Compare the2023 Honda CR-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 CR-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 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 C-HR doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 C-HR’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CR-V 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 CR-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 CR-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, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

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 CR-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 CR-V’s reliability 20 points higher than the C-HR.

The CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 46 more horsepower (190 vs. 144) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (179 vs. 139) than the C-HR’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda CR-V is faster than the Toyota C-HR:

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CR-V’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The C-HR doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The CR-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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V higher (6 out of 10) than the Toyota C-HR (3). This means the CR-V produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the C-HR every 15,000 miles.

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

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

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the C-HR (235/60R18 vs. 225/50R18).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CR-V’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the C-HR (106.3 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the C-HR.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the C-HR XLE pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The front grille of the CR-V uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The C-HR doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-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 CR-V has 17.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-HR (103.5 vs. 86).

The CR-V has .1 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 8.9 inches more front shoulder room, 8.7 inches more rear legroom, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the C-HR.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V’s rear seats recline. The C-HR’s rear seats don’t recline.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the C-HR with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 19.1 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the C-HR with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 37 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the C-HR’s liftover is 31 inches.

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

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CR-V EX-L has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The C-HR doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The CR-V has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The C-HR has no towing capacity.

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The C-HR 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.

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the CR-V to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush, brake pad replacement and transmission fluid replacement, vehicle inspection 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 CR-V 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.

When two different drivers share the CR-V EX-L, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The C-HR doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CR-V EX-L’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The C-HR doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The C-HR’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The CR-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.

The CR-V’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The C-HR’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The CR-V’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The C-HR’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The CR-V has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The C-HR doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the CR-V and the C-HR offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CR-V has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The C-HR doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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

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

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

The Honda CR-V outsold the Toyota C-HR by almost 20 to one during 2022.