2016 Honda HR-V Crossover EX-L is Ready for Adventure.
And Long Island, where we had great clams. Credit: Jessica Hodges for A Girls Guide to Cars
For a local road trip to test drive a new Honda crossover, we headed out to Eastern Long Island for the day. First stop was to fuel up (for food not gas because we had hardly used any) after the long drive. Claudio’s in Greenport is the oldest same-family run restaurant in America and has some of the best clam chowder on earth. And lobster rolls are also pretty killer. After a stroll down Main Street and a little sightseeing, it was back to the Honda HR-V.
Even the nav system shows we are surrounded by water. Credit: Jessica Hodges for A Girls Guide to Cars
Even though it is fall, the weather was still warm so we couldn’t resist a stop at the beach. I’m always prepared for a beach day with a bag full of towels, a beach blanket, bikini, sandals and, of course, a beach chair in my trunk. With the size of the Honda HR-V trunk, there is room to keep the beach stuff, my yoga mat and emergency kit and still a have room for likely extensive shopping. On the way home, I had to stop at a couple of farmer’s markets for fresh produce for the week.
There were a lot of stops through the day but also a lot of time spent driving and the car was comfortable; overall a really enjoyable ride. Leather and heated seats, lots of leg room, and a high roof in case you are not as vertically challenged as I.
Back in the City: hitting All My Faves in Style
With the backup camera, I could park close to the curb to see this gorgeous graffiti. Credit: Jessica Hodges for A Girls Guide to Cars
In New York City, I had to take the Honda HR-V to all my favorite spots : yoga class at the Yoga Room; down to the LIC waterfront for the best view of the city skyline; my favorite coffee spot, Astoria Bake Shop which is surrounded by some gorgeous graffiti; over for a run in Astoria Park and, of course, some shopping at Target and TJ Maxx: double check that trunk space. Parking in Queens isn’t horrible but the backup camera and the compact size of the car made it easy. Plus, all of the new bike lanes are great but I’m always fearful I won’t see someone so I loved the passenger side lane assist mirror. This gadget is going to save a lot of bike riders and delivery people.
A Great Deal: More Money Left for Shopping
Easy connectivity, at your fingertips Credit: Jessica Hodges for AGirlsGuidetoCars
I want to say that I loved the price the most but in reality I loved so many features about the car that I kept forgetting how low the price is. The sporty and sleek exterior, plus all the little luxuries and all the smart details make this a really great buy.
What We Loved in the Honda HR-V
- Compact with nice handling for zipping through traffic
- 3 different backup camera angles made parallel parking easy, as well as spotting low parking barricades
- A durable back bumper gave me peace of mind when parking on the street
- Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System plus the right amount of clearance; perfect for snowy days when the snowplow forgets a street
- Pencil skirt tested – no problems getting in and out
- The small size made it easy to find parking. It’s based on the Honda Fit platform so it is super compact but with all of the interior space you will forget how small it really is
- Honda Lane watch (passenger side mirror camera) – great for changing lanes as well as checking for cyclists in the bike lanes
- Stylish and luxurious. The leather interior and tech upgrades made the car seem a lot more expensive
- Exterior style – great curves, lines and details like fog lights and a sharp grille
- Hello storage! It took two hands to move the seats around but took under 10 secs to maneuver both back seats – they call them magic seats for a reason. The designers went above and beyond here and thought of everything
- Heated leather seats
- Comfortable seating and leg room that was still comfortable after 3+ hours
- Lots of USB ports and outlets for charging – in both the front and back seats
- The moonroof
- No more digging for keys with Smart Entry – as long as the keys are with in 32” of the car, you can unlock, lock and start the car
Hello leather. Heated leather seats made me happy. Credit: Jessica Hodges for AGirlsGuidetoCars
What You Need to Know
- Pricing: base model: $19,115; price for the model I drove, $26,720
- 29mpg overall; 27 in the city and 32 on the highway
- Drinks regular gas
- Comes with EcoAssist system
- Only the 2WD model comes in 6 speed manual but EX-L Navi version comes with Sport Mode with Dual-Mode Paddle Shifters
- Seating capacity: 5
- Car Tech – Easy phone connection for hands free talking and texting. I had my phone connected in under 5 minutes without reading the manual. Tons of music choices – FM/AM Radio, XM Sirius or playlist from your phone. Touch screen and steering wheel controls were convenient and easy to use
- In case you have any issues, the user’s manual was easy to understand and navigate, plus it has a large font
- Heated side mirrors
- Rear privacy glass
- Rear window wiper/washer
- Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH):Lower Anchors (2nd-Row Outboard) and Tether Anchors (2nd-Row All)
- 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty
- 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty
Disclosure: The Honda HR-V Crossover EX-L Navi was provided to AGirlsGuidetoCars by Honda for this review. The opinions expressed are all our own.
