Compare the2023 Honda CR-VVS 2022 GMC Terrain

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Honda CR-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 Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Terrain’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The CR-V has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Terrain’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CR-V has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Terrain.

Both the CR-V and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

The CR-V’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the CR-V for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Terrain.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 11 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (190 vs. 170) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Terrain:

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Terrain doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the Terrain (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The CR-V’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Terrain SLE/AT4’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Terrain SLE/AT4.

The CR-V has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CR-V flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Terrain.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the Terrain w/17” wheels’ (37.3 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The CR-V’s turning circle is 4.3 feet tighter than the Terrain w/19” wheels’ (37.3 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.2 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CR-V’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Terrain SLT SLT/AT4/Denali (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches).

The CR-V has .4 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Terrain.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V. The Terrain doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Terrain uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The CR-V’s standard front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically. The CR-V EX-L’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The CR-V has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Terrain doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The CR-V has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Terrain.

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 21 years. The Terrain has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Terrain has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the GMC Terrain by almost six to one during the 2021 model year.