Honda CR-V 2020 review: VTi-LX AWD

It’s a large looking car with a fair amount of bulk to it. It’s not going to win any awards for its refinement or modern exterior, but I don’t think that really matters.

It looks solid, with a big front end and square-ish rear, and certainly like it will contain your family on the road, which is actually an appealing quality, even if the car itself is not that attractive. 

Inside is stylish and you feel good driving this model. The seats are leather appointed, the steering wheel and gear shifter are leather and feel great and there is a large panoramic sunroof which makes everything feel more premium.

Inside is stylish and you feel good driving this model.

The centre console is well designed with a mix of glossy black and matt black finishes. 

You’ll still find man-made finishes inside the CR-V and it’s not as luxe as the top-of-the-range Mazda CX-5 or Volkswagen Tiguan, but you’re not paying as much either. This is actually quite well priced for what you get. 

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The steering is a little stiff to turn, it’s not as easy as some of its rivals.The Honda CRV VTi-LX drives well. It’s smooth, so not a huge discomfort to go over bumps.

It has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine which gets you up hills (a little loudly, sure, but it gets up fine) and cruises along highways confidently and quickly.

The Honda CRV VTi-LX has a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine.

This model is an AWD so it gives better than usual traction on loose road surfaces and when it’s raining. 

The steering is a little stiff to turn, it’s not as easy as some of its rivals but its not too bad and you quickly get used to it.

It still manoeuvres into parks quite well and I was able to get into tight spots this week. There is a good reverse parking camera that has three views - reverse, wide and from on top.

You also get a side camera that fills the blind spot on the left when you put the blinker on. 

There is a fair amount of automation in this top-of-the-range model, from the power adjustable front seats which you can set to remember two driving positions, to the sunroof, to the power operated tailgate. 

The sunroof in this top-of-the-range model is automated.

I found the gearshift to be placed high in comparison to other cars, but you do get used to it as you drive, and it made room for a really large centre storage space which was separated with a removable shelf.

For long drives, this is a clever spot for food or things that you might need to hand. There are also two cupholders and a small spot for keys and a phone, plus bottle holders in each door.

Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest plus their own air vents which my children always appreciate. 

And even though it’s a mid-size SUV it’s not too high off the ground, so the kids are easily able to climb in and the boot is a good height to load in and out of.

There is also a full size spare tyre so you can rest assured if you’re taking it on a road trip. 

The Honda has advanced safety like auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warnings and adaptive cruise control.

There are airbags to cover driver and front passenger and side curtain airbags that extend to the back row. 

There are three top tether points and two ISOFIX points to fix children’s car seats in. The CR-V was awarded a maximum five ANCAP stars in 2017.

The Honda CR-V VTi-LX costs $44,290 before on road costs. Fuel consumption is a claimed 7.4L/100km, and we've recorded a real-world figure of 8.7L/100km.

The Honda CR-V VTi-LX costs $44,290 before on road costs.

The good news is the car runs happily on standard unleaded petrol. 

It’s covered by Honda’s five year,/unlimited km warranty, and servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000km.