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It should come as no surprise that Honda still makes reliable, efficient, and comfortable vehicles. However, the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid does all those things above and beyond the call of duty. The 2021 Honda CR-V hybrid review showed that it’s easily one of the best Hybrid SUVs on the market. 

A red 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid driving
2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid | Honda

Best is tough to calculate, but seeing as many customers are looking for comfort and utility from most crossovers, the 2021 CR-V Hybrid ticks so many of those boxes that it is hard not to see it as one of them the best hybrid SUVs on the market, at minimum.

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid review shows Honda has still got it 

I spent a week running around LA, California, in the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid. This crossover SUV hits all the major points any crossover should. It is comfortable, easy to drive, and wonderfully efficient. 

First and foremost, the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid is a crossover SUV that averages 35 mpg. For a vehicle this substantial and roomy, this fuel efficiency feels astonishing. The CR-V Hybrid is one of the best Hybrid SUVs for this stat alone. Although the 2021 Toyota Rav4 hybrid squeezes an amazing 37 mpg, the Honda is still up there with much smaller sedans as far as fuel efficiency goes. 

What engine does the CR-V Hybrid have? 

the 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid on display at an auto show
2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid | HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images

The 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid sports a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric drive that combines to make 212 hp. The Honda CR-V Hybrid review makes it hard to call the 2021 CR-V sporty or even close to fast, but that is not what it’s for. The CR-V Hybrid has just enough power to get you around without much thought given to the powertrain. 

Overall, Honda’s massively popular crossover is quiet, but there is a spooky UFO noise that reminds you of the futuristic nature of the electric part of the power plant. The four-cylinder engine does have a nasal tone when it kicks on and gets especially bad once it gets higher in the revs. 

Although this isn’t the most thrilling power plant, its efficiency, along with the smoothness of the CVT, makes the overall experience of driving easy and pleasant. 

The CR-V Hybrid Touring Platinum interior makes it one of the best Hybrid SUVs

A blue 2021 Honda CR-V Touring driving
2021 Honda CR-V Touring | Honda

I had the top-tier Touring Platinum trim, which tops out at $36,350, according to Consumer Reports. Although Honda isn’t really known for its luxurious cabins, this one was really quite nice. Both front seats and rear row had plenty of head and legroom. The light beige interior worked really well with the faux wood trim to step the CR-V into a near lux experience. 

The cabin is slathered in soft-touch materials and decorative touches. Also, the Honda CR-V Hybrid has tons of interior storage compartments. On more than one occasion, I had forgotten which compartment I had put my mask, sunglasses, keys, or anything else I haphazardly stowed in one of these many cubbies. 

The 2021 Honda CR-V is one of the best hybrid SUVs

In a $4-per-gallon landscape, driving something roomy, comfortable, good-looking, and this fuel-efficient feels like a real treat. It is clearly not the same thing as a sports car or a super-tough 4×4, but the level of comfort you get out of such a practical vehicle makes claiming it is one of the best hybrid SUVs easy to defend.

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