Honda CR-V 2025 review: e:HEV RS long-term | Part 2

The arguments for the Honda’s CR-V e:HEV RS are stacking up in our second month behind the wheel and we now have a good understanding of how it performs its daily duties.

This month we packed up the family and headed out of town to gauge how the CR-V handles the open road.

Before we even left the CR-V had already earned a gold star.

It’s 581-litre boot is a big space and trumps its main competition, the Toyota RAV4.

It’s not just pure volume that makes the CR-V boot so useful. The boot opening is wide and square, making it easy to load and the low boot lip makes it easier to lift heavier items in.

It easily swallowed a couple of bags, a pram, scooter and few other bits and bobs needed for a coastal getaway.

ISOFIX anchors on the rear window seats make installing a child seat a cinch and a third child seat can be installed in the middle via the  top tether anchor point.

The rear doors open 90 degrees, which makes loading kids so much easier and the rear seats are mounted higher than the front which helps the little ones see out the window to help reduce motion sickness.

Rear air-con vents also up the back seat ambience, as does our top-of-the-range model’s panoramic sunroof roof that gives the cabin a light and airy feel.

The e:HEV, which is Honda speak for hybrid, combines a 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol engine with an electric motor for a handy 135kW and 335Nm.

That 335Nm of torque is the key, it is delivered low in the rev range from between 0-2000rpm. This translates to good hauling grunt.

The e:HEV RS made light work of steep hills on the M1 motorway north of Sydney travelling at 110km/h.

Overtaking is a cinch with plenty of oomph on tap when needed, with the e-CVT (Electric Continuously Variable Transmission) whirling into action to deliver the needed shove to get you ahead of the slower car safely.

Putting your foot to the floor does lead to a fair bit of noise as the engine and transmission work harder, but in normal motoring situations the combo is quiet and refined.

It also feels planted and stable at highway speeds, which gives the driver confidence.

Firmish suspension isn’t an issue on smooth motorways, but on pockmarked country roads and city streets you’ll feel more bumps and lumps through your seats than average.

It has a tendency to crash over the smaller bumps, and can get unsettled over consistent road imperfections.

The counter punch to this is the CR-V e:HEV RS is an above average family SUV to steer.

It hugs the bends and exerts excellent body control, reducing roll through the corners better than most mainstream rivals.

The lack of all-wheel drive hurts it, though.

There is noticeable wheel spin in the wet as it struggles for traction as it attempts to get its ample grunt to the ground via just two wheels.

The same occurred in the dry when trying to quickly undertake right turns at intersections, so it is best to give yourself more time when turning across traffic and moderate the throttle.

It's fuel use isn't what I'd expected it to be and has performed worse than its main competitor on this test.

The cabin is generally fairly quiet but there is noticeable noise from the tyres when travelling over coarse chip and rougher road surfaces.

The CR-V is the ideal size for a family SUV. It is bigger enough to load the family with all the trimmings but isn’t too unwieldy around town.

It is easy enough to navigate tight city streets and underground car parks and a range of parking sensors and a bird’s eye view camera ease the nerves.

You also sit up high giving great vision of the road ahead and large windows provide excellent peripheral vision.

The active driver aids are generally well calibrated for highway motoring.

The radar cruise control works seamlessly keeping your speed and selected distance with the car in front.

Lane keep assist works better on the highway, too. Around town it can be overly sensitive, sounding the alarm on tighter streets and often detects parked cars on curved roads.

The lack of a spare tyre is a worry if you are heading into regions where the next tyre shop is some distance away. It is best to familiarise yourself with the tyre repair kit before heading out of town.

Next month we are returning the CR-V e:HEV RS, so check back in to read our verdict on the hybrid family SUV.

Acquired: July, 2024

Distance travelled this month: 652km

Odometer: 17,913km

Average fuel use this month: 6.5L/100km or 7.2L (bowser)