2024 Honda CR-V

Pros: High-quality and great-looking interior; excellent hybrid; strong safety credentials; refined and responsive driving experience Cons: No plug-in hybrid and off-road models; no spare tire in hybrid; simple base touchscreen; higher prices than some rivals After a full year on the market and multiple testing opportunities, including a comparison test victory, we feel safe in declaring the 2024 Honda CR-V to be our top choice in the compact SUV segment. Quite simply, it does everything well and, unlike past CR-V efforts, looks good doing it. If you want to narrow things down a bit, we most recommend the Sport, Sport-L and Sport Touring models. Not because we love cars and the word “Sport” gets us excited (it does), but because ironically, all the CR-V’s “Sport” trims are the only way to get the excellent hybrid powertrain and vice versa. The CR-V’s hybrid is more powerful and, not surprisingly, more efficient than the perfectly sufficient 1.5-liter turbo inline-four found in the more traditional LX, EX and EX-L trim levels. It’s also just better to drive due to simulated shifts that make it feel more normal (the 1.5 uses a shift-less CVT). Like past CR-Vs, the 2024 edition checks off all the boxes expected of sensible family transport: spacious for people and their stuff, strong safety credentials, fuel efficient, well-equipped, well-built, and likely to be reliable and hold its value. That it looks so much better now and is better to drive gives it that extra shove to place it just atop a truly impressive lineup of competitors that still need to be considered: the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-50 and Nissan Rogue. Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & Trim Levels   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2024? The CR-V was all-new last year, and there are no major changes for ’24. There is a new Sport-L trim level, however, which bridges the sizable price and equipment gap between the hybrid-only Sport and Sport Touring trims. What are the CR-V interior and in-car technology like? Some may prefer the showier cabins of certain competitors (two of our editors did in our CR-V vs Sportage comparison test), but the clean, sophisticated look of the CR-V interior is pure, classic Honda. There’s something about the blend of metal honeycomb vents, piano black and chrome knobs that evoke a really cool Fender amp. The design and styling should be timeless. Importantly, though, it remains well made and extremely functional. There’s ample storage space and cupholders. The dash is low, and in conjunction with the front pillars, visibility is excellent and there’s a strong sense of spaciousness. All the switchgear feels high-quality with tight, solid action whether it's a turn signal stalk or the highly welcome climate control dials. There’s even a conventional shifter instead of some confusing, different-for-different-sake electronic doo-dad. As for instruments and infotainment, the CR-V features an analog speedometer combined with a 7-inch screen …
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