Review: 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Limited - Two Decades Late But Right On Time

If you wanted to drive green, greener than Kermit, greener than Ireland, but you didn't want to suffer range anxiety or even plug in, there was nothing greener than the Toyota Prius. 

THE GOOD + It's normal + Ultra-efficient city commute + Straightforward interior + Largely inoffensive manners + Big cargo area

THE BAD – DCT not tuned perfectly – Rear visibility – Snug rear seat – Choppy ride, soft responses? – Niro? Elantra?

Was being the operative word.The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is now the most fuel efficient gas-powered car on sale in North America now. 

The Prius's reign has ended.

Or has it? The Hyundai Ioniq may be more efficient than the Prius – it wasn't while in our care. The Ioniq may be better than the Prius overall, as well, though that depends on your priorities.

But the Prius's reign in the marketplace may not be interrupted by a Korean upstart. Remember the Honda Insight? Honda tried and failed. The Insight is dead. 

Prius is as synonymous with hybrid as band-aids are with, well, band-aids; as googling is with Google. 

Does the Hyundai Ioniq have what it takes to be a successful interloper? Or will this all-new Hyundai be consigned to the Honda Insight's fate, which was killed off by the Prius after a brief five-year run?

WHAT IS IT?
Based on a new platform shared with the Kia Niro, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is one of three Ioniqs. There'll also be a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric version. 

Designed to tackle the all-conquering Toyota Prius in the dedicated green car field, the Ioniq Hybrid is presently the most efficient gas-powered vehicle in North America. Sized like Hyundai's compact Elantra, the Ioniq will be priced more like the midsize Hyundai Sonata. 

2017 HYUNDAI IONIQ LIMITED Base Price: est. $24,420 * As-Tested Price: est. $33,550 * Colour: Red Assembly: Ulsan, South Korea Drive Type: front-wheel drive Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch Engine: 1.6L DOHC 16-valve I4 Horsepower: 104 @ 5700 rpm Torque: 109 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Battery: 1.56 kWh Lithium Ion Total System Horsepower: 139 Curb Weight: 3115 pounds Length: 176.0 inches Width: 71.7 inches Height: 56.9 inches Wheelbase: 106.3 inches Tires: Michelin X-Ice Tire Size: 225/45R17 Passenger Volume: 2724 litres Cargo Volume: 750 litres EPA City: 55 mpg EPA Hwy: 54 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 4.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 4.4 L/100km Observed: 46.1 mpg Observed: 5.1 L/100km * Official Canadian pricing has not yet been announced.

The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid delivered to GCBC Towers by Hyundai Canada is a top-trim model, the Limited with the Tech package, likely priced between $33,000-$35,000. The basic Ioniq Hybrid is the Blue model, likely priced just below $25,000. 

There's also an SE trim, but regardless of the Ioniq Hybrid variant, the powertrain remains the same: a 1.6L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder/1.56 kWh lithium-ion battery with 139 total horsepower hooked up to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic sending power to the front wheels. 

HOW BIG IS IT?
Compared with its most obvious rival, the Toyota Prius, Hyundai's Ioniq is slightly shorter bumper-to-bumper but also slightly wider and lower. 

Besides getting more of the detailed styling elements right, the width and height help the Ioniq appear much less silly than the current Prius. 

Hyundai says the Ioniq offers 2724 litres of total passenger volume, 3% more than the Prius, as well as 750 litres of very usable cargo space, 8% more than the Prius. 

Compared with the Hyundai Elantra, traditionally Canada's second-best-selling car, the Ioniq is roughly four inches shorter stem to stern, an inch wider, and essentially the same height. 

Passenger volume is virtually identical, although there's more headroom in the Elantra and three passengers will invariably find the Elantra more comfortable. Cargo space is less comparable, as the Ioniq is a hatchback. Compared with the upcoming Elantra GT, likewise a hatchback, the Ioniq should have 6% more cargo volume. 

DOES IT WORK?
In three major ways, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq works better than the 2017 Toyota Prius.

