2019 Toyota C-HR Review

The popularity of subcompact crossovers is growing and with the introduction of the Toyota C-HR last year, so, too, are the choices available to shoppers. In its inaugural year, we noted the C-HR's sporty handling and generous list of features (including advanced safety equipment) as some of its strengths. We also pointed out the noticeable absence of Apple CarPlay, an integrated navigation system and leather upholstery on the available features list. Well, what a difference a year makes: The 2019 Toyota C-HR can now be had with all of them.

We're still not fans of the weak engine and its lazy acceleration, while the lack of an all-wheel-drive option should continue to be a drawback for those in cold-weather climates. On the whole, the C-HR's updates for 2019 go a long way. In particular, its new base LE trim drops the price of admission to be competitive with its chief rivals: the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-3. Meanwhile, the top trim gets a new name, more features and a corresponding bump in price.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Toyota C-HR XLE Premium (2.0L inline-4 | CVT automatic | FWD).

Since this test was conducted in 2018, the current C-HR has received some revisions, including a new base trim, the renaming of the XLE Premium trim to Limited, and a shuffling of some standard features between models. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's C-HR, however.