Why we ran it: To see if hybrid power turned the Honda HR-V mini-SUV into an efficient long-distance commuter car
Life with a Honda HR-V: Month 6
Half a year, three seasons, 10 countries and some 12,000 miles together have forged an unexpected firm friendship - 17 September 2022
Sometimes the unlikeliest of friendships can be forged, between people from totally different walks of life who find they share a special something in common, or even between people who initially saw each other in a negative light.
It might come as a surprise to you (or not) that I instinctively have a strong disdain for crossovers and SUVs and that I’m by no means a committed fan of electrified cars. When the Honda HR-V’s keys fell into my hands a few months ago, then, I felt nothing more than commitment to my journalistic duty. Hybrid crossovers are in heavy demand, unlike the kind of models that sparked my passion for cars long ago. Would you believe, then, that now the HR-V’s gone, I genuinely miss it?
It wasn’t the easiest start to our friendship. My vivid first impression was of how noisy the petrol engine became under acceleration, due to the e-CVT, followed shortly thereafter by how intrusive the active safety systems were. Mostly here I’m talking about the car fighting my steering inputs when it detected – rightly or, more worryingly, wrongly – that I was too close to a white line.
Sometimes it would even try to stop me from changing lanes despite the fact that I was indicating. But, hey, I once knew a girl who had first met her boyfriend when he unwittingly broke her nose at a concert, so maybe there was still potential...
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After reading the review the active safety systems sound scarey and unsafe, perhaps the system should be renamed, give you anxiety system.
I've had this car for aa month and a half now and just used a full tank. With city driving in London using the B (regenerative braking) mode, I clocked in 51.5 mpg and did 500 miles, so it hit the efficiency as promised by Honda. It's a comfortable drive and loves a sensible driver offering a smooth experience in return. Things get a little louder when you want more but that suits me and keeps me in check, alas you'll never beat a high-end brand like Audi, BMW or Mercedes off the line. I went for the top spec HRV and got upgraded audio, interior and wireless charging which is a dream for anyone who hates wires and keys as the car becomes really easy to just get in and drive, no fumbling about. Safety features are great for a car of this year - I've got all safety systems turned on and its since provided me collision warnings and road departure mitigation and I simply love the oncoming traffic sensors when backing out my driveway onto a main road. I wanted a comfortable, efficient, stylish and versatile car and I got that with the 2022 HRV.
I tend to read a lot of criticsm of active safety systems, mostly in that they suddenly cut in unexpectedly. It was good to read comments from someone who has knowledge and experience of using various systems and that he understood the reasons for their reactions and is well used to dealing with them. We have had them and used, in particular, a variety of adaptive cruise systems over some 9 years. The best at traffic creep was the 2016 Insignia auto and had best ease of use too.