“Nah, I’m not looking for anything special. I just want something normal.” A quote from a good friend of mine, Luke, who asked me for advice on buying his first car a few months ago. He subconsciously reminded me that not everyone is a stickler for performance numbers and brand affinity, and look at cars as functioning members of society usually do. After thinking it over, I proposed he buy the most run-of-the-mill, non-threatening, stale as a white person’s Thanksgiving meal car that I could think of. A few days later, Luke shows me a picture of him proudly standing by his all-new 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid.
The CR-V was first introduced in Japan in 1995 and came stateside two years later. This was Honda’s first foray into creating a compact crossover SUV, trailing behind competitor Toyota and their well-known RAV-4. CR-V stands for Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, and honestly, I can’t find a more perfect description for this SUV. A comfy, go-anywhere machine made for hauling your screaming kids to school, running errands around town, and quaintly delivering a clown car of drunk college students to and from the bar.
I don’t know why I was so eager to give this a proper review since I already knew what to expect driving a car as traditional as this. There isn’t anything too spectacular about the CR-V Hybrid. It rides well, the interior noise is quiet, the handling is as responsive, everything else inside works, you get a ton of trunk space, the hybrid system gets you outstanding gas mileage… and that’s about it.
If you’re interested to know, this CR-V, equipped with the Sport package, is powered by a 204 hp 2.0-liter inline-4 with a two-motor hybrid system. Starting MSRP is $32,350. Luke opted to pay the extra $1,500 for the optional all-wheel drive.
Design-wise the CR-V is perfectly inoffensive, not breathtakingly attractive or hideous. The black-on-black is a nice touch.
Inside the CR-V sits a welcoming modern interior, nothing out of the ordinary for Honda. Amenities include a wireless phone charger, A 9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay compatibility, heated seats, and a Bose sound system. In a world where car interiors are as complex and confusing as they’ve ever been, we should give Honda some respect for maintaining simple, driver-friendly design principles.
What you see is what you get when it comes to the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid, and that’s a good thing. It isn’t a head turner, and it won’t sell a gimmick that’ll depreciate in a few years. It’s a car built for the common man, to get you and your family to A to B as safe and reliable as possible. I mean, this is Honda’s best-selling model for a reason. Sure, it’s not the most exciting thing out there, but the CR-V Hybrid isn’t made to excite you. It’s a normal SUV that does its job well.
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