Bigger is better for the redesigned 2023 Honda HR-V — unless you wanted more fuel economy

Table of Contents

Pricing
Safety Features
Interior Function
Ride and Handling
Performance
Fuel Economy
Back Seats and Cargo Space
Observations and Considerations
Why Buy the 2023 Honda HR-V?
Specifications

BY MARK MAYNARD

Just about everything in America is better when it’s bigger, and that certainly includes the redesigned 2023 Honda HR-V. Now in its second generation, Honda’s smallest SUV is longer and wider with a sleeker roofline and longer hood. The restyling is upscale and is welcome from the previous model’s contrived swoops and chopped rear. The first HR-V was sold in the U.S. in 2015 for the 2016 model year.

I see the new HR-V everywhere around San Diego, while sightings here of the previous model are scarce. Good on Honda for that, proving that bigger is indeed better for the HR-V. A bigger four-cylinder engine, a roomier interior, and value pricing are also strong incentives.

Dimensions Now and Then

The new HR-V is 9.4 inches longer, 2.6 inches wider, and just a couple tenths of an inch taller at 63.4 inches. HR-V’s wheelbase is 1.7 inches longer at 104.5 inches. Small and tall SUVs are notoriously choppy on the highway, but the relaxed length of the wheelbase settles the ride at highway speeds.

Curb weights are up by 245 pounds for front-wheel drive and 191 pounds with all-wheel drive, now at 3,219/3,333 pounds.

Honda HR-V Stats

Honda says its HR-V is America’s No. 1 small SUV with first-time and Gen Z buyers. And those buyers are likely new to the brand.

HR-V is the No. 2 retail (not fleet) model in the competitive and crowded segment of subcompact SUV crossover.

A spokesman said that Honda’s SUVs continue as top retail players so far in 2023. The compact-class CR-V is No. 2 in the industry’s largest segment. HR-V is No. 2 in subcompact SUV crossover, and the midsize Pilot is in a tight race for retail No. 3 in its segment.

Honda HR-V competitors include the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Hyundai Kona, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-30, Nissan Kicks, and VW Taos.

HR-V’s New Styling

The 2023 Honda HR-V is no longer just a device for fuel economy. The redesigned exterior has smooth and cohesive lines for a sturdy stance and appealing presence. I especially like that Honda did not try to bulk up the body to look like a rugged SUV. It still has the feel of a tough little ute and has just slim fender wheel-well guards to help protect from grit-blasting and winter debris.

Honda says the interior design is about “simplicity and something.” The something is more premium-appearing plastics and other materials that reinforce pride of ownership.

2023 Honda HR-V Pricing

The 2023 Honda HR-V is sold in three trim levels of LX, Sport, and EX-L. All have the same front-wheel-drive powertrain: a 158-horsepower, 16-valve DOHC VTEC 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Starting prices range from $25,395 to $28,945; add $1,500 for all-wheel drive. All MSRPs include the $1,295 freight charge from Guanajuato, Mexico.

The HR-V EX-L tester with AWD starts at $30,445. One option for Nordic Forest Pearl paint ($455) brought the sticker to a very reasonable $30,900 — not including possible “market pricing” extortion from the dealership.

Due to continued supply-chain issues, blind spot information with cross-traffic monitor — usually a standard feature on the Sport and EX — is currently offered as a $550 option, a spokesman explained.

“If a customer chooses to purchase the vehicle without the feature,” he said, “they will get a $550 discount off the MSRP.

I urge buyers to get the BSI feature. It is valuable driver support in a crowded commute.

Appreciable features on the EX-L include leather-trimmed upholstery, a one-touch power sunroof, smart-key entry and push-button ignition, heated front seats, an eight-speaker audio system, electric parking brake, and floor mats.

There will be no forgetting to lock the HR-V with Honda’s walk-away auto lock system.

HR-V Safety Features and Technologies

The Honda HR-V has a comprehensive list of safety features and technologies for a small and relatively inexpensive new vehicle.

The 2023 HR-V is packed with 10 air bags, including front knee bags and rear seat side-impact bags.

Advanced driver-assist technologies allow Level 2 hands-on-the-wheel semi-autonomous driving. When activated, the system will steer, accelerate, and stop the HR-V using the cruise control system.

In my experience, Honda’s system gives precise highway cornering control and does not allow the HR-V to drift wide across the lane lines or Botts dots. Not all such systems are as accurate.

Traffic Jam Assist will be of value for commuters in high-stress traffic. When activated, the system will keep the HR-V in pace with traffic, slowing and accelerating as needed. It also will stop the vehicle and then resume acceleration.

New advanced features include a front sensor camera and Traffic Sign Recognition. TSR is a ticket-saver when speed signs are so far and few between. The system’s front camera reads traffic signs and displays them through the instrument cluster, infotainment screen, or head-up display.

Other driver-assist features include:

• Low-Speed Braking Control;
• Lane Keeping Assist;
• And a new blind spot information system.

HR-V EX-L Interior Function

The driver’s position reflects Honda’s obsession with making things simple and intuitive. There are buttons and knobs for nearly all cabin-control functions, an asset when making adjustments while driving. The dash top 9-inch color touchscreen and rearview camera display are not prone to sunlight washout or glare. Its functions are easy to figure out, such as connecting a phone, audio settings, and fuel mileage efficiency.

Honda’s body-stabilizing front seats emphasize shoulder support, and they have adult thigh support. The driver seat has eight-way power adjustment in the EX-L trim. But after an hour behind the wheel, I wished for lumbar support, but there is no provision for that on any trim level. And worse, the front passenger seat is just four-way adjustable.

Front headroom is tall at 38.4 inches or 39.4 inches without the sunroof. Sightlines are open across the hood and at the side mirrors, now mounted on the door away from the windshield pillars for a bit more visibility. The back glass is broad and deep for open at-a-glance views.

An under-storage pass-through shelf at the shift console is a unique and nifty design element. With lighted USB charging ports USBs on either side, a passenger has a place to connect and lay a phone or a notepad.

The shelf is a smart innovation to add small item storage in a small vehicle. Yet Honda includes a slim gearshift lever. It takes up valuable space and causes a reach-around to the cup holders and e-bin for the wireless charging pad. It makes more packaging sense to have Honda’s flat strip of shift tabs in the Honda CR-V and Accord sedan.

HR-V AWD Ride and Handling

Cabin quiet is improved, but more could be done. The 2023 HR-V has sound-absorbing inner fenders, sound-absorption carpet, and an acoustic windshield. On the highway, however, the cabin has noticeable noise, which might be attributed to the raised ride height and so much space around the tires. There is a 3 ½-inch margin of air around the top of the tires to the fender liner, where air can tumble.

The ride-height lift provides welcome forward visibility in this land of big SUVs. But it also introduces a ride-quality issue.

The HR-V suspension is a bounder and a jostler. Bounding is good as it softens the ride quality over lumpy city streets. But stiffer shock absorbers create a jostling effect as the suspension tries to balance the tester’s 3,333-pound curb weight and the taller ride height. And I could feel every seam in the road and expansion joint on the highway.

When trolling for a parking space, the HR-V is a tiny dancer with a turning circle of just 35.1 feet.

2023 HR-V AWD Performance

Horsepower gets a significant boost from the 158-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder, replacing the previous 141-hp 1.8-liter. Acceleration is adequate, held back by a peak torque of 138 foot-pounds at a high 4,200 rpm. “Fuzzy logic” programming follows how the HR-V driver has been accelerating. If they have been driving briskly, the acceleration is quicker to comply. But when going at modest rates, the acceleration response is dialed back for fuel economy.

As before, the transmission is a one-speed, continuously variable automatic with ECON, Normal, and Snow modes. There also is an S mode for sharper acceleration, but the response was not impressive. The calibration also increases engine braking and gives more engine-braking feel off-throttle.

New step-shift programming of the CVT simulates gear changes and gives downshifts during braking. In concept, the shift function gives drivers a familiar audible cue for a better sense of acceleration. This system is very palpable in the 2023 Honda CR-V, but I sensed no step-shift action in the HR-V. Instead, it was a little loud and revvy on acceleration.

Real Time AWD

Honda’s Real Time all-wheel drive is efficient and lightweight. The drive system works in front-wheel drive until sensors detect wheel slip. Power is then sent to the rear axle and the electrically operated rear differential.

When starting on snow, the system sends power to the rear wheels right away for quicker grip. The system also sends more power rearward when climbing a hill.

Hill Start Assist holds brake pressure briefly after the brake pedal is released, giving the driver time to ease into acceleration.

Standard Hill Descent Control is a first for any Honda SUV to help the driver on steep or slippery downhills. A button on the center console allows drivers to set a speed between 2 and 12 mph using the brake or gas pedal. When the pedal is released, the HR-V will maintain the set speed, allowing the driver to concentrate on steering.

HR-V Fuel Economy Ratings

More horsepower comes at a price. The previous smaller and lighter HR-V had mileage ratings of 28 mpg city, 34 highway, and 30 mpg combined.

For 2023, front-wheel-drive HR-V trims have fuel-economy estimates of 26 mpg city, 32 highway, and 29 mpg combined. All-wheel-drive mileage estimates are 25/30/27 mpg. Regular unleaded is recommended.

