The 2025 Honda CR-V continues its reign as one of the best-selling compact SUVs in America, a vehicle that has built its reputation on reliability, practicality, and overall value. For 2025, Honda refines its winning formula with subtle updates to styling, interior comfort, and technology while keeping the CR-V’s strong foundation intact. Known as a family-friendly and versatile SUV, the CR-V maintains its position as a leader in a segment filled with competitive rivals from Toyota, Hyundai, Mazda, and Ford. The new model year enhances its appeal without altering the characteristics that have long made it a household name: spaciousness, fuel efficiency, safety, and ease of ownership.

On the outside, the 2025 CR-V adopts a modern yet restrained aesthetic that strikes a balance between rugged capability and urban sophistication. Its wide stance, sculpted hood, and bold grille give the SUV a commanding presence, while sleek LED headlights and taillights add a premium touch. The body lines are clean and aerodynamic, creating an upscale look without veering into excessive aggression. Subtle updates to wheel designs and available exterior colors for 2025 refresh the lineup while maintaining familiarity. Higher trims feature chrome or gloss-black accents that elevate the SUV’s style, while rugged design cues on sport-oriented trims cater to buyers seeking a more adventurous image.

Power for the 2025 CR-V comes from two engine options. The standard setup is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This combination provides smooth acceleration and ample power for daily commuting and highway driving. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available across the lineup for those who want additional traction in inclement weather. For buyers prioritizing fuel efficiency and low emissions, the CR-V Hybrid continues to be available, pairing a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine with two electric motors to produce 204 horsepower. The hybrid option provides stronger acceleration while maintaining excellent efficiency, appealing to environmentally conscious buyers who don’t want to compromise performance.

Behind the wheel, the CR-V demonstrates Honda’s commitment to creating a comfortable and predictable driving experience. The suspension tuning strikes an excellent balance between ride comfort and handling precision, soaking up bumps with ease while maintaining stability on winding roads. Steering is light yet responsive, making the CR-V easy to maneuver in urban environments while remaining confident on highways. The turbocharged engine provides sufficient passing power, while the hybrid’s electric boost delivers smoother and quicker acceleration. Noise insulation has been improved for 2025, making the cabin quieter and more refined during long trips. The CR-V may not deliver sports-car thrills, but it excels at providing a secure and enjoyable ride that matches the needs of most families.

Fuel economy remains one of the CR-V’s strongest selling points. The standard 1.5-liter turbocharged engine achieves an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive, while all-wheel-drive models see slightly reduced ratings of 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The hybrid improves on those numbers, delivering an impressive 40 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, making it one of the most efficient options in the compact SUV class. These ratings ensure the CR-V remains a smart choice for drivers seeking to minimize fuel costs without sacrificing practicality.

Safety is another cornerstone of the 2025 CR-V. Equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of driver-assistance technologies as standard, the SUV includes features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition. The CR-V has historically earned high marks from safety organizations, and while official 2025 ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA are pending, previous model years have consistently scored top marks, including IIHS Top Safety Pick+ honors and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. These results, combined with Honda’s robust engineering, make the CR-V a reassuring choice for families prioritizing safety.

Inside, the 2025 CR-V offers one of the most spacious and refined cabins in its class. The design emphasizes simplicity and functionality, with high-quality materials and soft-touch surfaces enhancing the premium feel. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, ideal for long journeys, while rear passengers enjoy generous legroom and headroom. Cargo space remains a highlight, with over 39 cubic feet of space behind the second row and nearly 77 cubic feet when the seats are folded flat, providing versatility for everything from daily errands to family road trips. Clever storage solutions, such as a configurable center console and wide-opening doors, further add to the CR-V’s practicality.

Technology in the 2025 CR-V reflects Honda’s commitment to keeping pace with modern expectations. A standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher trims upgrade to a 9-inch display with wireless smartphone connectivity, navigation, and a premium 12-speaker Bose audio system. A fully digital 10.2-inch instrument cluster is available on upper trims, providing customizable information directly in the driver’s line of sight. Additional tech features include a wireless charging pad, multiple USB-C ports, and a head-up display on higher trims. Honda has also improved voice recognition and added over-the-air software update capabilities, ensuring the CR-V’s technology stays up to date over time.

The 2025 Honda CR-V is offered in several trims to meet a wide range of budgets and needs. The lineup begins with the LX, which comes well-equipped with essential features and Honda Sensing as standard, starting in the mid-$30,000 range. The EX and Sport trims add more comfort and styling enhancements, while the EX-L offers a more premium experience with leather upholstery, the larger touchscreen, and additional convenience features. The Sport Touring Hybrid sits at the top of the lineup, combining efficiency with luxury touches like all-wheel drive, a Bose audio system, and advanced driver-assist features, with pricing reaching into the low $40,000s. This broad range of trims ensures the CR-V appeals to both value-conscious buyers and those seeking a more upscale SUV experience.

The 2025 Honda CR-V continues to exemplify everything that has made it a success for decades. With a refined design, efficient powertrains, advanced technology, and excellent safety features, it strikes the perfect balance between practicality and modern sophistication. Whether equipped with the turbocharged engine or the efficient hybrid, the CR-V offers something for everyone, making it an ideal choice for families, commuters, and anyone in need of a versatile compact SUV. Its ability to evolve while staying true to its roots ensures that it remains not only relevant but also a leader in its segment.

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Design
Performance
Infotainment and Tech Features
Fuel Economy
Value
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JR Chocco
Car fanatic journalist living in the PNW covering all things automotive.
2025-honda-cr-v-review-practicality-perfected-with-modern-refinementThe 2025 Honda CR-V continues to exemplify everything that has made it a success for decades. With a refined design, efficient powertrains, advanced technology, and excellent safety features, it strikes the perfect balance between practicality and modern sophistication. Whether equipped with the turbocharged engine or the efficient hybrid, the CR-V offers something for everyone, making it an ideal choice for families, commuters, and anyone in need of a versatile compact SUV. Its ability to evolve while staying true to its roots ensures that it remains not only relevant but also a leader in its segment.