[Kanban]

And the interior sounds like its somewhat lacking...

What’s missing from the interior, though, is any color or style, such as one finds in the Juke, the Renegade, and the 500X. Honda evidently thinks it will earn its style points with its two touch-screen interfaces, one for the climate control and a second for the audio/navigation system. They do look modern in an iPad kind of a way, but functionally they’re a disaster. It’s as if Honda were jealous of all the vitriol directed at MyFord Touch and Cadillac’s CUE and wanted to get some of that for itself. As in the Fit, the Display Audio system has no physical buttons, not even knobs for tuning or volume. Everything works through the touch screen (there are, blessedly, volume adjustments on the steering wheel with this system). It’s the same with the HVAC controls, where even turning the fan up or down requires taking your eyes off the road to stab at the screen. Only the entry-level LX gets a reprieve, in the form of an audio system with a smaller screen flanked by volume and tuning knobs.

But this is nice, my mother loves it in her Accord...

One compensating factor for the display audio is that cars so equipped get Honda’s LaneWatch, which provides a view toward the back along the right side of the vehicle; it’s activated with the right turn signal or manually via a button on the end of the stalk. All HR-Vs get a rearview camera as standard, even the base LX, which also includes A/C and Bluetooth for its impressively low, $19,995 starting price (add $800 for the CVT, then another $1250 for AWD).

 

[Topspot]

Pretty standard stuff for the Honda's. Most newer Honda's get the touch screen controls, which the reviews routinly hate. Interior is standard Honda, and all Honda's have rearview camera & bluetooth. Lanewatch is a nice upgrade, and standard on all EX and above newer Honda's

 

[scooterct]

Honda's new infotainment systems are widely reviled. I think we all expected this. And we've been talking about some of the weird interior design choices - that two-tone gray is really gaudy, and the foot long air vent - what were they thinking?

Still, it's not bad. Bad interior design seems to be a trend these days.

 

[Okhick]

Not a big apologist for the HRV. However, has anybody considered the wide air vent may be an attempt to slow air speed down while maintaining volume, thereby decreasing noise. Well its a thought anyway.
I like the two tone gray, far nicer than the usual Honda monotones......each to his own.

 

[Bicepeak]

Not a big apologist for the HRV. However, has anybody considered the wide air vent may be an attempt to slow air speed down while maintaining volume, thereby decreasing noise. Well its a thought anyway.
I like the two tone gray, far nicer than the usual Honda monotones......each to his own.

I did get to test out the air vents with the car running. It was actually pretty neat that the three segments it contained were dedicated for three different directions.....lots of control with air flow.

 

[Hondude]

I'm beyond glad the HR-V got the FIT's 3-mode rear view camera which the Civic only has on the SatNav trim (for whatever idiotic reason).

 

[tobyo25]

Hi, I just want to if the display is blurry when doing mirroring using iphone. The icon of my phone in the display is not smooth there is a shadow in the side of the icon. I went to honda they say its normal.

 

[Selden]

Not a big apologist for the HRV. However, has anybody considered the wide air vent may be an attempt to slow air speed down while maintaining volume, thereby decreasing noise. Well its a thought anyway.
I like the two tone gray, far nicer than the usual Honda monotones......each to his own.

Living in Georgia, summer heat is a concern. The huge volume of air delivered through the triple air vent cools the HR-V down very quickly in hot weather.

Re the HVAC controls: tempest in a teapot. The 2009 Fit controls (with physical knobs) remain the gold standard for me, usable in the dark with your eyes closed. That said, if you're going to have a touch screen UI for these controls, the HR-V approach isn't bad, as everything I need to do on a regular basis (temperature, A/C on/off, and direction of air is immediately at hand. There is not even any need to read the manual, as (to my eye) operation is self evident.

 

[jpmccormac]

HVAC Controls on '19 EX. Terrible Design.

Was looking at a neighbor's '19 HR-V EX today since I'm pondering an HR-V purchase. I was happy to see that Honda put a knob back on infotainment panel, but those HVAC touch screen controls are awful. At least the LX model has knobs to control the HVAC. What do EX owners think?

 

[Gizmogal]

I use “auto” climate control which means set it and forget it. I don’t change the temperature every few minutes so I don’t find the touch screen distracting. If I used manual instead of the auto climate control I’d have to direct the air flow, regulate the fan speed, and adjust the temp. Once I need to feel more of warm or cool, I have to change those adjustments again. But auto induces and holds the temperature I set, and it does adjust the fan, the flow source (footwell or dash vents, etc.) and keeps the cabin comfort consistent. I drive, it keeps me comfortable. I rarely reach out to touch it.

Climate control is easy enough and I don’t find it “awful”. In winter I want the cabin to get to about 70F and in hot summer I first vent the heat out thru the sunroof, then close it up and get climate control to deliver that same temp via air conditioning. Set the temp, start driving.

It’s a lot more convenient and less annoying than you’re judging just by looking at it. If I had to use knobs, I’d accept that, too. I don’t prefer the touch controls, but I don’t find them distracting or inconvenient when using the automatic setting for climate control. I have a 2017 EX AWD.

 

[jpmccormac]

Thanks for the thorough explanation. I may have gone off a bit half cocked. I will need to get some hands on with the HVAC on a test drive.

 

[hikendan]

I don’t mind the touch screen controls on the heating system since I have climate control. But I think touch screen controls on it and the infotainment were a mistake by Honda. Thank God for steering wheel audio controls. Try using a touch screen when you are disabled…or at night, or when you are driving. There is a good reason they went to a knob

 

[Phalkon30]

Was looking at a neighbor's '19 HR-V EX today since I'm pondering an HR-V purchase. I was happy to see that Honda put a knob back on infotainment panel, but those HVAC touch screen controls are awful. At least the LX model has knobs to control the HVAC. What do EX owners think?

I drive a manual transmission because I like tweaking and fiddling with things

After 3 years and 70k miles with my EX I found I almost never touch the controls unless my wife is in the car with me. There are days when the climate control freezes me out during the summer, but those are rare. I thought I'd hate the touchscreen, and while I'd rather have a button, it's fine.

The bigger touch screen was enough to push me to the EX, I use that way more than climate control.

 

[car4sooznd]

I have a 2017 EX and have no problems with the touch control HVAC screen I set the temp to 70 year round. I usually end up lowering the fan speed to three bars since it is noisy at the higher settings.

My one pet peeve is that the air flow seems to default to the "feet" setting when I would prefer the upper or combination upper & lower flow, so I find myself adjusting that when I start the car.

Other than that I rarely adjust any of the settings. I tended to tweak the knobs on my Honda Fit's temperature controls much more often than I do on the HRV's climate control.

 

[Phalkon30]

My one pet peeve is that the air flow seems to default to the "feet" setting when I would prefer the upper or combination upper & lower flow, so I find myself adjusting that when I start the car.

FYI, at least on the first Gen it's feet for heat, and body for cooling

 

[car4sooznd]

FYI, at least on the first Gen it's feet for heat, and body for cooling

Thanks Phalkon- since I use heat much more often than A/C I assume that is why I thought "feet". Much of the time I just want outside air and NOT A/C and it still seems to default to feet.

 

[Dammit]

On my EXL I set it and forget it for the most part. I might change it to be a tad cooler in the summer, but even at that I can use the voice commands to say "Set Temperature 71 degrees" and it is done. I can also turn on the defrost, or rear defrost with it. I guess I do touch the screen to change it back to auto after someone else drives it.