Photo: Jonathan M. Gitlin for Ars Technica
A company that started out with motorcycles before adding automobiles to the mix, Honda is a well-known brand and a well-respected one of those. However, the Japanese automaker had a few problems with oil dilution affecting the 1.5-liter turbo engine in the CR-V and Civic. More than one million vehicles were treated to warranty extensions on certain engine components instead of a proper recall in 2019.
As if that wasn’t enough for a company that's known for making incredible engines in affordable cars, Honda is under fire again over the CR-V Hybrid. Introduced for the 2020 model year in the United States, the electrified crossover leaves much to be desired under the hood.
Jonathan M. Gitlin has boldly titled his review of the CR-V Hybrid on Ars Technica, highlighting right off the bat that it “gets highly disappointing gas mileage.” Adding insult to injury, "it's not just down to my driving style.”
The Environmental Protection Agency rates the CR-V Hybrid at 38 miles to the gallon on the combined cycle, working out at 6.19 liters per 100 kilometers. “In practice, I got nowhere near those numbers,” said Jonathan. 30 miles per gallon (7.84 liters per 100 kilometers) is the result of a week’s worth of driving, mostly on DC city streets at 25 miles per hour (!!!).
As opposed to internal combustion-only vehicles, hybrids are usually more efficient in urban environments thanks to the e-motor and small-capacity battery that charges up every time you brake. The question is, can we point the finger and the reviewer’s driving style for the poor fuel economy?
Not quite, no. Looking through the trip computer, Jonathan found out that “the crossover never bettered 34.6 mpg (6.8 l/100 km) over almost 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers)." The previous reviewer, who drove the crossover more than 1,000 miles, didn’t even reach 30 miles to the gallon.
Obviously enough, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is the better option in this segment, both on paper and in real-world driving scenarios. The Ford Escape is also available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid, and as fate would have it, the Blue Oval has bettered Honda as well. Oh, and don’t forget the CR-V Hybrid is well past its break-in period with more than 2,671 miles on the odo.
Jonathan M. Gitlin has boldly titled his review of the CR-V Hybrid on Ars Technica, highlighting right off the bat that it “gets highly disappointing gas mileage.” Adding insult to injury, "it's not just down to my driving style.”
The Environmental Protection Agency rates the CR-V Hybrid at 38 miles to the gallon on the combined cycle, working out at 6.19 liters per 100 kilometers. “In practice, I got nowhere near those numbers,” said Jonathan. 30 miles per gallon (7.84 liters per 100 kilometers) is the result of a week’s worth of driving, mostly on DC city streets at 25 miles per hour (!!!).
As opposed to internal combustion-only vehicles, hybrids are usually more efficient in urban environments thanks to the e-motor and small-capacity battery that charges up every time you brake. The question is, can we point the finger and the reviewer’s driving style for the poor fuel economy?
Not quite, no. Looking through the trip computer, Jonathan found out that “the crossover never bettered 34.6 mpg (6.8 l/100 km) over almost 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers)." The previous reviewer, who drove the crossover more than 1,000 miles, didn’t even reach 30 miles to the gallon.
Obviously enough, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is the better option in this segment, both on paper and in real-world driving scenarios. The Ford Escape is also available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid, and as fate would have it, the Blue Oval has bettered Honda as well. Oh, and don’t forget the CR-V Hybrid is well past its break-in period with more than 2,671 miles on the odo.
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