2020 Honda HR-V Review: Dependable Subcompact SUV With Low Running Costs

Claire M on July 21, 2023

I just recently purchased my 2020 Honda HRV from Phil at South Tacoma Honda in Tacoma Washington. He was friendly and accommodating and worked with me financially to make the finances work.

Honda on June 8, 2021

I really am enjoying this car. It's fun its like a toy. Enjoying rid trip to forth worth. Don't have to worry about breaking down on me

Hrv warnnnnnning on May 25, 2021

Serviced before 200 miles due to dashboard lights eliminating . I've never had this happen with a new vehicle. Vehicle has been “ in repair” for a week with no resolve

IV on May 19, 2021

Smart looking. Very roomy for a car in such a small class. Handles very well and rides nice on most roads. Its a little bouncy on very bumpy roads which is to be expected for a small vehicle. We love it.

skylercloud on April 18, 2021

Bought the 2020 Honda EX a little over a year ago brand new. I was laid off, there was no need for 2 cars in the household with little money coming in. We traded in two vehicles to get this. Its loaded with computers, sensors, has the electronic push start ignition with FOB. I hate it. It has all kinds of stuff that I didnt even realize it had, and will never use, it really doesn't need all of that stuff. But I still hate it! It also has a very tiny (in size as well) battery, the biggest you can put into is a 500 cca. I hate that as well. Between the pandemic, being laid off, and now forced into early retirement the car goes no where but the grocery store once or twice a month. The battery wouldn't hold the charge for 3 weeks of sitting and now will only hold the charge for “3-4 days”, I had to buy a battery tender. Next I had to buy and carry a battery jumper with me and it didnt work one time because the battery was so dead! Ive been told by the Honda dealership, that you need to drive these new computerized cars at least once a week for 30min at a certain speed to keep the battery charged. Ive also been told at the Honda forums because of all these computers and the tiny battery, (a new one was put in) that there is a lot of “phantom/parasitic battery drain”. The computers and sensors are talking to each other all the time, even if the car is totally off! I dont get that. When you shut the car off all of the computers should shut off as well to stop the parasitic battery drain. Just keep the clock and presets for your radio going. Had I known all of this, I would have never bought the Honda, I would have looked for a lower tech car with the option of getting a bigger battery. Here is the thing that really ticks me, I see other cars on my street that sit out in the cold, snow, ice for at least a month or more, they scrape them off then drive off. Their cars are not much older or younger than mine. I didnt buy the car for all the fancy stuff in it, I bought it because it was smaller than my last Suv, and it was easy to get in and out and I was hoping to have it for quit a few years, its my retirement car. Shame on me for not paying attention to the fact that since I bought my 2013 car, cars have become way to high tech. So much so that the batteries cant possible hold the charge unless you drive them regularly. Well thats fine to have all the high tech computer crap but put in batteries that can HOLD the charge to accommodate all of it. I dont need a fancy smart car, I want a dumb plain car that uses a physical key, no push button start, and a battery that won't die on me. Especially when I go camping in the woods for a week with no where to plug in a battery tender. I go camping every year, sometimes twice a year, with no cell service. So its important to me to have a car that will start if it sits for a week whilst in the middle of a forest. A battery jumper doesn't work all the time. So now Im looking for a lower tech car that can at the very least take a bigger battery, and Im 100% sure Im going back to a Toyota Rav4. In 13 months, the Honda only has like 1700 miles on it. We just dont drive it unless we have to, mostly we are afraid we will be stranded because of the tiny battery and we just dont trust it. This experience has left such a bad taste in my mouth that I will never by another Honda. Its a shame because it is a nice looking car but to me, its a lemon! Honda should be ashamed of themselves. My conspiracy theory on all of this is that the car makers are gearing up for electric cars and are trying to get rid of all of their batteries. So they are shoving any size battery into their cars to get rid of them. Think about..

