2016 Honda HR-V EX Long-Term Update 3: The Shifter, and an Interior Critique

My beloved Sedona was recently returned to Kia after our year loan (stay tuned for our verdict review), and it was time for me to move on to another ride. Our HR-V opened up, so associate road test editor Benson Kong asked me to be its new chaperone. I wanted something a bit more fun to replace the minivan. A small, nimble CUV with a manual sounded like fun, so I accepted.

First impressions

I like the design of the interior, but I think some parts of the interior look and feel a bit cheap. I took it to dinner with my girlfriend the first night I got it and asked how she liked my new long-termer. She was quite pleased at first sight but was quickly disappointed by the interior. I assured her it’s because it stickers for only $22,000. “Oh, all right. At least it isn’t trying too hard,” she responded backhandedly. The dash looks spartan, and things such as the fabric door panel inserts are not pleasing. I guess they’re better than just full plastic.

It’s a bit slow. Not as slow with a manual (1 second quicker than the CVT), but my old long-term Sedona minivan would smoke it in a straight line. You also really need to wind out the motor to get any kind of forward momentum. I wouldn’t usually mind doing that with a nice manual, but the motor itself is a bit trashy and loud. You don’t get a lot of road noise, but a good amount of engine noise seeps into the cabin. Freeway merging and cruising elicits annoying engine buzz. And about that transmission, the shifter itself is great. It’s a typical Honda manual shifter, but what I can’t stand is the plasticky sound it makes on every shift. Sounds like something out of a kid’s plastic building blocks set, which just makes the car feel even cheaper

Other than those initial complaints, it’s still a nice little SUV. Although it’s a bit cheap in places, the design of the interior itself it nice, and from what I can recall, it rides nicer than a Honda Fit. They share the same platform, but a higher ride height and fatter tires on the HR-V give it a nicer ride. It should be great for pothole-riddled L.A. roads.

More on our 2016 Honda HR-V here:

• Arrival
• Update 1: Making Friends and Influencing People
• Update 2: In its Element as a Quirky Box Replacement

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