Used 2021 Honda HR-V

The 2021 HR-V is Honda’s smallest crossover SUV, slotting below the CR-V. The Honda HR-V is a great choice among subcompact SUVs, boasting a highly versatile and roomier-than-expected interior, good driving manners, an efficient engine, and the high reliability and resale values for which Honda is known.

When it debuted several years ago, the HR-V became a benchmark for other entry-level crossovers to come, such as the Hyundai Kona, Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-30, and Nissan Kicks. Even well into its current generation, the 2021 Honda HR-V remains competitive. In addition to its aforementioned positive traits, the HR-V offers tech like Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and the impressive Honda Sensing suite of active safety features. Unlike other, fresher rivals, however, those features aren’t standard.

This year the HR-V faces more competition in new rivals like the Chevrolet Trailblazer that undercut it in price, and the highly recommendable Kia Seltos, which includes a long list of standard features and even bests the HR-V in cargo room.

Unlike rivals such as the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona that offer spunky turbocharged engine options, the Honda HR-V makes do with just one engine choice: a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder that puts out 141 horsepower. The HR-V isn’t exactly slow, but neither does it have the frisky acceleration enabled by its higher-powered peers.

The HR-V will happily shuffle you around cities and is fine for highway jaunts, but loaded up with passengers and gear, the little HR-V can feel strained. The only transmission is a continuously variable automatic, and while this one feels more natural than some earlier CVTs, it’s still not as crisp as a standard automatic with set gears. Sport trims and above get paddle shifters that also help mimic traditional up- and downshifts.

That said, the Honda HR-V is nimble, efficient and can squeeze into parking spots with ease. Its suspension is pleasantly taut and enables the HR-V to feel surprisingly agile.

As noted in Favorite Features, interior space and cargo flexibility has long been the HR-V’s ace card. Its 58.8 cubic feet of cargo volume with the rear seats folded was long best in class, but the Kia Seltos has managed to best the HR-V with its 62.8 figure.

Up front, outward visibility is good, and the driving position is comfortable. Base LX models are rather basic with a 5-inch screen and dial-based climate controls. Other trims get a 7-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. This is still adequate for now, but consider that the new Kia Seltos comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen and an optional 10.25-inch setup that is more sophisticated.

Though plain looking, we don’t mind the physical climate dials in the LX and S trims. In the EX and higher, the HR-V has touch-sensitive climate controls that look sleek but can be cumbersome to use. Learning from past mistakes, Honda has put a physical volume knob in the HR-V vs. its former touch-sensitive system.

To our eye, the 2021 Honda HR-V looks cute and unoffensive. As is the current trend, there’s a coupe-like influence with the roofline and how the handles for the rear-passenger doors are hidden away by the window.

The HR-V Sport trim is the first to liven things up. It’s the only version to have 18-inch wheels (the rest roll on 17-inch alloys), and all models except the base LX get a new design for 2021. New this year, the Sport trim also gets a rear privacy glass like the trims above it.

Like others in this segment, the HR-V has a manual liftgate. If you must have a power tailgate in your subcompact crossover, you might want to check out the new Mazda CX-30 or Chevy Trailblazer.

INTERIOR FLEXIBILITY
The HR-V took a cue from the original Honda Fit, enlisting the Magic Seat in back that can flip and fold to accommodate cargo of varying shape and size. With the seats flipped up, taller items like a potted plant are easy to move. Fold both rear seats down, and the HR-V opens up 58.8 cubic feet of space.

HONDA SENSING
Standard in EX trim and above, this array of driver aids includes collision and road-departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance. Honda’s LaneWatch also comes in at the EX level, employing a passenger-side camera to display vehicles in the driver’s blind spot when the turn signal is activated.

The Honda HR-V comes in four trims: LX, Sport, EX, and EX-L.

The most basic 2021 HR-V, the LX, still comes with the ingenious folding rear seats, cruise control, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights and taillights. Its infotainment system is basic – just a 5-inch screen with AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, USB port, and a CD player. This is actually the only 2021 HR-V model to retain a compact disc player.

More recommendable is the Sport trim, the next level up. It has a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, the HondaLink system that lets you connect with the vehicle remotely from your phone, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and fog lights and roof rails. The Sport trim also has 18-inch wheels and a different steering ratio for faster responses.

If it’s possible to stretch the budget to the EX trim, this feels like a far more substantial upgrade, bringing the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, keyless entry, heated front seats, moonroof, and automatic climate control.

Apart from opting for all-wheel drive, the way to obtain more equipment in a new Honda HR-V is to head toward the higher trim levels.

Moving up to the EX-L trim brings leather upholstery, 180-watt audio system, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

No choices here. The sole engine propelling the 2021 HR-V is a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder unit generating 141 horsepower and 127 lb-ft of torque.

It’s linked to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which is an automatic optimized for fuel efficiency. However, this one has stepped gear changing for quieter operation at full throttle.

Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the default arrangement, with all-wheel drive (AWD) available from the lowest trim. Like most car-based crossover SUVs, the HR-V isn’t meant for serious off-roading, but AWD can help in snow or on dusty trails.

Averaging 30 mpg with front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is just a little thirstier), the HR-V is fuel-efficient and only requires regular unleaded.

1.8-liter inline-4
141 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
127 lb-ft of torque @ 4,300 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 28/34 mpg (FWD), 27/31 (AWD LX), 26/31 mpg (AWD  Sport, AWD EX, AWD EX-L)