27 city, 32 highway, 29 combined
(no current inventory)
The CR-V just makes sense. If you're looking for a small SUV with a lot of room for cargo along with plenty of space for passengers, the used 2020 Honda CR-V could be for you. Some other SUVs are more fun to drive or better equipped to handle light off-roading, but the CR-V is a very sensible choice. Its combination of good fuel economy, ample storage, high reliability scores from RepairPal, and a well-built interior makes the CR-V a very appealing choice.
The 2020 Honda CR-V is the Japanese automaker's best-selling vehicle and defines the compact SUV for many shoppers. Its combination of impressive storage, comfortable ride and thrifty fuel economy make it a very appealing small SUV. The 2020 CR-V received a few updates, which include tweaks to the front and rear end styling, the use of the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine in all trims including LX, and making additional driver aids standard on all trims.
There are sportier SUVs (Mazda CX-5) and those better suited for foul weather and light off-roading (Subaru Forester), but the CR-V is competent at everything it does. Acceleration with the standard engine is strong enough to get up to highway speeds and Bluetooth connectivity is standard on all trims. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard features on all but the base LX trim. Honda also introduced the CR-V Hybrid, which is reviewed separately.
Check out the full review below for more details on why you might want to consider the 2020 Honda CR-V.
Lots of standard advanced driver aids
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on all but base LX trim
Touchscreen interface can be clunky to use
Connectivity
All but the base LX trim of the Honda CR-V (2017-22) come with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Every CR-V of this generation comes with Bluetooth compatibility, so you can stream your tunes or talk on the phone with no strings attached. All CR-Vs except the LX trim also come with a pair of USB-A ports for passengers in the second row.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work well enough on the seven-inch touchscreen, but it’s sometimes sluggish. Bluetooth connectivity is easy enough to set up and the audio quality is adequate. The sound system won't impress audiophiles, but it gets the job done.
Infotainment
The base-trim LX comes with a five-inch display (not a touchscreen) that is quite basic. All other CR-Vs come equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen that’s clunky and not very responsive. The layout is also confusing, particularly if you're trying to toggle through audio sources. It can take two or three taps of the screen to get to the menu you want, and the on-screen buttons are a bit small, making it difficult to select what you want.
Other controls, like for cooling and heating the vehicle, use physical buttons that are easy to find and use. You can also easily control the volume by using a large knob.
Driver-Assist Tech
All CR-Vs come with a generous helping of advanced driver aids. The forward collision warning gives false alarms at times, but otherwise the systems work as intended. Adaptive cruise control performs well, keeping you at a set distance from the car ahead without being too sensitive or reactive. The rearview camera is helpful in some situations, but the image quality is low, so it's best suited for helping you out in sun-lit parking lots, not dim garages.
Smooth ride on uneven roads
Both front and rear seats are comfy
Automatic climate control doesn't work very well
Front seating
All CR-Vs above the base-trim LX model get an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat that makes it easy to find a comfortable seating position and is accommodating for various body types and sizes. Those seats also come with four-way adjustable lumbar support, which is an unexpected and nice feature in a mainstream vehicle. On EX trims and higher, you'll also get heated seats.
Rear seating
You won't hear any complaints about rear-seat comfort unless the passenger is in the middle position—the seat shape makes it uncomfortable for all but the shortest journeys. The angle of the rear seat can be adjusted, which can make things more comfortable on long trips. Headroom and legroom are excellent owing to the roomy, spacious nature of the CR-V cabin.
Ride quality and interior noise
You'll likely pick up some road and wind noise at highway speeds, and engine noise will be detected if you're driving up a sharp incline. But otherwise, the CR-V does a nice job of keeping outside noise out. Ride comfort is very good, even when you're driving on rough or bumpy roads.
Tons of storage space with the rear seats folded
Lots of places to store small items
Lack of dedicated storage under cargo floor
Cargo
The CR-V can swallow a lot of cargo. With the rear seats up, it can fit nearly 40 cubic feet (a carry-on suitcase is about 2.5 cubic feet). If you fold the rear seats down, that expands to 75.8 cubic feet. The rear cargo floor is height-adjustable, which allows you to choose a flat loading surface for easier loading or to lower it for extra cargo space. Unlike some competitors, the CR-V doesn’t have a dedicated space under the floor for storage, although you can wedge some items around the spare tire to keep them out of sight.
Storage
The center console is quite large and can fit a medium-size purse or a handful of small items like cellphones, wallets, etc. A sliding tray is perched in the center of the console, which can be useful for storing your cellphone or to cover valuables hiding deeper in the storage bin; it can also be removed altogether. The front cupholders and door pockets are modestly sized—larger metallic water bottles are unlikely to fit.
