2023 Honda CR-V Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Equipped with a blunt nose, long hood, and stretched wheelbase, the new sixth-generation 2023 Honda CR-V adopts a cleaner and slightly meaner look in comparison to the model it replaces. It doesn’t display as much personality as the fifth-gen CR-V it replaces, but the more conservative styling is certain to age well.

Both the CR-V EX and CR-V EX-L have 18-inch alloy wheels in a multi-spoke design and dark-tinted rear privacy glass, so they look the same on the outside. Open a door, and the EX-L version’s leather-wrapped seats, steering wheel, and shift knob serve as upgrades over the cloth upholstery that is standard in the EX. Both trim levels have a dashboard modeled after what you’ll find in the latest Civic, with metal mesh trim that incorporates the air vents and serves as a line of demarcation between the upper and lower portions of the dashboard.

The interior exudes quality and simplicity, and both trim levels have a digital instrumentation display. Upgrade to the CR-V EX-L for a larger touchscreen infotainment system with added features, a power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power rear liftgate. The EX-L also gets front and rear parking sensors.

At the beginning of the model year, prices start at $31,110 for a CR-V EX with front-wheel drive (FWD) and rise to $35,260 for a CR-V EX-L with all-wheel drive (AWD). You also need to factor in a $1,245 destination charge. Our EX-L AWD test vehicle came with extra-cost Radiant Red Metallic paint over Gray leather seats, bringing the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to $36,900.

For the 2023 model year, the CR-V EX and EX-L get the same turbocharged 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which carries over from the previous-generation CR-V. It generates 190 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 179 pound-feet of torque between 1,700 rpm and 5,000 rpm, which is plenty for a compact SUV.

Unfortunately, this turbo-four relies on a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) to power the front or all four wheels. When you’re accelerating hard, like when you’re merging into a fast-moving stream of freeway traffic, passing slower vehicles, or climbing a mountain grade, the CVT isn’t shy about making its presence known. “Waaahhhhhh,” it drones as engine revs climb, aurally erasing the joy you might derive from the turbo engine’s meaty torque band.

That common trait of a CVT is the single unrewarding thing about driving the new 2023 CR-V. Otherwise, it’s an exceptionally well-executed and dynamically satisfying vehicle to drive, especially with regard to its ride and handling. Honda has honed the suspension, steering, and brakes to near perfection, and the CR-V’s relatively modest all-season tires are happy to play along, up to a point.

No matter where or how you drive the new CR-V, it quells unwanted body motion, supresses impact harshness, and communicates just enough information to keep you informed and engaged. These traits allow the CR-V to handle speed bumps and humps with ease, soak up broken and uneven pavement, and even put a smile on your face when rounding cloverleaf highway ramps or mountain hairpin curves. But then you push down on the accelerator pedal and the CVT replaces the rewarding dynamics with droning racket, that smile fades.

Perhaps we’re making too much fuss over the CVT, but it draws an inordinate amount of attention to itself because the new CR-V is otherwise incredibly refined for the segment and price. At least the transmission helps the CR-V to achieve impressive fuel economy numbers. The EPA says our test vehicle should get 29 mpg in combined driving, and we averaged 29.1 mpg on a mountainous Southern California evaluation route.

Honda claims the new CR-V is the roomiest one yet, but it doesn’t feel that way from the standard 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. You sit relatively low behind the steering wheel, so the CR-V feels more like a car than a high-riding SUV. Outward visibility is excellent, and the redesigned seats cradle you in comfort. Heated front seats are standard equipment, but you can’t get ventilated front or heated rear seats in this SUV.

The CR-V’s second row feels more spacious than the first row. From this vantage point, Honda’s compact crossover feels more like a midsize model, and adults enjoy a high seating position with plenty of thigh support and rear legroom. Taller passengers might find headroom in short supply, but with several seatback recline positions, the issue is easy to resolve. Our EX-L test vehicle had air conditioning vents for the rear seat passengers, but a USB charging port is an extra-cost accessory.

You won’t have any trouble finding places to stash things in the CR-V. The bin underneath the center armrest is bigger than what you’ll find in rivals, according to Honda. Each door armrest has a small tray, each door panel has a storage bin, and there is a tray forward of the shifter that contains an available wireless charging pad. The only concern is that most of these storage locations are lined in hard plastic, so items placed there are may cause unwanted noise including scrapes and rattles.

