Spacious and fun to drive on curvy roads, the 2021 HR-V is a good choice in the subcompact SUV segment. Utility is top-notch, and it has a comfortable and quiet cabin. Unfortunately, the underpowered 1.8-liter engine is too noisy, and some of the tech can be frustrating to use.
The Honda HR-V has been on the extra-small SUV scene since 2016 and has made a name for itself as a value-packed vehicle with a clever folding back seat (Honda calls it the "Magic Seat") and a comfortable ride. Honda hasn't done much to change the HR-V over the past five years, and as a result, some of its competition has muscled in on its turf.
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AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
29 Combined MPG (27 City/31 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 3CZRU6H31MM742398 Stock: 27522473 Certified Pre-Owned: No
The all-new and ultra-stylish Mazda CX-30 brings some real premium flair to the class, while Kia offers both the Soul and its new Seltos as feature-rich competitors. This once sparsely populated class also has competitive entries from Hyundai, Buick and Fiat, all of whom have had time to catch up to the HR-V's early dominance. The HR-V is in need of an update, but does it still have enough practicality and value to fend off its rivals? Read our Expert Review to get an in-depth take on the 2021 HR-V.
Edmunds Expert Rating
edmunds TESTED
by the Edmunds Experts
Average
7.6
out of 10
We drove the 2021 Honda HR-V on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.
Performance
7.5/10
How does the HR-V drive? If the HR-V had a bit more power, it would get a very high score in this segment. The steering and handling are top-notch. And thanks to a well-tuned suspension, the HR-V handles well and can put a smile on your face on curvy roads. Body roll is kept to a minimum, and the HR-V displays a good sense of balance.
The engine and transmission, however, are always underwhelming, leading to a less rewarding driving experience. The Honda HR-V's 1.8-liter engine is reasonably equipped to handle routine driving on flat ground. But it can feel stressed on long grades, during short freeway merges, or if you need to floor it to pass someone quickly. At the Edmunds test track, 0-60 mph took 10.4 seconds — one of the longer times in the segment.
Comfort
7/10
How comfortable is the HR-V? Getting up to speed is not a comfortable part of the HR-V ownership experience because of the raucous noise from the underpowered 1.8-liter engine. The noise gets downright loud and whiny, and it is accompanied by vibration if you floor it. It's even noticeable when accelerating around town.
Once you're up to speed, though, the seats and ride quality are relatively good. The touchscreen climate control suffers from some usability issues, but the system controls cabin temps very well. The HR-V is certainly comfortable enough for a road trip.
Interior
8/10
How’s the interior? The HR-V's interior is one of its best features, with plenty of room for adults to spread out in the front or back row. The driving position is good due to lots of adjustability. Forward and side visibility is excellent thanks to well-placed and slim front pillars, a low dashboard, and a large windshield and windows. Rear visibility is good, and the HR-V's blind spot is very small thanks to large rear windows.
Many controls are easy to understand and operate, and we like the array of buttons on the steering wheel. But we are not fans of the touchscreen audio and climate control systems. The main touchscreen finally has a volume knob, but otherwise simple tasks require distracting glances and manipulation of the touchscreens.
Technology
7.5/10
How’s the tech? The HR-V has some desirable safety features that used to be restricted to more expensive cars. Plus, it gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard on Sport and above trim levels. The voice controls and standard touchscreen controls are weak spots on an otherwise tech-friendly car.
In the EX and above trim levels, the HR-V includes Honda Sensing, which is Honda's suite of safety aids. Those include adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation, lane keeping assist and lane departure mitigation. The systems work relatively well, although adaptive cruise control keeps a pretty long following distance — even on the closest setting.
Storage
8.5/10
How’s the storage? The HR-V is the class leader when it comes to cargo space, both with the rear seats up and with them folded. And that folding rear seat is unlike no other. Cargo capacity is beat slightly by the Kia Soul (by only 0.2 cubic foot) but it's still excellent at 23.2 cubic feet, or 55.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded — much more than the Mazda CX-3 or Jeep Renegade. Car seat accommodation is good thanks to a big back seat, but getting a seat secured isn't as simple as we'd like.
Small-item storage, however, is not impressive. There isn't much space in the center console or in the doors for any of your small items. There are some interesting under-console storage areas, but they're small and hard to see and reach. The cupholders are merely average.
Fuel Economy
8/10
How’s the fuel economy? The HR-V does pretty well at the pump for a subcompact SUV with all-wheel drive. It's rated at 28 mpg combined (26 city/31 highway), which is above average for this class of vehicle.
Value
7.5/10
Is the HR-V a good value? For the money, the HR-V offers a lot of equipment, but savvy buyers may upgrade to a larger vehicle, such as Honda's own CR-V, for a similar price. The HR-V's warranty and cost of ownership are average for the class, with a few rivals offering longer warranties and the first scheduled maintenance for free. Fuel economy is good but no longer class-leading.
The inside of the HR-V is a well-built and attractive place. There are a few cheap plastics in the cabin if you look hard enough, and competitors such as the Mazda CX-3 and the Kia Soul offer a more pleasing aesthetic, but you're not likely to feel like you're driving a cheaply built car.
