Honda ZR-V - Civic Crossover (ENG) - Test Drive and Review

[@kevinn1158]

What's a Friday without a Marek review??? It would be a very empty day. Thanks Marek.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Thank you for being here with me!

[@zijadjasarspahic5275]

Agree.

[@johnmorris6344]

I have had an advance since last week and I love it. Same colour as this (still night blue) and it's the best all round car I have ever had and i have had brand new cars since 1999.... Since 2014....Fiesta ecoboost, 2015 ibiza FR ST, 2018 qashqai n-connecta, 2020 Ateca FR, 2021 Ateca FR sport DSG, 2023 Megane etech Techno.... this is a proper car with every luxury I need!! Heated back seats as an example. Lovely

[@MarekDrivesENG]

If heated seats make this a luxury car, try top trim Dacia Sandero :)

[@johnmorris6344]

@MarekDrivesENG full leather, opening panoramic roof, powerful 12 speaker Bose system, power seats with memory, leather trim all around inside, HUD, so comfortable and drive so quiet and smooth..... now does your dacia have any of that? Nope.... didn't think so. We'll that's me not watching you again. Dacia..... lmao!! May as well have bought a skip!!

[@johnmorris6344]

@MarekDrivesENG heated back seats..... back seats... understand now?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

In that case mid-spec KIA Sportage.

[@johnmorris6344]

@@MarekDrivesENG you're just a sarcastic muppet. 🙄 and terrible at what you do!!! Go and get a real job

[@darkside924]

"Hybrid kicked in YO"

[@SueThompson-bd5bp]

Love my Advance, there’s nothing not to like 😊

[@panosseretis6144]

Αnd what about road noise?

[@MongoPayne]

There is next to none, no idea what this reviewer is on about, mine is very quiet even at high speeds, my only complaint is the small boot

[@nnhub007]

Fair and good review

[@Schaneification]

What will get you mad is the all wheel drive top spec in the States is cheaper than the Base ZR_V in Europe .

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Most cars are cheaper in the US. European VAT, excise, etc.

[@Schaneification]

@@MarekDrivesENG Yes almost 2 times as Much !

[@fordgalaxie3726]

The ZR-V is definitely overpriced in Europe, but that can be said for all Honda models now!

[@NaderElAssy]

Hi Marek, I have the ZRV in the middle east and the Apple CarPlay runs wirelessly, no need to plug the phone in.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

I heard from someone there's an option in the settings to turn that on (also for AA).

[@fordgalaxie3726]

@@MarekDrivesENGYes, the HR-V has the same infotainment, and you can switch to wireless Android Auto in the settings. Although Honda does not tell you (they sell it as "wireless CarPlay, wired Android Auto").

[@vladmihai306]

@@fordgalaxie3726 probably because the experience with android auto, wireless, is not as polished

[@NigelRudyard]

Excellent review. This is what the HRV should have been. The HRV is terribly buzzy (I own a Jazz, so I'm not being snotty about it). Hondas are getting quite expensive here.

[@vadimtres]

Thank you! Almost thought I should buy it… before I watched a video. But ok, should go for a test drive anyway.

[@vladmihai306]

test drove one. pretty nice car, but all your findings are kinda true, so it doesn't feel like an instant buy. Especially the price is too high

[@MongoPayne]

Mine doesn't have any noise issues and I know many owners and none have had any issues with noise at speed.

[@Vitalij_R2]

Thanks, a nice car

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Glad you like it!

[@takuan650]

Well, nice to see nice to forget. 48 Grand ?? For this ?? Enjoy Your ramblings though.

[@michaelhenning3230]

13 May 2024 - According to my dealership the only way to stop the beeping is to switch off the traffic sign recognition system. i.e. set display to none.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

So they haven't updated the system.

[@oxi_tyxaios]

As an old Honda fan, I can only say Honda has been steadily losing the plot over the last few years (well over a decade). - no 4WD on HR-V or ZR-V in Europe. End of story for me. - the Civic has now practically become the Accord or worse, at 4.67m!!!!! (my 8th gen was a reasonable 4.25m)

[@alliejr]

The US version would be "oh-kay" if we got the hybrid. We don't :-( I miss the old Fit/Jazz... that was a cute mini.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Yeah, I don't get it. The Honda Architecture (HA) platform is like VW's MQB. It should be able to accommodate hybrid and/or AWD in all models. This is not a small car. It's just badly packaged.

[@BillyNoMates1974]

looks nice but its nothing new. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV had the exact same set up.

[@Sha-Ayo]

The main problem is the cost, this car in the UK costs more than the RAV4

[@robinwilliams3420]

How is this the top speck model with a honeycomb grill ..... this grill is on the sport model .

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Europe vs. US?

[@robinwilliams3420]

@@MarekDrivesENG UK

[@MarekDrivesENG]

OK, so my test car was the top spec Advance (cutaways in autumn scenery), but the car with German plates (sunny weather) with a honeycomb grille you see in some of b-roll cutaways must be a Sport. Well spotted.

[@AlexandruHasegan]

Nice but I still think that the HR-V is much better in many ways than the ZR-V.

[@maredox]

Not that long ago for 49k€ you could buy something from Premium trio...in higher trims..

