2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

With a base price of $48,909 including a $2,134 charge for destination and other fees, the new 2024 Honda CR-V EX-L Hybrid trim makes the electrified version of the SUV more affordable. Its black 18-inch wheels and blacked-out exterior trim look sporty, but the interior is relatively basic. The Touring Hybrid remains the top of the lineup with a fees-in price of $50,909. Our Honda CR-V Touring Hybrid test vehicle came with Canyon River Blue paint and no optional accessories.

Conservative styling with a technical face resembling an angry robot should age well, but the SUV carries too much visual weight over its front wheels. Our Touring also had tusks framing the lower air intake, which doesn’t favour the SUV in the looks department.

The best viewing angle is from the rear quarter, where Volvo-adjacent taillights and tidy design give the CR-V an upscale appearance. Honda doesn’t go overboard with SUV styling cues, and while the Touring’s exclusive 19-inch gloss black wheels add some shine, they might as well be invisible with darker paint colours.

Inside, the Touring features leather seats with orange contrast stitching and numerous details that impart a sense of quality. From the sound the doors make when slammed shut and the soft-touch upper dashboard pad to the metal mesh hiding the dashboard air vents and knurling for the metallic trim on the knobs, the CR-V’s cabin oozes sophistication in the compact SUV segment.

Honda CR-V LX-B, Sport, and EX-L trims feature a non-hybrid 190-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) powering standard front-wheel drive (FWD) on the base LX-B. In Canada, all-wheel drive (AWD) is an option on LX-B and standard on all other grades.

Hybrid power is standard with the EX-L Hybrid and the Touring Hybrid trims. The CR-V Hybrid features a fourth-generation Honda two-motor hybrid drive system that works differently from other hybrids. It marries an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors. One is a propulsion motor, and the other is a generator/starter motor. The propulsion motor powers the SUV while the generator/starter motor recharges the battery.

In some situations, the gasoline engine operates as an onboard generator. The energy it creates flows through the generator/starter motor to the battery pack and then to the propulsion motor. In other situations, the gasoline engine can directly power the hybrid SUV.

Confused? Us too. Let’s summarize by saying that from the driver’s seat, the only unusual things you might notice are the low-speed electric vehicle acoustic warning noise and steady-state engine droning when driving up a hill. Otherwise, the two-motor hybrid system works transparently and delivers 204 horsepower to all four wheels.

According to Natural Resources Canada, all that powertrain complexity should net 6.4 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. Our test vehicle fell far short of that on our mountainous testing loop, instead returning 8.7 L/100 km. Compare that result to the Honda CR-V EX-L we tested last year, which got 9.7 L/100 km on the same loop with its turbo engine, and the two-motor hybrid drivetrain hardly seems worth it.

Otherwise, the CR-V Hybrid Touring is relatively quiet on the road and provides a compliant ride quality with predictable handling traits. Grip impresses, and the brakes withstood heavy use descending a twisty road from a mountain range summit during our test-drive. The steering isn’t noteworthy, except for an unusually heavy effort level even in the Normal driving mode.

Overall, the CR-V is easy to drive, with the hints of fun that Honda bakes into all its vehicle recipes. But if you’re looking for a compact SUV that can head off-road or put a big smile on your face when taking the long way home, this isn’t it.

The Honda CR-V excels in the form and function department. From the quality materials and intuitive control layout to the comfortable seats and roomy cargo area, the CR-V delivers everything you need and then some.

All CR-V Hybrids include a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. It cradles you like a baseball mitt, offering excellent support. The front passenger seat has the same design but lacks the same adjustment range. With Hybrid trims, it slides forward and back and reclines with power. All CR-V Hybrids in Canada have heated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and a heated steering wheel, improving comfort levels on chilly days, and all hybrid models feature dual-zone climate control. Note that ventilated seats are not available on the CR-V on any trim.

Getting into and out of a Honda CR-V is easy, especially in the back, where the doors open to nearly a 90-degree angle from the SUV. That wide portal and the roomy back seat make a CR-V perfect for new parents installing reverse-facing child safety seats. And Honda offers a window shade accessory that blocks most of the sun from getting in.

Adults will also find the CR-V’s back seat mighty comfortable. The bottom cushion sits high off the floor for excellent leg support, and you can adjust the backrest angle to perfection. Legroom is generous, the front seatback material is soft and padded, and the test vehicle had air conditioning vents and USB-C charging ports.

Front and rear, the CR-V supplies plenty of storage. However, the glove compartment is smaller than expected, and Honda omits a front seatback pocket on the driver’s seat, which is odd.

Open the CR-V Hybrid’s hands-free power rear liftgate to reveal a 1,028-litre cargo area, the smallest of any CR-V. Gas versions provide 1,113 litres, which closes in on midsize SUV territory. All CR-V Hybrid models provide a maximum of 2,030 litres of space with the back seat folded down, making it among the most commodious in its class.

In Canada, Honda specs the CR-V Hybrid with a 9-inch infotainment display as standard equipment. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless smartphone charging are included.

Pairing an iPhone to the test vehicle’s Bluetooth proved quick and easy, and wirelessly running Apple CarPlay was no trouble. With Touring trim, the system includes navigation and pairs with a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system that produces impressive sound.

However, the voice recognition system is basic. Push the talk button on the steering wheel, and prompts will appear on the display. They work reasonably well, but when you try to use conversational commands like you do with your smartphone’s digital assistant, Honda’s technology falters.

There isn’t much more to report on the tech front besides the CR-V Hybrid’s standard walk-away automatic locking feature. We like the peace of mind this feature provides, as it locks the SUV’s doors as you walk away from the vehicle with the key fob.

Every 2024 CR-V Hybrid has Honda Sensing, a collection of advanced driving assistance systems. The list of safety features is long and includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, a rear seat reminder, automatic high beams, and a driver monitoring system.

In addition, a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the Hybrid trims. Both hybrids add front and rear parking sensors, and low-speed automatic braking control is part of the Touring trim.

We extensively tested Honda Sensing. The tech performed remarkably well, especially the smooth, accurate, and refined adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist systems. The only time it seemed uncertain of itself was in a long curve. We also detected an inaccurate lane-departure warning due to some skid marks on the pavement. Otherwise, it was flawless on an overcast day with flat light.

As of this writing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn’t given the 2024 CR-V any safety ratings. The SUV earns impressive ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It received a Top Safety Pick award for 2024, which is a downgrade for the Top Safety Pick+ award the CR-V earned for the 2023 calendar year. The difference is the IIHS requires an acceptable or good rating in its updated moderate overlap front test for a vehicle to qualify for its top award in 2024. The CR-V does not achieve this, scoring a poor rating in the institute’s new testing method.

Honda asks you to pay a premium for the CR-V Hybrid. The warranty is unremarkable. If the CR-V Hybrid achieved its estimated fuel economy in the real world, we could rate it higher for cost-effectiveness. But in our experience, it doesn’t. In fact, though it surpasses the CR-V’s standard turbocharged gas engine on our testing loop, the improvement is anything but impressive.

The CR-V Hybrid exudes quality, is pleasing to drive, is comfortable for everyone aboard, and carries plenty of cargo. It looks nice, too, and is safe to drive. Upper trim levels provide all the tech you want, but the presentation isn’t compelling.

With all that said, the point of any hybrid vehicle is to excel in the fuel efficiency category. Unfortunately, the CR-V Hybrid doesn’t.

Note: Images show a US model.