Honda is having a solid sales year, thanks in part to its new Civic sedan and coupe, but with crossovers being so popular, the Japanese automaker needed to revitalize its top-selling car, the CR-V.
Compared to the outgoing model, the new CR-V is 1.4-inches wider and taller, with a tiny bit of added length. In addition to more cabin space, the fifth-generation CR-V weighs 58 pounds less than the 2016 model.
We’ve already had seat time in the redesigned compact crossover, and now Honda has announced pricing tiers. The 2017 model will start at $24,945 (an increase of $200 over the 2016 model). The LX base model uses a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 184 horsepower and front-wheel drive, but a newly introduced 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 190hp on tap is available in EX-and-above trims.
Gone is the mid-grade SE trim, but some of its features, like 17-inch aluminum wheels, trickle down to the LX grade. Other standard goodies include capless fuel filler, LED lights, a multi-angle rearview camera, and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. The boosted EX starts at $27,595 and adds a 7.0-inch infotainment display, power driver’s seat, heated front seats, remote start, push-button ignition, a sunroof, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two rear USB ports.
Moving up, EX-L stands for leather seating and costs $650 more than its 2016 predecessor. Adding Garmin Navigation to the picture brings the price up to $31,095. The range-topping Touring version will retail for $33,295, and includes adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, LED headlights, ambient LED lighting, and a power liftgate with foot-activated sensor.
Fuel economy figures sit at 26 city/32 highway for the 2.4-liter four-cylinder with front-wheel drive and 25 city/31 highway if you add all-wheel drive ($1300). The turbocharged option improves those numbers to 28 city/34 highway for front-wheel drive models and 27 city/33 highway for all-wheel drive variants.
The CR-V faces off against Toyota’s RAV-4, Mazda’s CX-5, Ford’s Escape, Hyundai’s Tucson, and Kia’s Sportage.
