2024 Honda CR-V VTi L review

10/04/2024 10:00 AM

2024 Honda CR-V VTi L

It's kind of hard to believe that the first CR-V – still reasonably numerous on our roads but now looking endearingly dinky – was a much smaller vehicle. Sure, everything is bigger. The current Civic looks twice as long as the original (it isn't, but it looks it), the BMW 1 Series is bigger than the first 3 Series… I could go on. It's happening everywhere.

But when you look at the growth of the CR-V's rivals from over two decades ago, the CR-V definitely ate the crusts on its sandwiches. It has shot past the size of the RAV4 and is rather closer to the Kluger, but still probably a mid-size contender, just at the other end of the scale.

I guess it doesn't really matter too much to the people who buy them, because they're not buying a badge but instead a car that fits their needs. The five-seat VTi L is the third of seven distinct CR-V models, and quite possibly is the one to go for if you're a busy family on the run.

How much does the Honda CR-V cost in Australia?

The CR-V slots into the very upper end of the mid-size SUV segment, joining the perky ZR-V, which sneaks in down the other end. The CR-V VTi L is the second spec rung, and the third from the bottom if you count the seven-seat versions as distinct models. Which you probably should because the specification is slightly different between five and seven-seaters.

For $49,300 drive-away (the only way Honda sells a car) the VTi L scores 18-inch alloys, heated front seats, leather wheel and shifter, satellite navigation, key card entry,  roof rails, leather seats, eight-speaker audio, hands-free electric tailgate, dual-zone climate control, powered driver's seat, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, auto wipers and headlights, and further safety features over the VTi X five-seater.

There are three accessory packs available. The Essential Pack ($960) adds mats, weathershields, a cargo organiser box, door sill garnishes and a flip-out bumper and boot lip protector. 

The $1624 Illumination Pack also includes carpet mats, puddle lights, cabin footwell lights and an illuminated door sill garnish.

Finally, the $2112 Touring Pack – the only one that seems at all worthwhile to me – includes rubber mats, cargo floor protector, roof racks and a tow bar kit.

At this level you can squeeze into a Toyota RAV4 GX hybrid all-wheel drive or a GXL hybrid two-wheel drive. The RAV4 isn't quite as spacious, however, but is otherwise close to the CR-V's spec and after-sales package. You could also look at the currently runout-mode Tiguan 110TSI Life that has a similar-sized engine but less stuff.

You'll also be in the middle of the Mitsubishi Outlander range with either the LS or LS Black Edition petrol front-wheel drive, 5+2 cabin, similar equipment and a much longer warranty.

How big is a Honda CR-V?

This CR-V is a whopper inside. Somehow it was involved in more than one airport run and both sets of passengers were very taken with the comfort and interior space.

Starting with the back seats, because why not, the first thing that struck me was the gigantic doors that swing wide open. This was a thing on the old CR-V too and the Nissan X-Trail has followed suit. It makes entry and exit really easy for all shapes and sizes, and swinging in a baby capsule or struggling toddler is made all the more easy. 

Older kids will enjoy the large amounts of head and leg room, as will adults north of 180cm. This is a comfortable five-seater, with even an adult in the middle possible for a short trip because the floor is almost flat. You get your own air vents back here, an armrest with two cupholders and two USB-C charging ports at the rear of the centre console. You can also recline the rear seat backs and the armrest houses two cupholders.

The electric tailgate reveals a low loading lip to access the 589-litre boot. To be honest, it looks bigger than that, but numbers don't lie. It's still a lot of space and is above average for the segment. The wide flat floor is about level with the loading lip and there's a retractable cargo cover, a light and 12-volt port. The seats split 60/40, and with those down you're treated to a huge space with a 1671L figure offered by Honda.

Front-seat occupants are treated to very comfortable seats. Honda’s front seats of recent years have been somewhat firmly stuffed – looking at you HR-V – but the mid-sizers seem to have been sorted. I'd still take the RAV4’s, which I think are the most comfortable in this segment and price range, but the CR-V's are very close on comfort.

Two cupholders sit side-by-side behind the raised panel around the shifter. Behind that is a hefty bin under the armrest and another little tray between the bin and the cupholders. The doors each hold a bottle, and big ones at that, up to 1.5L.

