{"id":2140,"date":"2025-07-10T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/?p=2140"},"modified":"2025-07-24T15:28:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:28:28","slug":"the-honda-cr-v-trailsport-is-all-looks-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/10\/the-honda-cr-v-trailsport-is-all-looks-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Honda CR-V TrailSport Is All Looks: Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Off-roading is officially a craze. Every automaker has some ruggedized variant of its small, medium, and large SUVs, while others go even harder with off-road trucks that are genuinely capable of huge jumps and rock crawling alike.<\/p>\n

Honda entered this arena with the Pilot, Ridgeline, and Passport TrailSport\u2014now the company is expanding to even more of its SUVs. Meet the CR-V TrailSport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"2026
\nPhoto by: Chris Rosales \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

\"2026
\nPhoto by: Chris Rosales \/ Motor1<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Quick Specs<\/strong><\/td>\n2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine<\/strong><\/td>\n2.0-Liter Inline-Four Hybrid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Output<\/td>\n204 Horsepower \/ 247 Pound-Feet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fuel Economy<\/td>\n40 Highway \/ 34 City \/ 37 Combined<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price \/ As Tested<\/td>\n$32,315 \/ $40,650<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

TrailSport is Honda speak for off-roading, in the same vein as Subaru\u2019s Wilderness line or Toyota\u2019s TRD Off-Road trim. In the case of the Passport TrailSport (which we drove just recently<\/a>), Honda went through significant effort to reinforce the unibody SUV with upgraded control arms, hubs, and subframe mountings to make the Passport more durable off-road. It even has skid protection.<\/p>\n

The Ridgeline and Pilot, meanwhile, both get skid plates, off-road cameras, and retuned suspension to achieve the same effect. And all of them get Honda\u2019s torque-vectoring VTM-4 all-wheel drive system.<\/p>\n

The CR-V TrailSport doesn\u2019t get as much. Instead, the compact SUV gains a silver front skid garnish, embossed headrests, hill-descent control, and a set of Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires. No extra underbody protection, no suspension lift, and no meaningful increase in the CR-V’s base durability.<\/p>\n

\"2026
\nPhoto by: Chris Rosales \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

\n

Pros: Same On-Road Manners As Normal CR-V, Comfortable Off-Road, Decent Fuel Economy<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Really, this is little more than an appearance package that comes with a brace of luxury features: Heated steering wheel, power tailgate, a 10.2-inch gauge cluster (new to the 2026 CR-V), and orange ambient lighting. The CR-V TrailSport also benefits from an updated traction-control system for all all-wheel drive CR-V models that now manages grip below 9 miles per hour for trickier situations.<\/p>\n

While the lack of actual ruggedization is disappointing, the CR-V TrailSport is capable enough for the kind of off-roading most folks will do. Taking it on Honda\u2019s pre-marked courses demonstrated that, with a little thinking, the CR-V can make it up some moderate climbs and clamber over mild obstacles.<\/p>\n

The CR-V relies heavily on traction control, ABS, and good car positioning. But I wouldn\u2019t rely on it for more than a slight berm or a steep hill. Looking underneath, it\u2019s evident that the CR-V is not well equipped enough to handle more than a fire road, unless you\u2019re willing to risk damage.<\/p>\n

That said, the TrailSport model does ride nicely over rough patches\u2014a virtue of its unibody construction. Plus, the onboard systems manage traction imperceptibly well. Hill-descent control is seamless and easy, and maximum flex situations are dispatched with relative ease.<\/p>\n

\"2026
\nPhoto by: Chris Rosales \/ Motor1<\/p>\n

\n

Cons: Mostly An Appearance Package, No Suspension Lift, No Extra Underbody Protection<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The on-road manners and features are almost identical to the standard CR-V, save for a bit more tire noise from the Continentals. In a backroad-heavy, 150-mile loop, the TrailSport returned 29.6 miles per gallon, below the 2025 CR-V\u2019s EPA-estimated fuel economy. Frankly, this is where the TrailSport will see most of its days, and it does well.<\/p>\n

Truthfully, the most significant difference with the CR-V TrailSport is price. It\u2019s $40,650 for your trouble, and it\u2019s only available with Honda\u2019s 204-horsepower hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain. You get a good set of features, some extra off-road capability, and a whole bunch of stolen rock-bashing valor for your money.<\/p>\n

A 4×4 it is not. But the more rugged CR-V does enough for a decent camping trip.<\/p>\n

Competitors<\/h3>\n

Ford Bronco Sport<\/a>
\nMazda CX-50<\/a>
\nSubaru Forester Wilderness<\/a>
\nToyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road<\/a><\/p>\n

The Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Was (Mostly) Worth the Wait: First Drive Review<\/a>
The Bronco Sport Sasquatch Does Its Big Brother Proud: Off-Road Review<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Engine<\/td>\n2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Hybrid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Output<\/td>\n204 Horsepower \/ 247 Pound-Feet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transmission<\/td>\nContinuously Variable <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Efficiency<\/td>\n40 Highway \/ 34 City \/ 37 Combined<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seating Capacity<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cargo Volume<\/td>\n39.3 \/ 76.5 Cubic Feet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Base Price<\/td>\n$32,315<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As-Tested Price<\/td>\n$40,650<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n
<\/figure>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Off-roading is officially a craze. Every automaker has some ruggedized variant of its small, medium, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2140"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2140"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2170,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2140\/revisions\/2170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whatmenadore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}