Honda CR-V long term test: report 4

The car Honda CR-V 2.0 i-MMD Hybrid SR eCVT 2WD Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer

Why it’s here To see if this hybrid-powered family SUVs can cut it as an all-weather, all-purpose workhorse 

Needs to Carry heavy, bulky equipment all over the country while being comfy, safe and economical

Mileage 6650 List price £36,580 Target Price £34,997 Price as tested £37,365 Test economy 40.3mpg Official economy 42.2mpg

4 January 2023 – No rest for the wicked

Practicality isn't just about how much a car can carry; it's also about being able to apply itself to different tasks. You see, five days a week, my Honda CR-V is charged with carrying delicate photographic equipment around, but when the weekend arrives – anything goes.

Fortunately, anything goes in, too. The boot is big enough that I don’t have to be selective when loading up for a day’s work – cameras, tripods, flashguns, reflectors, wet-weather gear, the lot. Even my three-step ladder, which I stand atop of to grab group-test shots from a raised angle, goes into the boot from left to right. 

It's a shame that there's no underfloor storage (the battery for the hybrid system lives beneath the boot floor), but dropping the rear seatbacks to extend the load bay still further is dead easy. Release handles on either side of the boot mean there's no need to open a side door to lower them, and the extended floor runs flat all the way through, with no loading lip and no change in floor level.

That helps when loading bulky items; the Honda CR-V helped me with the heavy lifting when I took an old oven to the tip. Because just like me, the car rarely gets to put its feet up after I've put my cameras away for the week.

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