When it comes to shopping for a compact SUV, you have a ton of options to choose from. These include the trusty Honda HMC, +0.44% CR-V and the more rugged Subaru FUJHY, +2.25% Forester, both excellent choices in this class. Let’s take a closer look at their strengths and find the right SUV for you.
2022 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV that does nearly everything well. It’s safe, reliable, efficient, and spacious. It may not stand out from the crowd very much, but if you’re just looking for a practical SUV that you can trust, it’s hard to find fault in the CR-V. If you’d prefer an SUV with great fuel economy, consider the CR-V Hybrid. Pricing for the CR-V starts at $26,800.
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Honda CR-V highlights
Roomy interior: The Honda CR-V has one of the roomiest interiors in the compact SUV segment. It has two adult-friendly rows of seats with lots of legroom in the back. The CR-V also has a big cargo hold that can carry a lot of stuff while your passengers enjoy plenty of space. The CR-V boasts even more cargo room than the Forester, which is itself impressive in this respect.
Lively and efficient engine: The base turbocharged 4-cylinder engine under the hood of the Honda CR-V strikes an excellent balance of performance and efficiency. It produces 190 horsepower and has a combined fuel economy rating of up to 30 mpg. That makes it a little more powerful and efficient than the Forester.
Standard Honda Sensing: The Honda Sensing suite of driver assistance tech features comes standard on every CR-V. Honda Sensing bundles a collision mitigation braking system, a road departure mitigation system, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, and a lane-keeping assist system.
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2022 Subaru Forester
The Subaru Forester
Subaru
The Subaru Forester is a strong contender in the compact SUV segment. On the practical side, it’s spacious, good on gas, and earns the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. However, it also has the quirkiness that the Subaru brand is famous for, putting it a little outside of the mainstream. The starting price is at $25,895.
Subaru Forester highlights
Standard AWD: All-wheel drive (AWD) is a desirable feature for drivers in snowy climates and it comes standard on the Subaru Forester. This gives the Forester excellent all-season traction and respectable off-road capabilities. On most of the Forester’s rivals — including the CR-V — AWD is an option that costs extra.
Off-road-ready Wilderness trim: Every Subaru Forester is a decent off-roader, but the most rugged version is the Wilderness trim. The Forester Wilderness comes with many off-road features on top of the standard AWD system. It has 9.2 inches of ground clearance, all-terrain tires, dual-function X-MODE with hill descent control, water-repellent seats, and a rugged appearance package.
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Best-in-class resale value: The Subaru Forester has earned the 2022 KBB Best Resale Value Award for compact SUVs. We estimate that it holds 47.2% of its value after five years, which is the best of any SUV in its class. It also carries a low starting price that further adds to its value proposition.
Similarities
Similar sizing, similar starting price, good resale value, spacious interior, great safety scores, and continuously variable transmission.
Conclusion
The Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester are two great compact SUVs with different strengths. The CR-V is a well-rounded SUV that does nearly everything well, while the Subaru Forester is a more capable off-roader and more value-oriented with a lower starting price and better resale value.
Compare the specs:
| 2022 Honda CR-V | 2022 Subaru Forester | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 190 hp @ 5,600 rpm | 182 hp @ 5,800 rpm |
| Torque | 179 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm | 176 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Fuel Economy | 28 city/34 highway mpg | 26 city/33 highway mpg |
| Also Available | AWD, hybrid | |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 104.8 inches | 105.1 inches |
| Overall Length | 182.1 inches | 182.7 inches |
| Width | 73.0 inches | 71.5 inches |
| Height | 66.1 inches | 67.5 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 37.4 feet | 35.4 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 40.1 inches | 41.2 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 39.2 inches | 39.6 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.3 inches | 43.3 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 40.4 inches | 39.4 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 57.9 inches | 58.1 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 55.6 inches | 57.2 inches |
| Passenger Volume | 105.9 cubic feet | 111.6 cubic feet |
| Cargo Volume | 39.2 cubic feet | 28.9 cubic feet |
This story originally ran on KBB.com.