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The Toyota 2000GT was Japan’s First Supercar2025 Honda CR-V Review
One of the most well-known compact SUVs comes with great powertrain options and interior options. Does it have what it takes to be your next vehicle?
What’s new for the 2025 Honda CR-V?
The 2025 Honda CR-V is perhaps the world’s best compact SUV and it’s available in six trims with two different powertrains and the choice of front or all-wheel drive. Buyers can even get a hybrid with up to 43 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. The CR-V didn’t become an all-star SUV quickly. This might be the very best CR-V thanks to features like a 9-inch infotainment system and two years of free maintenance.
The 2025 CR-V is unchanged after a huge update in 2023 and a light update that included the introduction of the Sport-L trim for 2024. In reality, it’s a bit of a misnomer since the Sport-L is what most brands would just call a hybrid version of the EX-L trim.
2025 Honda CR-V Exterior – automobiles.honda.com | Shop 2025 Honda CR-V on Carsforsale.com
Carsforsale.com Score
8.75/10
Powertrain
Score
8.25/10
Interior
Score
9.25/10
Technology
Score
8.25/10
Value
Score
9/10
The Breakdown
Great warranty
Top-notch hybrid
Awesome interior
Dismal acceleration
Meaningless trim names
Meh cabin features
A great but not perfect SUV
2025 CR-V Specs
- 190 horsepower from base engine
- 179 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 6 available trims
- 39.3 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Towing capacity of 1,500 lbs
- Available 9-inch infotainment screen
- Recent IIHS Top Safety Pick
- Free maintenance for two years
2025 Honda CR-V Powertrain 8.25/10
Honda’s CR-V is completely focused on fuel economy and smooth power delivery. It checks both of those boxes, albeit to different degrees, with each of its powertrains. First in the lineup is a 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine that comes standard with a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive. It’s not what we’d call engaging or powerful, but it does boast up to 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway according to the EPA.
Honda also offers a hybrid powertrain with 204 horsepower, up to 43 mpg in the city and 36 mpg in the city. Neither engine is very engaging, they’re both smooth and quiet under most circumstances. It gets loud and has a bit of a drone under hard acceleration like the kind one will need to do when overtaking other cars on the highway.
Notably, the CR-V can tow up to 1,500 pounds when properly equipped. Notably, that’s only possible with the gas-only version of the vehicle. Hybrids will only tow up to 1,000 pounds. Despite names like Sport, Sport-L, and Sport Hybrid don’t expect anything in the way of actual performance modifications on those models. None of them get so much as a sport-tuned suspension. In fact, the Sport-L specifically is little more than an EX-L trim but with the hybrid engine.
2025 Honda CR-V Interior 9.25/10
The cabin of the CR-V is where it truly shines. It’s comfortable, it’s spacious, and it’s well-built. The panel gaps are nice and tight. The storage spaces are clever and numerous. The controls are logically placed and easy to use. We also love the classic-looking dash and the nice balance of touchscreen and physical buttons, switches, and other controls.
Upper-level trims get additional niceties like leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front seats, and a sunroof. We also appreciate that Honda offers seats specifically designed to decrease fatigue on lengthy road trips. As we made clear in our review from last year, it’s also one of the most spacious cars in its class without being overly huge outside.
Finally, that includes the cargo area where customers don’t suffer from less space in the hybrid model. That means up to 39.5 cubic feet of cargo room to store gear with the rear seat in place. Those seats also fold down in a 60/40 split to offer additional storage when needed.
2025 Honda CR-V Technology 8.25/10
Honda’s tech package has some highlights and low lights. First, the not-so-hot. Base CR-Vs get a seven-inch infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It’s a perfectly passable system but it’s far from groundbreaking or class-leading. The native system moves quickly enough but isn’t as deep as other rival systems. At the same time, we’re happy to see some physical controls in addition to the screen itself.
On some models, a nine-inch infotainment system is standard, and it looks absolutely right for this space. It also gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In our eyes, this is the system that should come as standard across the lineup, and we bet Honda does exactly that in a year or two. In fact, given that it didn’t provide any serious updates to this model over 2024, we’d suggest looking at a used model over this one.
Finally, the good side of the CR-V tech package is that it comes full of safety tech. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and forward collision mitigation are all standard features. Blind-spot monitoring becomes standard on the EX and above, and buyers can get parking sensors and low-speed automatic braking on more expensive models. It’s also been an IIHS Top Safety Pick in 2024 and could be again in 2025 though as of this writing, scores haven’t come out.
2025 Honda CR-V Trims & Pricing
LX – $31,450
The base CR-V has 17-inch wheels, a push-button start, LED headlights, a 7-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, four speakers, and cloth upholstery.
EX – $33,700
The EX adds a sunroof, heated mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, six speakers, dual USB power ports, and blind-spot warning.
Sport (Hybrid) – $35,700
The base hybrid CR-V gets roof rails, some exterior changes like darker trim, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
EX-L – $36,350
The top non-hybrid trim gets a power liftgate, parking sensors, leather upholstery, a 9-inch infotainment system, a wireless smartphone charger, eight speakers, and low-speed emergency braking.
Sport-L (Hybrid) – $38,700
This trim basically combines everything from the EX-L with the hybrid engine.
Sport Touring (Hybrid) – $42,150
Finally, this trim adds 19-inch wheels, standard all-wheel drive, ambient interior lighting, integrated navigation, a heated steering wheel, and 12 speakers in total.
2025 Honda CR-V Overall Value 9/10
It’s hard to argue the overall value of the CR-V in general. We’d recommend a Sport model as it offers the best fuel economy and many important features despite having a name that couldn’t describe it less. The point of the CR-V is to be fuel-efficient, comfortable, and inoffensive. It doesn’t aim for more, and the Sport model checks those boxes the best.
CarsForSale.com Overall Score 8.75/10
2025 Honda CR-V Rear Exterior – automobiles.honda.com | Shop 2025 Honda CR-V on Carsforsale.com
The CR-V might be the very best overall value in its class, not mastering any one category but being a great jack of all trades. The Mazda CX-50 and CX-5 offer a far better interior and driving experience, but don’t offer the CR-Vs well rounded offerings. The Hyundai Tucson offers a warranty that Honda can’t touch but is similarly slow and doesn’t feel as nice inside.
2025 Honda CR-V FAQ
What does CR-V stand for?
Honda indicates that it means Comfortable Runabout Vehicle.
Where is the Honda CR-V made?
The Honda CR-V is made in Greensburg, Indiana.
What is the difference between the HR-V and the CR-V?
Mainly size and some features. The HR-V is smaller and lacks some of the features of the CR-V.
