2021 Honda Cr V Sport Features – As the saying goes, age can be nothing more than a number, but that doesn’t do the 2021 Honda CR-V any good either.
It’s only been on the market in its current form for only five years, but it feels like a lifetime in a booming segment where virtually every one of its competitors has since undergone a major overhaul or significant upgrade. It’s simply impossible to gloss over how this Honda falls short of the competition as several key features are missing from the list. But when it comes to the basics, the CR-V can still hold its own in every way.
2021 Honda Cr V Sport Features
It’s not that it’s some barren econobox, but even at the top of the range, this Touring-based Black Edition lacks the content that many competitors offer. Take, for example, the ventilated front seats – they are not in the CR-V, despite the fact that they are part of the Toyota RAV4’s main competitor. There’s also no head-up display, as the newly redesigned Nissan Rogue and its mechanical twin the Mitsubishi Outlander boast the most expensive trim levels, as does the Mazda CX-5, while one can be added to the Ford Escape via the options list. All of these competitors also offer surround view monitoring systems that the CR-V does not.
More importantly, there are no USB-C ports inside the CR-V, only USB-A – and one of the four shown at the top of the range has a measly one amp output, meaning it will be slow. to charge the connected device. The infotainment system’s seven-inch screen is small by today’s standards, and while the system has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, neither connection is wireless.
What the CR-V does better than most crossovers is its size offers outstanding utility and usability, not just in its direct space for people and stuff, but in how everything is accessible. Take, for example, the rear doors: they are massive, but incredibly light, so children will have no problem opening or closing them. On top of that, they open almost a full 90 degrees, which is great for getting in and out of small children, while all four doors go all the way to the bottom of the sills, perfect for keeping dirt out of the legs.
Cargo space is the best in its class, with 1,110 liters behind the rear seats (45 liters less on the Touring and Black Edition due to the placement of the stereo subwoofer) and 2,146 liters with the seats folded down. But more than that, the hatch opening is huge, and the lifting height of the station wagon is small, so transporting bulky items inside is not so difficult. When transporting a large item requires maximum cargo capacity, the 60/40 folding rear seats can be folded using handles located directly inside the tailgate, an underused solution in the segment and above, eliminating the need to walk around the car to do work.
Passenger space is also generous, with plenty of rear seat legroom and a generous cabin width. But above the head of tall passengers is noticeably cramped. While the cargo area is high enough to easily accommodate a 29-inch mountain bike standing upright with the front wheel off, the panoramic sunroof that is part of the Touring and Black Edition packages cuts into space in both rows of seats (same albeit at the front with a smaller sunroof included on both Sport and EX-L trims).
Still, a family of four should find plenty of room inside, and the front and rear seats are heated on the top three trims (heated front seats are included on every trim, and all but the base version have a heated steering wheel). . And while those same cloth-covered seats caused some discomfort and leg pain when testing the CR-V Sport, none of those complaints were filed here. Black perforated leather for the EX-L, Touring and Black Edition may not be at the premium level, but it’s just as good as what’s offered on other cars in the segment.
Every version of the CR-V comes with a dual-zone automatic climate control system that quickly reaches the set temperature with little effort to reach it. The cabin isn’t particularly quiet, however, as all sorts of road and engine noise seep in.
With a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder buzzing under the hood, the CR-V sounds like it has more rage in it than it actually does. It’s an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that brings out the worst in this powertrain, straining to accelerate even at a fast pace and rolling almost endlessly with the pedal pressed to the floor.
Despite all the noise it makes, it only needs 190 hp to run. and 179 lb-ft of torque, though that’s more than enough for this application. With a turbocharger helping to maximize its potential, all torque starts at 2000 rpm and is maintained up to 5000 rpm. That’s what creates forward momentum, and with such a wide powerband, the CR-V has the guts to pass or merge in most situations with little protest, short of the audible hum and rumble that makes its way in.
While the base trim skips standard all-wheel drive, it can be added for $2,500. It’s included in the asking price of all other trims, and a fully automatic system moves torque to where it’s best used. This means that most of the time it is directed to the front wheels to reduce fuel consumption, which it does well.
Officially, all-wheel drive CR-V models are rated at 8.7 l / 100 km in the city, 7.4 l on the highway and 8.1 l in the combined cycle. An initial estimated run spanning 230km divided between rural, urban and motorway showed this tester to be a pretty decent 7.2L/100km. It’s very close to hybrid territory. While the final result after a full week of testing was 8.2 l/100 km over 570 km, this Honda continues to impress with its prowess in fuel consumption.
Driving dynamics may not be a feature of the CR-V, though it’s a perfectly capable commuter with good steering response and not too much body roll. Yes, it still rolls from side to side when driving down a freeway ramp at too much speed; but driving is not as boring as one might (reasonably) expect. It’s soft and easy to ride, with quick direction changes and smooth suspension damping on most surfaces.
Regardless of the trim level, the CR-V is equipped with all kinds of basic and advanced safety equipment. The cabin has six airbags, including side curtains, as well as electronic traction and stability control systems, a government-approved reversing camera, and child seat mounts in all three rear seat positions.
Also standard are forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and hold assist, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control that works in continuous traffic. Blind-spot monitoring is reserved for the Touring trim and its based Black Edition, while the Sport and EX-L trims get a Honda camera-based system that provides a live view of the passenger side of the car when the turn signal is on or the button at the end of the signal lever is pressed.
Honda’s forward collision warning system is notoriously sensitive, so city dwellers take note: expect a lot of beeps and flashes around town. The same applies to the adaptive cruise control, which maintains a fairly large distance from the car in front, even at the closest possible position. This gap
Wide enough for other drivers to drive up, creating a ripple effect as the CR-V automatically slows down to compensate.
While nothing can be done to fix this issue, the controls for various additional security features are clearly labeled and easy to identify. Lane Departure Warning or Forward Collision Warning is turned on or off using buttons near the driver’s left knee, while the adaptive cruise system is controlled using buttons on the steering wheel.
Overall, the cockpit is an exercise in simplicity, with most features and capabilities right where they should be. There are even a plethora of physical controls for the climate system, with knobs for adjusting the temperature and intermediate buttons for fan speed and defrost, although airflow direction selection must be done through the infotainment system.
This interface is perhaps the biggest source of complaints about CR-V. While it’s fairly straightforward in terms of menu structure and navigation, switching from one function to another is slow. It also uses touch sensors instead of buttons for shortcuts, and while there’s a volume knob, there’s no equivalent for changing songs or radio stations.
The Honda CR-V starts at $32,140 pre-tax, but with a non-negotiable $1,870 shipping fee. That’s for the front-wheel-drive model, which includes features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a host of advanced safety features. Adding all-wheel drive brings the price up to $34,640. Based on Toyota
