2018 Toyota C-HR Review

The Toyota C-HR is well-equipped in its base XLE form, with automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control and traffic-adapting cruise control all standard. Considering the C-HR's high starting price (compared to the rest of the class), you might be wary of paying more for the XLE Pre...

The small footprint and turning radius make it easy to maneuver the C-HR into tight spaces. The transmission works fine, but it's relatively unremarkable. Though the C-HR is classified as a subcompact crossover, the low chin spoiler scrapes on parking blocks and many driveways.

The C-HR is one of the slowest vehicles we've tested, taking a considerable 10.6 seconds to reach 60 mph. Acceleration is characterized by a long hesitation between a pedal stomp and any forward motion. This is true whether you're stopped or trying to pass slower traffic on the highway.

Coming to a stop from 60 mph required 119 feet, which is about average for cars in this class. In panic-braking tests, we experienced moderate nosedive and some residual bounce, but the C-HR tracked straight and remained controllable. In everyday driving, the brakes operate just as you'd expect.

There's not much feedback coming through the wheel, but it feels direct and accurate in a sporty kind of way. At parking lot speeds, the effort is appropriately low and weights up as speeds increase. Sport mode makes effort a little too heavy.

We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the C-HR is somewhat entertaining to drive on a twisty road, even with a not very powerful engine and a lack of grip from low-rolling-resistance tires. There's noticeable tire squeal under moderate cornering, and the tires really howl when pushed harder.

The small footprint and turning radius make it easy to maneuver the C-HR into tight spaces. The transmission works fine, but it's relatively unremarkable. Though the C-HR is classified as a subcompact crossover, the low chin spoiler scrapes on parking blocks and many driveways.

In terms of overall comfort, the C-HR is pretty good, but the amount of noise that makes its way into the cabin is a letdown. Over a long trip, that noise can add to the fatigue factor. Everything else seems to be well-executed in this regard.

Even though there aren't a lot of adjustments, the front seats offer good padding and support to keep occupants comfortable over several hours. The fabric upholstery also breathes well in hot weather, eliminating the need for ventilation or cooling.

For the most part, the C-HR delivers a comfortable ride. Smaller road imperfections are smoothed over as well as they are in other small SUVs, but there's a little jostling over moderate undulations.

The C-HR is loud inside. There's a noticeable amount of wind noise, even below highway speeds. Road noise is also present and increases at higher speeds and over coarse asphalt. The engine drones like a wounded cow under hard acceleration, and we noted an annoying rattle in the back of the cabin.

The simple controls for the dual-zone climate control make it easy to operate, and the overall performance is good. Once the system was set, we never felt the need to readjust it.

The C-HR's interior is reasonably attractive thanks to a rather simple layout. It can accommodate adult passengers in all seats, though there are some drawbacks for taller drivers and rear passengers. Despite a few issues, we think most drivers will be fine with the interior over the long run.

The C-HR's simple layout is attractive, and the main controls are easy to operate for the most part. Some of the more advanced features, such as adaptive cruise control, were a little more difficult to figure out. Some staffers mentioned having to consult the owner's manual.

Front passengers have easy seat access afforded by a slightly higher seating position, which makes slipping into the cabin a breeze. There's no climbing up or stooping down. Rear passengers need to dip their heads a little to clear the sloping roofline, a trade-off of the C-HR's sporty styling.

The steering wheel doesn't telescope back far enough, even for average-size drivers. As a result, you have to sit closer and more upright than preferred. Drivers smaller of stature should be just fine.

There's more interior space than you'd expect from such a small crossover. There's plenty of room up front in all dimensions. The rear seats can indeed hold regular adults in decent comfort. But the thick rear roof pillar and high windows might feel a little claustrophobic.

Outward visibility is excellent thanks to the thin and well-profiled front roof pillars. The rear window is big enough to see all you need despite the big rear pillars. And there's very little guesswork when backing into a space so you won't have to rely on the tiny rearview monitor.

The interior is well-designed and uses quality materials that exceed expectations for the class. Were it not for an annoying rattle in the back of the car, this score could have been higher.

It should come as no surprise that subcompact crossovers are limited when it comes to cargo capacity, but the C-HR has one of the smallest maximum spaces in the class. You'd be better off thinking of it as a raised hatchback rather than a crossover.

There's an acceptable amount of storage for your personal items, with small door pockets, decent-size cupholders, and a center armrest bin that is about average in size. The typical smart storage solutions that Toyota is known for are absent.

With the rear seats in place, you have 19 cubic feet of cargo space, which splits the difference between the C-HR's primary competition. The maximum capacity is 36.4 cubes, which is significantly smaller than any other subcompact crossover.

LATCH anchors are easily accessed, but a rear-facing child seat will require you to move the front passenger seat well forward.

Toyota on the whole has been lagging behind the competition when it comes to technology, and the C-HR is an example. It lacks the smartphone integration that rivals include as standard. But it does offer more advanced safety features and driver assistance.

The audio system in the C-HR is decent but not at all impressive. It lacks some bass overall, but clarity is acceptable. The touchscreen mounted atop the dash is easy to read at a glance and operate with minimal distraction, too.

Puzzlingly, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not offered. With no factory navigation available, this is even more odd to us because the touchscreen only controls audio. On top of that, we experienced occasional slowdowns in the system's response.

We never had any frontal collision warnings, which either means it's well-tuned or not working (we're inclined to think it is working). Adaptive cruise control works well and operates down to a stop. The lane-keeping system is also good, but it only alerts you and doesn't steer you back in line.

The voice controls worked pretty well, but considering that the system only operates the audio and phone, it's acceptable at best.