[TrueNorth]

Reviews of the Honda HR-V have been generally positive, but I am getting some conflicting messages about one aspect of the crossover -- its back seat head room.

Some reviews that I read for the Honda HR-V say that the Honda HR-V is the most spacious vehicle in its class.

Car Connection says:

Front-seat comfort is great, but it really shines in the back seat, where adults have plentiful head and leg room. The HR-V also sports the Honda "Magic Seat," which folds and flips the second-row seat like a lawn chair if need be, all in the name of freeing up multiple storage and seating configurations. Behind the front seats, Honda says the HR-V has 58.8 cubic feet of storage space, or 24.3 cubic feet behind the second-row seat--but with the Magic Seat, it's far more flexible than any of its rivals.

This all sounds great, and I do believe that as far as leg room goes, the HR-V probably is top notch. What I am more concerned about is the back seat head room.

The Honda HR-V has a coupe style sloping roof. This sloping roof combines with the invisible rear doors to make for a very sporty look. That sloping roofline should also take away some of the head room for the HR-V's taller back seat passengers.

Autoomobile says:

While it looked great, the sloping roof design also means that the back passenger will now have to deal with the low roofline of the car. Honda did try to make it better by giving the passengers for legroom by reducing the size of the storage space.

So I am curious what people's personal experiences with the HR-V are. If you are tall, could you fit comfortably in the back seat?

 

[jim-b]

It appears that half of the reviewers have never seen the car in person. In any event we'll all find out soon. One more week and we'll be able to try it on for ourselves and make our own judgments.

 

[scooterct]

I'm 5'9", and I sat in the HRV rear seats a month back at NYC. They were OK. It's not a car that feels huge inside - it feels like, surprise, a subcompact CUV. I've sat in all the competitors save the CX3. I ain't buying a Renegade, but it gets the trophy for the car that feels bigger than it is - front and back seats. Big cubes with wheels will do that.

One thing I was able to do at NYC that was priceless. With a few steps, I could sit in the Renegade, then sit in the Soul, then sit in the HRV, and so on. A major auto show is the best way to go car shopping.

 

[Werechull]

Per the specs, it has 39.5" front headroom without a moonroof, 37.6" front headroom with a moonroof, 38.3" rear headroom (with or without moonroof). If the specs are correct, rear headroom should be fine.

That autoomobile.com article you linked to seems to be based purely on pictures. Judging by the last line "Honda announced that they will be sending the new Honda HRV Crossover Fit into production and that the production will start very soon." it's either very old or they don't know what they're talking about. I'd put more credence in the views of reviewers who've actually sat in it.

 

[MNhrv]

The video from Everyman Driver showed an indent in the roof to accommodate head room for the tall.

 

[bwilson7472]

I am 6'4" and I fit perfectly. Lots of head room and leg room.

 

[scooterct]

There's maybe an implied question "does it feel big back there". Having sat in one at NYC, my answer is "no it does not". It actually has good room, but psychologically it feels small back there compared to sitting in a few other cars in the same class (Soul and Renegade). You feel a bit enclosed by the roofline plunging down around you, by the high beltline, and by the fact that your eyes are really close to the headliner - courtesy of that "roof scoop".

I can say that with some authority because at the show I walked back and forth a few times between the Renegade, Soul and HRV, comparing how each felt front and back. HRV was the most claustrophobic. Renegade was the best. So if the question is "will tall people bump their heads or knees". Nope. If the question is "will they FEEL comfortable on a long ride". Nope. Unless they like enclosed spaces.

Having just dissed the back seat of the HRV, let me compensate by saying - I had exactly the opposite experience in the front. The dashboard slopes away from you and it feels the airiest of the three up front.

 

[Bicepeak]

Per the specs, it has 39.5" front headroom without a moonroof, 37.6" front headroom with a moonroof, 38.3" rear headroom (with or without moonroof). If the specs are correct, rear headroom should be fine.

That autoomobile.com article you linked to seems to be based purely on pictures. Judging by the last line "Honda announced that they will be sending the new Honda HRV Crossover Fit into production and that the production will start very soon." it's either very old or they don't know what they're talking about. I'd put more credence in the views of reviewers who've actually sat in it.

