Honda CR-V (2012 – 2018) Review

Launched in 2012, and facelifted in 2015, the CR-V’s chief rival is the Toyota RAV4, but there are countless other SUVs vying for your attention. It’s important to choose the right engine and trim. The 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel is the star of the show, while even the basic S trim offers a generous level of standard equipment.

The Honda CR-V is one of the best all-rounders in the crowded family SUV market. It’s not the most exciting car in its class, but if you’re after practicality, reliability and low running costs, it’s arguably the best choice.

The boot is huge, offering a generous 589 litres of luggage space. This extends to as much as 1,669 litres with the rear seats folded down, so you’re unlikely to require more space. It gets better, because the CR-V offers seating for five adults, with even the middle rear seat offering more space than many of its rivals.

It’s not the most exciting car to sit in, but the quality is excellent, even if the CR-V lacks the soft-touch plastics and premium materials of some of the premium SUVs. Crucially, everything is hard-wearing and robust, so the CR-V will feel as good after 150,000 miles as it did when it left the showroom. Thanks to Honda’s reputation for reliability, you stand a good chance of reaching 150k miles and beyond.

All versions get a generous level of equipment, with the S trim boasting 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, one-motion folding rear seats, city emergency braking, cruise control, front and rear electric windows, steering wheel audio controls and DAB digital radio. We could make a strong case for the S trim offering everything you could possibly need.

However, it’s probably worth upgrading to a higher trim level for the seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and leather-trimmed steering wheel. You also get a wider choice of engines and the option of four-wheel-drive as you climb the trim ladder. Be warned: the Honda CR-V gets expensive once you hit the flagship model.

Not that this is a major problem when buying used. Prices range from £6,000 for a 2012/2013 model, rising to £22,500 for a 2018 CR-V. We’d recommend a CR-V built after the facelift in 2015, as these models are nicer to drive and come with enhanced specification.

The CR-V is a car that majors on ride comfort, which, when combined with the excellent visibility and a high driving position, make this a superb motorway car. Opt for the excellent 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine and you’ll be a stranger at your local filling station. The old 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol engines are best avoided.

A CR-V with the 1.6-litre engine and four-wheel-drive is an excellent tow car, with a maximum towing capacity of 2000kg. All versions come with trailer stability assist as standard.

Overall, the Honda CR-V is a brilliant family SUV and one of the best used SUVs you can get your hands on. We’d recommend it for its cavernous boot, spacious cabin, excellent level of equipment and strong reliability record. The 1.6-litre is punchy and efficient, making it our choice of the engines.

Rather than view the CR-V as one of the best mainstream SUVs, we’d argue that it’s good enough to be considered an alternative to the premium players. It’s that good.

If you're looking for the latest version, check out our 2018-on Honda CR-V review. 

The boot is huge, offering a massive 589 litres of luggage space with the five seats in place. Fold them away and you’re presented with as much as 1669 litres of space in CR-V models with a space-saver spare wheel.

The tailgate – electric on the top trim level – opens to reveal a tall and wide opening, while the low boot lips makes it easy to load luggage and for your dog to jump aboard.

There’s enough room for five adults in the cabin, with plenty of headroom and legroom for all occupants. This includes the middle rear seat, aided by a shallow transmission tunnel. Throw into the mix a large central storage bin, a cavernous glovebox and three cupholders between the seats and you’ve got the makings of one of the most practical cars in its class.

In judging the quality of the Honda CR-V, it’s important to distinguish between perceived and actual quality. The CR-V cannot compete with its premium rivals in terms of perceived quality. The top of the dashboard feels pleasingly upmarket, but the plastics in the lower half of the cabin feel cheap to the touch. The steering wheel in the entry-level model feels particularly unpleasant.

Actual quality is very good. Everything feels robust and built to last, with the higher trim levels feeling decidedly upmarket. We’d recommend the mid-range Alcantara/leather upholstery over the full leather on the flagship model. It just feels… right.

Although the entry-level CR-V is well-equipped, some buyers will be disappointed with the audio system in the basic model. A CD player, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, USB port, four speakers and an aux-in socket look out of place in an era of touchscreen infotainment systems.

Things are better in the other models, where you’ll find a Honda Connect seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with six speakers. Top trim levels benefit from sat-nav and eight speakers. The system is fine, but the display looks like it got lost in the 1980s. It’s also difficult to operate on the move.

It’s no longer possible to buy the previous-generation of the Honda CR-V new, but the all-new CR-V starts at £30,500, with the top trim version costing just shy of £40,000 before options.

Prices have dropped as low as £6000, which is excellent value for a SUV with such a good reliability record.