First, the shifter mechanism you deal with multiple times each day is, in the Ioniq, normal. There's a lot you'll put up with in a car for which you spent $20,000-$40,000, but the Prius's hateful shifter and separate Park button is unnecessarily annoying – there is no benefit. The Ioniq's normal shifter is merely symbolic of a whole Ioniq that never comes across as weird. The interior design is normal, the infotainment unit is intuitive, even the sounds the car makes are largely conventional. 

Second, the Ioniq happily accelerates. It's no sports car. In fact, it's no mainstream compact. But if you want greater urge, the Sport mode will leave the engine on (seemingly defeating the purpose of the car, but whatever) and get you up the side of mountain without difficulty. Indeed, the Ioniq never really feels wanting for power and doesn't deter acceleration by routing power through a frustrating continuously variable transmission. In other words, you won't drive around with your foot on the floor to keep up with traffic.

Third, the Ioniq sources a measure of joy from cornering that the Prius never will. Again, the Ioniq isn't a keen handler, but the steering responds quickly enough, the nose tucks in, the body rolls but not too much, and the rear end copes with rough mid-corner pavement. The Prius copes, too, but the Toyota's always suggesting that you don't really want to drive down a twisty road this quickly, do you?

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

Those aren't the only Ioniq high points — the cabin is of a high quality, NVH is minimal, the feature count is typically Hyundai high, and the cargo area is shaped for hauling – but they serve to describe ways in which the Ioniq highlights the Prius's weak points at a particularly weak moment for the Prius.

There are potential pitfalls. The dual-clutch transmission is, thankfully, not the Prius's CVT. But it's not an especially quick shifter, and quick shifting is the claim to fame of DCTs. Moreover, Hyundai's DCT can become confused, clunky, and laggardly at low speeds and low revs, particularly when the powertrain is shuffling its responsibilities. 

Rear visibility, with a pillar bisecting the rear window precisely where a snowplow ought to appear in your rearview mirror, is awful. 

With my near-six-foot frame in the driver's seat, a front-facing child has no foot space and a rear-facing child seat required the front passenger to be moved far forward. Hyundai demands you pay midsize money for the Ioniq, but you won't get midsize space.

And while offering better backroad behaviour than the Prius, ride quality at the rear end can be jarring. The Ioniq we're testing is shod with low-profile winter tires, not the 195/55R15 efficiency-oriented tires of our test Prius but rather 225/45R17 Michelin X-ice winters. Equip both cars with the Hyundai's wider, lower-profile rubber and the Prius may shine more brightly in corners. Equip both cars with the Prius's tires and perhaps the Hyundai's periodically harsh impacts would be eliminated.

The Ioniq's stiffer ride would be more quickly tolerated if the car manifested real responsiveness. There's periodic pillowiness, however, where the Ioniq doesn't want to buckle down quite as hastily as its stiff ride suggests it will. More dynamic than a Prius, sure, but not a sports sedan.

The winter tires, meanwhile, may have contributed to somewhat disappointing real-world fuel economy results. While the Prius we tested last May drank only 4.1 L/100km, this Hyundai required more than 20% more fuel. The season isn't favourable. Neither are the winter tires and the fact that the Ioniq's odometer, with only around 1000 kilometres at arrival (and 1500 at departure) shows a very fresh car. 

At this high level of efficiency, the difference between 4.1 L/100km and 5.1 L/100k is slight in financial terms. 

But the Ioniq's supposed to beat the Prius. And in one major way, it didn't. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Not yet. The Ioniq has registered some Canadian sales figures, but only as Hyundai registers the first copies, such as our test car. GCBC will be tracking Ioniq sales figures as Hyundai reports them.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Outside of more affordable conventionally-powered compact cars with surprisingly low fuel consumption, prime Ioniq competition sits inside Toyota and Kia showrooms. 

The Toyota is obvious: the Prius has been around for two decades and in fourth-gen form, it's stone cold reliable; an entirely known entity. But the Prius is quirky in some unfortunate ways. The shifter is annoying, it doesn't always feel sufficiently powerful, and there are many weird noises.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Hyundai Ioniq Sales Figures
2016 Toyota Prius Driven Review
2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited Driven Review
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited Driven Review

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The Kia Niro, on the other hand, is a fraternal twin of this Hyundai Ioniq. Shaped to be viewed as a utility vehicle – it's actually quite low and doesn't even offer all-wheel drive — the Niro is nevertheless an enticing package. It doesn't look like you're trying to send an environmental message to your Silverado-driving neighbour.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
We don't know. As of this moment, Hyundai Canada hasn't announced official pricing, simply stating that the Ioniq Hybrid will be priced fro the mid-$20s to the low $30s.