Wildcard
7/10
It won't stand out in a parking lot or wow your friends when you pull up to the softball game, but the Honda HR-V is pretty fun to drive relative to its size and price. For a bit more personality or style, we recommend competitors such as the Jeep Renegade, Kia Soul or Mazda CX-3.
2021 Honda HR-V trim level differences
The 2021 Honda HR-V is offered in four trims: LX, Sport, EX and EX-L. All trim levels have the availability of all-wheel drive and are powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine (141 horsepower, 127 lb-ft of torque) mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission.
Which HR-V trim does Edmunds recommend?
We like the EX for its mix of features and value. It's also the least expensive trim level to come standard with Honda's suite of advanced driver aids. Added to that you get a sunroof, heated seats and keyless entry for only a few thousand dollars more than the base LX.Compare 2021 Honda HR-V trim levels
The 2021 Honda HR-V has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 3 recalls. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, ranks it #1 out of 8 among Subcompact SUVs. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.
Reliability Rating by RepairPal
4.5 out of 5 stars4.5/5Excellent
#1 out of 8 among Subcompact SUVs
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
$321/yr
vs. $435/yr for Average Subcompact SUV
Frequency
0.29x/yr
vs. 0.69x/yr for Average Subcompact SUV
Severity
7.1%
vs. 10.7% for Average Subcompact SUV
powered by RepairPal
Recalls
3 recalls found
Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
Recall Number:
24V384000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
TIQ, DIR
Manufactured from:
2018-07-07 to 2022-04-25
Number of vehicles affected:
114686
Defect Description:
Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles that were previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 23V-046. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Defect Consequence:
An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are TIQ and DIR. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 23V-046 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall Number:
24V064000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
XHP, VHQ
Number of vehicles affected:
750114
Defect Description:
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Defect Consequence:
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, and October 18, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Recall Number:
23V046000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
6DW
Number of vehicles affected:
114686
Defect Description:
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the engine is started with a key, due to a design error in the audio display power circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Defect Consequence:
An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will update the display audio unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 13, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is 6DW.
I’ve purchase/leased 4 HRV’s over the past 4 years. Nice looking cars, plenty of cargo space and great gas mileage. Most important of all to me: they are the perfect combination of size and safety features for our kids. That was the reason we bought the first one, and they haven’t disappointed.
2 slight annoyances though:
1.) You can get a slight shimmy at higher speeds, when heavier … wet snow builds up on the rims of the open tires. I’ve felt that a handful of times driving down the highway, but not too bad. (Beyond that, they’re great in the snow)
2.) If not driven for a couple of weeks, the battery on one of ours tends to die and needs a jump. This may or may not be due to an “after market” remote starter we had installed.
Overall, I really like HRV’s and so do our kids.
Dependable workhorse
5 out of 5 stars
Pawel K, 02/12/2021
2021 Honda HR-V EX 4dr SUV AWD (1.8L 4cyl CVT)
- Honda reliability. Older design for both the frame and the engine. Which means this will be reliable vehicle for years to come. All the kinks are worked out over past few years.
- I don't care for audio system. It could use redesign. Specifically, I will be missing USB-C port and blutooth android/apple car play.
- The engine is not as efficient as I would like and is underpowered but … workable. That's my opinion.
- CarFax indicates the dealer replaced batter on the day of delivery. Not sure what that was about. The HR-V had 48 miles on it when I took possession of it.
- Roof rails, moonroof are nice on my EX AWD trim.
- the Magic Seats is what sold this car to me. The second row lifts up, creating insane amount of space for such small vehicle. You can fit a bike in there. The second seat also folds forward, flush with the trunk. You can actually sleep in that SUV, fully stretched out. Nice. On top of that its 40/60 split.
- HR-V EX is loaded with the safety features, lane departure, adaptive cruise control, etc etc. Side camera activates when the right turn signal is on. Its all nice.
- In the end, this is a nice vehicle that I plan on keeping for about 6-7 years. Very happy so far especially with a nice financing deal I got
- 7 months/4,000 miles later, not much is changed. There were no issues with the vehicle. <br>
I love my HR-V!
5 out of 5 stars
Nina, 06/18/2021
2021 Honda HR-V Sport 4dr SUV AWD (1.8L 4cyl CVT)
I chose the Sport because I love the android auto/apple carplay for myself and passengers to play their playlists with apps. Smooth drive, way more comfortable seats than my old car. I could probably drive in this for hours and my back not hurt. I like that it tells me if I'm wasting gas by the way I drive and I like the all electronic dash. Still getting used to sitting higher but I'm … enjoying better visibility (this is my first non-sedan).
Good for teen drivers
5 out of 5 stars
K Ford, 07/26/2022
2021 Honda HR-V LX 4dr SUV (1.8L 4cyl CVT)
As a driving instructor I recommend Honda HRV. The reason is its good visibility, reliability, and safety.
The engine has enough power so a teenager can’t really accelerate too fast and lose control. That said it’s a light car, meaning it’s not a heavy Ford truck or a beefy Chevy. But it’s still a better choice. Rear wheel drive cars like Fords and Chevys are harder to control and can … spin in turns, not so much with Honda HRV
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