2015 Honda CR-V review: Staying at the top of the game

Even though the Honda CR-V lacks seductive lines and even nuances of excitement, it’s one of my favorite crossover SUVs. Sure, it lacks the agility of the CX-5, or cabin refinement of a Ford Escape; but the engine, chassis and suspension are dialed in to velvet-smooth satisfaction. Top that with everyday practicality, and it’s one of the highlights of Honda’s lineup.

Sales figures show that I’m not alone with that sentiment, and it has consistently been the top seller in the segment in spite of the stiffening competition. Escape sales have been creeping closer to the CR-V, even if it’s no immediate threat in taking the sales crown. Yet Honda has recently been aggressive with its mid-cycle refreshes, starting with the 2013 Honda Civic, and when the company invited me to drive the updated 2015 CR-V, it promised a “major minor refresh.” Getting behind the wheel, I didn’t feel a big change, but the biggest improvement was something that didn’t show in the half-day press drive.

The highlight of this reworked compact crossover is its 2.4-liter directed-injected four-cylinder, which at first glance isn’t newsworthy considering it makes the same 185 hp as last year’s model. The peak power comes lower though, at 6,400 rpm versus 7,000 rpm, and max torque increases by 18 ft-lb to 181. It’s paired with a “sporty” CVT, which only reveals its true colors when you floor the ute and hear that slurry drone as it hangs in the higher revs. That said, the engine is quieter, a bit more responsive, and the “shifts” are quicker than the old five-speed automatic.

Even with more midrange pep, the engine’s still as exciting as a high-tech dishwasher. But the biggest change is the fuel economy, which you can’t appreciate when you’re driving it on manufacturer-sponsored outing spending someone else's dime on gas. The 2WD models get 27/34 city/highway mpg, a noticeable bump from the 2014’s 23/31 mpg. All-wheel-drive models get 26/33 city/highway mpg versus the previous year’s 22/30 mpg. That puts it at the head of the pack; although others like the Nissan Rogue or base-model Mazda CX-5 make similar fuel economy figures, none do so with 185 horsepower on tap. And unlike some of its competitors, the fuel efficiency doesn’t come by putting a wet blanket over throttle response.

Honda also promised more responsive driving, but I was debating with my co-driver whether it was a net improvement. We both agreed that the high-end Touring trim starting at $31,520 felt busier in ride quality (possibly due to the 18-inch wheels), while the EX-L similarly required minute steering adjustments to keep it going straight. It’s more responsive and feels less numb, but the differences are all subtle—like the marginally quieter road noise.

The most obvious changes are visual. It adopts the Solid Wing or H-face front-end first seen on the all-new Fit, which Honda oversells in Japanese marketing-speak as “exciting H design!!!” Whatever it’s called, I like the cleaner 2014 fascia better. The “high-tension” grill looks out of place, as though the company hired Klingons to tweak the front end. If this is the company’s idea of an “expressive face,” I prefer the blander renditions from 2005.

Step inside the cabin and the experience improves. A classier soft-touch material stretches across the length of the dash, accented by plastic trim that’s more believably metallic. Passengers in the back seats benefit from rear ventilation, too. The interior still feels busy though, because of all the different textures and hues of greys and blacks; you still have the flimsy high-gloss black door panels, which don’t quite blend with the matte-finish dash, as well as silver door trim that’s rougher than the brushed console trim, which is also different from the chrome door handles. It’s a pleasant place to be in, but the tweaks aren’t enough to catch up to the quality of the CX-5 or Escape.

There’s also a lot of Acura tech that’s trickled down into the 2015 model, with more acronyms to memorize than in an F-16 flight manual. Lumped together as Honda Sensing, it includes: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Forward Collision Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), LaneWatch (camera).

If that sounds overwhelming, it is — futzing with the different buttons, I never quite knew which system was on and what was off. The Lane keeping system works between 45 and 90 mph, but to keep you on your toes the lane warning system works between 40 and 90 mph, whereas CMBS works at 40 mph and under. It hurt my brain remembering the differences, but bottom line is I never fully trusted the system. Unlike other ACC systems, it can’t decelerate to a full stop, and with LKAS it can ping-pong inside the lane. Although drivers should be paying attention to the road anyways, the experience isn’t as autonomous as in a Hyundai Genesis.

Then again, the CR-V needed little help to begin with. For shoppers, its segment-leading fuel economy, decent power and well-tuned chassis will keep it at the top of the list for years to come—because even with funky styling and sleepy dynamics, Honda once again plays to its strengths as an engineering-based company.

Disclosure: For this article, the writer’s transportation, meals and lodging costs were paid for by one or more subjects of the article. Yahoo does not promise to publish any stories or provide coverage to any individual or entity that paid for some or all of the costs of any of our writers to attend an event.