2017 Honda CR-V

EX is the volume trim for the launch year of this fifth generation and carries the 1.5L turbo four standard across EX and above; only base LX uses the lower-output 2.4L.

Broad flat torque curve typical of a small turbo four; peak figure is modest for the compact SUV class.

This is the launch-year powertrain of the redesigned fifth generation; instrumented tests of the 1.5T AWD put it in the high-7-second range.

The all-new-for-2017 1.5L turbo is smooth around town but exhibits noticeable low-rpm turbo lag and four-cylinder drone under hard acceleration, a common complaint in launch-year reviews.

The CVT is tuned to avoid obvious hunting and pairs well electronically with the turbo engine at part throttle, though it produces the characteristic CVT drone and some hesitation under hard acceleration.

Honda's published towing figure for the redesigned 2017 CR-V, unchanged across trims and FWD/AWD configurations.

Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control is optional across LX/EX/EX-L/Touring, proactively sending torque rearward under acceleration, but it remains a basic front-biased system with no low-range, locking differential, or terrain-mode suite.

Unibody crossover with modest ground clearance and no off-road hardware, skid plates, or dedicated off-road trim; built for pavement and light gravel, not trails.

The redesigned 2017 CR-V offers only gasoline power — a 2.4L naturally aspirated four on LX and an all-new 1.5L turbo four on EX and above — with no electrified option; the CR-V Hybrid did not arrive until the 2020 model year.

EPA rating for the gas 1.5L turbo AWD configuration (EX volume trim), the scored powertrain class; FWD rates 1 MPG higher and the base LX's 2.4L is 1–2 MPG lower.

EPA city rating for the gas 1.5L turbo AWD configuration.

EPA highway rating for the gas 1.5L turbo AWD configuration.

EPA-published total range figure for the gas 1.5L turbo AWD configuration on the 14.0-gallon fuel tank.

EPA annual fuel cost estimate at 15,000 mi/yr for the gas 1.5L turbo AWD configuration.

Runs on regular unleaded across all 2017 CR-V trims and both engine options, with no premium recommendation.

NHTSA's full 5-star overall rating for the redesigned fifth-generation 2017 CR-V (both FWD and AWD), with 4 stars on rollover resistance the only sub-test short of a perfect score.

Good ratings on every crashworthiness test except the newer side-impact protocol (Acceptable). IIHS's Top Safety Pick+ for the launch-year 2017 CR-V is gated on the optional front crash prevention plus specific headlights, and only the Touring trim's LED headlights qualify (Acceptable-rated) — the volume EX-L tested Marginal for headlights, so the scored configuration does not carry the award despite near-uniform Good crashworthiness.

2017 is the first model year Honda Sensing (CMBS/AEB, FCW, RDM, LDW/LKAS, ACC with new Low-Speed Follow) moved from Touring-only to standard on EX and above — the volume EX-L carries the full suite plus Blind Spot Information System, Cross Traffic Monitor and Driver Attention Monitor, all standard. It falls short of the top band only because base LX gets none of it at all, not even as an option.

IIHS rated the Collision Mitigation Braking System Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention (EX trim and above, covering the scored EX-L), avoiding collisions in both the 12 mph and 25 mph test tracks. IIHS had not yet begun testing pedestrian AEB for this generation — that rating only appears starting with the 2018–19 CR-V — so this launch year has no pedestrian or nighttime performance data to credit.

Blind Spot Information System and a rear Cross Traffic Monitor are standard on EX and above (including the scored EX-L), but both are alert-only — audible/visual warnings with no steering or braking intervention, and no trailer-aware mode. Entirely absent on the base LX.

LKAS provides genuine lane-centering steering input with lane-departure warning as backup, standard on EX and above in this launch year, but this first-generation Honda Sensing implementation is widely reported by owners to bounce between lane markers rather than track the center smoothly — a known rough edge Honda only addressed in the later Sensing 2.0 revision.

ACC with Low-Speed Follow is new for 2017 and operates through the full speed range including stop-and-go, standard on EX and above, but Honda Sensing does not present ACC and LKAS as an integrated highway-assist mode — they function as separate systems rather than one cohesive hands-on highway package, and contemporary reviews note occasional rough resume/following behavior typical of this generation.

No hands-free highway-driving mode exists anywhere in the 2017 CR-V lineup; Honda Sensing in this generation is a hands-on suite (LKAS requires continuous steering input).

IIHS rated the halogen projector headlights Marginal on LX (no high-beam assist) and Marginal on EX/EX-L (halogen projector with high-beam assist, the scored volume trim); even the range-topping Touring's LED reflector units only reach Acceptable, not Good, on any trim.

