2026 HRV owner review

The 2026 HRV Sport offers 5 important advantages over Toyota's, other manufactures, and even Honda CRV alike:

1. M. 2. O. 3. N 4. E. 5. Y. Put them together and they spell "MONEY".

1. Most HRV's are priced much much less than the CRV. Depending on model, they are about 6000 to 9000 less expensive. This price difference is even more significant since HOnda wants CRV owners to also buy a moonroof, where Moonroofs are mandantory on all most all CRV models. Ditto for AWD. Subaru invented "mandandory AWD", along with the reduced fuel economy from AWD that is not necessary at least 90 percent of the time everywhere except very northern or cold climate states.
Mandatory moonroof's and mandatory AWD does increase profits as compnies figured out that buyers will overpay for AWD and the coolness effect of moonroofs.

2. Only Toyota has figured out how to charge a Toyota tax, by making fewer popular Toyota models than what the market will support. Toyota has mastered using humans as "bait". "YOu better buy this Toyota because if you dont, someone will take it away from you and you wont be able to get one, as there is a shortage". But, Toyota no longer sells "cars" they instead sell "aloocations" of Toyota's favorite color, Toyota's most profitable equipment (what ever equipment they have left over from last years model), Toyota's delivery date, and, of course, Toyota FAvorite pricing (TFP). Toyota's favorite pricing is "over msrp" (after all these models are in short supply) and, of course there are few incentives and few discounts for those reasons. Like chickens waiting to be butchered at the chicken factory, humans line up with their Toyota "allocations" and buyers invent excuses as to why they dont get their favorite color, equipment, price, or time of delivery, and instead let Toyota make all those choices for them. Toyota is just "not that good" to force you into equipment, prices or colors you dont need and cant afford in order to get one.

3. Nissan is cheap too, but their CVT will make you regret the low price quick..within a few years, you will remeber why your Nissan dealer overpaid for your trade, and gave you a lot off the MSRP also: Your resale value tanked, and, you are faced with another Nissan CVT transmission doomed to fail.

4. Excellence. The HRV has a non turbo motor, and even better resale value than Toyota. It gets better. The new HRV is much much bigger than previous generations of HRV, larger than the Toyota Cross, and far better quality ride and build than most Kias/Hyundais, with a more proven powertrain. The Honda's I have owned (5 of them, 4 new (2 CRV hybrids, 1 Civic, and now the HRV) and one used Accord, have all been better than my Toyota's (2 camry's, 1 Corolla, and one Grand Highlander, and one Toyota Crown). The Crown Limited was the best toyota I ever owned, but its trash resale value left a bitter taste in my mouth, losing over 10,000 dollars in its first year.

5. You bet Im switching from Toyota to Honda, and wish I would have done it sooner. I bought the 2026 HRV Sport "well below" MSRP, like it should be. I picked the color, the equipment, the price, and the date of delivery, none of which Toyota would allow me to pick. It just was not in "Toyota's allocations schedule" to allow me to pick any of these. Honda had "real" incentivized financing with 4.49% at 60 months, not any bogus "0 percent financing for 36 months". Do the math. A 68000 Grand Highlander Hybrid Max equates to an $1888 payment, plus taxes and dealer fees, and other mandantory equipment the Toyota dealer decides to add on like "4000 paint protection packages" which is extra.

NO, there is currently no hybrid available on the HRV. While Im a huge fan of hybrids, you have to look at that hybrid premium, too. And, with all the extra fees from, say, a Corolla Cross hybrid, you could get a larger, better, more comfortable CRV Hyrbid for about(what a Corola Cross hybrid costs) or even a lower price, sometimes, because Honda sells cars, not allocations.