We jump behind the wheel of the 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L, the cheapest all-wheel-drive CR-V in Australia, and one that still packs in space and versatility.
- Spacious second row
- Simple to use, easy to see out of, and great to drive
- Well equipped
- No rearward-operating driver assist systems (blind spot)
- Driveline will feel underpowered and uninspiring to some
- Infotainment and software look (and are) a decade old
Introduction
Honda is going through a real step change in Australia.
The brand has changed its operating principles in Australia – like Mercedes-Benz is trying
– by becoming a fixed-price retailer of vehicles. Traditionally, dealership groups would buy their vehicles or ‘stock’ from head office, then barter and negotiate with those who walk in.Now, the price is the price, regardless of whether you buy one or 10 cars. T
hose big Taj Mahals you see littered along your local ‘auto alley’ are now just selling cars on behalf of Honda.In theory, the model makes sense, as it’s no different to how we consume other products, like the Apple iPhone. Honda Australia did say on the record that its sales would decrease as a result of moving to the fixed-price model.
The 2021 Honda CR-V range now starts from $35,300 drive-away for the entry-level 2.0-litre non-turbo CR-V Vi model. Up from there sits the 2021 Honda CR-V VTi 1.5-litre turbo with a $38,300 drive-away price.
What we’re testing today is the 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD, or the cheapest all-wheel-drive version on offer. It’s currently priced from $45,500 drive-away.
Standard equipment includes Honda Sensing driver-assist technology with autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning and steering assist, leather-trimmed seats and power tailgate.
At the top of the range is the 2021 Honda CR-V VTi LX asking for $53,200 drive-away. Aside from blingy 19-inch wheels, an opening panoramic sunroof and wireless charging, you don’t get much more for the money. It makes our
VTi L version the pick if you value the wet-weather safety and confidence that all-wheel drive can provide.| Key details | 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD |
| Price (MSRP) | $45,500 drive-away |
| Colour of test car | Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic |
| Options | None |
| Price as tested | $45,500 |
| Rivals | Subaru Forester | Mazda CX-5 | Mitsubishi Outlander |
Inside
Honda has historically approached car interior design with a fresh and considered approach, and it’s still evident after stepping inside its CR-V.
The first thing that strikes you is the excellent view courtesy of the tall roof and large sheets of glass. The commanding driving position gives you an excellent arc of visibility, meaning you can easily peer out of the window and down at obstacles that would simply be invisible in most other cars.
If you frequent busy driveways in a shared complex, you’ll appreciate the extra line of sight. A couple of other ‘Honda-isms’ have made their way into this 2021 car, including a gearshifter that’s essentially located on the dashboard. Despite sounding strange to acknowledge, it feels great to use and frees up space in the lower console area.
Speaking of which, Honda claims there are 10 beverage or cup holders located throughout the cabin, or the gluttonous ratio of two drinks per occupant. It also means there’s plenty of storage spots in the first row, including a selection of both open-air and covered cubbies, and even one that’s buried underneath a sliding tray.
Nappies, wipes or the odd muesli bar, parents will love the space on offer and also the thoughtfulness of its design. Both front seats are comfortable, well-shaped and heated, but only the driver’s side is electrically adjustable. The driver’s seat also comes with decent electric lumbar support that chocks your lower back nicely.
In the second row, space is fantastic. Sitting behind my own driving position (I’m 183cm tall), my knees were well clear from the rear seats, feet left with room to play, and head miles from the lining.
Ingress and egress remain Honda CR-V strong points, as its high hip point and general upright styling mean you shuffle in and out of the cabin without having to drop or lift yourself from its seats.
It also benefits those with offspring. Both forward- and rearward-facing child seats will fit in either outbound pew, but going three-up across the rear bench looks like an impossible task. Still, loading those two kids would be a dream thanks to the CR-V’s hyper-extending doors and larger-than-usual aperture.
Storage is great, too, with large door pockets perfect for a one-litre drink bottle, and fold-down armrest with two more cupholders. As an adult, the flat design of the rear bench does mean it lacks thigh support, but that’s as bad as it gets.
After operating the slow automatic tailgate, you’ll find 522L of storage with five seats in play, or 1717L loaded to the roof with just two people on board. Like all other Honda CR-Vs, under the boot floor lies a full-size spare wheel.
| 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 522L seats up / 1717L seats folded |
| Length | 4635mm |
| Width | 1855mm |
| Height | 1689mm |
| Wheelbase | 2660mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Despite receiving a nip-and-tuck over its past four years on sale, the 2021 Honda CR-V still features legacy components from the decade before.
Part of the ageing package includes a 7.0-inch ‘advanced’ infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB+ radio and native navigation system. Whereas the connectivity suite is up to date
– other than wireless smartphone mirroring – the hardware and software interface aren’t.The screen’s size is poor for the segment, as eight inches becomes the norm and 10.0- to 12.0-inch screens can be found in some competitors. Furthermore, the software interface remains identical to Honda systems from a decade earlier, meaning it comes across a bit clumsy and slow, which makes the system feel unnecessarily old-hat.
A simple re-skin would go a long way here, or the introduction of a new unit altogether perhaps. In the way of other screens, another replaces the traditional set of dials found in front of the driver. Flanked by two retro-cool-looking temperature and fuel gauges, the centre display presents the vitals fine enough, but like the infotainment system it does lack some ‘screenage’.
As a result, it can look cluttered and busy, but most will value its legibility over its design, and versus its peers.
Safety and Technology
Other than the entry Honda CR-V Vi model, every other in the range benefits from the brand’s Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver aids.
