Mostly prepared to be underwhelmed by Honda’s 2023 HR-V, after a week in the redesigned compact crossover, Grant Pollock came away very much impressed.
“We all have expectations,” the Calgary driver says of his first impression of the ’23 HR-V EX-L he drove. “I was not aware Honda had redesigned the vehicle, and when I first saw this HR-V waiting for me, my first impression was positive and I was surprised.”
Surprised, mostly because Pollock thought the HR-V would be physically much smaller than it was. He’d seen other HR-Vs on the roads, and they were indeed smaller. That’s because the previous generation was underpinned by the automaker’s subcompact Fit. For 2023, Honda moved the second-generation HR-V to the slightly larger Civic platform – meaning the HR-V is bigger in most every dimension.
2023 Honda HR-V. CREDIT: Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
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2023 Honda HR-V
MSRP
$28,730 to $37,130
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In Canada, the HR-V is available in four trims, from LX-2WD to EX-L Navi. In all models, a 2.0- litre 4-cylinder engine is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Honda’s Real Time all-wheel drive system is found in all but the LX-2WD – that version sees power delivered only to the front wheels. Honda’s MSRP on the HR-V EX-L Navi is just a bit more than $37,000. Adding the $300 crystal black pearl paint — which is how Pollock’s HR-V was finished with a black leather interior — and including various fees but before taxes, the price is close to $40,000.
Pollock’s been driving since the mid-1960s. In Etobicoke, Ont., he drove his dad’s car until he turned 21 and bought a used 1968 Pontiac Grand Parisienne. After that, a series of cars passed through his hands, including a Volkswagen station wagon and an MGB roadster. Pollock took radio and TV arts in college, and also got a degree in psychology/philosophy but spent his career first in radio, and then in television. He moved to Calgary in 1983 and spent 31 years working as a sports broadcaster for Channels 2 and 7, now Global Calgary. His driving needs changed over the years, and he’s had sedans, vans and SUVs. Mostly commuting in the city, with weekend runs to the mountains to ski and hike, Pollock says an SUV has been his go-to for the past decade. He’s had Hyundai and Nissan SUVs, and currently, he maintains a 2019 Honda CR-V EX-L.
“I’ve always liked the Honda engine,” Pollock says, and continues, “what’s under the hood is important to me, and that’s where Honda puts its money. I’ve had other Hondas (Civic, Accord, Acura, Odyssey) that I’ve been very happy with, but I’d always complain about them making the vehicle so boring looking.”
The ’23 HR-V isn’t quite as boring looking, however.
“I thought it looked pretty cool,” he says. “The design is typical Honda, though, not flashy but still a pretty decent look. I really like the grille, a black honeycomb-like mesh that adds an aggressive appearance.”
Pollock’s main concern about driving the HR-V had been about its size.
“Would it be big enough to convince me to switch from a medium size SUV to a smaller crossover like the HR-V?” he says. “I’m happy to say, yes. Inside there was plenty of room, both front and back. I’m six-feet tall and there was plenty of head room and leg room. The hip space was much better than I thought it would be, the space up front was exceptional, much better than expected.”
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
The interior is also typical Honda, Pollock says. “Not fancy, but well laid out and efficient. My current CR-V has a touchscreen set into the front console, however the 9-inch touchscreen in the HR-V EX-L Navi (7-inches in the other HR-V models) isn’t recessed, but rather it stands upright. I’m sure it’s something you could get used to, but I prefer when the screen is flush with the dashboard, not sticking up above it.”
Pollock found the manually adjustable front seats were comfortable with good lumbar support but was disappointed that “for a top line model,” they weren’t power adjustable. The leather trimmed steering wheel was heated along with the two front seats. He appreciated the warmth they provided during the cold weather when he drove the HR-V. For his passengers he would have liked heated back seats, too, but the HR-V is not so equipped.
“Getting used to all the things on the touchscreen takes more than just a few days,” Pollock says. “I needed more time to really figure it out and know its full capacity. Still, for how much I used the touchscreen I thought it was good and relatively easy to operate.”
Pollock had been told before picking up the HR-V that he’d likely find it underpowered, noisy and not a lot of fun to drive.
“Maybe because the car is much different in 2023, I found the exact opposite to be true,” he says. “The previous design had a 1.7L engine, this one is 2.0L and it had plenty of horsepower (158 hp @ 6,500 rpm and fuel economy of 9.4L/100km city and 7.8L/100km highway). Good acceleration in the city and no problem climbing steep mountain roads. I was really happy with the power and found it to be a great drive both in the city and on the highway. I also found the suspension was good, as was the visibility.”
Cargo capability, 691 litres with rear seats upright, and 1,559 litres with them folded, was more than adequate for Pollock’s needs. During a mountain excursion with his wife, Angela, there was plenty of room for a couple of back packs, hiking poles and boots, and a few other small items.
“In the future, I may switch to a car and if I do, a crossover vehicle is something I’ll consider,” Pollock says, and concludes, “After test driving the Honda HR-V, it would be high on my list.”
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
2023 Honda HR-V. Photo by Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia
DRIVER’S JOURNAL
DAY 1
Picked up the car, pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn’t a small car but more like an intermediate. My first drive in the vehicle was on busy Deerfoot Trail, car was easy to drive as I was getting used to everything.
DAY 2
Drove all over the city on different kinds of roads, trying to find snow packed conditions, didn’t find any, so it was all dry roads. Wanted to see what the car was like to park in a busy underground lot, handled perfectly, easy to get in and out of tight spots. Having a camera at the back of really helps to see what is behind you while backing up, however it doesn’t have a camera on the passenger side.
DAY 3
Found snow packed icy conditions in the various alleys in my neighborhood. Traction was very good, AWD kicked in at the right time. Went to buy some sheets of plywood, with the rear seats down my cargo just made it on.
DAY 4
Head to the mountains, wanted to spend time on the open highway to really feel out the car at high speed, test the cruise, acceleration when passing, going up steep mountain roads and all the safety driving features. Everything worked out, except no snow in the mountains. excellent car for cruising down the highway. The HR-V does have caution yellow lights on both side mirrors to indicate whether it’s safe to change lanes left or right. Once I became familiar with that, I liked it and found it helpful, especially on the highway to change lanes.
DAY 5
Time to see what others think of the car. My wife and her sister are passengers as we headed out food shopping. Both could find nothing wrong. Passenger in the rear wanted heated seats. ample cargo space for a whole lot of groceries. Took a short spin at night, lights were excellent, dash lights were very good. Sight lines out driver side window much better than my current vehicle.
DAY 6
Back down Deerfoot Trail to return the car to its rightful owner. One last time to get a feel for the interior and exterior to decide whether I would buy this car, and I feel it does offer good value for the money.
Keyword: Reader Review: 2023 Honda HR-V EX-L Navi