honda
CR-V
My, how the CR-V has grown. From humble beginnings sharing its mechanicals with the Honda Civic back in 1995, the sixth generation now on sale in Ireland could almost be considered a rival to larger SUVs such as the Hyundai Santa Fe – though the newest CR-V does not have the option of seven seats. Its five-seat cabin is spacious, however, and also of decent quality. Buyers can choose from two hybrid powertrains, one you plug in, one you don’t. The former is actually a little more affordable and can officially cover up to 80km on a charge.
The 1.5 engine is efficient, but it’s a bit too loud when you accelerate. It also has a tiny boot, but typical Honda quality
HR-V
Finally on sale in Ireland, having been available in the UK and Europe for several years now, the latest Honda HR-V is a compact, but very roomy, hybrid which arrives to take on the Toyota C-HR. Space in the cabin is very good and we love the clever flip-up back seats. The 1.5 engine is efficient, but it’s a bit too loud when you accelerate. It also has a tiny boot, but typical Honda quality.
Civic
The current Honda Civic is an extremely expensive car when you compare it to a Toyota Corolla hybrid, but then it also has much more interior and boot space than the Toyota and is more engaging to drive. The Civic has the potential for 4.5 litres per 100km or even better, and it has the usual sturdy Honda build and likely reliability.
e:NY1
In isolation, the Honda e:NY1 (yes, we know it’s a weird name – someone in marketing reckons it’s a cool way of saying “electric for anyone”) is not a bad car. It has a decent interior with buckets of rear space in particular (though a small boot), is of decent quality and its electric system is better than average in terms of efficiency. It’s also comfortable on the road, if a little aloof for our liking. The biggest issue, however, is that this car is significantly more expensive to buy than many others of the same size, never mind cars with an electric range greater than its 412km.
Jazz
Once upon a time, the Honda Jazz was very obviously a baby-MPV with a tall roof and a focus on lots of space within a small footprint. Now it’s a five-door hatchback, though admittedly one with a more versatile interior than most. Shame it’s priced comparably with cars in the class above, even when you take into consideration the efficient hybrid system. And the bizarre Crosstar model with its SUV-aping design add-ons doesn’t make it any more appealing.
ZR-V
The ZR-V makes sense once you realise it’s designed to slot in where the original Honda CR-V left off, ie it’s a Civic-sized crossover for everyday use. Oddly, the Toyota Corolla Cross came to mind when we drove the ZR-V, as they share a similar lightness of touch and feel, with power from an efficient hybrid setup. This is a good car, but it doesn’t quite feel worth the asking price.