That means our mid-tier VTi L receives autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning, lane-departure warning with steering intervention, and auto high beam. Sadly, the wider range does not feature any form of rear-cross traffic and blind-spot alert system, let alone
mitigation systems like automatic reverse braking or steering assist.However, it does feature a handy passenger-side camera that operates in conjunction with the blinker, which will help tricky merges or parking scenarios in the daylight.
As for an official ANCAP safety rating, the 2021 Honda CR-V wears a five-star rating having been tested in 2017. All CR-V models come with six airbags, two second-row ISOFIX and three top-tether child seat mount points, and front seatbelt pretensioners.
| 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2017) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP |
Value for Money
The 2021 Subaru Forester is likely to be the most direct cross-shop. It’s similar in the sense of taking an ergonomic approach to SUV motoring, with a tall glass house, arguably dorky design, a CVT automatic transmission, and a similar feel behind the wheel.
It’s also from a mainstream, trusted brand, which matters to some. A similar mid-tier 2021 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium starts from approximately $45,000 drive-away, meaning it’s line-ball with the Honda.
Although not turbocharged, it offers a larger-capacity 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine and more dedicated all-wheel-drive system compared to the Honda’s on-demand set-up.
If you’re shopping for something more stylish, the 2021 Mazda CX-5 represents good buying. In all-wheel-drive Touring guise it costs around $45,500 drive-away, making the decision harder again.
All three cars are similarly equipped, but offer slightly different takes on SUV motoring from Japan. If you want to shop European, cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan become available. However, you only get a base-model, entry-level Tiguan 110TSI for similar money, meaning it’s style over substance and possibly not the best outcome.
Running a Honda CR-V is as cheap as it gets. Under its new “5 Low Price Services” policy, it charges $125 for each of the first five services inclusive of brake fluid and cabin air filters. That means it costs $375 over three years, or $625 over five.
Understandably, the servicing is likely subsidised by the purchase price of the car, but it’s still comparatively and fairly priced, making that point a moot one for now. Comparatively, a 2021 Subaru Forester costs $1269 over three years and $2413 over five.
The Subaru also has longer intervals of 12,500km/12 months versus the Honda CR-V’s 10,000km/12-month schedule.
| At a glance | 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months / 10,000km |
| Servicing costs | $375 (3 years) | $625 (5 years) |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 7.4L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 8.3L/100km |
| Fuel type | 91-octane petrol |
| Fuel tank size | 57L |
Driving
First and foremost, the Honda CR-V is an SUV. I state the obvious because we all know Honda has its sticky fingers in the car enthusiast pie, and has unintentionally created fun to drive grocery-getters before.
However, you must firmly park any preconceived notions about a CR-V being engaging to drive. And rightly so, too, as behind the wheel it feels all very vanilla. Nothing ever stands out as obtuse or uncomfortable, which is testament to its quality.
It’s also a family SUV, and one designed successfully to comfort and relax its drivers. The seats are great on longer drives, the cabin quieter than offerings from Mazda or Hyundai’s stable, and ergonomics spot-on. The ride comfort is good, as soft suspension helps the car pop over ruts and road surface imperfections without rattling, ripples or uncertainty.
As a result of being soft, the ride can be slightly bouncy at times, more specifically when at speed and over larger blemishes. One scenario that comes to mind is over shallow speed bumps maybe hit faster than you ought to be going, and the other encountering terrible road surfaces at pace in a rural, sweeping 100km/h zone.
Consider it nitpicking, however, as in most use cases you’ll simply drive around the issue by being more patient and going slower. In classic Honda fashion, the steering is light but still weighted to feel natural and engaging enough to use.
Driveline performance is beyond satisfactory for the package, especially after assessing the paper figures. It’s powered by a seemingly tiny 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 140kW/240Nm and sends power to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
My own preconceived notions told me it’s going to feel underpowered, especially given how lethargic CVT autos can feel compared to regular torque-converter-style transmissions. However, reality feels quite the opposite, with the wee turbo mill supplying just enough torque to ride the CVT’s endless gear with a sense of effortlessness.
I’d agree that pressing the last quarter of the throttle doesn’t add much extra performance, but again you’ll probably rarely ever exercise wide-open throttle when commuting in a Honda CR-V. There’s enough mid-range performance to not need to push hard, even if the car is loaded up with your family, a dog, and a small bike as our test car was.
The transmission offers the kind of smoothness other dual-clutch automatics simply dream about, and quiet operation even with the windows down. When they’re up, the cabin is blissfully quiet, too, which further adds appeal to its relaxed and calm nature.
Over the duration of the loan, the Honda CR-V returned a fuel-usage figure of 8.3L/100km, just under one litre more than the official combined claim of 7.4L/100km. There were moments where the car sat idling longer than usual, but other than that, it was treated to a decent highway leg and plenty of suburban frivolities during the busier hours.
| Key details | 2021 Honda CR-V VTi L AWD |
| Engine | 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Power | 140kW @ 5600rpm |
| Torque | 240Nm @ 2000-5000rpm |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Transmission | CVT automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 87.7kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 1597kg |
| Tow rating | 1500kg braked, 600kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.0m |
Conclusion
If you want a fuss-free family car, it doesn’t get much better than the Honda CR-V.
It may not be the flashiest or with the most supple leather, but it gets the basics close to perfect in most ways. If you’re a fresh family, you’ll love the wide-opening doors, excellent hip point height, and ability to sling in a capsule or use a rearward-facing seat with ease.
As you become a young family, your kids will love you for not having to fight over space, and there being enough boot for their wildest of hobbies.
As the owner, it’s comfortable, easy to drive and see out of, quiet, frugal, and likely to be trouble-free long past the warranty expiry date. It’s not the desirable choice but rather a dependable one, which makes it great for taking the role of family car in your household.
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