What is the most efficient AWD vehicle available in North America today?

The Honda 1.5L turbo does it again.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Mar. 14, 2017

This week's ride is courtesy of Honda in the form of the refreshed 2017 Honda CR-V.

As a FWD in EX-T trim, it starts at $27,635 incl. the $940 D&H charge and includes the award winning 1.5L turbo which offers owners an incredible 28/34 mpgUS city/highway rating.

We are driving a fully loaded AWD Touring trim with all the fixins incl. the efficiency robbing 18" alloys and 235/60R18 tires. As driven, $34,595 incl. D&H while rated at 27/33 mpgUS city/highway.

2017 Honda CR-V Exterior Design

The new CR-V incorporates horizontal chrome upper grille work flowing into new LEDs on this Touring trim. The headlamps are surrounded by a wing-shaped LED DRL on all trims. An Active Shutter Grille lowers drag while a lower bright chin spoiler tops off its new face.

A longer wheelbase, short rear overhang, a thick chrome sill inlay and dual exhausts add to its curb appeal.

A hard black plastic cladding surrounding the entire lower edge of the vehicle adds both real world and perceived toughness.

To go along with its more muscular exterior, some niceties have been added.

A Hands-Free powered hatch, Auto High Beam with High Beam Support (HSS) headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, and roof rails.

2017 Honda CR-V Interior

​

Inside features a larger interior volume and the best rear seat legroom in the midsize CUV segment. My knees have an honest to goodness 1+ inches to the front seat back with the front seat adjusted to my frame.

Full extending sun visors and even a conversation mirror are part of the package.

​

A new soft-touch dash, a ton more exposed stitching in the seats and door inserts, interesting plasti-wood door and dash inserts, and softer foam seats with far less intrusive bolstering provide a nicer place to sit.

​

Its passenger volume is 105.9 cu. ft. for the LX, 102.9 cu. ft. for the EX and EX-L (sunroof), and 101.6 cu. ft. for the Touring (sunroof plus other "stuff"). This is up 1.8, 1.4, and .1 cu. ft. over the 2016 MY LX, EX/EX-L, and Touring respectively.

Cargo volume with the rear seats up is 39.2 cu ft., up 2 cu. ft. over the previous 2016 model.

​

2017 Honda CR-V Drivetrain

​

The 190 hp and 179 lb-ft. of torque, direct injected and turbo charged 1.5L-T mated to the wide ratio, fake shifting (G-logic) CVT is what makes the CR-V. It is even more efficient than its 27/33 mpgUS city/highway ratings suggest.

2017 Honda CR-V Chassis

The all-new body and chassis features struts up front and a multi-link w/ low-friction dampers out back, both with stabilizer bars. A dual-pinion, variable ratio Electric Power Steering (EPS) provide improved steering feel over the previous CR-V iterations.

104.7" wheelbase vs. last year’s 103.1” shows up right here.​

2017 Honda CR-V Infotainment

Regarding infotainment, a 7” Display Audio touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is std. on the EX on up. Honda also sort of fixed a mistake they continue to make with their most recent offerings. An honest to goodness physical volume knob is standard. Missing however is a tuning knob? How did that get through the product planners again?

The NAVI back end is all Garmin and it is great other than the traffic ahead on-screen mimics.

2017 Honda CR-V Safety

Regarding safety, Honda is almost always in the hunt for the safest vehicles on the road and the bestselling model in their lineup was not left behind.

2017 Honda CR-V IIHS Top Safety Pick + Crash Test Rating


The best crash test rating when equipped with the Honda Sensing system.​

Honda Sensing is standard on EX and above trims and includes Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS) with Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and pedestrian sensing capability, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with low-speed follow and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS). Additional new driver-assist technologies include the available Blind Spot Information (BSI), Rear Cross Traffic Monitor (CTM) and Auto High Beam (HSS) headlights.

The National Highway and Traffic Administration (NHTSA) has not yet tested the 2017 Honda CR-V.

Some may remember my extreme disappointment with the 16 Civics RCC. The 17 CR-V RCC has been reworked and is actually now quite usable in heavy traffic. Once set- I used the max 4 bars distance from the car in front, it accelerated relatively smoothly and decelerated soft enough to use every day. From 25 mph on up, the acceleration from a previous slowdown could be a bit harsh but acceptable compared to the 16 Civic Touring we first experienced the system in.

The system will bring the CR-V to a complete stop and relaunch back up to speed if you are not stopped for more than approximately 5-seconds. At that point, the driver display requests that you reapply the accelerator pedal to reinitiate the RCC system again.

2017 Honda CR-V Efficiency

From full when I picked her up, she took another 1.6 gallons with about 30 short clicks to an assumed top off???