Towing
The Honda CR-V's maximum towing capacity is 1,500 pounds when properly equipped. That's enough for a very small trailer, but if you plan on regularly using your small SUV for towing, you might want to consider other options. Some versions of the Toyota RAV4 can tow up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.
Wide door openings make entry/exit easy
Physical buttons are easy to learn and use
Poor backup camera image quality in low light
Entry, exit, and car seats
The doors of the CR-V open widely, making it easy to get in and out. The back row is roomy enough that even taller passengers can slide in without much problem. All rear seats have LATCH attachments, but you may find that using the center seat negatively affects rear visibility. The CR-V is high enough off the ground to provide good visibility, but not so high that it makes it tough to get in and out.
Interior layout and visibility
Visibility is good out of the front window and blind spots are minimal. The physical controls, which you use to change the volume and temperature, are easy to find and use. The touch-sensitive ones, on the other hand, aren't as responsive as they should be. The backup camera has a grainy and blurry image in low-light situations, but it works well enough with more light. Even with those technological hiccups, adapting to this car from an older model is straightforward.
Reasonably quick to get to freeway speeds
Comfortable ride even on rough roads
Cruise control doesn't manage speed going downhill
Driving
The CR-V isn't necessarily fun to drive, but it is quite pleasant behind the wheel. It doesn't take too long to get up to speed on freeway on-ramps, the brakes give drivers confidence, and the steering ranks up there with the best among compact SUVs. Sometimes, continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) can lead to strange power surges; however, the CR-V manages to avoid that pitfall, contributing to the pleasant driving experience.
It also handles curvy roads well, and you won't feel the car leaning away from you as you might in a larger SUV. Around town its suspension soaks up small bumps without making the car unbalanced. The cruise control, while fine at maintaining speed on flat ground, won't slow you down while going downhill, which can be irritating for some drivers.
Fuel economy
The EPA estimates the front-wheel-drive CR-V gets 30 mpg
EPA fuel economy estimates
Powertrain | Fuel economy estimate |
---|---|
1.5-liter four-cylinder, FWD | 28 city / 34 highway |
1.5-liter four-cylinder, AWD | 27 city / 32 highway |
RepairPal gave the Honda CR-V an overall reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks Honda CR-V 6th out of 29 among Compact SUVs.
View RepairPal's full rating of the Honda CR-VDrive Wheels | Front Wheel Drive (2WD) |
Engine size | 1.5L |
Horsepower | 190 |
Torque (ft-lbs) | 179 |
Engine type | Turbo Gas |
Fuel capacity | 14 |
Wheelbase | 104.8" |
Overall length | 182.1" |
Width | 73" |
Height | 66.1" |
Leg room | F 41.3"/R 40.4" |
Head room | F 40.1"/R 39.2" |
Front tires | P235/65HR17 |
Rear tires | P235/65HR17 |
Seating capacity | 5 |
Max towing capacity | 150/1500 lbs. |
Transmission | Automatic |
The 2020 Honda CR-V is available in multiple trims, each with its own estimated fuel economy, here are the EPA estimates for each trim:
The Honda CR-V received a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from RepairPal, which RepairPal describes as Excellent. This rating ranks the Honda CR-V as 5 out of 29 among Compact SUV
The 2020 Honda CR-V has received an average 4.7 out of 5 stars from our customers. If you're in the market for a 2020 Honda CR-V, check out reviews from customers just like you. 2020 Honda CR-V Reviews.
The 2020 Honda CR-V has a maximum towing capacity of 1500 pounds, when properly equipped. Various factors may impact towing capacity, including weight of passengers, cargo, and options/accessories.
Here is what's new for the 2020 Honda CR-V:
Not sure what year to select? Learn about each Honda CR-V generation from 2011 to 2025
Includes a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine
17-inch alloy wheels
60/40 split rear seatback
automatic climate control
Adds Apple Carplay and Android Auto integration
moonroof
18-inch alloy wheels
heated front seats
LED fog lights
Adds power tailgate
leather-trimmed seats
leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
HomeLink® remote system
Provides hands-free access to the power rear tailgate
LED headlights with auto on/off
19-inch alloy wheels
roof rails
We hope you found this information helpful. This content is intended to inform and is not meant to indicate that a particular vehicle is currently available or recommended for you.
Statements of fuel economy or EV range are based on EPA and other third-party estimates for vehicles when new. Fuel economy and EV range will degrade with time and vary based on age, driving conditions, vehicle history, and other conditions. See fueleconomy.gov for more info.
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