2023 Honda HR-V EX-L AWD Review – Enticing Yet Flawed

Once upon a time, the Honda HR-V was a nice little affordable urban runabout with a cramped interior, unremarkable dynamics, and boring styling.

The 2023 Honda HR-V is a much nicer package, with a roomier, nicer cabin and styling that will get noticed – though not necessarily in a good way.

It also offers handling that actually has some verve – Honda remembered that they’re Honda – and a comfy ride. Now, let’s talk about giving that engine some more guts. And giving this crossover some better tires.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes 158 horsepower and just 138 lb-ft of torque, and that’s disappointing. There’s a lack of passing punch here, and merging takes some planning. The HR-V could be a fun little urban commuter if it had, say, 200 lb-ft of torque. Maybe even 175. But there’s just not enough grunt here.

The other thing that’s lacking is rubber – the tires here give up the ghost a bit too easily when pushed, especially if the pavement is a bit wet. Yes, yes, we know – few folks are slaloming a small crossover around an autocross. But even accounting for vehicle type and use case, Honda should shoe the HR-V with grippier tires.

Especially since the handling here is good enough that you might want to have a little back-road fun, crossover or not. For reference, my test car had the available all-wheel drive system.

Credit the MacPherson strut suspension up front and rear multi-link for this. The electric power steering manages to feel actually connected to the road and not too artificial.

At least the continuously-variable automatic transmission doesn’t annoy. Most of us disdain CVTs but this is one of the better ones.

The HR-V’s interior will be familiar to anyone who has spent time in the Civic, and that’s a good thing. It looks classy, it’s functional, and everything just sort of works. There’s leg- and headroom a plenty, and the seats are comfy. The only downside is that some materials feel cheap, especially in the top-trim EX-L I drove – a vehicle that costs $30,590. Oh, wait, there’s one more downside – the tacked-on infotainment screen.

Honda gave the HR-V new styling, and it’s more than a tad polarizing, thanks to the snub-nose shape. It looks better in person than in pictures, but it’s still a bit of a puzzling choice. Similarly puzzling was the decision to not include a power tailgate – something competitors offer.

My test unit – a top-trim EX-L with all-wheel drive – had a base price of $28,950. That price included features such as leather seats, heated front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, blind-spot information monitor, rear cross-traffic monitor, driver attention monitor, Bluetooth, satellite radio, USB, keyless starting, wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, keyless entry, remote start, adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, road-departure mitigation, and traffic-jam assist. The only option was the $395 Nordic Forest paint.

Taken as a whole, I found the HR-V to be a pretty decent choice as a small crossover – and it’s certainly a more appealing choice than it was before. It needs a bit more power, a better tire choice, and some nicer interior materials to really stand out. As for the divisive looks, well, keep in mind you don’t have to see the grille while driving.

Honda took a huge step in the right direction with this generation of the HR-V. A few tweaks and the company will have one of the stronger entries at this price point.

[Images © 2023 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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