cars news 10: 2016 Honda HR-V EX Long-Term Arrival: Collector’s Edition

Honda won’t do it, but they oughta market this little HR-V as a collector’s edition. Not all of them, mind you, just the ones with manual transmissions, like our new long-termer.

You should’ve been reading this months ago, and you would have if we’d taken the CVT-equipped HR-V that Honda so generously offered us. Instead, we decided to be enthusiasts (or if you prefer, difficult) and asked for a manual. Honda dealers are ordering so few manual HR-Vs that the company couldn’t just pull one off the line for us. There weren’t any. Honda had to order one and have it scratch built just for us. We should probably send them a card or something. Anyway, 50 years from now, the manual transmission HR-V will be rarer than hen’s teeth. Consider it an investment.

Our reasoning was twofold. First and foremost, the CVT-equipped HR-V is really, really slow. The manual model isn’t exactly a screamer at 8.5 seconds to 60 mph, but it’s still a full second ahead of the CVT model. Granted, the CVT model we tested was AWD and therefor about 200 pounds heavier, but it also has a traction advantage off the line, which matters with low rolling resistance tires. The second reason is far less nuanced. We just like driving manual transmissions whenever we can, which is increasingly rarely these days.

Going with the manual limited us to front-wheel drive and nothing fancier than the mid-grade EX trim level. Getting an EX netted us a number of niceties, such as heated front seats, automatic climate control, a larger touchscreen entertainment system with more speakers, Honda’s LaneWatch feature, a backup camera, a push-button starter, Pandora compatibility, and a moonroof. For $2,000 over the price of a base LX, it’s a pretty good deal. With an accessory luggage compartment cover and all-weather floormats, our tester came in at just $22,407.

I always say, better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. Especially with a manual.

The Herv, as I’ve taken to calling it, is already making good impressions around the office. Its Honda Fit chassis makes it a particularly good handler in its class, and Honda continues to be a leader in front-wheel drive manual transmissions. Despite our collective lead-footed driving style, it’s going long distances between fuel stops, and its cavernous-for-the-class interior has already come in handy helping to move a kitchen table, four chairs, and a coffee table all in one trip.

2016 Honda HR-V EX (Manual)
BASE PRICE	$22,165
PRICE AS TESTED	$22,407
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE	1.8L/141-hp/127-lb-ft SOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	6-speed manual
WHEELBASE	102.8 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	169.1 x 69.8 x 63.2 in
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	25/34/28 mpg
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY	135/99 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.68 lb/mile