Access the CR-V EX-L’s cargo area using the power liftgate, and you’ll find 39.3 cubic feet of space as long as you drop the rear load floor panel into its lowest position. Honda provides storage trays on either side of the load floor, providing locations to place items you’d prefer didn’t roll around during transport. Grocery bag hooks are also good for this purpose. Fold the back seat down, and the CR-V supplies 76.5 cubic feet of cargo space.

Every 2023 CR-V has a 7-inch digital instrumentation panel that is a model of clarity, fitting in with the rest of the SUV’s idiot-proof layout and controls. With EX trim, it pairs with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that has large stereo volume and tuning knobs, clearly marked main function buttons, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Choose the CR-V EX-L, and Honda adds a larger 9-inch touchscreen display and an expanded list of features. Highlights include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless charging, and an upgraded eight-speaker sound system. Unfortunately, to obtain a Bose premium sound system, HondaLink subscription services, and a navigation system with a map that shows real-time traffic, you must get the top-of-the-line CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid.

In our experience, you won’t miss these upgrades. Instead, pair your smartphone to the Bluetooth, stream your favorite music through the rather impressive mid-grade stereo speakers, and use your favorite navigation app to find your way. It would be nice if the EX-L’s larger display retained the tuning knob that is standard in the EX, but Honda replaces it with tuning buttons that aren’t as pleasing to use.

Still, considering the EX-L’s as-tested price tag, the technology list is short. Undoubtedly, the new infotainment systems represent a significant improvement over the previous-generation CR-V, but many competitors offer a more robust package of features at a more accessible price.

Furthermore, Honda hasn’t innovated with the CR-V. Instead, the new tech simply brings the SUV up to par with its rivals without exceeding them in a meaningful way, and that’s mostly true when it comes to the new CR-V’s safety features, too.

Like with the new CR-V’s infotainment systems, Honda dramatically improves the driver assist systems compared to the previous-generation model.

Honda bundles the tech under the Honda Sensing umbrella, and it includes the collision warning and avoidance features you’ve come to expect as standard equipment. In other words, you get adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Honda also includes blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, and new features such as a seatbelt reminder system, rear-seat reminder system, driver monitoring system, and traffic sign recognition system.

New camera and radar units contribute to more accurate, refined, and smooth operation, and make it possible for Honda to expand the package with a new Traffic Jam Assist system. It combines the adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and the lane-centering assist systems to provide added driving assist in low-speed situations.

In use, the new tech meets current standards, but there is room for improvement. Specifically, when the CR-V encounters exit ramps or situations where highways widen or contract by a lane, the lane-centering assist displays uncertainty about what it should do. This is not uncommon among the CR-V’s competitors, but some automakers do a better job with this feature.

Also, this implementation of lane-centering assist adds a leaden artificiality to the CR-V’s otherwise excellent steering, eliminating some of the fun of driving the SUV. Needless to say, we didn’t make using the feature a habit.

Honda also builds the CR-V to its latest Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure standards, developed to deflect the energy of a collision away from the passenger compartment. In addition, new front airbag designs also help to reduce the potential for injury in certain kinds of crashes.

Honda expects the new CR-V to excel at occupant protection in a collision. However, since the 2023 Honda CR-V is completely redesigned, both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) need to re-test it to assess its crashworthiness.

The 2023 Honda CR-V is substantially more expensive than it used to be. In addition to the price increase you would expect to accompany a full redesign with added standard tech, the CR-V is no longer available in base LX or the short-lived SE trim. Now, the formerly mid-grade EX trim serves as the entry point to the lineup. These changes effectively raise the popular SUV’s base price by more than $5,000.

That’s not chump change to compact crossover SUV shoppers, and Honda’s new complimentary maintenance plan for two years or 24,000 miles doesn’t take much of the sting out of the increase. In addition, some rivals, like the Hyundai Tucson, offer substantially more value.

However, the Tucson’s package of ownership perks is the exception and not the rule. When you compare the new CR-V to many vehicles in this class, Honda’s prices are in line with where the market is. And if Honda’s internal research determined that few of its customers were choosing the most affordable versions of the CR-V, it makes sense to discontinue the ones that were not selling. Besides, the automaker needed to give its also-redesigned HR-V subcompact crossover some breathing room.

Ultimately, Honda makes no major missteps with the new 2023 CR-V. Aside from its irritatingly loud CVT, only a conservative design and lack of technological innovation might be considered disappointing, and mildly at that.

Overall, thanks to its quality, comfort, utility, and enjoyable ride and handling, the new CR-V comes across as an excellent choice in a compact SUV and will certainly hold its own against top-selling alternatives such as the Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4. You’ll to want to keep it on your list, which means it will likely remain one of the best-selling vehicles in America.