[@tkr7100]

Honda suffers from a lack of appreciation in Europe. Civic and Jazz are the best cars in their class now when you look at the tests. Honda's hybrid system is the best on the market. You should be aware of its operation. Others have gearboxes in their systems, which I don't understand myself. Especially if it's a PHEV. I understand that the ZR-V isn't class-leading. The small boot and the lack of four-wheel drive are disadvantages. If you can live with them, the ZR-V is indeed a high-quality and great product, especially thanks to its hybrid system and great interior. You have to understand the technology before you can judge, maybe then the talk about the price will stop. You can buy entry level Kia and praise its price, but at the same time forget to mention what it lacks or how its technology is implemented. Yep, Honda hybrids have wireless AA and carplay, at least from the hidden menu.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Actually I'd rather get a loaded KIA Sportage (HEV or PHEV). It costs roughly the same, and is a better car.

[@fordgalaxie3726]

@@MarekDrivesENG Check again after 10 years on the road.....

[@tkr7100]

@@MarekDrivesENG "a better car" comment would certainly require a little more justification because it is not so straight forward. At least technically Kia is far behind. By building a gearbox between the electric motor and the combustion engine, it proves that the design has gone from where the fence is lowest. Toyota's Planetary gear set is also better. No transmission can be better than direct drive with an electric motor. That's just the truth. Honda e:hev with LSC is the best technology available. It is smooth and responsive in a way that automatic gearbox never can be and reliability is totally in another level. In terms of fuel consumption, Kia gets to the same level but cannot beat Honda. Now we are talking about driving on the test track and consumption measured with a flow meter. E-power is quite similar system but it lacks off LSC and it is not so economy. Honda has done something right!

[@antcally1285]

I've driven both the kia sportage and the honda zrv this week, (amongst a few other cars) and the sportage was the worst of the lot, horrible thing, worst of all my test drives, didn't like it at all, the Honda was much better for me.

[@manuelrusu7052]

In Romania with 48 k euro you can buy a Cupra Formentor VZ 300. 😱

[@DennisDelany-z3t]

Sporer Extensions

[@shroomyesc]

This is genuinely one of the least interesting new cars released in a long time, which is a shame, because I quite like the current Jazz and HR-V. They look cute and stylish, and the HR-V has it's charm despite not being that practical. The Civic is very practical. This is just car.jpeg

[@fordgalaxie3726]

I find the HR-V enormously practical. Just buy a roofbox for holiday travel.

[@AlexandruHasegan]

I have Jazz and I'm loving it. In my opinion the HR-V is much more practical than the ZR-V, it has magic seats, bigger boot, better rear seats and nice central console.

[@laupakhin]

Thanks for the review Marek :) Honda seem to have gotten a little bit of their mojo back with some of their recent cars, but I think this one is a bit of a miss. The ZR-V seems to just be a Civic but not as good? It's playing in a tough market segment too, so hard to say whether this will be a success or not for Honda. I do find the way that Honda's hybrid system works interesting though, as I understand it's kind of like the system GM had in the Volt, only with a much smaller battery?

[@MarekDrivesENG]

I suppose it's the same principle. Also Mitsubishi Outlander has a similar powertrain (with a bigger traction battery, like the Volt).

[@nikolayrayanov2895]

I think Honda call it "zi ar vi", similar to CR-V :)

[@MarekDrivesENG]

The Americans call it zeewhatever, because the Americans don't know how to speak English :)

[@samwhite8093]

Dear god that front end!

[@worrywart1311]

Any response from god?

[@principsus]

Honda started to produce ugly cars. Congrats!

[@hookjames4426]

it's too expensive for what it is

[@tudoriusmaximus]

That boot is a joke

[@meljones7066]

As a fan of Honda cars, I am disapointed with the ZRV, just not enough boot space, my 2017 HRV beats it by miles, and Honda`s are now so expensive.

[@smncosmin]

Annoying noise... Oh... Music...

[@JuliusWill-y4w]

Davis Steven Moore Frank Lee Eric

[@system11yt]

The EU mandated harassment systems are far too overbearing now. Allegedly in 2025 it will become impossible to turn off lane assist. I can see there being a market in car mods to disable it, it's generally an awful disempowering feature, and occasionally dangerous.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Those mods are becoming increasingly difficult to implement, because the cars are online, and tend to revert to the current software version. Also, modifying software is likely to void your warranty. A lot of hacking opportunities, once the car is out of warranty though.

[@averyj8160]

Honda took production of Civic from UK back home to China. Then bring this built in China on a Civic platform … insult.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

Actually Honda is a Japanese company, so "back home to China" isn't accurate.

[@fordgalaxie3726]

@@MarekDrivesENG The ZR-V (European version) is built in China, the HR-V in Japan.

[@owaisakhter2673]

@@fordgalaxie3726Not correct. ZR-V is completely made in Japan 🇯🇵. Check your knowledge about cars made or assembled before any comment about them.

[@averyj8160]

My mistype. Meant to put back to Japan.

[@averyj8160]

@@owaisakhter2673 I’ll go and tell my local Honda dealer to remove the Made in China makers plate then. Get your facts right.

[@dalibormilic139]

Only thing not utterly boring about this car is how ugly it is