Family Car Review: 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid

How big is the boot of the new 2024 Honda CR-V hybrid?

The boot of the 2024 Honda CR-V hybrid is a decent size. It will hold thirteen shopping bags, which is one more than the previous model Honda CR-V which held twelve. The Nissan X-Trail hybrid also fits 13 bags, and the Toyota RAV4 hybrid and Subaru Forester hybrid both hold 15 bags.

The LeclercBaby Influencer XL one-hand fold stroller fits nicely in the boot of the 2024 Honda CR-V, with the bassinet for those families with infants, with room for six bags of shopping beside it.

The LeclercBaby Influencer XL one-hand fold stroller fits in the boot of the 2024 Honda CR-V, with room for ten bags of shopping.

The LeclercBaby Influencer XL one-hand fold stroller fits nicely in the boot of the 2024 Honda CR-V, with room beside it for eleven bags of shopping…

…and with its compatible Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule installed into the 2024 Honda CR-V.

Or a twin side-by-side pram will fit in the boot of the 2024 Honda CR-V hybrid with six bags of shopping beside it.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as the kids lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The boot floor in the Honda CR-V is carpeted and flat, making it comfortable for an emergency nappy change and transporting a medium/large size family dog.

How good is the storage inside the 2024 Honda CR-V?

Storage in the front of the Honda CR-V is good; in the central console, there are two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and in front of the gear lever is a wireless phone charging tray and USB, USB-C and 12V sockets.

The central console box, underneath the armrest, is a generous size and has a moveable little tray in the top.

The glove box is a good size and will hold my wallet and iPad with the big manual.

There is a glasses case in the ceiling that doubles as a conversation mirror. This is a great feature for a family car so you can keep an eye on your little rear passengers while driving without having to turn your head away from the road.

The door bins in the front of the 2024 Honda CR-V are very generous in size and will hold a wallet and iPad with a refillable water bottle. There are storage wells in the door handles too.

Rear passengers are also well-catered for. With two cup holders in the central fold-down armrest that fit reusable or disposable coffee cups for older passengers or a child's drink cup will fit in there too.

Map pockets on the back of both front seats will hold and conceal an iPad or book.

The rear doors bins will hold a large and small water bottle and the handle wells are great little storage areas too for kids toys or snacks.

How noisy is the new 2024 Honda CR-V hybrid? How good is the media system in the 2024 Honda CR-V?

The 2024 Honda CR-V hybrid is a quiet SUV to start and drive at slow speeds. I find this helps families have a calmer, quieter start to their drive as there are fewer sensory noises going on at the same time as the usual kid chaos. The ride is smooth, and there are few unnecessary beeps and whistles.

The media system in the 2024 Honda CR-V is very easy to use and navigate.

Within the settings you can customise the sound…

… which is often something that needs altering to keep all the family happy.

Being a hybrid you can see your power flow and range in the media screen also.

The Honda CR-V has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can access your phone's, messaging, listening and navigation and apps while driving.

The reversing cameras fill the whole media screen in the 2024 Honda CR-V which is fantastic; the image is slightly pixelated but easy for parking and maneuvering.

There are different viewing angles, and you can turn the parking sensors off with a button positioned by the driver's right knee.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The indicators are not too loud in the Honda CR-V, and you can lock the doors and windows separately using the buttons on the driver's door control panel.

The Honda CR-V has a regular gear leaver even in the top-spec models, so this is a good option for drivers who fear the new rotary dials and button gears.

How many child seats fit in the new 2024 Honda CR-V?

When it comes to installing child seats in the new 2024 Honda CR-V, there are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats; they are within plastic guides and are nice and easy to connect to.

For the two outer rear seats, there are top tether anchorages on the back of the seatbacks that are easily accessible through the boot…

…and the central seat top tether anchorage is in the ceiling near the boot opening.

Three Infasecure child seats fit across the rear seats of the 2024 Honda CR-V. It is a tight fit, so you will need to test your child seat combination first. I installed three of the slimmest child seats on the market: the Infasecure Achieve More and Momentum More forward-facing and the Infasecure Adapt More infant capsule rear-facing.

The 2024 Honda CR-V is a fantastic car for tall families, leg room is very generous and with a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule installed we could fit a 186cm driver or a taller driver in front of a forward-facing Infasecure Achieve More child seat.

Posting Bub into their child seats in the back from inside and outside the CR-V is nice and easy. The door openings are big and wide, and there is plenty of interior space.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

I found there is room to feed Bub in the back with a child seat installed and I could sit beside two child seats in the back.

How comfortable is the new 2024 Honda CR-V? And How good is the new 2024 Honda CR-V to drive?

The front seats of the 2024 Honda CR-V are comfortable and easily adjustable. You can adjust the headrests using the buttons on the side of them.

The seats are very comfortable for a mum travelling in the back with Bub. There is no big hump in the central footwell, so sitting in the central seat is comfortable with good kick room.

I found I could sit beside two child seats in the back.

The front and rear seats have perforated leather in the central panels, which could trap kids' crumbs and spills. You can put a spill mat down underneath your child seats to protect your cars's upholstery.

For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel in the 2024 Honda CR-V is fully adjustable in/out and up/down. The cruise controls are on the right set of controls on the steering wheel and are easy to use.

The honeycomb grille across the entire length of the dashboard of the Honda CR-V hides four air-conditioning vents; two below the media screen and one at either end of the dash…

The are air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box to keep rear passengers comfortable too.

There are climate control dials on the dash above the gear lever.

There are handles above both rear doors that are well-positioned to hang a toy for little rear-facing passengers. The rear interior light is positioned above the central second-row seat and not reachable by the driver whilst driving.

I have found our kids do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

Visibility is pretty good in the new 2024 Honda CR-V and the rearview camera really helps with parking and maneuvering.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Honda CR-V was simple to park as the visibility with and cameras are good!

How safe is the 2024 Honda CR-V?

The 2024 Honda CR-V has yet to be given an ANCAP safety rating. It comes with eleven airbags as standard, including dual knee and side airbags for front passengers, side airbags for second-row passengers and head-protecting curtain airbags for second-row passengers in the five-seater models, and they extend to the third-row seats in the seven-seter models. There is also a central airbag between the driver and the front passenger.

As standard, all models of the 2024 Honda CR-V come with adaptive cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive driving beam headlights, auto high-beam, forward collision warning (FCW), Honda sensing, lane departure warning (LDW), lane keep assist (LKA), low-speed braking control, low speed follow, LED active cornering lights, road departure mitigation system, traffic jam assist and traffic sign recognition.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when my daughters are asleep!