Used Honda HR-V review

Likes

Superb practicality and packaging
Showing typical excellent Honda reliability
Maintaining value on the used market
Enjoyable driving experience

Dislikes

Lacking in some infotainment tech
Lower specs miss out on some safety tech
CVT transmission not to everyones tastes

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SUV

Publish: February 4, 2022

Stuff you should know

The original boxy Honda HR-V, the GH version, is a rare sight on Aussie roads. It survived seven years globally (1999-2006) but only lasted two years on local roads, a pint-sized, small-engined crossover anomaly in its era, largely shunned by buyers and arguably well before its time.

The HR-V nameplate – ‘Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle’, for the curious – disappeared, then resurfaced in 2013, in Japan initially, as the second-generation RU. Sporty, matured and contemporarily styled, this reimagined HR-V caught the upswing of baby SUV popularity and has prospered since to eventually become Honda’s top seller in Australia. Quite the turnaround, right?

This new HR-V, based on stretched Jazz underpinnings, arrived locally in early 2015, eschewing its predecessor’s three- or five-door choice with a sole five-door body that looks as if it only has three doors, its rear door handles hidden, to some extent, in the C-pillars.

Its fetching coupe-like styling, face-lifted in 2018, has remained resilient to ageing, spawning hybrid and electric versions in some markets and remains on sale at the time of writing, albeit well into the runout phase of its lifecycle, due to be replaced soon by an all-new third generation.

Australia skipped the 1.5-litre engines, both naturally aspirated and turbocharged, that were offered overseas, instead opting for a one-powertrain-fits-all N/A 1.8-litre i-VTEC petrol four – shared with Civic – backed exclusively with a continuously variable transmission driving the front wheels. Nor was the foreign six-speed manual offered on the local HR-V menu.

It was (and remains) advertised as 105kW and 172Nm, its engine DNA harking back to 2006, an unpretentious if frugal unit that’ll happily run on crappy 91RON with favourable 6.6L-6.9L/100km advertised combined consumption, depending on which variant you chose.

Initially, there were three versions to choose from, a base VTi, mid-spec VTi-S and flagship VTi-L, spread across a $25k-$32k price range save for the clumsily named VTi-L with ADAS, essentially a thousand-dollar option pack that brought the fullest safety suite.

That’s right, despite its five-star ANCAP rating, not all old HR-Vs are equally safe. Initially, autonomous emergency braking was absent on the base VTi, and you needed to stump for ADAS to add forward collision and blind spot alert systems. Tip: avoid the early VTi stuff. As of July 2018, though, all versions of HR-V fitted AEB s standard.

Unlike its exterior, the gen-two’s cabin hasn’t aged all that gracefully, particularly early examples’ increasingly redundant infotainment system with clumsy and defunct smartphone connectivity.

The highlight, though, is practicality, the RU considerably roomier than its sardine-can GH forebear, complete with Honda’s excellent Magic Seat system offering a claimed 18 different seating and storage combinations, allowing its large 437-litre boot to expand to a 1437-litre-capacity van if need be.

Another strong suit is the drive. Honda milked a fair bit of spunk from the chassis, with decent steering and handling imbuing a fundamentally enjoyable character that rides nicely too. The downside is that its engine’s high torque peak (4300rpm) means it and its paired CVT one-speeder do conspire to a racket getting a hustle on.

The mid-2018 nose job (MY19) brought sharper looks and a smattering of updates, including cruise control, sat-nav, reversing cameras and the aforementioned AEB fitment across the range.

A new semi-sporty RS (circa-$32k) arrived, sat just above the VTi-S and bringing 18s as well as fettled suspension and steering, albeit powered by the familiar 1.8 rather than the feisty turbo 1.5L offered elsewhere globally. And a new tree-topper, the (partially) leather-dipped VTi-LX, would emerge at just under $36k. Meanwhile, the VTi-S upsized wheels to 17-inch and added LED headlights.

However, those wanting/needing modern Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility do need to sniff out versions built for 2020.

Worth a look used? Let’s find out.

What goes wrong

Mechanically, not very much. There are sporadic reports of CVT issues but this is generally apparent on poorly maintained examples.

However, it is critical that the HR-V has been regularly serviced and maintained. Be sure to check if the servicing has been performed at least at every 10,000kms or every 12 months.

There are occasional reports of paint defects, which includes peeling or flaking. This can most commonly be seen on the roof.

Also on some examples the plastic trim around the windows can be seen having a rough or bubbly effect.

There are a few reports of water leaking through the windows, the usual cause being badly fitted window/door seals.