The Story Of My 2024 Honda CR-V Ownership

Earlier this year, I got myself a 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid SUV. I have to say, when you get one for yourself, you realize how right people are about Hondas. Previously I had a 2023 Volkswagen Atlas on lease for a year, it was peppy and handled very well. However, this year I decided to purchase a more efficient and reliable SUV for my family. 

The Atlas I had earlier, started showing its affection towards the mechanic quite often after a year. Now, that is something I’m not a fan of and neither is my family. Hence I went ahead and bought a 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid in this blue shade of paint that Honda calls “Still Night Pearl”. 

The 2024 CR-V’s First Impressions On Me

The first time I checked a Demo model of the 2024 CR-V Sport Touring, it had an impression of being a suitable family car without a ton of gimmicky features all around. As the sales guy showed me around, it felt like a very practical workhorse. 

The CR-V tries to keep things simple overall, and even the interior and dashboard has a similar attitude. It doesn’t feel very futuristic, but the design feels clean, and prominent. However, if there is something to hate about the CR-V, then it’d be the interior theme that’s only available in a dark shade. The black all around makes it feel way more cramped than it actually is. To be honest, it costs over $40,000, and having only one interior shade option, that too black, is not something one would expect. 

My Dealership Experience

Now, the dealership experience was quite flawless, except the financing part. I went to my nearest Honda dealership and asked them about the 2024 CR-V and they showcased almost all the models that were on offer. Even I got offered a few 2023 models with great discounts. But I stuck to the decision of getting the latest one as I’m spending a hell lot of money already for the hybrid. 

I found this blue shade quite attractive, but keep in mind that Honda charges $455 additionally for this color. Thankfully, the dealership offered me a very generous discount of $1,100 which made me happy enough to make a deal with them. 

Drive Experience

I travel a lot across the country, and in the last 7 months of my time with the 2024 Honda CR-V, I’ve clocked nearly 18,000 miles. This has taught me a lot about the CR-V and how it is different from the others, especially from the Atlas that I was driving last year. 

I usually drive at around 50-70 miles per hour, that’s my comfort zone. At such speeds, the engine in the CR-V remains silent and there’s barely any engine noise coming into the cabin. Since this uses a direct drive transmission, the rubber-band effect of the CVTs in Honda cars is non-existent. So you can easily do quick overtakes, the engine won’t start screaming all out. 

Thanks to the electric battery, the CR-V Hybrid feels a bit heavier and has a bit lower center of gravity, resulting in better stability over the non-hybrid models. Although, I still miss the handling and grip the Volkswagen Atlas used to offer. 

Overall, the CR-V Hybrid performs very well on the highways. However, the expected mileage figures claimed by Honda are far from reality. Maybe because I drive on the interstates mostly but it doesn’t make a huge difference to my Atlas. And that’s also a bit peppier on the go compared to the CR-V. 

The First Major Concern With My 2024 CR-V Hybrid

See, the USP of hybrid cars is to offer better efficiency at the end of the day. And for that, Honda avails the CR-V Hybrid with soft compound tyres which are known to increase efficiency. The downside is that my CR-V Hybrid has only done 18,000 miles, and the tires have worn out to such an extent that I have to replace them before I start a major trip. What adds more to it is the additional 300 lbs of curb weight compared to the regular CR-V, and that also affects the tyre life. 

So, be prepared to replace the tires earlier than usual. 

Would I Recommend You The 2024 CR-V Hybrid?

If you are in the market for a workhorse that is easy to maintain, offers hassle free ownership experience then the CR-V is definitely for you. However, if you crave for the most advanced tech on your car or the most premium experience in the segment or the most performance-oriented SUV, then the CR-V is not for you at all. I’d say the Kia Sportage and the Mazda CX-5 make more sense in that regard.