The dash is a really nice design with little joystick-style knobs for directing airflow and a really clean hexagonal design motif. It's more convincing than Mazda's attempt at a clean dash and has an air of Audi Q7 about it.

The climate controls are really nice and are easy to use without looking down at them. Right underneath is a handy-sized rubberised tray with a wireless charging pad for compatible phones. The wireless pad is joined by a USB-C charging port and a USB-A charging and connectivity port as well as a 12-volt.

This segment has some pretty stylish cabins, and the CR-V joins a competitive bunch. It's not as sleek as the ZR-V's or CX-5's or as practical as the RAV4's, but betters the Forester, X-Trail and Outlander in overall appeal and materials. And it's way better than the old CR-V's distinctly un-Honda cabin of hard plastics.

Does the Honda CR-V have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The 9.0-inch touchscreen's basic software is a bit ordinary to look at, but once you're set up with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, it looks great. Responses are swift with the wireless CarPlay, and I think it only got confused once and couldn't find the phone.

Tapping around the screen is good when not in a smartphone mirroring app, but it all looks a bit cheap. Shortcut tiles are arranged across the bottom of the screen, while pertinent information is aligned along the top, including a handily large time read-out.

Physical home and back buttons join a physical volume knob as well as a forward and back track rocker switch, which is probably unnecessary given you could just tap the screen or use the steering wheel controls.

Honda's in-built satellite navigation looks pretty good, but you'd only use it if you had to given the connectivity available with phone apps.

The satellite navigation also integrates with Honda Connect. Using the phone app, you can set up the climate control, operate the lights and locks, and find where you've left the car. You can also get alerts on speed, whether the car has been crashed while in someone else's hands or whether it has left a designated area.

There's even a virtual dashboard, which would be a load of fun to screenshot and terrify an errant teenager with. You get a five-year subscription with a new CR-V.

DAB and FM radio are also standard on the eight-speaker stereo, which seemed to have perfectly reasonable sound.

Is the Honda CR-V a safe car?

The new CR-V features 11 airbags, including a driver's knee airbag and a front centre airbag, and curtain airbags that reach the final row in the seven-seater version.

In recently-released ANCAP test results the CR-V range was rated four stars. Adult Occupant and Child Occupant protection rating were both scored 88 per cent. Vulnerable Road User protection was rated 76 per cent, but Safety Assist systems achieved only a 68 per cent result – with a minimum of 70 per cent for this section required to quality for a five-star result.

What safety technology does the Honda CR-V have?

Honda has fitted a decent set of safety features, but the lack of reverse AEB stands out to me. It does have reverse cross-traffic alert, so that little bit of extra wiring would make a huge difference to the safety and carpark crash-avoidance abilities. It's worth nothing that the VTi L is the first five-seater in the range with reverse cross-traffic alert, while the lower-spec VTi X seven-seater has this feature. 

The CR-V's middle rear seat features three top-tether anchors. Annoyingly, the middle anchor is in the ceiling as is – bafflingly – the middle seatbelt (as it was in the old car). Two ISOFIX anchors are available on both the outboard seats.

How much does the Honda CR-V cost to run?

Honda offers a regular five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty across its entire range. Also offers extended coverage for up to three years additional warranty and roadside assist, taking the total warranty to eight years. This applies for vehicles serviced on time, within the Honda dealer network, and is automatically applied where eligible.

At the time of writing, Honda is clearing 2023-build CR-Vs and offering an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with the same length of roadside assist for $48,800 drive-away. 

The servicing is startlingly good value, with the first five clocking in at $199 each every 12 months or 10,000km, which takes the sting out of the initial purchase price, or at least the lack of available discounts. Nobody else is this cheap.

An insurance quote came out at $1684 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

That seems about right, if a little on the high side, but not by a lot.

Is the Honda CR-V fuel-efficient?

The CR-V's claimed 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres figure looks about right for a 1.5-litre engine shifting a pretty big car. The real-world figure I got over 340km in a week was 9.1L/100km, mostly in suburban bombing about and, as I mentioned earlier, two airport runs. That's not bad going for a mostly urban week, and sits comfortably inside my personal 30 per cent margin of error for official figures rule. If I were to apply the official urban figure of 9.3L/100km, it's close.

The fact the CR-V only demands cheaper 91RON fuel is cheering and rare on a turbo.