Not a fan.​

Although the capless refuel system does not allow any kind of calibration and you can still get the nozzle stuck in the damn thing, the first drive results blow out the previous best midsize CUV offerings by a big margin. Those being the now defunct 14 Audi Q5 with the 3.0L TDI at 52 mpg and 15 Nissan Rogue with its 2.5L I4 mated to an extremely wide ratio CVT at 51 mpg.

2017 Honda CR-V Initial Fill


LAX Shell on Aviation and Century


Typical early afternoon LA rush. LA to Long Beach was a bear!!!


Final fill at Del Mar, Calif. Shell – 56.5 mpg actual over 104.0 miles.​

After the 104.0 mile actual distance drive - 102.2 miles indicated, she took in what appears to be 1.841 gallons to top off for a 56.5 mpg actual result. Yeah, that Honda 1.5T proved it is worth its weight in gold yet again.

What about the Model S D variants? Of the electricity produced today, the vast majority of electrical production - 86 percent w/ 33 percent coal, 33 percent natural gas, and 20 percent nuclear - wastes 60 to 70 percent of the energy to produce a given kW as waste heat vs 25 percent of the input wasted to make a gallon of gasoline.

For the 2017 Honda CR-V AWD Touring Trim Speed vs FE data, temps ranged from 58 to 60 degrees F with just a touch of wind out of the East during my NB/SB runs.

The RPM at 60 is just 1,650 RPM with any slight rise or acceleration spinning the CVT up another 50 to 100 RPM.

Actual speed as measured per the Garmin was showing .5 to 1 mph lower than actual at 55, 60, 65 and 70 mph.

Regarding the offset, remember the CR-V has a new even worse capless refueling system – see above – so accuracy of the offset is totally suspect. I have never seen a Honda with a 3.3 percent negative offset in years and I suspect the offset is like the Civics and Accords, much closer to 1.0 than what I calculated over my std. 104 mile California drive loop.

2017 Honda CR-V Touring Trim Speed vs FE Results


​

The EPA 33 mpg speed crossover occurs at 67.7 mph which is in line with its ratings. Again with the asterisk of a negative calibration which is probably to negative given our recent history with various Honda's. I wish I had the chance to drive over 1,000 miles to lock in that offset.

At 56.5+ mpg, the CR-V makes everything else in the segment look like fuel sucking pigs by comparison! I might go so far to say it is not only the most efficient but best overall CUV available in all of North America given the updates, the room, the efficiency and safety.

Meet the most efficient AWD vehicle available in North America. And it is called the #Honda CR-V.

 

The Wife Affect...

Marian is an EPA driver in most vehicles on her RT San Diego rush hour commute(s) and balances - dare I say weight or anchor - my own results.

With the limited miles for calibration due to the capless refueling system showing the display to be 3.42 percent optimistic, her actual came in at 30.1 mpg vs the 31.2 mpg indicated.

2017 Honda CR-V Touring

​

In the recent past, Honda's displays match actual or are even under reporting of actual efficiency so I would need a lot longer period and 5 to 10 times the miles to work that out.

In any case, her beating the 29 mpg combined in the fully loaded AWD Touring trim adds to the 1.5T mated to the CVTs efficiency and power prowess. Nobody in the industry currently offers the best mix of two competing attributes than Honda.

 

Hi Alster:

The Civic's 1.5T is running 16.5 psi of boost whereas the CR-Vs can run up to 18.5 psi. The compression ratio is also different w/ the Civics at 10.6:1 and the CR-Vs at 10.3:1. I assume to keep the CR-V running on 87 octane?

Looking at the bore and stroke, the specs show the Civic Sedan has .1 mm less which indicates to me a slightly different shaped head to get a higher compression ratio.

When considering the Civic Hatch with the same 1.5T in Sport Trim, it is speced at 180 hp with Premium recommended. I think Carcus owns one and says the mill is underrated in the Civic lineup allowing Honda some more power increases going forward without actually changing anything.

Wayne

 

Hi Billy:

It was in the CR-Vs and Civic's spec pages.

Wayne

 

Hi TheFordFamily:

The CR-V does not have Auto Start/Stop. Auto Start/Stop saves far less fuel than the upgraded starter and larger AGM replacement battery costs.

Wayne

 

Hi RedylC94:

With an approximate 3 to 5 second payback for the power to respin the car over in a cycle, how long does anyone sit at a stop sign. Actually stopped for that period of time. How many lights do you get caught at on your normal everyday commute. 10 over a 20 mile drive? Driving the worst rush hour in the country between LA and Irvine, the traffic rarely stops dead for much more than a a few seconds. Instead it slows to 2, back to 10, slows to 5, back to 15 ... I might stop for a total of 5 times in the worst of it over my 104 mile drive loop.

Auto Start/Stop is not a fuel saver in most cases but is a more expensive by approximately $200 to $300 let alone the AGM replacement every few years that will overwhelm any fuel savings.

Wayne