When I first saw the ZR-V, I thought I was looking at a Ford Puma. That’s not a bad thing, but I’d had a big night on the tiles and was the worse for wear.

Another look and quite clearly, the little Honda was a girl in her own right. She is a pretty as a picture, but considering the other kids in the sand box, she is a little short on the sports field. Honda reckons ZR-V attends the same class as a RAV4, but the teacher would be having a laugh. RAV4 is a trifle butcher, has AWD in several models, and combines her Cirque du Soleil talents with the hybrid loveliness that makes snow trips all warm and cosy. ZR-V on the other hand, is dainty and delicate, but that is also her strength.

I started the review feeling a little brought down by HR-V, with whom I had a strained friendship. ZR-V wins you over within seconds of meeting her. She is friendly and warm and welcoming.

Outside, she is not all big and blousy. She doesn’t scream, “look at moi ploise kimmoi.” Like Kath Day-Knight, ZR-V is still foxy, skimming the edge of fashion, which is another strength. Rather than cutting a swathe through what’s-good-now, ZR-V’s cunning design is demure and unassuming. She is reliable gal who wants to be comfy and cosy. She wants to be a car that always starts first push and isn’t so precious that you can’t pick up a mate sitting in the gutter after one too many.

The headlights across the range are Matrix LED, something Holden tried charging a grand for as an option on Astra. Where is Holden now?

18” wheels look noice, and there is keyless entry/start and a fancy lekky tailgate]

Download you specifications sheet HERE: Honda ZR-V Brochure

Video Review: 2023 Honda ZRV Hybrid Review – Fab car, but is it worth the money?#gaycarboys

2023 Viofo A119 Mini 2 dashcam unboxing and review

Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel 

ABOVE: 2023 Honda ZR-V

Inside:

The charismatic, cosy country-cottage look is not as obvious inside. But, I can imagine parked up at a lakeside bungalow, sipping a “Cardonay” (the “H” is silent), perched in the back end.

There is no spare tyre, so don’t get flats.

The Hybrid drivetrain is dead obvious once you cop a gander at the centre console. Some rando decided a bizarre button-push setup was a good idea to changes gears. What kind of flummery is this? The console is a 2-level jobbie that has a bin underneath, with room for a pony. OK, no pony, but some nifty USB outlets are stashed out of sight for a sneaky phone charge emergency. A Qi charger is up top, a perfect partner for wireless CarPlay.

Finally, the white-coated Honda blokes shoved a full LCD screen in for the driver, but just couldn’t resist the urge a bung in a couple of backlit metres either side for battery and fuel levels. I mean, REALLY? WTAF?  It would have been so easy to nick a 12 incher and glue that on instead.

The entertainment system is an OK-size touch scream that needs a hug every time you start the car. Android auto users have to suck eggs. Tough luck, you’re using a USB, while we iPhone users get the wireless loveliness that also makes essential use of the Qi charger. If you hook up to wireless CarPlay, your iPhone will drink like a drag queen.

There is a bunch of room in the back seat, and 4 of the 5 seats get heating, NOICE.

The Drive:

What a plucky lass ZR-V is, but she has no 4-paw drive. Why? just, WHY? even a tiny little electric motor in the back ight help. That immediately signs the depths warrant for many buyers.

OK, a smallish 5 seat Hybrid SUV is expensive at 55 grand for sure, but it is the total package that makes the difference.

The e-CVT is marginally better than the rubber-banded job they normally shoehorn into regular hybrids. I’m not sure the “e” makes that much difference.

135kw is not exactly perky, but 315Nm ballsy enough. The 0-100 time is….. no, there is no point, because it simply is not relevant. The ZR-V is not designed to corner at warp 9.99, giving all and sundry instant facelifts. Its multi-link rear end is a step up from the torsion beam nonsense in HR-V, and as such, gives the driver a feisty push through corners, more akin to cheeky sports car.

The steering, brakes, and acceleration are all gentle and cosseting, in a way that is familiar and warm, like your favourite slippers. Am I being a right old bastard? No, not a bit of it. It is my way of saying ZR-V was a peach, a love-hutch for two, a pearler for a weekend away.

The driver assist features are brilliant. Even the lane assistant works like a friend in the passenger seat, there to make sure you don’t balls things up. Once you turn on the smart cruise, and smart steer, the ZR-V watches out for you, like a nanny at a senior formal.

Even at stop/start peak hour school runs, it makes you feel soothed and zen by keeping everything on the road at a comfortable distance.

I could imagine doing a big road trip, letting ZR-V take me where she will. The Bose sound was a trifle disappointing if I’m honest. That just means you have to wind up the bass for a bit of boom boom, but the doof doof is quite some way off.

The 360­0 camera is the bomb! Selectable view gives you a bunch of options and if you hit something, you really do need to hand your license over. You’re too dangerous to be in the road.

Conclusion:

ZR-V is a peach, but an expensive one. There are 1.5 turbo cheapies, but even they aren’t all that cheap. Life is too short for that entry level nonsense. I like the champagne experience and if that means you have to fork over a few extra shekels, then so be it.

Is ZR-V e:HEV worth it? I am going to say yes.

I like the look. Is it as good as Toyota RAV 4, the segment leader? Oh man! That’s a tough call because different folks have different pokes. I reckon she is worth every penny because the drive is the feel. I like quirk, and the quirkier the better. I love an old Citroën DS, a vintage Holden HQ, even a cantankerous Volvo 1800P, but there is no sensible swap for good modern tech. I am so glad Honda ditched the “lanewatch” camera proper Blind Spot Monitor.

  • Price: $54,900 (range $40,200-$54,900)
  • Engine: 2.0L Hybrid
  • Trans: e-CVT
  • Econ: 5L/100k
  • Emissions: 115.2g/k, Euro 6b

More GayCarBoys Stories: