- Practical, safe, spacious and efficient
- Honda Sensing safety system now standard
- Standard turbocharged engine
- Apple CarPlay/Android Auto in all but base model
- All-new CR-V Hybrid model added to lineup
- Pricing starts at $25,050 (plus $1,050 destination) | Price yours
The Honda CR-V is no stranger to this list of Best Family Cars, nor many other KBB accolades for that matter. In fact, the latest version of Honda’s venerable compact SUV won our highest honor of the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award for its class – yet again.
What’s the CR-V’s magic? It’s far more than one ingredient. Rather, it’s the CR-V’s outstanding combination of practicality, safety, reliability, efficiency and overall user-friendliness. The 2020 Honda CR-V is the kind of vehicle that you can buy before the newborn arrives and plan to keep around for when the kid is ready to drive.
And for 2020, the Honda CR-V has gotten even better.
Honda Sensing safety and a turbo engine, now standard
The biggest news for the 2020 CR-V is especially relevant to families: The Honda Sensing system is now standard on even the base LX trim, the least-expensive model. This impressive suite of active safety systems bundles automatic emergency braking, road departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
This year’s update also graces the LX with the turbocharged engine that was already standard in higher trims. Compared to the former base engine, this one is both more powerful and more efficient. In true Honda fashion though, the 2020 Honda CR-V remains a great value. Even with these updates, the 2020 Honda CR-V starts at $25,050, a modest $600 increase over last year’s base model.
Room to grow
For more than two decades, the Honda CR-V has boasted interior room that belies its tidy exterior dimensions. Honda has a magic way of making even a smaller SUV feel a size above inside, and that’s certainly the case with the CR-V. It’s also the reason this 2-row/5-passenger compact crossover makes a great family car.
In addition to having rear seats that enable easy fitment and securement of a child seat, the CR-V boasts outstanding cargo space, making it that much simpler to load bulky items like strollers, sports gear, groceries and the myriad other items that go with a family. The CR-V’s practical and generous room has a fine ability to grow with its kin.
Tech you need, amenities you’ll want, efficiency to appreciate
Between shuffling the kids to soccer, settling the debate of where to go for dinner, and – oh, the act of actually driving – potential distractions are rife for today’s busy families. Except for the base LX model, all CR-V trims include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a feature you’ll definitely want. Moving up to higher trims grants other seemingly small features that will make life easier in the long run, such as power tailgate with programmable height (and hands-free operation in the topline Touring model), heated seats, and – new in the Touring trim – wireless phone charging and heated steering wheel.
At up to 34 mpg, the 2020 Honda CR-V is efficient even with its peppy 1.5-liter turbo engine. For families seeking to eke even more miles out of the CR-V, this year marks the introduction of the Honda CR-V Hybrid.
The new hybrid CR-V will pair two electric motors with a 2.0-liter engine. In addition to having more power than the standard model – 212 horsepower vs. the standard 190 – the 2020 CR-V Hybrid will come with all-wheel drive, which is optional on standard models. As of this writing, fuel economy numbers are yet to be announced, but over 40 mpg appears likely.
No matter which model you choose, the Honda CR-V will surely become a helpful and essential member of the family.
More 2020 Honda CR-V
Build and price your own 2020 Honda CR-V to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own and more, or see Honda CR-V models for sale near you.
