$20,000 doesn’t buy you a lot in this day and age, but at that price point you could own an economical, best-in-class take on Honda’s widely-popular CR-V, the HR-V. Yes, you read right. This is not a typo, as many of my friends thought when I posted on Social Media I was test-driving it this past weekend.
Style, performance, safety, connectivity and most importantly value are crucial to me in a car and the HR-V hits all those marks. The four-wheel drive EX-L NAVI model I drove was nothing short of powerful with its 1.8L engine, 16-valve, SOHC, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, operating at 141 horsepower. I drove one coloured a regal Misty Green Pearl which had ladies on the street literally stopping and admiring; the crème coloured leather-trimmed seats. With temperatures definitely below normal for spring, those front heated seats certainly came in handy. The dual-zone air filtration system also customizes temperatures for both passenger and driver because we’re not all the same and the HR-V respects that. The HR-V – keeping families and friends together!
Lane departure and forward collision warnings kept me focused and safe without being overbearing. The last thing we need is too much over-sensitive beeping every time a squirrel hops by when we’re trying to enjoy Sirius XM on that six-speaker 180-watt audio system! Connecting music on my phone however, proved a bit troublesome though to the system. The HONDA Link system enables me safely to make phone calls through the car’s speaker system. Keeping my phone charged always is super-important and there are an array of outlets tucked out of sight under the ultra-stylish gear shift to stay connected.
The HR-V captures the comfort and roominess of the CR-V without the price and we love this. Also, a moonroof is requisite for us and the HR-V delivers this ambiance. We appreciate also the rear window wipers especially in our unpredictable weather. The rear-view camera and LaneWatch made reversing, parallel parking and backing-in a real breeze, its ease truly – pardon the pun – unparalleled.
A combined 8.1 L/100 km fuel efficiency makes driving affordable and we love the Econ button which works optimally in city driving, keeping money in our pockets.
My only critique is that the gas/brake pedal needed a bit more of an effort to be exerted in acceleration and slowing down versus other Honda greats (i.e. The Pilot!!!) but this is something that one can learn to work with.
To learn more about the HONDA HR-V EX-L NAVI, click here.
See our HONDA HR-V Snapstory:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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