If you want an Ioniq, presumably fuel savings play a particular role in propelling your desire forward. Presumably then, overall financial savings would be of use. The basic 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Blue is equipped with heated seats and alloy wheels; it's not poverty-spec. And with the basic model, you won't just save money at the fuel pump. You'll save $5000-$8000 at the Hyundai dealer, too.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
On the whole, Canadians are pragmatic car buyers, unlikely to spend $10 just to save $5. Historically, this has made vehicles such as the Toyota Prius a hard sell. Think of it this way: while the U.S. new vehicle market is nine times larger than Canada's, Prius sales in America in 2016 were 35 times stronger than in Canada, and that was in a particularly poor year for the Prius down south; a particularly good year for the Prius in Canada.

For these pragmatic car buyers, the Hyunai Ioniq's greatest competition in the Canadian market won't be the Toyota Prius. There are exceptionally few Prius buyers to try to woo, anyway. No, for the typical Canadian car buyer, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq must be a more reasonable purchase than a 2017 Hyundai Elantra.

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Hyundai knows the Prius can't be the lone target. Aiming for the Prius and other hybrid cars, Hyundai Motor America product planner Mike O’Brien told Wards Auto, is "not enough to make a business case.”

Without firm pricing for the Ioniq, it's difficult to do the pure math. But the 2017 Hyundai Elantra Limited we tested last year consumed only 6.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, just 1.4 more litres every 100 kilometres than this Ioniq, or roughly $140 more per 10,000 kilometres. The Elantra rides and handles better, accelerates more swiftly, and arguably looks better, as well. Elantra pricing starts below $18,000 and even the top trim Elantra Limited Ultimate is currently priced below $29,000, roughly $5000 less than this Ioniq.

In numerous ways, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq is a better Prius. But it's not a better Hyundai Elantra.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Ioniq was supplied by Hyundai Canada's press office.

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Engine Review: 2017 Volkswagen Passat Highline V6 – The Six-Cylinder Midsize Sedan Lives

This is a review of the 2017 Volkswagen Passat V6. 

That's right: it's not a diesel (obviously), not an artificially aspirated inline-four, not a hybrid. This sixth-generation Passat, delivered to GCBC Towers by Volkswagen Canada, is equipped with a six-cylinder powerplant breathing on its own: no turbos, no superchargers, no battery-electric whizbang.

A vee-shaped six. Six cylinders, arranged in the shape of a V, or as close as Volkswagen wants the six cylinders to resemble a V in its narrow-angle VR6 tradition. 

3.6 liters of displacement in a 2.0-liter world.

THE GOOD + Mega motor + Massive rear seat + Quick shifting DSG + Big car mannerisms + Outside the box

THE BAD – High price of entry – Anonymous design – Some fiddly controls – Big car mannerisms – Bizarrely dim-witted steering

The V6 engine is certainly no longer normal, not in a class of midsize cars where the overwhelming majority of buyers choose a four-cylinder model and roughly half of all competitors don't even offer a V6 as an upgrade.

Economics, regulations, marketplace trends, and technological advancement have conspired against six largeish cylinders. A torquey turbo inline-four like the 2017 Volkswagen Passat's own 1.8T will cost less, pollute less, satisfy the demands of most buyers, and surprise many with its real-world grunt. 

And yet the six-cylinder lives, not only here in the 2017 Volkswagen Passat Highline, but also in the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, discontinued Chrysler 200, and in a new turbocharged Sport version of the Ford Fusion.

Those nameplates accounted for seven out of every ten midsize car sales in Canada last year. 

But we know only a fraction of those sales were produced by cars with V6 powerplants. For good reason.

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We've reviewed the Volkswagen Passat before. That diesel-powered car is no longer available, and some members of the competition have moved the midsize game on. Indeed, the Passat has been refreshed since then, as well. Nevertheless, unlike a typically thorough GCBC Driven review, this review focuses on the V6 engine option, rather than discussing the Passat as a whole. 

