SUVs are among the most popular vehicle types on the road today. Reliable and comfortable, these vehicles seem to offer anything and everything you could enjoy in a car, but it wouldn’t be accurate to say that every SUV brand is equal. Although SUVs are very versatile vehicles, each company offers a lineup of SUVs that are designed very differently with different features in mind. When it comes to comparing Honda SUVs against their competitors from Chevy, you will see that Honda has managed to produce a line of vehicles that are more efficient, more reliable, and more versatile than their counterparts.
Honda vs Chevy
Naturally, every automotive company puts its own unique twist on the vehicles that it builds. Honda and Chevy are no exception to this rule. When you look at Chevy designs, you will find basic vehicles that focus on affordability over most other features. In contrast, Honda SUVs are designed for efficiency and reliability. While they may cost more upfront, they will last longer and have lower running costs. Understanding these differences will be the difference between buying the perfect SUV for your needs and an SUV that just barely meets your expectations.
What About Performance?
Honda has largely made a reputation for building a large variety of affordable and reliable vehicles. This reputation very much defines its SUV lineup as well, making these vehicles a very difficult opponent to beat in terms of performance. Honda SUVs are fine-tuned machines, to say the least, excelling in fuel economy and other standard performance categories.
Generally speaking, Honda pretty easily beats Chevy when it comes to fuel economy. Not only does Honda offer more efficient engine and transmission combinations in general, but Honda has long invested in new technologies designed to reduce fuel consumption. This can be particularly well seen in Honda’s latest generation of hybrid models, which combine both incredible efficiency and above-average performance.
In contrast, Chevy does not offer a single hybrid model of any kind, and its infamous Suburban and Trailblazer models continue to be built with aging gas-guzzling V8 engines. This is not only a hit against overall performance but also a hit against environmental sustainability – a goal that Honda has long pioneered (including offering the first hybrid on the US market). As such, Honda’s SUVs also offer plenty of hybrid opportunities, most notably the Honda CR-V Hybrid. The Honda CR-V Hybrid, not only being a very sustainable vehicle, has been able to offer both fuel efficiency and performance far exceeding that of all other Chevy SUVs.
As such, it is clear that Honda offers very good quality SUVs when concerned with performance. With amazing fuel efficiency and hybrid capacity worthy of its reputation for environmentalism, Honda clearly exceeds the standard left by Chevy for their SUVs. Nonetheless, performance is hardly the only category to consider when buying a vehicle, and other factors like comfort and safety must also be considered.
Which is More Comfortable?
Performance is one thing, but comfort is an issue completely its own. After all, when you buy an SUV, you want to feel comfortable while you’re driving it – otherwise, what was the point of buying a utility vehicle at all? Chevy and Honda offer plenty of different options for a comfortable drive, but each brand offers its own unique take on comfort.
Chevy has always been the budget brand of the GM automotive empire, and that legacy reveals itself in Chevy’s current SUV lineup. While the top-end models can be equipped with luxury features like leather upholstery and heated steering wheels, a look through the interiors of Chevy SUVs will reveal basic designs with lots of hard plastics. In order to get premium content from GM, you will have to step up from Chevy to GMC or Buick.
Honda, on the other hand, is not restricted by having to maintain a slot in a hierarchy of brands. While Honda is not a luxury manufacturer, it is free to design vehicles without having to hold back features. The result is SUVs with comfortable interiors built from quality materials. This is combined with Honda’s commitment to sportier handling, which gives its SUVs a smoother and sportier ride.
In the end, Honda SUVs offer a different perspective on how comfort should be approached. Unlike Chevy’s carefully rationed luxury features, Honda’s usage of solid materials and enhanced performance tends to make a well-rounded experience ideal for all weather and terrains. In many ways, Honda’s take on building a comfortable vehicle is similar to that of European luxury cars, just with a focus on efficiency, affordability, and reliability.
Are They Safe?
Safety is a large concern in most vehicles, but especially in SUVs, which are commonly used as family vehicles. While most vehicles on the market are going to do very well in crash testing, a brand’s approach toward safety technology can make or break a car. Both Honda and Chevy offer numerous technological innovations to improve the driving experience. However, each company approaches the usage of safety technology differently.
When looking through Honda models, you will discover that there is almost no optional equipment – everything you need comes standard, including advanced safety features. The Honda Sensing suite is now standard equipment on almost every Honda model, bringing a wide range of critical features at no added cost. Not only does this include automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance, but it also includes premium features such as adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams. This stands in stark contrast to Chevy’s approach to advanced safety technologies.
While Chevy offers comparable features to Honda on its SUVs, those features are almost always locked away as optional features on higher trims. If you want more than the government-mandated equipment, then you will be forced to spend more (sometimes considerably more) to get it. Although this can be seen as an advantage if you don’t want these advanced technologies, Honda is giving you more bang for your buck, and you can always disable the features if you don’t want them.
So, Who Won?
Every car company is going to have their own take on what makes for an incredible SUV experience, and unless you have a new car budget well into the six figures, you will likely have to accept some compromises. However, it should be clear that with Honda, you will find a higher level of quality and a wider array of features that matter. From efficiency and performance to comfort and safety, Honda SUVs have long stood out from the crowd.
If you would like to discover which Honda SUV is right for you, then pay a visit to Ralph Honda. At our Rochester dealership, you will discover the full Honda lineup, allowing you to explore all the features that have made Honda SUVs some of the most popular models in America. And if you have any questions, our friendly team is here to provide you with the answers you need. At Ralph Honda, we do our best to make sure that every one of our customers leaves in a vehicle that they love, so pay us a visit today.