Honda HR-V review (2015-2020)

The Honda HR-V may be an urban SUV - in reality, it feels more like a hatchback on platform soles. 

Driving position

It has seats that are decently comfortable and offer plenty of adjustment in any direction, and the steering wheel is similar.

Basically, you shouldn’t have any bother getting comfortable, even though there’s no adjustable lumbar support.  

Tech and features

The dashboard itself is like the exterior – inoffensive.

The instrument binnacle houses a large central speedometer with a few supplementary dials around it, and it’s all very clear and easy to read. 

The steering wheel is a touch more complex, with several buttons that allow you to alter various car systems, plus the audio set-up and cruise control. 

A medium-sized touchscreen sits in the middle of the dashboard and controls the sat-nav and audio functions.

Below this resides the touch-sensitive climate control panel.  

The high-set gear lever sits on top of the centre console and is actually in a really comfortable position. 

As you’d expect from a Honda, everything feels great to the touch, and all the switches operate with a smoothness and efficiency long associated with Japanese manufacturers.

It’s certainly up there with rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen T-Roc. 

The plastics used in the interior also feel dense and plush.

Even those lower down in the cabin, such as on the bottom of the dashboard, feel like they’d last a lifetime of family use. 

Engines and power

The 1.5-litre turbo petrol is a properly sweet option since it’s really strong when pulling away from a standstill.

It’ll make your HR-V feel almost like a sportily warm hatch, and it feels at home everywhere. 

The diesel makes a wonderfully economical option, although it doesn’t have the punch of the turbo petrol.  

Each has a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, and it’s light and snicky when changing – it feels great. 

Handling and ride comfort

Honda has given the HR-V a sporty suspension set-up, so it feels eager and nimble, but you might feel the odd bump as the wheels pass over this.

The Sport model is slightly firmer still. 

The steering is also light enough to make you look properly skilled in tight parking manoeuvres, and it’s also weighty enough on the motorway that the car doesn’t feel in any way flighty, especially on breezy days. 

The Honda HR-V manages that clever trick of being small on the outside but pretty roomy on the inside. 

Two large adults will be perfectly at home in the front seats, and they won’t feel like they’re too close together either. 

Rear seats

Space is good in the back, too, and a couple of average-sized adults will feel at home.

Three adults might feel accommodation is a touch intimate. 

Those back seats are cleverer than most, since the seat bases can be flipped up like a cinema seat, which makes the whole of the rear cabin area available for carrying tall items. 

Boot space

The boot, however, is mahoosive for the class, and feels big enough to echo.

Better still, there’s a false floor, and the space underneath is big enough for a couple of carry-on cases. 

Getting stuff into and out of the boot is easy, too, because the lip is low. 

Fuel economy

Whichever model you choose, the Honda HR-V should be pretty cheap to run.

The best petrol model is likely to achieve around the 50mpg mark, while the diesel will add roughly 20mpg to that.

Basically, staff at your local fuel station should remain strangers, which is good. 

Insurance groups

The Honda has a full five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating as well, which is one of the reason its insurance costs are quite low – it starts off in group 18, and only a couple of high-end models are up in group 28.