So far we've only driven the CR-V with the hybrid powertrain. We knew going in that there's room for improvement for the hybrid powertrain in the CR-V. We drove and lived with a 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid for a year as part of our long-term testing program and came away unimpressed. We never achieved the EPA's estimated fuel economy in real-world driving, and its occasionally slow and noisy acceleration made us think the regular CR-V and its turbocharged engine is the better buy for most shoppers.
We know this powertrain is more efficient in the city, but unfortunately, our first drive was almost entirely on the highway. And right away, we encountered some bad mannerisms. The first hill forced the engine to dig deep, keeping the revs pinned and introducing a less-than-stellar engine note into the cabin. Any time we were met with an incline, the engine felt overworked to supply power.
Things didn't get better on the descents either. It's great that Honda includes variable brake regeneration with the hybrid powertrain, but when the battery is collecting power (going downhill, for example) the whine from the electric motor is loud — really loud. We actually thought it was the engine kicking back on, but indeed it was the e-motor making its presence known. A hybrid powertrain is supposed to be seamless and quiet. More often than not, the CR-V Sport Touring was neither of those two things.
And that's unfortunate because the brief time spent on city streets was a completely different story. From stoplight to stoplight the car was quiet and composed, spending an impressive amount of time in electric mode. Around town, this is a great car to drive, and the 13 extra miles per gallon (city figure) over the gas-only model is a huge gain.
In a perfect world, Honda would use the turbo engine for all models, but such is not the case. Buyers need to make the choice between the hybrid's fuel economy and the turbo's livability.