2022 Honda CR-V Touring Review: Quick Take

The passage of time has really hit the 2022 Honda CR-V Touring hard.

It’s still the bestselling Honda in the United States by a significant margin. But the fifth gen CR-V dates to 2016 and its shortcomings due to age were on full display during our 2022 AutoGuide Compact SUV comparison presented by NRS brakes.

Yes, there is an all-new 2023 CR-V on the way, but it wasn’t available in time for our comparison. So, we made do with a ’22 Touring unit outfitted with Dark Accent Package B (Black Edition in Canada).

Alright, I might as well rip the band-aid off at the outset: the CR-V did finish too high in our comparison. It ranked at or near the bottom in several categories, including handling, exterior and interior styling, and safety.

On the design front, the CR-V looks old. I wouldn’t say it has aged badly, but the years have a way of adding up. Especially in our test where most of its rivals are either all-new or have been significantly updated since the CR-V’s last freshening in 2019.

Part of the problem, which the forthcoming all-new 2023 model will address, is the CR-V has had a similar look for more than a decade. The fourth and fifth generation models visually blend to the point where it can be difficult to tell them apart. Honda faced a similar issue with the eighth and ninth generation Civic. Then the tenth gen came along with a hard design reset.

To these eyes, the CR-V’s bulbous bodywork and up-right stance is dated and in need of an update that will deliver contemporary visual appeal. The Dark Accent Package B our tester comes finished with doesn’t do much for its curb appeal either. The body color is also black, so its myriad blackened trim bits (front grille, tailgate spoiler, 19-inch wheels, etc.) get lost in a sea of black.

On the inside, the CR-V’s cabin is quite spacious. Its leather seating offers good support, with plenty of head and shoulder room up front and in the back. And given its top trim status, the Touring delivers a good amount of standard equipment. This includes heated front seats, heated steering wheel, power moonroof, power front seats with driver’s memory seat, dual-zone automatic climate controls, 7-inch multimedia touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charger and a lot more.

Despite a high level of content, however, the CR-V’s interior needs a design makeover. Its multimedia touchscreen’s graphics are grainy, and, at seven inches, the screen is much smaller than some of the units we encountered during our test. The trim materials aren’t necessarily bad per se, but they appear old and could use some freshening. Generally, the CR-V’s interior is functional and logically laid out. But it lacks the pizzazz newer entries in the segment possess.

When it comes to utility, the CR-V ranks with the Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson at the top of our test. The Honda features a cavernous cargo area and low load floor. Its 75.8 cu-ft. rating (2,146 litres) with the rear seatbacks folded down, and 39.2 cu-ft. (1,110 litres) when they’re upright, is among the most generous in the segment. The CR-V’s max tow rating is puny at 1,500 pounds (680 kg), but that’s not usually a big purchase consideration for vehicles of this type.

On the road, the CR-V’s 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (190 hp / 179 lb-ft.) provides a decent amount of acceleration off the line and in mixed traffic. But it doesn’t feel powerful or engaging to drive. It’s merely adequate. Same goes for the CVT, which isn’t the worst transmission, but it feels rubber-bandy and lets engine revs build on a path to nowhere.

The CR-V’s handling isn’t great either. During our test, it bounced around quite a bit on cracked and bumpier roads and wasn’t much better on smoother surfaces. As for ride quality, it was fine, but it didn’t stand out as the most comfortable, nor was its cabin the quietest.

On the plus side, the CR-V remains a good fuel efficiency option, as it tied the Forester for the second-best fuel economy rating among non-hybrids in our test.