2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L – Review by David Colman +VIDEO

2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L

A great choice for the younger car buyer

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Be sure and pay the extra $455 to have your 2026 Honda HR-V (EX-L trim level) painted Nordic Forest Pearl. That inspired color choice makes Honda's most petite SUV look unexpectedly beguiling. Be sure to kick in an extra $1,500 bucks for all-wheel-drive. For a total outlay of just $33,400 delivered, you can park this happy Honda in front of a foursome of admiring 20-year-olds and have them guess what you paid for it. This actually happened to me as I was loading my mountain bike into its astonishingly capacious storage area. Since all four guys were quite taken with the Honda's slim lines and color, I asked them what they thought it cost. The first bid came in at $41,000, and subsequent guesses reached more than $60,000. Given the age group and interest shown, I would say this had to be the target market for the HR-V. Incredibly, all of them agreed that, on looks alone, it had to be worth up to twice what Honda was actually charging. Now that's the kind of unscientific poll that really sticks in your mind.

2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L

Yes, you can save bucks by opting for the entry-level, front-wheel-drive LX, which carries a base price of just $26,200. But in addition to standard four-wheel traction, there are a slew of other niceties that come standard on the EX-L. Front seats are 3-stage heated and covered in leather. The steering wheel is also leather-wrapped and features model-specific silver spokes. The driver's seat boasts 8-way power adjustment. Dynamic control knob lighting (in red, white, and blue) makes HVAC selection and other hard dial operations easier. Footwell lighting on the EX-L makes night operation more welcoming. For me, the big advantage of opting for the top mode was its EX-L exclusive alloy wheel rims. Honda bumped them up an inch in diameter (from 17 to 18) and widened them by half an inch (from 6.5 to 7). That rim increase means the tires jump in size from 215/60/17 to the 225/55R18 Hankook Kinergy GT all-season radials on our test car. Cosmetically, these rims feature machine-finished spokes that sparkle at each corner. At sunset the wheels glow like they're illuminated from within.

2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L

For 2026, Honda has improved all CR-V models across the board with refreshed exterior and interior design details. The interior is sensibly sized and well laid out. Honda has enlarged the size of the central HD touchscreen by 2 inches (to 9 inches), made wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard, and installed a wireless phone charger for all models. While I found the driver's seat to be adequately supportive and adjustable, my wife complained that the bottom cushion of the passenger seat was too short and its seatback too hard. In any case, we both really enjoyed the 3-stage seat heaters that remained in heavy use during our cold mid-winter week with the HR-V. However, a heated steering wheel would be a welcome addition to the EX-L amenity list. We found the "Active-Follow" function of the cruise control to be inoperative. We also found that a plastic cover plate from the underside of the rear hatch had become dislodged. After we snapped it back into place, it reappeared again, having come loose again. Neither issue is SOP for the usually meticulous Honda.

2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L

Dynamically, this diminutive SUV punches above its weight in terms of handling. During the intermittently rainy week I spent behind the wheel, the EX-L seemed well attuned to the challenges of back road operation, with the MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension maximizing available grip from those up-sized Hankook radials. Steering feedback was excellent, and the HR-V settled into the Route 1 switchback routine with a minimum of angst. But you would never want to attempt passing slower traffic on a two-lane road with this Honda, because straight-line grunt is not its forte. With just 158hp available to motivate its curb weight of 3,293 pounds, the HR-V requires each horsepower to move 20.84 pounds of car, not a recipe for straight-line success. Doing the math reveals tepid acceleration across the board, with 0-60mph taking a leisurely 9.4 seconds, and the quarter mile requiring 17.3 seconds to achieve 85mph. The groaning of the continuously variable transmission adds no joy to the mix.

2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L

Normally, when a manufacturer lays out a model line that encompasses six different offerings (covering a price range of more than $5,000), the more luxurious and sportier versions include uprated drivetrains. Unfortunately, such is not the case with Honda's HR-V line, which offers the same engine and transmission across the board. The upside to that conundrum is that all version of the HR-V achieve the same excellent mileage results, with 27MPG available in combined city/highway operation. Our 100-mile freeway/backroad combo tour confirmed that number, with 26.5MPG consistently showing on our dashboard fuel mileage readout. If you need a small SUV that's comparatively cheap to buy, even cheaper to run, and insanely practical given its diminutive size, go for the top of the line all-wheel-drive EX-L. As those twenty-year-olds confirmed with their enthusiasm, this one looks to be a generational hot ticket.

2026 Honda HR-V AWD EX-L

2026 HONDA HR-V AWD EX-L

HYPES: Comfy, Spacious, Well Equipped

GRIPES: Deserves a Drivetrain to Match Its Other Attributes

STAR RATING: 8.5 Stars out of 10