The Honda HR-V is now into its third generation of production. With a complete refresh, the HR-V is back in a big way, in order to stay relevant in what is a fiercely competitive market. Ever since 2016, the HR-V has maintained impressive sales figures with over 700,000 units sold up to last month.

I recently had the chance to see what having an HR-V would be like for a week if I were to own one. So, the question I need to ask is this; is the Honda HR-V a desirable subcompact SUV and is it worth the hype? With what I know now, let's find out, shall we?

Exterior Styling

The exterior styling of the HR-V is very unique, to say the least. Unlike the rest of the Honda lineup, the HR-V's front fascia looks as if they took some styling cues from the Ford Escape and the fourth-generation (catfish) Camaro and did some rearranging. It is a bit uncanny, isn't it? The paint, Nordic Forest Pearl, is a $395 option.

As for the rest of the styling, it appears as if there wasn't much effort put into its looks beyond the front. The only thing that stands out is a prominent line running from the top of the hood, underneath the windows of the doors, and to the taillight after the fuel filler door. As for the rear of the HR-V, its design is like a blank sheet of paper. So much potential, but wasted instead with a simple design.

It is upsetting to see that Honda has missed out on a lot of real estate by only putting forth the effort into the front styling of the HR-V, only to take cues from other vehicles, and leave it at that. To design a beautiful vehicle like the Civic Type-R and fall short with the HR-V is my biggest complaint.

For a subcompact SUV, the HR-V isn't all that small on the outside and is actually 180 inches long, 72 inches wide, and 64 inches tall with a wheelbase of 104.5 inches.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior Design

As boring as the exterior of the Honda HR-V is the interior compliments it with some originality. Take for instance the design of the air conditioning vents. They're a honeycomb pattern and Honda has found a way to make it all function well. Something peculiar about this design is that you have to feel where the air is being directed without feeling it hit your skin. As for the trim - the metal, leather, and plastic blend well together without complaint.

One of my favorite aspects of the cabin has to do with the location of the USB chargers for those sitting in the front. You get one each for driver and passenger with a cubby space in between. Finally, the dials feel a bit luxurious when I compared them to actual luxury vehicles that I have previously driven. Other than that, the HR-V is as basic as girls who love pumpkin spice lattes during the fall.

As for the seats, the ones on the HR-V offer plenty of support and comfort for long trips as well as adventures on the horrible New Jersey roads that I had to endure. Luckily, for the cabin space, with my tall frame, I can easily sit behind myself with great comfort and have some wiggle room to stretch. The front legroom offers 41.2 inches of space while the rear legroom offers 39.3 inches.

Do you ever want to take a vacation? The trunk offers enough room for a few suitcases for the family, with plenty of space left for food and souvenirs to bring home. Cargo volume in the trunk with the seats up offers 24.3 cubic feet. With the seats down, cabin space grows to 58.8 cubic feet.

Cargo Room

Comfort And Convenience Features That Stand Out

- Powered driver's seat

- Heated front seats

- 8 speakers Audio system

- Wireless phone charger

- HD radio with Sirius XM

- 9-inch color infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility)

- Leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel

Safety Features That Stand Out

- Multiple airbags

- Vehicle stability assist

- Anti-lock braking system

- Blind-spot monitoring

- Driver attention monitor

- Adaptive cruise control

- Collision mitigation braking system

- Lane-keeping assist system

- Road departure mitigation

Performance

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood of the Honda HR-V produces a measly 158 horsepower and 138-pound feet of torque. Power goes to all four wheels through an automatic CVT transmission. With my driving habits, I was able to achieve a fuel economy of 23 mpg. But with the heat and having a newborn in the car, it dropped to 22 mpg.

With a full tank, I had a range of 320 miles before the fuel economy dropped. Instead, I was able to achieve a range of close to 250 miles. The fuel tank has a capacity of 13.2 gallons. Twenty dollars in New Jersey gave me over half a tank's worth of fuel.

I found the road comfort of the HR-V to be how I remember Honda vehicles: comfortable and pleasant. The MacPherson strut suspension in the front and a multi-link suspension in the rear keep the HR-V from passing up any discomforts from the road up into the passenger compartment.

The steering is direct and light while offering plenty of feedback through the tires. As for braking, the heavy weight of the HR-V arrives and causes unacceptable brake fade. It comes to a halt from 70 mph in 170 feet.

As for acceleration, the HR-V is slower than a snail. For what felt like an eternity trying to get to highway speeds, I only reached 50 miles per hour (with ECO mode on) in an unofficial ten seconds. With ECO off and in "Sport" mode, the HR-V reaches 60 mph in 10.9 seconds. I've never been so disgusted by a vehicle's acceleration.

2023 Honda HR-V EX-L AWD Specifications

Key Issues I Had With The HR-V

There isn't really much that I didn't like about the HR-V. However, there were some niggles I found with this subcompact SUV from Honda. The first issue I had was to do with the HR-V's heated seats. They never got warm enough. This is tragic since I have driven cars that have proper seats that heat up quickly and come in at a lower price.

The second and main issue that I had with the HR-V was to do with its build quality. By accident, I discovered that a certain trim piece was not held together properly on the doors. After further inspection of the rest of the trim work on the other doors, I found that very same issue.

And this is a brand new HR-V with just (at the time) 1,100 miles on the clock. I concluded that Honda uses a variant of 3M double-sided tape to hold the trim, instead of the clips, or any other material or design, that will lock the trim in place.

Pricing, Warranties, And Competition

So how much does this Honda HR-V AWD EX-L cost? After adding up the only costs of the paint option ($395) and the destination/handling fees ($1,245) to the starting price of $28,950, the total cost of this HR-V AWD EX-L comes to $30,590. this Honda HR-V AWD EX-L cost? After adding up the only costs of the paint option ($395) and the destination/handling fees ($1,245) to the starting price of $28,950, the total cost of this HR-V AWD EX-L comes to $30,590.}} The base price of the lowest model HR-V (LX) starts at $23,650. That's a $6,940 price difference from the tested model. The mid-range model HR-V (Sport) starts at $25,650. That's a $4,940 price difference from my tester.

2023 Honda HR-V Price

The warranties offered by Honda are almost nonexistent. The new vehicle warranty only offers a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. The powertrain only gets a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty. Last but not least, the accessories warranty only offers a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. Luckily Honda has a good reliability reputation.

As far as competition goes, the HR-V competes against the Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona, and Mazda CX-30. The Toyota C-HR starts at its base price of $24,280 while the Hyundai Kona has a base price of $21,990. And the Mazda CX-30 starts at $22,500.

The price gap is not that much of a difference but there is only one vehicle I'd buy on this list and that's the Hyundai Kona. The Kona offers excellent warranties that are simply unbeatable in a market that offers so little.

2023 Honda HR-V Competition Prices

Conclusion

So to answer my question - Is the Honda HR-V a desirable subcompact SUV that's worth the hype? I would have to say 'YES'. For what it is, the HR-Vs issues can have a resolution, or some can dismiss the issues. It is an acceptable vehicle to get you from A to B. As for me, I can't get past the issues I highlighted above. I personally do not find it to be desirable but can see why it is to others. Plus, the warranties don't do it any justice.