For this budget you’re looking at a 2012 example with up to 150,000 miles on the clock. There’s a good split between petrol and diesel, so choose the engine that best suits your needs. If you spend most of your time in the city, buy a petrol CR-V. In all other cases, the superior diesel makes more sense.

Post-facelift models start from around £9500. It’s worth the expense, because the facelifted CR-V is better to drive and comes with more equipment.

The most you’ll pay for a late 2018 example is £22,500. These cars come with the remainder of Honda’s three-year warranty, but it’s worth noting that used prices of the newer model start at £24,000.

Armed with a £1,000 deposit, you can buy a 2013 Honda CR-V for £150 a month on a hire purchase (HP) agreement. Alternatively, the same monthly fee is enough to secure a facelifted model on a four-year PCP deal. This is based on a four-year contract with an optional payment of £9000 at the end of the agreement.

The fuel economy figures were sourced using the less reliable NEDC testing procedure, but we’d recommend the 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel for the lowest running costs. Real MPG suggests you should see some very respectable figures.

Although Honda claims you could achieve up to 64.2mpg in a front-wheel-drive CR-V, the reality is likely to be between 47.1mpg and 53.6mpg. This drops to 41.9mpg in the automatic version.

The old 2.2 i-DTEC is less efficient, offering 43.8mpg in the manual version or 37.9mpg in the automatic. Unless you enjoy being on first name terms at your local petrol station, you should avoid the 2.0-litre i-VTEC petrol. Fuel economy drops as low as 30.1mpg in the automatic version.

Insurance shouldn’t be a problem, with groups ranging from 22 to 28, depending on the engine and trim. This puts the CR-V in line with SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 and Skoda Kodiaq.

You’ll pay a flat rate of £150 a year for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for a CR-V registered on or after 1 April 2017. The rate of VED varies for models registered on or before 31 March 2017. The 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel slots into VED band C, which means an annual rate of just £30.

Although the Honda CR-V is far from rewarding to drive, it’s extremely comfortable, especially on 16-inch and 17-inch alloy wheels. It deals with potholes and pitted surfaces with ease, edging the CR-V into premium territory.

Front-wheel-drive models feel more agile than the four-wheel-drive versions, but the lifeless steering robs the CR-V of any entertainment. There’s also a fair amount of body-roll when cornering, so you’ll learn to take it easy on a country road.

It’s not a car designed for serious off-roading, but a four-wheel-drive CR-V is more than up to the challenge of tackling a gravel track or green lane. It will remain in front-wheel-drive mode unless the system detects that the 4x4 system is required.

The high driving position, good visibility and cruise control combine to make this a terrific long-distance chariot.

There’s a simple piece of advice when buying a CR-V: go for the 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. It was added to the range in 2013 and is available in two outputs: 120PS and 160PS. Either way, the 1.6 diesel is smooth, efficient, quiet and punchy.

Although the 120PS version is perfectly adequate, the 160PS version adds four-wheel-drive to the mix. There’s also the option of the excellent nine-speed automatic transmission, which arrived in 2015. This is the only version of the CR-V to offer a 0-62mph time below 10 seconds.

The CR-V launched with a choice of 2.0-litre i-VTEC petrol engine or a 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel. The 2.2 diesel was ditched in 2015, while the 2.0 petrol lacks the efficiency and torque of the 1.6-litre diesel. It’s hard to recommend the petrol, but if you’re buying a CR-V for short trips, it makes more sense than the diesels.

The Honda CR-V was awarded a five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2013. The safety kit was enhanced in 2015 when Honda added a new automatic low-speed braking system as standard, plus adaptive cruise control.

All post-facelift models feature cruise control, city braking, multiple airbags, brake assist, trailer stability assist, vehicle stability assist, hill-start assist, two Isofix points and a tyre deflation warning system.

Forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, lane-departure warning and blind-spot information were optional on all except the entry-level model. Collision mitigation braking, lane-keep assist and intelligent cruise control were options on the top trim level.

The 160PS version of the 1.6-litre i-DTEC offers a maximum towing capacity of 2000kg when paired with a manual gearbox. This drops to 1500kg in the automatic versions.

The 120PS version has a maximum towing capacity of 1700kg. It’s the same figure for the 2.0-litre petrol, unless you opt for the automatic version (1500kg). Trailer stability assist is standard across the range, with fixed, detachable and retractable tow bars available as options.

The Honda CR-V is arguably the best ‘non-premium’ family SUV you can buy. If you don’t require seven seats or a fancy badge, it should definitely be on your shortlist. The 1.6-litre diesel is the engine of choice, but be careful of DPF issues. Short trips can lead to problems.

Start with the S trim and see if it offers everything you need. Although the higher trim levels provide an uplift in quality and a wider choice of engines, the level of standard kit is excellent.