- Practical, roomy, fuel-efficient, and safe
- Honda Sensing safety suite standard on every model
- Can choose from standard turbocharged engine or hybrid model
- Apple CarPlay/Android Auto standard in all but base model
- Pricing starts at $25,350 (plus $1,120 destination) | Price yours
The Honda CR-V has made our list of 12 Best Family Cars once again, and it’s no real surprise. The CR-V has won several KBB accolades and has won the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards five times. With a mix of practicality, pricing, space, safety, reliability, and resale value, the Honda CR-V continues to be easy to recommend. It’s truly a benchmark in the segment.
Last year was a big one for the CR-V: It got a new 40-mpg hybrid version, and added the Honda Sensing safety suite to the entire lineup, along with a new turbo engine in gas-only models. That combination remains essentially unchanged for 2021.
Safety and performance
Every trim level of the 2021 Honda CR-V comes standard with the Honda Sensing system. This suite of advanced safety features and driver assists includes automatic emergency braking, road departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. There’s also forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, auto high beams, and adaptive cruise control. It is one of our favorite features of this 5-passenger compact SUV.
The Honda CR-V comes standard with a turbocharged gas engine, and the CR-V can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. As our editors point out in the Expert Review of the CR-V, “We like this plucky little powertrain as it offers excellent fuel economy and ample torque, helping it feel livelier than its 190-horsepower rating might suggest. It can’t match the performance of the turbocharged Ford Escape and Kia Sportage, but the CR-V has never been about blistering speed.” The engine still pulls well, even at low speed, and we thought it was much more satisfying than the experience we had from behind the wheel of the Subaru Forester or the Toyota RAV4.
Efficiency and space
If you want an even more fuel-efficient CR-V, a hybrid model is available. It nets as much as 40 mpg in the city and 38 miles per gallon combined. The Hybrid will cost you more than the base model, to the tune of $30,560 plus $1,120 destination, but a lot more features, including all-wheel drive, come standard.
One of the best attributes of the CR-V, however, is its thoughtful layout and space usage inside. It has 60/40-split rear seats that are easy to operate, and the EX model gets rear USB ports. Visibility out of the CR-V is excellent both from the front seats and back seats. In addition, the rear cargo area has a 2-tier setup that allows the floor to be flat or set lower to keep your things from rolling around.
Plenty of trim levels to choose from
There are a few different trim lines for the CR-V: LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring. There are three trim levels with the Hybrid: the EX, EX-L, and Touring. At its base, the CR-V comes with Honda Sensing, Bluetooth connectivity, rearview camera, 6-way manual adjust driver’s seat, cruise control, and a 4-speaker, 160-watt stereo.
For our money, we’d opt for the next level up, the EX or the EX-L, to get things like a power tailgate, leather seating, a 4-way power-adjustable passenger seat, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and an 8-speaker audio system. You can get into an EX for $27,860 plus destination.
At the top of the line, the Touring model gets all the bells and whistles, including a navigation system, heated steering wheel, a boosted 330-watt premium audio system, and a hands-free tailgate.
No matter which Honda CR-V you choose, you’re opting for a great compact crossover that can take you and your family from diapers to high school with plenty of room to grow.
More 2021 Honda CR-V
Build and price your own 2021 Honda CR-V to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or see Honda CR-V models for sale near you.