If you were to get the claimed figure, the CR-V would travel nearly 800km between fills. Around the city it seems you'll get an even 600km, neither of which is small. For most folks, that's a couple of weeks between fills.

What is the Honda CR-V like to drive?

I thought the previous generation CR-V wasn't a bad car, but it was missing a bit of oomph to move its undoubted heft. It was also a little on the plush side and moved around a bit in corners. Honda has fixed both of these issues in the new one. Well, half-fixed.

Carrying over from the old car is the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo. Power and torque are identical at 140kW and 240Nm respectively, and the continuously variable transmission is also still around. It's the latter that has improved.

CVTs are really good in low torque applications, and while you'd hardly call the 240Nm figure low, it does have 1623kg to haul around. That's not a heavyweight by any stretch, but the CVT makes the car feel quite a bit lighter than it is. It won't snap your neck, but it does a good job getting you moving and keeping you moving. The calibration feels better and watching my review of the last car seems to confirm this.

It does it with precious little fuss too. Like its predecessor, the CR-V is a very quiet car to get around in. Road and wind noise are well suppressed and the engine is a distant drone, which could be the transmission. Either way, though, the most you'll hear is a bit of a thunk from the front suspension on particularly nasty bumps. Much of what the old car did well has come through to this generation.

I quite like the steering too. While light and not especially connected to the road surface, it really suits the car. On top of that, some of the mild boatiness of the old one seems to have gone, with a sharper feel when turning the wheel and less body roll. Larger SUVs are getting much nicer to drive and the CR-V has joined the crew.

It feels like this car could absolutely eat miles on a long trip, which is handy given this is a family car likely to be taken on holidays. Loaded up it might be a little less sprightly, but you won't mind too much as the car serenely cuts through the trip.

Can a Honda CR-V tow?

With the optional Touring Pack and its supplied tow bar pack, Honda says you can tow a braked trailer up to 1500kg and an unbraked trailer of 600kg. Maximum towball download is 100kg, leaving you with a still-healthy 535kg payload.

Given it is fitted with such a small engine and producing just 240Nm of torque, I'd suggest this isn't a car you'd want to use for regular towing and its 1500kg weight limit suggests the same. The seven-seater’s towing capacity loses 500kg.

If you're tempted to make the leap to the hybrid, be aware that its tow rating is 750kg braked with a 75kg towball download.

So out of all the CR-Vs, the five-seater petrols are the most capable towers. If you need more, just about everything else in the segment can tow 2000kg as long as they're not hybrids.

Should I buy a Honda CR-V?

The best thing about a Honda CR-V is that it does pretty much everything any other petrol SUV can do, so there's really no reason to ignore it unless you need to tow something hefty. In which case, a more capable vehicle should be your choice.

At this level, the VTi L certainly trades punches with its rivals, and it's one of those moments where you probably have to sit down and work out what you value more. I feel like Honda is missing a trick by not having hybrids all up and down the range, so if you want a CR-V but want a hybrid, don't go for it yet.

If you live in more rural areas, you may also want to consider whether you want all-wheel drive, which is available for an extra $2500 in the VTi L spec. If you're happy with front-wheel drive and want seven seats, the VTi X7 is $4200 more than the five-seat VTi L.

The segment benchmark is probably still the RAV4, but the gap has absolutely closed, with the Toyota clinging to its lead because the hybrid tech is so good and it's just so popular. The Honda counters with its seven-seat option, dirt-cheap servicing, overall efficiency in non-hybrid versions and extra space.

How do I buy a Honda CR-V? The next steps.

The best place to start with a Honda CR-V purchase is at the Honda website. Here you'll find a configurator to build the car you want and find out the price. Honda doesn't haggle under its agency model, so you know exactly what you're up for from the get-go as well as any special offers.

Again, at the time of writing Honda was offering an extended warranty and a fuel voucher on 2023-build cars, and that's all there for you to read. You'll find the current pricing for the 2024 build cars, which is slightly higher.

You can also book a test drive on the Honda website, which is strongly recommended before making any purchase. There is no stock locater online, so you'll have to speak to a dealer about availability of your chosen spec and colour. You might find a CR-V for sale at Drive Marketplace.

Honda Australia told us "there is a good supply of the CR-V VTi L and are continuously monitoring the situation to ensure we provide the best customer experience".

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