Cheap and nasty
Continuous variable transmission failed. $5000 to replace. Ended up selling to the wreckers.
Not the prettiest car on the road.
Very cheap tinny feel.
Gutless up hills.
Good point: 2 gloveboxes.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 4th May, 2011
A surprisingly good all round vehicle
CVT (auto transmission) started to shudder on takeoff. Fixed at no cost by Honda in 2006 (at 40,000kms).
No other problems at all.
Quite a unique and endearing vehicle as it is a sensible size, economical and very quiet and smooth around town with the Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT).
Surprisingly roomy (the 5-door model), it has the good vision and higher hip height benefits of a 4WD/SUV without the antisocial downsides. Its pedestrian safety is particularly good (won an award for this aspect).
Handling, steering and braking is excellent, probably better than any other 4WD around town. The clearance and short wheelbase, even in the 5-door, means rough terrain can be tackled (at low speeds).
Ride is a mixture of very low road noise and rubbery insulation of small bumps with some pitching on short undulations. Feels light on rough roads, but is a whole lot tougher than it looks, a privately-entered Honda HR-V winning its class in The Daily Telegraph Sahara Challenge Trophy, part of the 2000 World Cup Rally, despite being a standard vehicle and being used as a camera car.
Luggage space is limited for families, but the vehicle is suprisingly capable of transporting 4 adults in comfort. Ideally, it is a 2-person car.
Performance is good, with the CVT adjusting automatically to the ideal ratio for the circumstance. It revs when pushed, especially in the Sport mode, but then settles into suprising quiet. Fuel consumption is quite good, partially due to the on-demand 4WD (it is normally just another front wheel drive).
Paint is average, certainly not as tough as the 2-pack paint on my VW Passat. No rust so far despite being outside all the time.
I could drive this around Australia with complete confidence.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th May, 2006
Fun ride
Nothing.
Didn't have time to bond with the car. Owned it for around 8 months.
Poor residuals. I bought it overpriced!
Comfortable cruiser.
Okay design.
Could definitely do with more power.
4 wheel drive works like a charm. Surprisingly, it had no complaints tackling the Australian outback. Exceeded my expectations off road.
Excellent fuel economy. Predictable, top-notch Honda (Japanese) reliablity.
Paint work too thin. Easily scratched.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th April, 2005
Just brilliant! I wish I didn't have to part with it. :(
Premature wear on the front passenger seat.
The good:
A fantastic engine. It's smooth, enthusiastic and sounds awesome between 5000-7000rpm (VTEC would be nice, though).
Looks really really cool!
It's not a hard-core 4WD. Nor is it a hatchback. Nor is it a station wagon or estate. It is a truly unique car with virtually all of the usual doubts over reliability of unique cars removed.
Excellent visibility.
Very well equipped for the price.
That world famous Honda Quality we all know and love.
It's just different.
The Bad:
Bizarre problem with seat wear. Dealer fixed and has not been a problem since.
The front suspension and rear suspension feel like they are from two different vehicles. The front suspension feels sporty and soaks bumps well, whereas the rear suspension is very stiff and the car's rear end bounces more than an enthusiastic aerobics instructor.
Try explaining one to someone who has never seen one before...
The Ugly:
People think you spend most of your time driving with one hand if you own a 4WD.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th December, 2001
Practical, good looking and fuel efficient
Nothing as yet!
A really impressive vehicle from a manufacturer of quality cars.
The cabin has a light and airy feel.
The seats are reasonably comfortable and the driving position is good.
Visibility is excellent.
The constant velocity type transmission is amazing.
Off-road performance is adequate enough to cope with a bit of 'bush bashing' and I haven't managed to bog the car in the sand dunes yet!
The main advantage with the HR-V is that you get great fuel economy and a 4 wheel drive system that only comes into play when it is required.
Impressive!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th April, 2001
27th Sep 2006, 20:58
Hi from the mountains in New South Wales in AUSTRALIA.
My wife had the auto HRV, and I still have my manual HRV. I owned mine for the past 5 years and I have these thoughts. Underpowered, it would be better maybe with a V6. It does have the room. The Auto has a problem that all the autos have when they reach 160,000 km.
The CVT transmission doesn't get faster in speed and has trouble accelerating and slowing down.
The motor will stall due to this trouble. I would NEVER buy the Auto transmission vehicle.
The manual transmission is fine. At 200,000 km the O2 sensor in the catalytic converter failed. I have had a few headlight, rear park light and brake light bulbs fail.