2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD Sport Touring test drive review

Since 1997, the Honda CR-V has been winning over the hearts of drivers in the compact crossover SUV segment. The combination of affordability and practicality is hard to beat — especially now that Honda’s added a couple of hybrid options to its CR-V lineup. I spent a week driving the redesigned 2023 Honda CR-V Sport Touring hybrid. The big question people will be asking is whether a hybrid version is worth it or not. At the risk of spoiling the rest of the review, I’ll answer “yes.” 

Price and value 

The 2023 Honda CR-V is available in five different trims with an MSRP range of $28,410 for the base LX to $39,100 for the top-of-the-line Sport Touring Hybrid. Three trims are turbocharged and two are hybrid with the gas-powered versions putting out 190 horsepower and the hybrid powertrains making 204 horsepower. Some of the major differences in trim levels are noted below. 

LX: $28,410 See Listings

• 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine

• 190 horsepower 

• All-wheel drive available

• Honda Sensing

• Apple CarPlay compatibility 

EX: $31,060 See Listings

• Power moonroof

• Heated front seats

• Smart entry with walk-away auto lock

• Dual-zone automatic climate control

Sport Hybrid: $32,400 See Listings

• 204-horsepower hybrid powertrain

• 2.0-liter direction injection, four-cylinder engine

• Gloss black alloy wheels

• Roof rails

• Sport styling

EX-L: $33,710 See Listings

• Leather-trimmed interior

• Power tailgate

• Wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility 

• 9-inch touch screen

Sport Touring Hybrid: $39,100 See Listings

• 204-horsepower hybrid powertrain

• 2.0-liter direction injection, four-cylinder engine 

• All-wheel drive is standard

•  Bose premium sound system

• Hands-free access power tailgate

• Heated steering wheel

Our Sport Touring Hybrid tester didn’t come with any additional options or packages, so the grand total rang up at $39,845 after destination and handling fees. Aside from saving a little extra dough at the pump each year, the extra punch and power of the hybrid engine makes this one a little more fun to drive. 

If you don’t mind sacrificing a few luxuries like leather-trimmed seating, a heated steering wheel and the Bose premium sound system, you could save a few thousand dollars by opting for the Sport instead of the Sport Touring. You’ll also get slightly better gas mileage with the Sport (43 mpg/36 mpg for city and highway driving compared to 40 mpg/34 mpg in the Sport Touring). Shop CR-V Hybrid listings.

Performance 

Honestly, when I first hopped behind the wheel of this CR-V, it didn’t thrill me. But that’s not its goal anyway. It doesn’t jump off the line, but once this thing gets going, it was nice and smooth on the road.

Engine and drivetrain

The hybrid powertrain includes a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that puts out 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is standard on the top Sport Touring hybrid trim and optional on lower trims for about $1,500. 

Fuel economy 

I’ve driven my fair share of hybrids that have no apparent advantage when it comes to fuel economy. Fortunately, the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring doesn’t fall into that camp. According to the window sticker, the Sport Touring gets an EPA-estimated 34 mpg on the highway, 40 mpg in the city and 37 mpg combined. After a week of driving it around town, we averaged around 35 mpg, which is pretty consistent with those ratings. Comparatively, the turbocharged CR-Vs get around 29 mpg combined, so the difference isn’t huge, but the fuel savings could add up over time.

Acceleration and handling 

One thing I loved about this hybrid CR-V was how easy it was to drive around. While acceleration is decent (Edmunds found that it went from zero to 60 in eight seconds), it does pretty well when it gets up to speed. I could change lanes, slow down and take corners without feeling the body move much. 

Braking 

Being a hybrid, the Sport Touring model has a “B Mode” for regenerative braking, which is fun to gauge on the digital instrument cluster. But it’s not totally one-pedal driving — if you want to come to a full stop, you’ll have to depress the brakes which are responsive but not too touchy. 

Interior comfort and convenience 

The CR-V Sport Touring hybrid has a very welcoming interior with enough convenience features to make you feel as if you’re driving a much more expensive car. Excellent space and visibility all around made this claustrophobia-prone driver feel comfortable and at ease.

Seats 

The leather-trimmed seats in our tester included a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat and four-way adjustable power seat for the front passenger, so it’s easy to mold the settings to your liking. I didn’t feel like I had to fiddle with the seats much, though. 

I was particularly impressed with the amount of legroom I had as a front seat passenger, which almost felt like a first-class seat on an airplane. With two kids in booster seats in the back, I was also grateful for the LATCH system with shallow hooks that made installation easy-peasy. 

Climate control 

The new CR-V has dual-zone climate control and an air filtration system, but my favorite part was actually the design of the vents themselves. With a hexagonal honeycomb pattern that runs across the front vents, the system isn’t just effective — it’s easy on the eyes, too. And don’t forget the heated steering wheel and heated front seats that you get on the Sport Touring trim.

Cargo space and cabin storage 

One major difference between the turbocharged CR-Vs and the hybrid versions is about 3 cubic feet of storage in the cargo area. (You get 39 cubic feet in the turbos and 36 in the hybrids.) Personally, I’d take the zippier hybrid over a roomier turbo any day. A little more cabin storage would have been nice — but I loved the large wireless charging pad and storage area up front so much that I forgive the CR-V for not giving me more throughout the rest of the cabin.

Infotainment system 

The Sport Touring has a 9-inch color touch screen, a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, SiriusXM satellite radio and built-in navigation. The touch screen has physical buttons for easy access to the home screen and volume control, which I’m always grateful for. If there’s one thing I think Honda does really well, it’s simplicity. While it’s not the fanciest system you’ll ever see, it felt pretty great for a vehicle priced below $40k.

Exterior appearance and functionality 

The ever-popular CR-V has gone through six different generations of designs, and some have been better than others. While the first generation will always have my heart, I have to say — I really like the way the 2023 version looks. It’s still got that signature boxy look but it’s sportier than its predecessor.

Wheels 

The 19-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires seemed to do a decent job gripping the road and muffling noise. We didn’t get a chance to drive it in anything but mild, sunny conditions, but I imagine that the all-wheel drive system does fairly well in inclement weather.

Lights and turn signals 

The LED headlights and tail lights illuminated things nicely and the turn signals worked as expected. From a design standpoint, the headlights integrate with a sportier-looking grille that makes the CR-V look a little smarter than previous generations. 

Front and rear windshield 

Visibility out the front is among the best I’ve experienced in a compact crossover SUV. Even though it’s more limited out the back, the multiview rear camera takes care of that.

Cameras and side mirrors 

The multiview rear camera is the only one you’ll get on the CR-V but that’s more than enough to get by. Safety systems like lane-keeping assistance and a blind spot information system help make up for the lack of camera angles. 

Safety 

Honda gave the latest CR-V a pretty generous assortment of standard safety features that should give drivers peace of mind on the road. On the Sport Touring hybrid, these included:

• Collision mitigation braking

• Road departure mitigation

• Blind spot information system with cross traffic monitor

• Multi-angle rearview camera

• Adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow

• Lane-keeping assistance

• Traffic sign recognition

• Parking sensors

Awards and Ratings 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2023 Honda CR-V as a Top Safety Pick in the Small SUV/4-Door SUV category. 

Final Impression 

The 2023 Honda CR-V is a winner overall in my book. The Sport Touring hybrid, in particular, is the type of car I’d love my kids to drive someday (and I wouldn’t mind it as a daily driver either). It’s comfortable, safe, smooth, fairly fuel-efficient and pretty good looking after its latest design refresh. No wonder the CR-V continues to be a bestseller. Shop CR-V Hybrid listings.

FAQs 

Is the Honda CR-V a reliable car? 

For quality and reliability, J.D. Power gives the 2023 CR-V an 82 out of 100 score, which is considered “Great.”

Is the hybrid or gas-powered CR-V better?

This largely depends on what your priorities are. If you prefer something with better fuel economy, the hybrid CR-V gets up to 43 mpg in the city while the turbocharged version tops out around 29 mpg. The hybrid also produces more horsepower — 204 compared to 190 in the turbo. You’ll pay less for a turbo and get three more cubic feet of storage space in the cargo area, however.

Eager to get behind the wheel of the bestselling Honda CR-V? Check out KSL Cars for the latest listings.