Skip to main content

2016 Honda HR-V Drive and Ride Experienced in 8 Minute Video

We take Honda’s newest subcompact crossover on the roads of Western Oregon and discover a surprisingly refined, drive and ride experience behind the wheel of 2016 Honda HR-V. But is it the best offering in the segment?
2016_HR-V_Interior_McCants_2015

Come along for the ride as we unveil Honda’s next best seller. 2016 Honda HR-V-CVT-AWD: Is American Honda’s latest Fit platformed crossover. Is it as good as they say it is?

Granted, American Honda Motors is engaged in an unprecedented rebirth journey of sorts. Within a 2 year time-frame, American Honda Motors and Acura Division will have reinvented its entire lineup. We've experienced all new offerings behind the wheel, and remain largely impressed! How does American Honda Motors take one of, if not North America's best selling car and light truck lineups, and continue to break sales records year after year?

Innovation, exceptional standard safety features, favorable price point

Refined good looks, and a list of exceptional standard safety and convenience features may place HR-V just slightly ahead of the pack. From our behind the wheel vantage point,in what is being referred to in the automotive world as the “White-hot” compact crossover, SUV segment, 2016 Honda HR-V may be it’s greatest $ value. Don't confuse HR-V as simply an upgraded 2015 Fit with all-wheel-drive option.

Great, but how’s HR-V’s ride and what does it cost

For Torque News, when assessing the attributes of a new car or light truck offering, it more often than not comes down to the drive and ride experience. Sure, we appreciate technology as much as the next guy or gal, and HR-V is chock full of it. But for us, and most drivers that we've interviewed, how the rubber transfers power and handling prowess to the pavement is #1 on the list when shopping for that new ride.

Drive performance weighed against fuel economy and safety features

In today’s world of automotive refinement and often a very slight nuance measurable difference between competing brand names, Honda steps up to the task with perhaps its most impressive subcompact vehicle offering to date. After all, fuel economy and safety, while very important considerations for most buyers, fall quickly to the bottom of one’s want list, if the subject at hand is a dog to drive and painfully uncomfortable to ride in; 2016 Honda HR-V is neither.

Catch our latest comprehensive 2016 HR-V drive review here. Then, please enjoy the video

In this 8 minute HR-V video-drive review, we discover a surprisingly mid-size-coupe-like refined cabin, superior seating, visually pleasing design aspects, and much more pedal than we anticipated from this 1.8 Liter gasoline engined, CVT motivated all-wheel-drive subcompact crossover. Then we take HR-V and drive it under various road and surface conditions. Well done Honda!

New Vehicle Reviews
Honda

Comments

JeffS (not verified)    May 23, 2015 - 7:21AM

Permalink

Hi Parks. Was driving by our local Honda dealer a couple days ago and what was sitting out front, a HR-V LX in Black. I have to say, it caught my attention, so I pulled in to have a look see. This is the first one I've seen in the flesh and dare I say it, it strikes me as a, "Looker". Although I find the pictures I've seen of it to look attractive, does not do it justice, better looking yet in person. It looked sharp. The interior, as well, looks attractive and comfortable. Then came the pièce de résistance, it was priced at 21465.00., (MSRP 22045.00). Although I did not take it out, for all the goodies you get, seems like another typical Honda "Bargain" to me. These things are going to fly off the lot. Good stuff here, Parks.

JeffS (not verified)    May 24, 2015 - 9:17AM

Permalink

A Good, "Memorial Day weekend", to You Parks. For the Market that Honda is targeting with the HR-V, I think they are going to give everyone a run for the money, and kick some serious butt. As you mention, nothing quite like it. Stylistically, I think they hit the sweet spot. No, "Boy racer", not overly conservative, not, "in your face", a very handsome design that is going to appeal to young and old alike. I personally like some, "scoot" in my cars, but that is just a matter of personal preference. I'm sure the 1.8 liter, currently offered as the only choice, will provide enough, "go" to get out of it's own way and make for a pleasant driving experience, (as you state, "Let's put a Turbo in it" will happen eventually). What really had me doing a double take was the price. I guess Honda forwent, let's see what the Market will bear pricing, (as most car companies do when launching a new Model and then come down in price point to meet the Market), and went right to the Bargain basement, (in price, NOT content). I'm not quite sure what has happened over at Honda, but obviously there is a refreshed aggression, both in their pricing and offerings. For a while there it seemed like they were resting on their Laurels, living off their past successes. Someone over their got tired of other Mfgs. catching up and in some cases passing them by. There is obviously a new, or should I say refreshed, mindset at Honda, "We are in it to win it" and it's showing. Just the start of good things to come and that is exciting. When Honda puts its mind to it, as far as I'm concerned, NOBODY zeros in on the targeted market, or does it better than Honda. That's why I think Honda Aficionados are amongst the most loyal buyers in the business. "Let the Good times roll".

JeffS (not verified)    May 25, 2015 - 9:38AM

Permalink

Sitting in front of the computer, reading Torque as I often do drinking my 1st cup of Joe in the morning a thought occurs; As I have mentioned, probably too many times, I wonder why Honda seemed to lose their edge for about a decade. When I first became a Honda fan, it was largely because the company was so innovative and every year their cars got better and better. Then, seems like all of a sudden, they became a, "me too". I was starting to think it's time to say goodbye to the old and welcome to the new Honda, (not always a good thing). As I am sitting here reading Torque, a thought occurs on the subject. Maybe, just maybe, Honda took a different approach to marketing than the norm, (not hard to fathom from Honda), and leap frogged several model years, choosing instead to concentrate on their line, what would normally be a couple/few Model years away. They figured they could keep the boat afloat with the current models of the time, which were solid choices, while they designed and revamped virtually the entire line, and at the same time came up with several completely new Models, preparing for a major Marketing and Innovation assault. I can't remember seeing anything like it. When you think about all the engineering, testing, fine tuning,re-tooling, and the monumental challenges involved in launching a new or fully revamped Model, to do pretty much the whole line in one fell swoop, well, it is somewhat mind boggling. Maybe Honda knew EXACTLY what they were doing and if my speculation is close to, "what happened" you can't argue with the results. All Best Parks.

Patrick (not verified)    May 24, 2015 - 11:54AM

Permalink

This is an excellent review Parks! I recently test drove an HR-V EX-L AWD and came away EXTREMELY impressed! Honda really did an excellent job engineering this SUV! The 1.8 paired with the Earth Dreams CVT does a really good job here. My gut instinct tells me that Honda might end up upgrading the engine to the new Earth Dreams 2.0 DOHC DI engine in the HR-V. This is the same engine that will become the base engine in the all-new 2016 10th-gen Civic.

billS (not verified)    May 30, 2015 - 9:19AM

Permalink

I drove one. The old, non direct-injected civic engine is very much underpowered, particularly on the AWD model.

It is disappointing that honda would release a terrific design with an archaic old parts-bin powerplant - which doesn't get substantially better mileage than the 2.4 ED plant in the CR-V, but offers far less power. Its a shame, because everything else about the car is pretty much spot-on.