kurth83 on April 12, 2021

The pros say this about the car: pros - fantastic storage - taught suspension - very reliable drivetrain cons - rough ride - weak engine - difficult to use climate controls - lack of standard features What I say, I bought the sport model, as a replacement to a Mazda 3, I wanted a slightly less tight suspension, but still a tight ride. The sport model has the easier climate controls, which I like. The CVT took some getting used to, my Mazda had the slickest automatic tranny of any car I know of (with a perfect manual mode), but I can get about 80% of the utility with the HRV Sport mode. Drive vs Sport mode HRV detailed writeup: Drive has a softer gas pedal map, and the CVT shifts up when you let off the gas to give you no engine weight at all, so braking is required to slow down. Sport mode has a more aggressive gas pedal map making the engine feel more powerful, and simulates engine weight. Drive also keeps the RPMs down more aggressively than sport which lets the engine rev more freely. Sport mode's easier engine revving obviates the need to use paddles to downshift for more power, you just shift into sport. And sport modes engine weight eliminates the need to downshift for more engine weight, you just switch between drive and sport, and most of what you need a manual mode for is done. There is even a dashboard indicator if you are in sport or drive so you don't need to look down if you forget which mode you are in. So I shift back and forth a lot, and don't use the paddle shifters at all. Sport mode has a very interesting effect with the paddle shifters. In sport using a paddle shifter puts you in 'manual mode' until you shift out of sport into drive. In drive the paddle shifter times out after about 10 seconds and returns to automatic mode. So sport has a dual use, it can function as a full manual mode, and if you stay off the paddle shifters, affects engine weight and accelerator maps, but still shifts automatically (I find sport in automatic mode a lot more useful). Personally I think paddle shifters are a joke, because they are only useful in a straight line. You gonna drive a twisty mountain road and keep the steering wheel perfectly level all the time so you can use the paddles? No Way! Useless! But sport mode is so good you don't need the silly paddles. On to the cargo capacity. I am a one vehicle kind of person, so I want a do-it-all kind of vehicle. ppl say the magic seats are a gimmick, but they are a really useful gimmick. The enormous storage for such a small vehicle is one of the reasons I love this car. As for the suspension, it is softer than my Mazda but still pretty tight, this hits the sweet spot for my aging back. The sport model also has a lower steering ratio for a more sporty feel, which I really like. The increased turning radius is a drag though, but you get used to it. The other cons don't bother me at all, this car feels like the lap of luxury to me, but that's an individual thing. A word about the eco button, the only thing I notice is it reduces the air conditioner's power, so I leave it on for cooler days, and turn it off for hot days. I love that this car is small, I like cars that are easy to park, and easy to zip through tight spaces. The engine is 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. Up to about 50 mph you don't notice it being underpowered. On the highway it isn't going to be a great passer on a 2-lane road, other than that it is plenty fast for me. The upside is the gas mileage, which I also like. Basically this is the best car I have ever owned. I like small utilitarian cars that are on the cute side, are fun to drive, and this one fits the bill beautifully. I don' drive to work any more, but this car would be a great commuter IMHO. In traffic you might want the EX for the adaptive cruise control.

Jay Honda on March 24, 2021

Just bought 2 months ago 450 miles and n it. Had to have battery replaced already and having problems with computer resetting constantly. Dealer said not driving it enough and that is the problem and that I need to charge it when not in use. I am elderly

dlbyrnes on February 24, 2021

The all wheel drive has proved itself this winter. It is a practical and trustworthy vehicle. The drive is quiet, smooth and easy to maneuver.

ProudDad23 on December 30, 2020

I needed something economical and stylish with all of the bells and whistles of a modern vehicle. Thankfully the HR-V Sport fit that description to the T! It was the least expensive car I've owned but the coolest one by far. I'm telling you check out the sport model! You'll love it.

SaraMock1 on December 20, 2020

I love the sporty look with the comfort and durability it offers. It's excellent on gas and can haul loads in the back up to 6'. The seats lift up or lay flat. Very versatile!