Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2
If you simply look at its list price, the Honda CR-V seems rather expensive compared with the Citroën C5 Aircross and Mazda CX-5. They will be better bets if you want the cheapest cash buy, but compared with other models – including the Hyundai Santa Fe – the CR-V is very competitively priced. It has strong resale values too, although not as strong as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid's.
The 2.0 i-MMD Hybrid has always impressed us when it comes to fuel economy, and in our real-world test it managed more than 45mpg, which makes it a genuine alternative to a diesel. On the same day, the Land Rover Discovery Sport P200 mild-hybrid did 25mpg.
Going for the pricier SR adds leather seats, heated front seats, ambient lighting and keyless entry, while the top-of-the-range EX features 19in alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, a heated steering wheel and a head-up display. These upgrades really push you up the price list, though, which is why we say stick with SE.
Reliability
Honda finished a middling 14th (out of 30 manufacturers) in the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey – above Ford, Peugeot and Volkswagen. Skoda was 12th and Toyota came joint fifth, so Honda isn't quite the reliability champion it once was.
