Honda SUV Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know

If you’ve decided on purchasing a new Honda SUV, then this guide can help you figure things out real quick. Details on which SUV gets you the best mileage at the best price, what safety features are essential, and what to look for when purchasing an SUV from a Honda dealer near you is exactly what you’ll find in this comprehensive buyer’s guide.

Honda’s foray into the SUV market started in 1993 with the Passport, which was originally just a rebadged version of an existing SUV from Isuzu. In fact, Honda settled for a rebadged Rodeo because they needed something – anything – to compete. But this didn’t last long, and between 1993 and 2002, Honda developed its own SUV line from the ground up. Four years after introducing the original Passport, Honda rolled out the CR-V in 1997, followed by the Pilot and Element in 2003. All three of the latter SUVs were designed by Honda from the ground up and proved highly successful.

Newer Honda SUVs now come standard in multiple trims, including front-wheel and all-wheel drive iterations. EX editions feature more luxury options while the Touring options are infotainment-ready. So whether you’re looking to stare at the stars through a moon-roof, or if you’re keen on keeping your passengers entertained with built-in display screens, these are a few features you might want to consider when you’re purchasing a Honda SUV.

Now that you have a general grasp on Honda’s foray into the SUV market, it’s time to talk about the company’s major buying options and brands. While the CR-V is the company’s original and most popular model, the smallest Honda SUV is actually the relatively recent HR-V. Classified as a sub-compact crossover SUV due to its small size, the HR-V was originally introduced to the American market for 2016.

Despite its smaller size, the Honda HR-V seats up to five passengers and comes standard with a 1.8L i-VTEC engine that produces 141 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque. This gives the vehicle good fuel economy, even with its optional all-wheel drive powertrain. Safety was also a top priority for Honda with the HR-V, and you will find the SUV is filled with passive and active safety systems designed to protect you and your passengers should an accident occur.

The HR-V series come in multiple trims, starting with the base LX front-wheel drive edition. It features all the basic accouterments one would expect from a new production model, from Bluetooth streaming and multi-angle rearview camera control to USB support and a 5-inch color LCD screen. The Sport trim is slightly pricier and gives you everything from the LX model plus upgrades such as roof rails and a 7-inch display screen with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The HR-V EX trim comes with a one-touch power moon-roof, heated front seats, and the Honda Sensing Suite of driver-assisted technology. Other upgrades include push-button start, SiriusXM satellite, and HD radio. The EX-L trim goes further with additional leather-trimmed seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel on top of everything that’s already available in the EX version. The HR-V Touring trim is the most expensive of the bunch, but it comes with everything featured in the EX-L edition plus navigation, HomeLink, LED fog lights, and a driver’s seat with eight-way power adjustment.

Are you shopping for a Honda CR-V? Well, here are some of the basics that you need to know: The Honda CR-V is considered a crossover SUV since it’s larger than Honda’s compact HR-V but smaller than the mid-sized Honda Pilot. It still seats five, just like the HR-V, and also comes with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options.

Much like the HR-V, the CR-V underwent some major changes over the years, from simple alterations to the fascia and exterior to more drastic major performance upgrades with under-the-hood swaps and drivetrain improvements. The current generation arrived for 2017 and features modern styling plus a new turbocharged 1.5L engine for improved power and fuel economy. Also like the HR-V, the CR-V is a very safe vehicle. It has been regarded as one of the safest SUVs on the road, and the newest models all come standard with advanced driver assistance technologies.

The current Honda CR-V comes in the same four trims as the HR-V. And while the CR-V trims sport more features than those of the smaller vehicle, they follow the same pattern. The LX trim is the most basic, while the Touring trim is the best equipped of the four.

The Honda Pilot was introduced back in 2003 as a replacement for the short-lived original Honda Passport. The Pilot is a mid-size SUV that’s much larger and spacious than sub-compact and compact HR-V, CR-V, and current Passport. It’s a five-door utility vehicle with options to seat up to eight people in three rows, making it Honda’s largest SUV on the market. In this particular SUV guide, you’ll find out what the performance is and how well it stacks up price-wise to its smaller siblings.

The current Pilot is powered by a standard 3.5L V6 engine with 280 hp. This gives it solid performance for its size without sacrificing fuel economy. The newer versions of the Pilot also come equipped with collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and road departure mitigation to ensure you don’t veer off into a ditch while making a long cross-country hike with the family in tow. With space, power, and safety, there is little to dislike about the Honda Pilot.

The Pilot has a few more trims than the HR-V and CR-V. While it still has the same LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring trims, it also adds a couple more. The Special Edition trim slots in between the EX-L and Touring, giving you some sportier styling and extra tech features for a more comfortable ride. Finally, the Elite trim caps off the vehicle with extra luxury features like second-row captain’s chairs and a panoramic sunroof.

It looks like this SUV guide has come full circle with the Honda Passport, Honda’s premier SUV. While the original rebadged Passport disappeared after the 2002 model year, the name was recently revived for an all-new design in 2009. This mid-size SUV is a bit larger than the CR-V, but still seats up to five people via two rows.

Interestingly enough, the current Honda Passport is actually based on the Pilot, with a pared-down size that puts it in the crossover department. However, it’s one of the more powerful crossovers that Honda has offered, sporting a 3.5L V6 and a nine-speed transmission capable of 280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque with a standard front-wheel drive setup. The optional all-wheel drive version of the SUV features the intelligent variable torque management system, dubbed i-VTM4, allowing the Passport to handle off-road terrain with ease.

The newer generations of the Honda Passport are considered very safe, and even the base trim comes with the full Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance technologies. When combined with Honda’ normal solid construction and array of basic safety features, you can rest assured that the Passport is a safe vehicle. One way that the Passport does differ from the other Honda SUVs is in its trims. With Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite trims, you know that this is not a basic vehicle.

We hope this SUV guide was helpful, but if you still have questions, then feel free to contact the team here at Ralph Honda for answers. If you already know what you’re looking for and what you’re willing to spend, then swing by our Rochester dealership to find the perfect Honda SUV that fits your needs. We are always happy to help another driver join the Honda family.