Skip to main content
A Honda HR-V on display at an auto show

The Honda CR-V Is More Than a Curvy Refrigerator on Wheels

The Honda CR-V crossover SUV is one of the most popular cars in America. It is loved for its value and its capacious interior. This Honda crossover is available in a wide range of trims and offers great fuel economy––it even comes with a hybrid option. However, there are some who might say it’s ugly. …

The Honda CR-V crossover SUV is one of the most popular cars in America. It is loved for its value and its capacious interior. This Honda crossover is available in a wide range of trims and offers great fuel economy––it even comes with a hybrid option. However, there are some who might say it’s ugly.

A sharp, gray 2020 Honda CR-V Touring model parked in the city.
2020 Honda CR-V Touring | Honda

And, while it may not be ugly, it’s not exactly the most attractive thing on four wheels either. However, no one seems to care. Its value speaks for itself and it serves its purpose as a larger crossover SUV version of Honda’s famed point A to point B daily drivers like the Honda Civic or Accord.

The Honda CR-V is a popular crossover SUV

No matter how you see it, the facts are that Honda CR-V is undeniably popular. Not only do you see them everywhere, but the crossover SUV is Honda’s current bestseller. It’s the second most sold SUV in America. In fact, it’s a great step up from a family sedan with two rows and more cargo space than any other in its class. It’s hard to go wrong with a Honda CRV.

The 2020 CR-V goes for $25,150 – $36,050, according to Consumer Reports. It offers value and a range of trims topping out at the Touring level will all the bells and whistles. Maybe you want simple and inexpensive LX. Or perhaps a value-packed Touring trim CR-V. Either way, you’ll end up with a family-friendly crossover that gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and up to 37 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Consumer Reports.

A gray Honda CR-V on display at an auto show
A new Honda CR-V on display | Manfred Schmid/Getty Images

A refrigerator on wheels

We’ve heard the joke that Toyota makes reliable, yet dull-looking cars that earned the title “appliances on wheels” from publications like TheDrive and several others. In fact, it got so bad that Toyota began to up the ante in the stylistic department. However, rather than add a spunky updated style to the CR-V as Toyota did for the models like the Prius or the RAV4, Honda has allowed the CR-V to stake its claim with its reliability and function.

So yes, it may be a bit ugly. In the gray or silver colors, you might even say it looks like a curvy refrigerator on wheels. But the Honda CR-V crossover SUV is a trusty A to B. The 2020 CR-V is luxurious enough on the inside, plus it offers class-leading cargo space, according to AutoTrader. The CR-V is a daily driver with plenty of space for a family and their stuff.

a side rear view of the cr-v in motion on a suburban road
2020 Honda CR-V Touring

It’s winning loads of awards

Its exterior style may be a little drab and boxy––and not in a rugged Jeepish kind of way––the CR-V remains a favorite. This family crossover is not just a favorite for those hundreds of thousands buying and loving this Honda crossover. The critics love the Honda CR-V crossover SUV as well.

wood detail on the dash of a Honda CR-V touring hybrid
Honda CR-V Hybrid Touring interior | Honda

For example, US News and World Report named the 2021 Honda CR-V the #1 compact SUV. US News critics also named it the #1 Crossover SUV and the #1 SUV with two rows, saying it’s “as close to the total package as you can find in this segment.” Some say that the infotainment is less than user friendly, but that’s the 2021 Honda CR-V crossover SUV’s only “notable downside”––especially if you can look past the ho-hum exterior style.

Related

Is Honda a Japanese Car Company?