2022 Honda HR-V

The Honda HR-V is a chunky little crossover with available all-wheel drive and great versatility and cargo space, although it lacks automatic emergency braking until you get to the second-highest model, the EX.

It’s unchanged for 2022, using a 1.8-liter I-4 engine making 141 horsepower mated to a CVT. It’s far from fancy inside but it’s laid out well. It’s considered a five-seater but there’s only comfortable room for four, with their bags or gear.

With front-wheel drive it gets decent gas mileage, with an EPA rated 28 mpg city, 34 highway, 30 combined. Its bigger and more powerful sibling, the CR-V, gets the same. With AWD the HRV gets 1 or 2 mpg less, depending on which tires it has.

The NHTSA gives the HR-V five stars for safety. The IIHS calls the HR-V’s automatic emergency braking and active lane control on the EX and EX-L “Superior.”

Model Lineup

Made in Mexico, the HR-V comes as LX, Sport, EX, and EX-L.

The $22,645 LX is thinly equipped, with a small 5.0-inch touchscreen and no automatic emergency braking.

The $24,595 Sport has better infotainment, with Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, and 18-inch wheels.

The $25,845 EX finally adds automatic emergency braking, along with convenience features such as heated front seats and a power sunroof.

For nearly $30,000 the EX-L adds leather and a better sound system.

All-wheel drive is optional on every model for $1,500.

The HR-V has a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty,

Exterior

The HR-V’s profile is ungainly and it sure has a lot of lines. The Sport brings a touch of style with black alloy wheels.

Interior

Like the exterior, the interior is busy, but it’s organized well. The ordinary materials reflect the low price, lacking imagination and being mostly gray.

The front seats lack shape and support, but the second row mechanism offers that imagination that the materials lack. It either folds flat to create a large cargo hold of 59 cubic feet; or the seats pop up to enable the carrying of tall things. Behind the rear seat, there’s 25 cubic feet of cargo space.

Driving Impressions

The HR-V is fairly nimble, but its 141 horsepower isn’t enough to move it with any sense of urgency. It’s more reluctant with the extra weight of all-wheel drive. The CVT doesn’t do much for acceleration.

The ride and handling are better than the power. The steering is sharp and the cornering is well balanced, with less body lean than many crossovers, which are taller.

The ride is good with the 17-inch alloy wheels; the Sport’s 18-inch wheels make the ride a bit bouncy. The HR-V isn’t exactly relaxing out on the open road, although it does settle-in well, for a small vehicle.

Final Word

The 2022 Honda HR-V puts its priorities on a flexible cargo space and a tidy size. We’d pick at least an EX model for its extra safety features.

—By Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection