Used Honda CR-V 2018-2023 review

What's the used Honda CR-V like?

SUVs have often been sold to people as the perfect accessory to an active lifestyle. The original 2006-2012 Honda CR-V certainly was, because you could get a plug-in shower to wash off your shoes after you've been to the beach.

Now, though, SUVs are mostly aimed at families, which is perhaps why the latest 2023-onwards Honda CR-V is more refined and more spacious inside, as well as being more frugal thanks to its extensive use of hybrid technology.

Overview

Few large SUVs are more practical than the Honda CR-V, and the hybrid version is very tempting.

Pros

• Very well equipped
• Huge amount of space inside
• Hybrid option is economical

Cons

• No diesel option
• Bland interior
• Awkward infotainment system

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2.0 h i-MMD Advance eCVT 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£21,990

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2.0 17.7kWh Advance Tech eCVT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

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2.0 h i-MMD Advance eCVT 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£30,798

Honda CR-V

2.0 h i-MMD Elegance eCVT 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£30,990

Honda CR-V

2.0 h i-MMD Elegance eCVT 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£30,990

Honda CR-V

2.0 h i-MMD Elegance eCVT 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£30,998

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If you're in the market for a used Honda CR-V, though, this 2018-2023 version makes a lot of sense. It's a great family car too, which can now be bought for very reasonable used prices.

Engines: Unlike most other large SUVs, this CR-V can't be had with a diesel engine. In the UK, we're only offered a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine with 171bhp or 190bhp if paired with a CVT automatic gearbox or a hybrid system comprising a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor for a combined power output of 181bhp.

Trims & equipment: The entry-level S model gets LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and electric lumbar support for the driver’s seat. SE gets a bigger infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity and front and rear parking sensors. SR cars have blindspot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and leather seats that are heated in the front and get adjustable lumbar support. Top-of-the-range EX has heated leather seats all round, a panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate.

Ride & handling: If you want sporty handling, you’ll be better suited looking at the Mazda CX-5 instead, because the CR-V is a big, softly sprung thing that rolls a bit in corners and generally isn’t up for being hustled. It copes okay, but it can start to lose grip and carry straight on - before the safety aids cut in to sort things out - more so than some of its rivals if you misjudge your corner entry speed. Furthermore, the steering is a bit slow and requires more lock than you might expect when you're directing the car around an obstacle.

A word of warning for anyone who wants to tow with their CR-V: you’ll need to pick the 1.5-litre petrol with the manual gearbox. This is because it can handle a braked trailer of 2000kg, whereas the hybrid can pull a maximum of only 750kg. To put that into context, the four-wheel-drive Toyota RAV4 hybrid can tow 1695kg.

Interior & practicality: The CR-V is pretty spacious inside, with a considerable gulf between the front seats and lots of adjustment to get comfortable - although the backrest is controlled by an imprecise lever mechanism on every version other than the top-spec EX, which gets electric adjustment. You’ll need to be very tall indeed to run out of head or leg room in the second row, but third-row accommodation isn’t great in the petrol model and nonexistent if you go for the hybrid.

You don't get any of the usual clever Honda engineering tricks from the folding rear seats; they just split 60:40 rather than the more useful 40:20:40 of rivals like the Peugeot 5008. Regular five-seat models have a pretty commodious boot, but cargo capacity is significantly reduced in seven-seat CR-Vs, and due to the batteries that live under the boot floor, you can't get seven seats at all in the hybrid.

If you're interested in finding a used Honda CR-V, or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Ownership cost

What used Honda CR-V will I get for my budget?

Prices for the Honda CR-V start at around £12,000 for a 1.5-litre, or around £14,000 if you fancy a hybrid version. Spend between £14,000 and £16,000 on good late 2019 and 2020 cars. Up the price to around £18,000 for a hybrid version. Newer 2022 and 2023 examples start at around £20,000.

To keep up to date with used Honda CR-V prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

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Our recommendations

Which used Honda CR-V should I buy?

Specification

We’d recommend stepping up to an SE model simply because these give you the option of using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on the larger infotainment screen. This is much easier to navigate than the awkward software Honda provides. You also get front and rear parking sensors, which are almost a necessity on a large SUV.

Engine

Unless you do a lot of towing or need to have seven seats, you’re better off buying a hybrid version of the CR-V to get much-improved economy figures and near-silent operation at low speeds.

Our favourite Honda CR-V: 2.0 Hybrid SE 2WD

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Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Honda CR-V?

Stick a pin in any mainstream manufacturer’s product range and you’ll probably hit a seven-seat SUV, so there are many rivals for the Honda CR-V. The Peugeot 5008 has a far better third row and a much nicer interior design, while the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has a greater range of petrol and diesel engines and tighter handling.

However, neither of those two are available hybrid, so your choices at the moment are limited to the Toyota RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. As a plug-in hybrid, the latter can be driven for 25 miles on electric power alone, which should dramatically reduce your fuel bills. The RAV4 doesn’t drive as well as the CR-V, but it can tow more and comes with a longer warranty.

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If you're interested in finding a used CR-V, or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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