Reviewers praised the redesigned fifth-generation CR-V's sightlines at launch: slim A-pillars, a low beltline/door glass, a visible hood for front positioning, and a square, well-framed rear window; manageable blind spots were cited as a segment strength versus rivals in launch-year reviews.

IIHS's LATCH ease-of-use evaluation for the 2017 CR-V came back Acceptable overall — anchors are present and usable but involve some digging/compromise rather than best-in-class access; the CR-V's five-seat layout and conventional rear doors support fitting multiple car seats without major difficulty.

The fifth-generation CR-V is a strict two-row, 5-passenger compact SUV with no third-row option in any market trim for 2017.

Manufacturer-published figure for the redesigned fifth-generation cabin, up from the outgoing generation.

Manufacturer-published figure, consistent across trims.

Manufacturer-published figure for the taller, boxier fifth-generation body.

Honda specifically called out this generation's rear legroom gain as a key redesign benefit.

No third row is offered on any 2017 CR-V trim in North America; it is a strict two-row compact SUV.

Manufacturer-published behind-rear-seat cargo figure, a class-competitive number for a compact SUV.

Manufacturer-published maximum cargo figure with the 60/40 split rear seat folded flat.

The redesigned console offers three configurations, underfloor rear storage, a two-position adjustable cargo floor, four tie-down anchors, and expanded door bins — competitive but not segment-leading innovation.

Reviewers (Consumer Reports, Edmunds) praised the redesigned front and rear seats as comfortable and well-cushioned for the class, though the base cloth seats lack extensive adjustability.

Overhauled chassis reduced body roll versus the 2012-2016 CR-V while keeping a composed, if firmer-skewing, ride; reviewers called it a good balance of handling and comfort rather than plush.

The new 1.5L turbo is quieter than the outgoing 2.4L at idle, but owners and reviewers of the 2017 model year noted noticeable wind and road noise at highway speed versus class leaders; no acoustic glass was standard.

Heated front seats arrive only on EX-L and Touring; remote start (which also triggers heated seats/mirrors) starts at EX; no rear climate vents or ventilated seats are offered at any trim, and the base LX has none of these features.

Entry LX 2WD with destination; AWD LX adds $1,300 to $26,285.

EX is the best-selling CR-V trim, bringing the turbo 1.5L engine, standard Honda Sensing suite and 7-inch touchscreen over LX.

CR-V's naturally-aspirated-adjacent turbo 1.5L and CVT are mainstream, well-understood mechanicals with class-low running costs; figure is an aggregated estimate, not a manufacturer disclosure.

Strong for the mainstream segment, consistent with the CR-V's long-standing reputation for class-leading resale.

Industry-standard Honda coverage, at the floor of the segment band.

Standard Honda powertrain term, at the floor of the segment band. Note: Honda later extended coverage on the 1.5L turbo's affected components (oil-dilution campaign) to 8 yr/125,000 mi as a customer-satisfaction action, but that post-sale extension doesn't change the as-sold factory term being scored here.

Honda had no complimentary scheduled-maintenance program in 2017 (Honda Service Pass didn't launch until years later) — coverage amounts to warranty-term roadside assistance only, well behind Toyota/Hyundai/Kia rivals offering multi-year free maintenance at the time.

$27,735 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (55.7% retained, or about $15,448) leaves about $12,287 in depreciation. Add the projected $2,425 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,712 in total.

J.D. Power's contemporary predicted-reliability read on the 2017 CR-V was decent in isolation (3.5/5, ~76/100), but Consumer Reports gave the 2017 model year's in-car electronics the worst reliability rating in its category after widespread owner reports of touchscreen freezing/going blank and Bluetooth/phone-pairing failures, and this is also the single worst model year for the 1.5T oil-dilution complaint wave (debut year, before any mitigating software campaign existed) — multiple sources disagreeing this sharply, with a genuine red-flag subsystem, pulls this below the class median.

Honda's long-run brand reputation for dependability is normally strong, but the 2017 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study — the contemporaneous study for this model year — scored Honda at 105 problems per 100 vehicles, below that year's industry average (~97 PP100) and mid-to-lower pack among mainstream brands, coinciding with the rollout of the new downsized-turbo engine family including this CR-V's 1.5T.

2017 is the worst single model year for this generation's reliability paper trail: a dedicated NHTSA recall that year for the fuel supply pipe (17V442, dealers replacing the fuel line), on top of the generation-wide Denso fuel pump recall, seat belt buckle recall, and front airbag sensor recall that later swept in 2017-20 production — and separately the 1.5T oil-dilution TSB/complaint wave was at its most acute in 2017 since no running changes or software campaign existed yet. NHTSA logged roughly 1,800 complaints against the 2017 CR-V, overwhelmingly oil-dilution related. That is well past 'typical recall activity, nothing systemic.'

The L15B7 1.5L turbo four is brand-new for 2017 with zero high-mileage track record at launch, and this exact model year is the one most heavily implicated in the fuel-dilution-into-oil defect — worse in cold climates with short-trip driving — that generated a class-action settlement and an eventual multi-year warranty extension; 2017 production predates any of Honda's software/hardware mitigation, making it the highest-risk year of the engine's run.

The all-new fifth-generation cabin debuting for 2017 was widely praised for material richness relative to price — soft-touch upper dash and door panels, convincing trim inserts, leather available on EX-L/Touring — ahead of most segment rivals, though hard plastics remain below the beltline as is typical for the class.

Physical assembly on the redesigned 2017 body was generally praised as tight with no significant rattle complaints in contemporary reviews, though the launch-year Display Audio touchscreen's glitchy behavior (freezing, going blank, washing out in sunlight) was a widely reported quality miss on a brand-new piece of hardware, keeping this just below the strongest scores in the segment.

Honda ran one of the largest, most geographically dense dealer networks in the US in 2017 (over 1,000 dealers), giving CR-V owners easy nationwide service access; general brand service satisfaction was solid though not class-leading.

RepairPal rates the CR-V 4.5/5 for reliability-adjusted ownership cost and reports average annual repair costs well below both the compact-SUV segment average and the all-vehicle average, reflecting cheap, widely available parts and a huge aftermarket/independent-shop support base — this is a brand/model-level characteristic that holds across model years including 2017.

EX is the volume trim and the point where the touchscreen Display Audio system becomes standard; LX below it has only a 5-inch non-touch screen.

Honda's early Display Audio system was criticized industry-wide for sluggish response and a cluttered menu structure; the CR-V's version did restore a physical volume knob (removed on some sibling models of the era) but still lagged behind rivals' systems in usability reviews.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included on the 7-inch Display Audio system (EX and above) but only via wired USB connection — wireless projection did not exist on any CR-V trim in 2017 — and the base LX lacks the feature entirely.

Factory navigation is available on EX-L and standard on Touring, but Honda's native voice recognition and nav system of this era were widely considered clunky, with most owners defaulting to phone-projected navigation instead.

The Touring trim's 330-watt, 9-speaker system (with subwoofer) is a step up, but owner and reviewer feedback on its Foster-brand speakers is mixed; base LX/EX/EX-L audio is an unremarkable 4-6 speaker Pioneer-sourced setup.

The CR-V retains analog speedometer and tachometer gauges with a small multi-information display segment rather than a true configurable digital cluster; no full-digital gauge option exists on any 2017 trim.

No over-the-air update capability of any kind existed on the 2017 CR-V; software and map updates, where available, required a dealer visit or physical media.

HondaLink in 2017 offered only basic functions (maintenance info, some remote features on compatible trims) and was widely regarded as rudimentary compared to later-generation connected apps; core remote start on the CR-V is fob-based, not app-based.

LX has a single 1.0-amp USB port; EX and above add dual front USB ports plus 2.5-amp rear USB ports — adequate charging coverage for the era but all USB-A, with no wireless charging pad offered on any trim.

Push-button start is standard across the range, but hands-free Smart Entry and remote engine start are reserved for EX and above, leaving the base LX with a traditional key-fob-only unlock experience.

A multi-angle rearview camera (normal/wide/top-down) is standard on every trim, and EX and above add a Cross Traffic Monitor, but no 360-degree surround view or standard front/rear parking sensors are offered on any trim.

No head-up display, of any kind, was offered on any 2017 CR-V trim.

Wide-opening rear doors, a flat rear floor, generous rear legroom (40.4 in) and accessible LATCH anchors make the redesigned CR-V well regarded for everyday car-seat and stroller duty, a traditional CR-V strength.

The CR-V earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and 5-star NHTSA overall ratings, but the full Honda Sensing ADAS suite (forward collision, lane-keep, adaptive cruise) is only standard from EX upward — the base LX that many family buyers cross-shop on price lacks it entirely.

Decent rear seat space and a large 39.2 cu ft cargo hold handle family road trips reasonably well, but the lack of rear climate vents, modest rear-seat amenities, and average highway noise levels keep it short of segment-leading long-haul comfort.

Light, naturally-weighted steering, a tight 37.4 ft turning circle, good outward visibility and a smooth CVT make the CR-V an easy, low-fatigue daily driver, a point reviewers consistently praised in the redesign.

The new 1.5L turbo with CVT delivers EPA-estimated combined economy in the high-20s to low-30s mpg (roughly 28/34 city/highway FWD, slightly less with AWD) — competitive for the compact SUV class and a genuine improvement over the outgoing 2.4L.

A compact footprint (180.6 in long), a 37.4 ft turning circle, and a standard multi-angle rearview camera with top-down view make the CR-V easy to park and maneuver in tight urban settings, though it lacks front sensors or a true 360-degree camera.

A 1,500 lb max tow rating and 850 lb payload capacity are both minimal — the CR-V is not meaningfully work-capable beyond light cargo hauling in its own cargo bay.

Honda's broader reliability reputation is strong, but the all-new 1.5L turbocharged engine introduced for 2017 was affected by a widely reported oil-dilution issue in cold climates during its first production years, undercutting confidence in this specific engine's durability under hard use.

The CR-V offers basic cargo tie-downs and a washable cargo area but has no meaningful upfit ecosystem, onboard power inverter, or work-oriented accessories beyond what any compact crossover provides.

Comfortable seats and available adaptive cruise control (EX and above) support highway touring, with a roughly 400+ mile highway range on the 14-gallon tank, though average cabin noise and the lack of acoustic glass keep it short of class leaders.

Available Real Time AWD and roof rails support light gravel-road and gear-hauling duty, but modest ground clearance and no genuine off-road hardware limit it to pavement-plus-dirt-road adventure use.

A 60/40 split-folding rear seat that lays flat, a two-position adjustable cargo floor, standard roof rails, and 75.8 cu ft of max cargo space give the CR-V solid everyday gear-hauling flexibility for a compact SUV.

An overhauled platform for the fifth generation measurably reduced body roll and sharpened turn-in versus the 2012-2016 CR-V; reviewers called it secure and composed through corners but stopped short of calling it engaging or sporty.

Steering weight builds naturally and returns to center smoothly, giving a sense of precision, but it offers little genuine road feedback — typical of the class rather than class-leading.

No major complaints surfaced in period reviews about pedal feel or stopping distance; braking performance is described as adequate and unremarkable for a compact SUV of this era.

The new 1.5L turbo paired with a CVT is capable but not thrilling, with some turbo lag off the line noted by reviewers; the first-year turbo engine was also affected by a cold-climate oil-dilution issue that is a smoothness/reliability blemish specific to this model year.

The turbocharged four is quieter at idle than the outgoing 2.4L, but CVT drone under hard acceleration was a common complaint, keeping overall refinement average for the segment.

A tight turning circle for the compact SUV class, consistent across 2017 CR-V trims.

A commanding, SUV-appropriate seating height, good outward visibility, and straightforward control layout (plus a restored physical volume knob) make for easy ingress/egress and comfortable ergonomics across driver sizes.

The CR-V is a competent, appliance-like family SUV rather than an enthusiast's pick; reviewers consistently frame it as practical and composed rather than engaging to drive.

LX includes a 7-inch display, rearview camera, LED taillights and a 5-inch TFT driver display; EX and up add the standard Honda Sensing suite (adaptive cruise, collision mitigation, lane-keep) and the turbo engine — competitive, but Toyota's RAV4 standardized its full safety suite across the whole 2017 lineup including base trim, which the CR-V's LX did not match.

New turbo 1.5L delivers a genuine power and efficiency step over the outgoing 2.4L for modest money, plus class-leading cabin space; fair-to-good bang for buck versus rivals rather than a standout bargain.

Five trim steps (LX, EX, EX-L, EX-L w/Navi, Touring), each offered 2WD or AWD, span a reasonable $24,985–$34,735 range with sensible gaps, though there's no true base-work trim or performance variant.

All-new 5th generation launched into immediate high demand — the CR-V was among the top one or two best-selling SUVs in the US in 2017 and dealers reported minimal need to discount.

Honda carries a strong mainstream reputation for reliability and resale that supports satisfaction and residuals, without the aspirational halo of a premium brand.

No factory incentive existed on the 5th-gen CR-V, and dealers initially sold within a few hundred dollars of MSRP given launch-year demand; buyers had little negotiating leverage, though modest ~5% dealer discounts emerged later in the model year.

2017 is the first model year of the all-new 5th generation — new platform shared with the 10th-gen Civic, new turbocharged engine, redesigned body and interior.

Won AutoGuide.com's Utility Vehicle of the Year over the Audi Q7 and Jaguar F-Pace, MotorWeek's Drivers' Choice Best Small Utility, multiple U.S. News 'Best Compact SUV' awards, and IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with Honda Sensing/LED headlights — a strong, award-heavy launch year.