Used 2022 Toyota C-HR

The 2022 Toyota C-HR is a strong player in the subcompact crossover-SUV class. It has sharp styling, many standard safety features, good fuel economy, plus the reassurance of reliability and robust resale values always associated with Toyota vehicles.

This is a 4-door subcompact SUV, despite appearances to the contrary. Its design makes it look like a 2-door vehicle.

The C in the name stands for coupe and the HR alludes to high-riding. But the C-HR isn’t a coupe. And high-riding? Ground clearance is almost an inch taller than the Toyota Corolla compact sedan, but still not sufficient to follow in the off-road tracks of a Jeep Renegade.

Even so, it’s absolutely fine around town and the suburbs. It’s civilized and comfortable.

In a way, it’s a shame that Toyota doesn’t offer a gutsier engine with the 2022 C-HR. Because the chassis could definitely cope with extra power.

Although the suspension is set up more for comfort (which it does well) than handling precision, there’s still some entertainment to be had on a curving canyon road. This front-drive-only machine will do the usual understeering thing, where the nose struggles to turn into a bend if it’s taken too fast. But once a driver gets a feel for when that happens and works within the C-HR’s parameters, it’s kind of fun.

What isn’t quite so much fun is the rate of acceleration. The C-HR is slow off the line. Standstill to 60 mph happens at some point, but most people would have lost interest and turned the radio up by that time.

The C-HR’s cabin can also be somewhat noisy on the freeway. But Toyota isn’t known for being super-generous with sound deadening in any of its vehicles.

The inside of the 2022 C-HR is generally pleasing. Even some of the cheaper plastics in the door panels are textured to look interesting.

The dashboard is tidy, slanting the generously sized infotainment screen and climate controls slightly toward the driver. The driving position itself will appeal to those who like to sit high and the front seats are comfortable enough for longer trips, yet also nicely supportive at the sides.

Things are not quite as rosy in the back. With an adult male of average size in the front seat, someone of the same build will require slightly more than the 31.7 inches of legroom. But there’s plenty of space under the front seat for that passenger’s feet.

The dramatic roofline affects rear space. It means setting the rear seats low for acceptable headroom. But then the top of the door is too high for leaning an elbow on, and the side windows in the back are small, curtailed further by the wide rear pillars. These pillars impinge on outward vision as well. It’s a good thing that blind-spot monitoring is standard in the 2022 C-HR.

The roof also impacts the practicality of the cargo area. Anything more than one large suitcase means folding down the rear seats. When they’re in place, there’s 19.1 cubic feet of luggage space. Folding them down creates 37 cubic feet. The Honda HR-V has far more.

This is an extrovert exterior. Lines and angles conspire with hidden rear door handles to give the C-HR its own particular look. For extra visual impact, Toyota offers premium paint choices like a metallic red with a black roof.

One minor change this year is that Blizzard Pearl (white) is replaced by Wind Chill pearl (also white). This is also available with a black roof. The Nightshade Edition comes in black, white, red, or gray, which it offsets with black wheels and other exterior details.

RIGHT SIZE
Admittedly, most subcompact crossover SUVs have this attribute, but the C-HR is easy to park, drive, get in and out of, and live with.

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
We mention this mainly because it’s easy to use. Linking up a smartphone for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is quick and simple. We’d prefer to see more than one USB port, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

The main change for this year is that XLE becomes the most affordable 2022 C-HR model. It comes with an amount of standard equipment that may well be enough to please most buyers.

This includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights/daytime running lights/taillights, heated side mirrors, puddle lights, keyless entry/ignition, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

An 8-inch touchscreen controls an infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Amazon Alexa compatibility, satellite radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB port, and six speakers.

Among the driver aids are forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane tracing assistance, automatic high beams, and road sign recognition.

Most extras for the entire 2022 C-HR range include things like HD Radio, roof crossbars, premium paint, paint/rear bumper/door sill protection, and mudguards. Regardless of the model chosen, we’d be tempted to add the extra carpet mats in the cabin and cargo area because they might reduce the noise a bit.

The Nightshade Edition is really nothing more than a cosmetics package, with 18-inch alloy wheels and various other exterior elements all finished in black.

Limited trim adds adaptive headlights, LED fog lights, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and leather seating surfaces.

No choices, no turbocharger. Every 2022 C-HR has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder developing 144 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of torque. This goes solely to the front wheels through an automatic transmission.

In general terms, this is not much power. But most of the competition can’t offer much more, the exception being the Mazda CX-30. And the upside is decent fuel economy.

2.0-liter inline-4
144 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
139 lb-ft of torque @ 3,900 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/31 mpg