Honda CR-V 2024 review: VTi L7

There are seven variants for the CR-V and our model sits smack bang in the middle of the line-up and will cost you $53,000 drive-away.

The price positions it a little more on the expensive side compared to its rivals. Based on a NSW, 2000 postcode, you can pick up the Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire for $49,240 and the Nissan X-Trail ST-L drive-away for $50,865.

Only the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 162TSI Elegance has it beat with its $65,774 price tag! You don't feel short-changed by the price, though, because the L7 is a well-specified model!

The CR-V VTi L7 will cost you $53,000 drive-away. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The interior gets some lovely premium items, like a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and leather-appointed trims throughout. The L7 also has satellite navigation which features five-year complimentary over-the-air map updates. 

The driver gets an eight-way adjustable electric seat which also features two-position memory function and four-way lumbar support. The front passenger’s seat has four-way adjustable positioning but misses out on the extra lumbar support. 

There are some solid features that make this family-friendly, like the hands-free powered tailgate with kick function and there is handy operating button to the left-hand-side of the steering wheel, so you can throw the kids out (and their bags) without leaving your seat on the school run!

There are seven variants for the CR-V and our model sits smack bang in the middle of the line-up. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

I’m quite taken by the looky-loo mirror that you can pop down to suss out what shenanigans your kids are up to in the back but it’s the massive door apertures that win me over.

The rear doors open to almost 90-degrees, allowing for even the bulkiest car seat to slide in without bumping the door.

Other standard items include 18-inch alloy wheels, sequential turn signals at the front of the car and a full suite of LED exterior lighting. 

Our test model is fitted with carpet mats for all three rows, which will set you back $310 (fitted) but its nice to see the paintwork colour options are available at no extra cost.

The CR-V's interior gets some lovely premium items and leather-appointed trims throughout. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

For a medium SUV, the cabin is fairly practical with its use of space but front passengers definitely benefit the most.

I have plenty of head- and legroom for my 168cm (5'6") height and while the seats feel a tad narrow, they’re extremely comfortable.

The black leather-accented trims are nice under hand and its great that both front seats feature electric adjustments but it’s a shame that only the driver’s side has adjustable lumbar support.

The heat function is also a nice touch and helps elevate the premium feel of the interior.

While the seats feel a tad narrow, they’re extremely comfortable. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

In the middle row, the seat is hard and positioned like stadium seating, which offered my seven-year old a great view this week but mean an adult feels like they’re perched on top of, rather than in, the seat.

The seat is wide and the floor flat, though, so middle seaters should be comfortable on longer trips.

The rear doors have a massive aperture, almost 90-degrees, but they’re heavy to close and my son was constantly slamming them shut to compensate (most annoying).

He likes the directional air vents and had plenty of space to pop his bits and pieces into the map pockets on the back of the front seats.

Access to the L7’s two extra seats in the third row is fairly good because the middle row has a 60/40 split and a ‘one-lever’ action which slides the seats forward and out of the way.

The legroom is minimal, though, and you’d be better off thinking of them as sometimes seats for adults. One of the carpet mats is adorably small (like a hand's width in size) but that should indicate the footwell space.

Amenities and individual storage throughout the car are fantastic and make the cabin feel practical and well-thought out. All three rows enjoy directional air vents.

Front occupants enjoy a decently-sized middle console and glove box, as well as, a utility tray that fits a large phone.

Access to the L7’s two extra seats in the third row is fairly good. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

There are two cupholders in the front and middle rows, as well as drink bottle holders in each door.

The third row also gets a couple of cool fold-out drink bottle holders but if your drink is skinny, it may move around a little as the base doesn’t have a raised lip.

Charging options are good with a wireless charging pad, a 12-volt port, as well as, a USB-A and USB-C sockets up front while the middle row gets a couple of USB-C jacks. Third rowers miss out completely, though.

The rest of the technology is modern and is easy to use, which to me is the perfect combo. The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive to touch and looks great.

It’s easy to connect to the wireless Apple CarPlay and there is also wired Android Auto for those users. The 7.0-inch partial digital instrument panel is easy to read and has traffic sign recognition.

The only space which feels awkward is the boot space. The third row doesn’t fold flat and that makes a ledge. You can flatten it out with a small panel that slides into position at the front but it's dicky to look at and use.

That said, it is a good size at 472L with the third row stowed and you can bump that capacity up to 1457L.

You get a temporary spare tyre in the L7 and a hands-free powered tailgate, which is always handy!

Unless you're looking at the hybrid variant, all CR-V's share the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. The L7 is a front-wheel drive and has maximum outputs of 140kW and 240Nm.

The L7 features a continuously variable auto transmission but it’s delightfully smooth and the engine has enough guts to make it a pleasant open-roader but you have to be consistent with the accelerator on hills.

All CR-V's share the same 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The L7 has an official combined cycle fuel economy figure of 7.3L/100km and my real-world usage averaged 8.3L/100km.

That's after a week of mostly open-road driving, so I would expect it to be higher in an urban setting but it’s a solid result.

Honda recommends minimum 91 RON petrol and based on the combined cycle figure and the 53-litre fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 780km.

The CR-V has a bunch of safety features which is great for a family car and the driver attention monitor is sensitive enough to be effective but not too intrusive in the cabin.

At the time of this review the new CR-V hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP but does feature 10 airbags, which is more than you usually see in this class.

The new CR-V is yet to receive an ANCAP safety rating. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The following safety features come as standard at this grade level, LED daytime running lights, active cornering headlights, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, emergency stop signal, forward collision warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, lane keeping assist, lane departure alert, traffic sign recognition, driver attention monitor, reversing camera, as well as, front and rear parking sensors.

There are three top tethers in the middle row with ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard positions.

The centre row is possibly wide enough for three skinny child seats but there is plenty of room for front passengers when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed.