2021 Honda CR-V

Standard 1.5L turbocharged inline-4 across all gas trims (LX through Touring); carry-over powertrain unchanged for 2021 after the 2020 mid-cycle refresh.

Same 1.5L turbo across the gas lineup; flat, broad torque curve from low rpm is the engine's defining trait.

Instrumented test of the 1.5T AWD Touring; FWD trims run marginally quicker, AWD lower trims comparable.

The turbo-four's low-end torque makes everyday driving feel stronger than the modest horsepower figure suggests, and it's quiet around town, but reviewers note minor turbo lag and some strain under hard acceleration or towing-grade climbs.

Car and Driver called it one of the better CVTs on sale, and Honda programmed a stepped-feel 'downshift' logic to mask typical CVT lag, but engine drone is still audible under hard acceleration or sustained climbing.

Flat 1,500 lb rating across the entire 2021 gas trim range regardless of FWD/AWD.

Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System is optional (not standard) across every gas trim from LX to Touring, and proactively shifts torque front-to-rear under acceleration, hill climbs and turns rather than only reacting after slip — more sophisticated than a basic reactive system, but there's no low-range or multi-mode terrain select.

Unibody crossover with modest ground clearance and no skid plates, terrain modes, or off-road-oriented trim; pavement-focused by design.

Two distinct powertrains for 2021 — the 1.5L turbo gas (scored here) and the CR-V Hybrid (2.0L Atkinson + two motors, 212 hp combined) — but no turbo-performance variant, PHEV, or EV option.

Volume trim figure is the FWD 1.5T; AWD trades 1 MPG combined for traction.

EPA city rating for the standard 1.5T FWD powertrain.

EPA highway rating for the standard 1.5T FWD powertrain.

EPA-derived full-tank range on the 14.0-gallon tank shared across all 2021 gas trims.

EPA standard assumption of 15,000 mi/yr at national average regular-gasoline pricing.

The turbocharged 1.5L runs on regular 87-octane unleaded across every 2021 trim despite being turbocharged — no premium recommendation or requirement.

NHTSA's full 5-star overall rating for the 2021 CR-V, with the only sub-4-star mark being the standard 4-star rollover result typical of tall-ish crossovers.

IIHS named the 2021 CR-V a Top Safety Pick (TSP, not TSP+) when equipped with the optional LED reflector headlights (Good) — the halogen headlights on LX/EX/EX-L/Special Edition scored only Marginal, which is why it missed TSP+. All six original crashworthiness tests (small overlap front both sides, moderate overlap, side, roof strength, head restraints) scored Good at the time of the award. A separate caveat: IIHS's later updated moderate-overlap-front test (which adds a rear-seat dummy), run on this same fifth-generation body structure, rated the rear-seat protection Poor — a real weakness in this platform that the original award didn't capture, so this isn't scored as a clean TSP+.

Honda Sensing (forward collision warning + pedestrian detection, collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation/lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise with low-speed follow, auto high-beams) is standard on every 2021 CR-V trim including base LX. On the EX volume trim, blind-spot information system and rear cross-traffic alert are also standard, making the full suite (AEB, ACC, LKA, BSM, RCTA) standard at the volume-trim level, though not on the base LX.

IIHS rated the standard Collision Mitigation Braking System Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention (avoided collision in both 12 and 25 mph tests) and Superior for daytime pedestrian crash prevention (avoided the crossing-adult test at both speeds, reduced impact speed for the child scenario). IIHS had not yet published an official nighttime pedestrian rating for this vehicle in the 2021 test cycle, so night performance is unconfirmed rather than weak.

Blind-spot information system and rear cross-traffic alert are standard from EX up (the volume trim) but not on base LX, and both are alert-only — no active steering or braking intervention, and no trailer-aware coverage.

Road Departure Mitigation with lane keeping assist is standard across all trims and functions as lane centering on the highway, but period reviews describe it as a step behind class leaders — noticeably ping-pong-prone and quick to disengage compared to rivals, functional but not confidence-inspiring.

Adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow is standard across the range and works down to a stop and resumes, but it is a basic ACC implementation without a combined, named highway-assist mode, and reviewers note occasional abrupt braking and slow resume behavior in stop-and-go traffic.

Honda had no hands-free highway driving system (no BlueCruise/Super Cruise/FSD-supervised equivalent) available on the 2021 CR-V at any trim or option level.

Headlight quality is split sharply by trim: Touring/Hybrid Touring's LED reflector units with high-beam assist rated Good, Hybrid EX/EX-L's LED units rated Acceptable, but the halogen projector/reflector units on LX, EX, EX-L and Special Edition — covering the volume (gas EX) trim — rated only Marginal.

The fifth-generation CR-V's low beltline, large glass area and slim roof pillars give above-average outward sightlines for the segment; a standard rearview camera is present on all trims, with higher trims adding a wide-angle or multi-angle camera, though no surround/360-degree camera system was offered in 2021.

IIHS rated LATCH ease of use Acceptable: both outboard rear positions have easy-to-find lower anchors and a tether, and the rear doors open wide for seat installation, but the center position's tether anchor is awkwardly located and lower-anchor hardware there requires borrowing from an adjacent seat, complicating 3-across car-seat setups.

The 2021 CR-V is a strict two-row compact SUV across all trims (LX, EX, EX-L, Touring); Honda does not offer a 3-row CR-V in North America.

EX, the volume trim, includes a power moonroof which trims headroom versus the base LX.

Consistent across all 2021 CR-V trims and drivetrains.

Second-row headroom is essentially flat across trims.

Segment-leading rear legroom for a compact SUV, a consistent CR-V strength.

The 2021 CR-V is a two-row vehicle with no third row offered on any trim or drivetrain in the US market.

Among the largest cargo volumes behind the rear seats in the compact SUV class, a consistent CR-V differentiator.

Class-competitive maximum cargo capacity with the 60/40 split rear seats folded flat.

The CR-V's low, fully flat load floor and wide center console/cupholder tray are frequently praised as class-leading practicality touches, though nothing as novel as a giga-console or onboard generator.

Front and rear seats are widely described as supportive and comfortable for daily and medium-length trips, without being singled out as segment-best.

Reviewers describe a ride with a firm edge (more pronounced on the hybrid) but generally compliant and well controlled over rough pavement.

Generally quiet for the segment at highway speed, with some turbo-four and road noise intrusion under harder acceleration.

Heated front seats arrive on EX, dual-zone automatic climate control on EX and up, but a heated steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers are Touring-exclusive, and rear climate vents are not available on any trim.

2021 CR-V opens with the LX FWD trim; Honda's destination charge that year was $1,195.

EX is the best-selling CR-V trim and AWD attach rate is high in this segment, so EX AWD is the representative configuration.

Edmunds' True Cost to Own model projects the 5-year repair and maintenance total for the CR-V EX AWD at 15,000 mi/yr.

CR-V residuals are among the strongest in the compact SUV class; estimates vary by methodology but cluster around 70% at 5 years.

Standard Honda New Vehicle Limited Warranty, at the low end of the segment band.

Standard Honda powertrain coverage, at the floor of the segment band versus rivals offering 10-year/100k powertrain warranties.

MY2021 CR-V carried no complimentary scheduled-maintenance program (Honda's Service Pass plan began in later model years); it offers only standard in-warranty 24-hr roadside assistance and a 3-month HondaLink Remote Services trial, thinner than rivals like Toyota's 2-year/25k ToyotaCare included maintenance.

$30,555 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (70% retained, or about $21,389) leaves about $9,167 in depreciation. Add the projected $8,153 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $17,320 in total.

J.D. Power lists the 2021 CR-V's predicted reliability at 84/100 ("Great"), and Consumer Reports' own overview rates it more reliable than the average new car, but both sit alongside a well-documented 1.5L turbo oil-dilution issue carried over into this generation that keeps confidence from HIGH.

Honda fell to 28th of 32 brands (145 PP100) in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, down from 19th the year prior, placing it in the bottom third for that study cycle even though Honda's longer-run reputation is stronger than this single result.

The 2021 CR-V carries four NHTSA recalls for this generation: a second-row seat belt retractor that could leave a child seat unsecured, a fuel pump that could fail and stall the engine while driving, a front passenger airbag weight sensor that could crack and disable the airbag, and (Hybrid only) an unfused 12V battery cable with a crash short/fire risk. That is more than a token recall count and two of the four touch stall/airbag/fire risk, but none is a mass engine-replacement-scale campaign.

The 2021 CR-V's volume engine is Honda's 1.5L turbo four, which has a documented oil-dilution problem (unburned fuel entering the crankcase, worse on short/cold-weather trips) spanning 2017-2021 model years, serious enough that Honda extended the powertrain warranty on affected vehicles and faces a class-action lawsuit; it is a known issue on an otherwise long-lived small-displacement turbo family, not an unproven design.

Reviewers consistently praise the 2021 CR-V's cabin as upscale for the price, with soft-touch surfaces, brushed-satin accents, and a build quality reviewers say rivals struggle to match at this price point; the main knock from owners is the faux-wood trim reading as cheap on close inspection.

Owner and press reviews describe tight, consistent assembly ("build quality is unassailable") with multiple owners specifically calling out being impressed by fit and finish; no pattern of rattles or panel-gap complaints turned up for this model year.

Honda runs one of the largest mainstream dealer networks in the US with broad nationwide coverage, and ranks among the stronger mass-market brands in J.D. Power's Customer Service Index/dealer-service-satisfaction studies around this period.

RepairPal rates the CR-V 4.5/5.0 for reliability (2nd of 26 compact SUVs) with an average annual repair cost of $407 versus a $521 compact-SUV average and $652 across all vehicles, and only a 9% chance that any given repair is severe — reflecting cheap, widely available parts and a huge aftermarket.

EX, the volume trim, gets the 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen; it is the same 7-inch unit through EX-L, with Touring adding built-in navigation on the same screen.

Honda's Display Audio interface was already dated by 2021, with middling graphics and occasional lag; most owners route around it via phone projection rather than praising the native UI.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired-only on every 2021 CR-V trim, and only standard from EX up — the base LX lacks phone projection entirely. Wireless projection did not arrive on the CR-V until the 2023 refresh.

Built-in navigation is Touring-exclusive and Honda's native voice recognition is basic; most owners rely on CarPlay/Android Auto's voice assistant and maps instead.

A 9-speaker, 330-watt premium system is available on Touring; lower trims get a competent but unremarkable 4-speaker setup.

The 2021 CR-V retains motor-driven analog gauges with a small multi-information display between them on every trim; a full configurable digital cluster did not arrive until a later generation.

Honda's 2021 infotainment stack has no whole-vehicle over-the-air update capability; software/map updates, where available, require a dealer visit or USB update.

The HondaLink app covers the basics — remote start/lock/unlock and vehicle locate — on EX trims and above at no extra subscription cost, but lacks a digital key or the polish of rivals' apps.

Front USB-A/USB-C ports are standard, with rear USB ports added on upper trims, but a wireless charging pad is Touring-exclusive and there's no household AC outlet.

Proximity keyless entry with push-button start is standard across the lineup and remote engine start is available from EX up; a hands-free power tailgate is Touring-only.

A multi-angle rearview camera is standard on every trim and the CR-V retains Honda's signature LaneWatch passenger-side blind-spot camera, but there is no true 360-degree surround view and front/rear parking sensors are limited largely to Touring.

No 2021 CR-V trim, including range-topping Touring, offers a head-up display.

Wide rear door openings, a low, flat load floor and the class-leading 40.4-inch rear legroom make car-seat installation and daily kid-wrangling easy; LATCH anchors are accessible and not buried deep in the seat bight.

Honda Sensing (adaptive cruise, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, road departure mitigation, auto high-beams) is standard on every 2021 CR-V trim including the base LX, paired with a 5-star NHTSA overall rating and an IIHS Top Safety Pick award.

Generous rear legroom and the segment's largest cargo hold behind the second row cover most family road-trip needs, but rear climate vents and rear USB ports are absent on lower trims, thinning the amenity set for back-seat passengers.

A smooth CVT, light but precise steering, good outward visibility and a tight 37.4-ft turning circle make the CR-V an easy, low-fatigue daily driver.

30 mpg combined (FWD) / 29 mpg combined (AWD) on regular gas is average for a compact gas SUV — solidly mid-pack, well behind the CR-V's own hybrid variant and class EVs/hybrids, but better than larger or less efficient rivals.

A compact footprint and a tight 37.4-ft turning diameter make the CR-V easy to park and thread through traffic; the standard multi-angle rearview camera and LaneWatch camera help, though a true 360-degree view isn't offered.

A 1,500-lb max tow rating and roughly 850-900 lb payload put the CR-V well below trucks and body-on-frame SUVs; it can handle a small trailer or light cargo but isn't a real work tool.

The CR-V carries Honda's strong reliability reputation and a proven powertrain, but it's a mainstream crossover, not a vehicle engineered or marketed for fleet/work abuse.

No onboard power outlet, no bed or tie-down rails, and no work-oriented upfit ecosystem — cargo area amenities are consumer-focused, not jobsite-focused.

A quiet-for-class cabin, comfortable seats, standard adaptive cruise control (Honda Sensing) and roughly 400+ miles of highway range on a full tank make the CR-V a solid long-distance cruiser, if not a class standout.

Optional Real Time AWD and 8.2 in of ground clearance (AWD) handle gravel roads, light snow and moderate trails confidently, but the CR-V is explicitly not suited to serious off-roading.

A flat-folding 60/40 rear seat, a low liftover and class-leading cargo volume (39.2/75.8 cu ft) swallow bulky gear easily; roof rails are standard on Touring for roof-box/bike-rack duty.

Reviewers consistently call out contained body roll and composed, secure handling for the segment — not as sporty as a CX-5 or Escape, but a standout among mainstream compact SUVs.

Steering is precise and nicely weighted with usable feedback when the road winds, ranked among the best in the compact SUV class even if not class-leading overall.

No major complaints about pedal feel or stopping distances surfaced in contemporary reviews; braking performance reads as competent and unremarkable rather than a highlighted strength.

The 1.5L turbo-four paired with a CVT is generally smooth around town, but some turbo lag off the line and CVT drone under harder throttle keep it from feeling as refined as the best in class.

The turbocharged four-cylinder can become coarse and drone-y under hard acceleration due to the CVT holding higher RPM, audible but not offensive in normal driving.

A tight-for-class turning diameter consistent across 2021 CR-V trims and drivetrains.

A commanding but not overly high seating position, good sightlines, a wide range of power-seat adjustment on EX and up, and a logically laid-out dash make the CR-V easy to drive and easy to get in and out of.

Competent and pleasant to drive thanks to its handling and steering, but ultimately an appliance-like compact SUV rather than one enthusiasts seek out for its own sake.

Honda Sensing (adaptive cruise, AEB, lane-keep) is standard on every 2021 CR-V trim including base LX, a genuine advantage over rivals that gate ADAS to upper trims, but the LX still lacks Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and uses a small 7-in display, which rivals include lower in the range.

Class-leading cargo and passenger space, strong reliability reputation, and an efficient turbo-four (plus available hybrid) give solid content-per-dollar, offset by dated infotainment hardware versus newer rivals like the RAV4 and Sportage.

Four gas trims (LX, EX, EX-L, Touring) plus four parallel Hybrid trims, each available FWD or AWD (Hybrid is AWD-only), spanning roughly $25k-$37k.

The CR-V was the #2 best-selling compact SUV in the US for 2021 (behind only the RAV4) and ranked among the top 5 best-selling vehicles overall, continuing a decade-long run as a segment leader.

Honda carries strong mainstream trust for reliability and resale, a meaningful driver of satisfaction and residuals, though it is not an aspirational or premium-image brand.

2021 fell in the semiconductor-shortage era: CR-V inventory was constrained, Honda offered essentially no manufacturer rebates on the model, and dealers commonly sold at or above MSRP with markups on harder-to-find configurations.

2021 is the fifth generation (launched MY2017, facelifted for MY2020) in its next-to-last model year before the all-new sixth-generation CR-V arrives for MY2023 — a mid-to-late-cycle vehicle with a known redesign on the horizon.

The CR-V was a Car and Driver Editors' Choice selection every year from 2017 through 2022 and took a Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award in its class, reflecting consistent top-of-segment reviewer standing.