Werechull,
That moon roof head room is mentioned in the training manual, but not the without moon roof headroom. Wherever did you find it?
Thanks!

 

[Bicepeak]

There's maybe an implied question "does it feel big back there". Having sat in one at NYC, my answer is "no it does not". It actually has good room, but psychologically it feels small back there compared to sitting in a few other cars in the same class (Soul and Renegade). You feel a bit enclosed by the roofline plunging down around you, by the high beltline, and by the fact that your eyes are really close to the headliner - courtesy of that "roof scoop".

I can say that with some authority because at the show I walked back and forth a few times between the Renegade, Soul and HRV, comparing how each felt front and back. HRV was the most claustrophobic. Renegade was the best. So if the question is "will tall people bump their heads or knees". Nope. If the question is "will they FEEL comfortable on a long ride". Nope. Unless they like enclosed spaces.

Having just dissed the back seat of the HRV, let me compensate by saying - I had exactly the opposite experience in the front. The dashboard slopes away from you and it feels the airiest of the three up front.

You pictured exactly the sensation I felt when I sat in the backseat of a moon roof HR-V. That is why I am anxious to see what an LX is like!

 

[idearat]

Great review, Scooterct, thanks! Since I'll almost never have anyone back there, a bit of claustrophobic feeling doesn't concern me. Sounds like my wife and I will find the cockpit comfortable.

 

[leavenfish]

Great review, Scooterct, thanks! Since I'll almost never have anyone back there, a bit of claustrophobic feeling doesn't concern me. Sounds like my wife and I will find the cockpit comfortable.

I have yet to see anyone address this point in a review. How high is the arm rest? I ask because my 2006 Civic is fine...too many car's I've tried out recently have that arm rest so low that you would have to slouch and that's not very comfortable.

 

[Dammit]

I have yet to see anyone address this point in a review. How high is the arm rest? I ask because my 2006 Civic is fine...too many car's I've tried out recently have that arm rest so low that you would have to slouch and that's not very comfortable.

There is no center armrest in the back of the HRV.

I am only 5'10", but have very short legs. Many cars, including the Suburu line up, I can't sit in the front with a sunroof. I sit very comfortably in both front and back positions in the EXL.

 

[Autonation Sean]

It boils down to the position of the back seat because it does recline. We had a taller sales associate try out the back seat and initially his hair was scraping the ceiling but after we adjust the back seat slightly there was a ton of headroom.

 

[TrueNorth]

So it probably isn't a huge deal unless you are really tall. Not the best, but by far not a huge problem.

 

[idearat]

There is no center armrest in the back of the HRV.

...except in the Canadian EX-L. Just to be picky... and a bit smug.

 

[dwarfboy81]

So I'm going to ask this now:

Has anyone tested the car with people in the back seat? Because of the sloped roof, how good is the visibility out of the rear window with people's heads in the way?

Linked is Consumer Report's review (and a screenshot attached). At ~1:40 he addresses my concern.


full video: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/driving-the-2016-honda-hr-v/index.htm

I'm interested to see if anyone has any comment/review on this.
Thanks

 

[scooterct]

>> how good is the visibility out of the rear window with people's heads in the way?

I think a much better question might be - is there ANY CUV out there that has good rear visibility. If there is, I haven't met it yet (I haven't driven Subarus yet, so I can't comment on them). My Soul has poor rear visibility. Sitting in the HRV at an auto show - it had poor rear visibility. I found the Renegade had poor rear visibility. Juke has horrific rear visibility. Haven't been inside a Subaru, so I can't comment on them.

I guess good rear visibility went out of style about thirty years ago? I'm all ears if somebody's found one - I'd go test drive any CUV today if I was reliably told it had awesome rear visibility.

Anybody know of a CUV (not SUV) with great rear visibility? Enlighten those of us in ignorance.

 

[mwd]

There is no center armrest in the back of the HRV.

...except in the Canadian EX-L. Just to be picky... and a bit smug.

Where is the dislike button??

 

[Autonation Sean]

Does this answer your question?

http://www.hrvforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3041&thumb=1

 

[leavenfish]

But...when sitting in the drivers seat, does the armrest come forward enough and is tall enough so that you can actually rest your arm on the arm rest?