Compare the2023 Honda HR-VVS 2022 Toyota C-HR

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the HR-V are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The C-HR doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Honda HR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The C-HR doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The HR-V EX-L has a standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The C-HR doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The HR-V offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The C-HR doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the HR-V and the C-HR have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the HR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The C-HR was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the HR-V’s reliability 20 points higher than the C-HR.

The HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (158 vs. 144) than the C-HR’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda HR-V is faster than the Toyota C-HR:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda HR-V uses regular unleaded gasoline. The C-HR requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The HR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The C-HR doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the HR-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the C-HR:

The HR-V stops much shorter than the C-HR:

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the HR-V is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than on the C-HR.

The HR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The C-HR doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The HR-V has 12.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-HR (98.7 vs. 86).

The HR-V has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, 7.6 inches more front shoulder room, 6 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the C-HR.

The HR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the C-HR with its rear seat up (24.4 vs. 19.1 cubic feet). The HR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the C-HR with its rear seat folded (55.1 vs. 37 cubic feet).

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the HR-V to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the C-HR.

The HR-V Sport/EX-L has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The C-HR doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The C-HR’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The HR-V’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda HR-V EX-L has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. The C-HR doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the HR-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the HR-V will cost $1380 to $1905 less than the C-HR over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda HR-V will be $13608 to $19528 less than for the Toyota C-HR.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda HR-V and the Toyota C-HR, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda HR-V outsold the Toyota C-HR by almost 10 to one during 2022.