- Passenger Seat Back Pocket
- Rear Bench Split - 60-40
- Rear Reading Light
- Rear Seat Centre Armrest
- Silver Interior Door Handles
- Steering Wheel - Leather
- Steering Wheel - Remote Audio Controls
- Steering Wheel - Tilt and Telescopic
- Sunvisor Vanity Mirrors
- Sunvisor Vanity Mirrors Illumination
- Tonneau Cover
- Traffic Jam Assistant
- Trunk Light
- Whiplash Lessening Front Headrests
- Auto Headlights
- Daytime Running Lights - LED
- Headlight Extension Colour - DRL White and Hi Ring Black
- Headlight Type - LED
- Headlights - Auto On-Off Timer - Coming-Leaving Home Function
- High Beam Support System - HSS - Auto High Beam
- Rear Light Type - Red and Clear Lens - Full LED
Your questions answered
Monthly rentals ('payments') are not an offer of credit. Payments are based on offers available today which may be withdrawn or varied at any time in the future without notice.
Contract Hire ('Leasing') is subject to status and approval and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Vehicle must be returned with no more than fair wear and tear to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply.
Autotrader Limited (Firm Reference Number: 735711) is a credit broker and not a lender. Autotrader Limited introduces you to Autotrader Leasing Limited, which acts as a credit broker in its own right. Autotrader Leasing Limited, No.3 Circle Square, 3 Hawkshaw Street, Manchester, M1 7BL (Firm Reference Number: 630748) may go on to introduce you to one of a limited number of leasing companies. Autotrader Leasing Limited will typically receive a commission or other benefits from the leasing company as a result of this introduction.
Autotrader Leasing Limited is an Autotrader Group Plc company.
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