Around town, my driving averaged 24 to 27 mpg. With extended highway driving, I worked up to 32.7 mpg.

The 14-gallon tank (up from 13.2-gallons last year) would provide 392 miles of total range, according to FuelEconomy.gov.

A hybrid powertrain for HR-V could be the secret sauce for higher fuel economy. Honda won’t say if a hybrid powertrain is possible for HR-V, but it seems possible. The HR-V is based on the Honda global modular architecture and incorporates elements of the CR-V and Civic small sedan. The Honda CR-V does have a hybrid-engine choice, and the Honda Civic will have a hybrid option when it goes on sale next year.

HR-V Back Seat and Cargo Space

With back doors that open to almost 90 degrees, entry to the HR-V back seat is a composed exercise. Headroom is good at 38 inches, and legroom is long at 37.7 inches for a small car, if those in the front seats are not in the big-and-tall club.

There is no seatback recline. But with just a low hump to the exhaust-driveshaft tunnel, there is comfortable footroom for three-across seating, but the center position is narrow.

Cargo space is almost more functional than the back seat. The cargo entry is 42 inches wide and 30 ½ inches tall. Fold the back seat for 6 feet in length. There is useable underfloor storage in a three-chamber space.

Observations and Considerations

• Windshield-wiper coverage on the driver’s left leaves at least a 3-inch margin top to bottom of unswiped glass. It is a distracting condition. And the swath of rain-obscured glass seems even wider next to the windshield pillar.
• A good indicator of Honda’s attention to engineering detail is in the engine bay. Raise the hood and look over the nuts, bolts, and connectors. Each significant element is double-checked on the production line and signed off by a color marker.
• 

  Bolts marked in colors to show final sign-off.

  Nothing is loose to touch another part that could cause wear.

• An underhood courtesy decal at the prop rod cautions using the foam area on the rod. Thank you for such consideration, Honda.
• Another eye-opener to Honda’s engineering standards is the four-wheel-disc brake sizes for all trim levels, front- or all-wheel drive. Honda gave the HR-V ventilated 12.3-inch front discs and solid 12.2-inch rear discs. The discs are large for a small SUV and the largest of the HR-V competitors.

Why Buy the 2023 Honda HR-V?

The new HR-V would not be my choice as a hypermiling commuter. But the HR-V is an ideal first car for a young driver or a graduate heading to college.

It is cute and will be inexpensive to maintain and replace tires over the life of the HR-V.

The tester’s sticker of just under $31,000 is high value and surely a barometer of why I see so many HR-V’s around San Diego.

2023 Honda HR-V EX-L Specifications

Body style: subcompact, 5-seat front-drive SUV crossover with optional AWD

Engine: 158-hp, 16-valve DOHC VTEC 2.0-liter 4-cylinder; 138 lb.-ft. torque at 4,200 rpm

Transmission: CVT with modes of ECON, Normal, Snow

Fuel economy: 25/30/27 mpg city/hwy/combined; 87 octane fuel

BY THE NUMBERS

Fuel tank: 14 gallons

Cargo space: 24.4/55.1 cubic feet

Front head/leg room: 38.4*/41.9 inches *39.4 w/o sunroof

Rear head/leg room: 38/37.7 inches

Length/wheelbase: 179.8/104.5 inches

Curb weight: 3,333 pounds

Turning circle: 35.1 feet

SAFETY FEATURES

Standard safety features include: 10 air bags, stability and traction controls, brake assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors;

Safety technologies: Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System;

Driver-Assist technologies: Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Lane Keeping Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Auto High-Beam Headlights, Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Monitor, Low-Speed Braking Control, Parking Sensors front and rear.

BRAKING, STEERING, SUSPENSION

Brakes: Ventilated 12.3-inch front discs and solid 12.2-inch rear discs.

Steering: Dual Pinion Assist Electric Power Steering; 35.1-foot turning circle.

Suspension: MacPherson strut front suspension, multilink rear; front and rear stabilizer bars, tubular 27mm front, 13mm solid rear.

Tires-Wheels: 215/60 all-season tires 17-inch machine-finished alloys with gloss shark-gray inserts; compact spare.

PRICING

HR-V AWD EX-L base price: $30,445, including $1,295 freight charge; price as tested $30,900

Options on test vehicle: Nordic Forest Pearl paint $455

Where assembled: Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico

Warranties: 3-years/36,000-miles bumper to bumper with 24-hour roadside assistance; 5-years/60,000-miles powertrain; Honda Genuine Accessories installed at time of vehicle purchase are covered for 3-years/36,000-miles