2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid is an Utterly Painless Ownership Proposition

If you’re looking for a hybrid SUV, it’s fair to say you’ll be more interested in practicality and dependability than performance or design. And if you’re happy for your resting pulse to remain in double figures, Honda’s lightly revised CR-V Hybrid could be a perfect companion. Despite the underwhelming three-year warranty, Honda’s legendary reputation for reliability should ensure a painless ownership experience, while everything about the CR-V feels built to stand the test of time.

For evidence, swing open those tall doors and settle into a cabin that benefits from the 1.5 inches added to the 2024 CR-V’s wheelbase. Few cars are easier to get in and out of, while the comfortable seats have extensive adjustment and good bolstering. Even base Sport models have a heated and power-adjustable driver’s seat, while those in the back shouldn’t feel short-changed, thanks to 41 inches of legroom and enough headroom to accommodate Slash’s top hat. Further back, the CR-V’s considerable dimensions are used to accommodate a trunk with almost 40 cubic feet of cargo space.

Is the 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid a Good Driver’s Car?

Even though all three trim levels contain the word ‘Sport’, none of them are even on nodding terms with athleticism or agility. Twin electric motors complement a two-liter 4-cylinder gas engine to produce a total output of 204 hp and a useful 247 lb-ft of torque, giving reasonably muscular in-gear acceleration and a sub-eight-second 0-60 time.

With that said, this is hardly going to have Rivian owners shivering with jealousy. Nor will the simulated engine sound which is piped through the cabin speakers whenever Sport mode is engaged. Stick to Normal and you’ll experience the same significant body lean in the bends, though ride comfort is among the best in this segment and there’s plenty of feel through the weighty steering.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid Lacks Presence

Where the 2023 model CR-V had a certain presence, courtesy of its protruding lower air grille and aggressive grille, the latest version is as bland as butter externally. The narrow hood-hugging headlamps add some interest, but otherwise, your eyes tend to slide off in search of something more interesting.

This could easily be a Volkswagen from the nose back, while even the Audi-style arrow lights at the rear don’t stand out in a market filled with handsome CX-5s and purposeful C-HRs.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid Benefits from Impressive Standard Specifications

There are only three trim levels on CR-V Hybrids – Sport, Sport-L, and the AWD-only Sport Touring. Every model receives a power moonroof, dual-zone climate, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition, while Sport-L adds leather seating and wireless phone charging.

Touring models ride on larger 19-inch gloss black alloys, controlling their Bose audio system and navigation through a larger nine-inch touchscreen. Considering this model costs $40,795, its generous specification is easy to recommend over less well-equipped versions that are only a few grand cheaper, yet come with an inferior seven-inch touchscreen and far fewer comforts.

Does the 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid Get Good Fuel Economy?

Order your CR-V Hybrid with front-wheel drive, and you should return 40 mpg on the combined cycle. AWD models drop to 37 combined, which is beaten by the likes of Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid – the latter is also available as a plug-in, lest we forget.

Is the 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid a Good Car?

The phrase "built for comfort, not for speed" has taken on a derogatory meaning, yet it perfectly encapsulates the CR-V Hybrid. Here is a car that will leave you unshaken and unstirred at journey’s end; you won’t hop out anticipating the return journey, but nor will you have any aches and pains.

A pliant ride, impressive sound deadening (providing you turn off that synthetic engine noise) and a spacious cabin take the sting out of long journeys, while the Hybrid’s generous torque makes overtaking maneuvers equally worry-free. Standard safety on every model extends to blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, and traffic sign recognition.

It's just a shame the CR-V isn’t more enthusiastic. Where Honda has tried to jazz it up (such as the metallic mesh dash inserts), you rather wish they hadn’t – it’s bound to attract all manner of dust and debris over time. The exterior appearance has regressed from bland yet aggressive to plain bland, while those thick rear pillars block over-the-shoulder visibility without even the option of surround-view cameras. Even the three-year/36,000-mile warranty feels like a token effort.

2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid Alternatives

This is a ferociously hard-fought market segment, especially at the sub-$40,000 price point. The CR-V Hybrid’s competition includes the spacious Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota’s Lexus-like Venza and the seven-seater Mitsubishi Outlander, which offers some genuine off-road prowess.