You can, however, summarize the car this way. Bland styling masks a composed chassis that exhibits some of the tendencies of a hefty, traditional, American full-sized car: dead steering on the straightahead that's slow to react, just a hint of float when you want the car to button down during a mid-corner rise, too much body roll to properly battle the athleticism of the Mazda 6 or Honda Accord Sport. Torque steer, fortunately, is largely curtailed – 280 horsepower makes its way to the pavement fairly easily. The back seat is huge. The non-CarPlay tech interface is old but straightforward. From the typically comfortable Germanic seat, thick bolsters and firm cushions, visibility is excellent. Some of the newer safety tech added to this older design causes the Passat to feel older – they're not easily altered through strange instrument cluster sub-menus. 

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2017 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HIGHLINE 3.6 Base Price: $27,540 * As-Tested Price: $40,890 * Colour: Urano Grey Assembly: Chattanooga, Tennessee Drive Type: front-wheel drive Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch Engine: 3.6L DOHC 24-valve V6 Horsepower: 280 @ 6200 rpm Torque: 258 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm Curb Weight: 3571 pounds Length: 191.9 inches Width: 72.2 inches Height: 58.5 inches Wheelbase: 110.4 inches Tires: Gislaved NordFrost5 Tire Size: 245/40R18 Passenger Volume: 2888 litres Cargo Volume: 450 litres EPA City: 20 mpg EPA Hwy: 28 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 11.9 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.5 L/100km Observed: 25.3 mpg Observed: 9.3 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1795 in fees.

1.8T
15 years ago, it seems a perfectly rational choice to consider a 2.3L-powered Honda Accord but end up thinking more power – not a lot more power, just a 33% jump – would be wise. Rather than 150, you got 200. As was common at that time, the Accord's V6 was available across much of the lineup.

The whole four-cylinder/six-cylinder continuum has since been shaken up. In the 2017 Volkswagen Passat's case, the 3.6L V6 produces 110 more horsepower than the 170-horsepower 1.8L turbocharged four pot, a 65% increase.

The 1.8T that so impresses in the much smaller Golf isn't about to feel pedestrian in the larger Passat, but the story of a comparison between the Passat 1.8T and the Passat 3.6 is really a study in constrasts. With the 1.8T linked to a traditional six-speed automatic, acceleration from rest to 100 kmh requires a perfectly reasonable 7.8 seconds, according to Car And Driver. Aided by a torque peak (184 lb-ft) at an extraordinarily low 1500 rpm, the Passat 1.8T leaps from 80-110 in a tick under six seconds.

Yet with Volkswagen's quick-shifting six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission installed and with 40% more torque, the Passat V6 shoots from nought to highway speed in 5.7 seconds and from 80-110 in four seconds. Those were recently the times of genuinely fast cars. Even now, it's a level of acceleration Volkswagen's Golf GTI can't quite match.

The 1.8T is still the far more conventional choice. Fuel consumption is 16% lower, for starters. Most family sedan buyers don't care about sports car-baiting acceleration. Most importantly, the 1.8T is the exclusive engine for the $27,540 2017 Passat Trendline+ and $32,540 2017 Passat Comfortline, and the standard engine in the $37,540 2017 Passat Highline. 

RIVALS
Beyond the Passat 3.6 V6's lesser sibling, there are numerous alternatives made available by Volkswagen's competitors. Other than the discontinued Chrysler 200's 295-horsepower V6 – the 200 hardly seems like the prototypical Passat buyer's substitute – and the rare AWD beast that is the $44,038 2017 Ford Fusion Sport's twin-turbocharged 325-horsepower 2.7L EcoBoost V6, the Volkswagen's 280 horsepower makes the Passat a segment leader. 

The top-selling Toyota Camry offers a 268 horsepower 3.5L V6, the Honda Accord's 3.5L V6 makes 278 horsepower, and the Nissan Altima's 3.5L V6 is a 270-horsepower unit. All accelerate with similar vim and vigour, although the Honda's engine is part of a better overall dynamic package, the Nissan's V6 is linked to a disappointing continuously variable transmission, and the Camry's V6 will shortly appear in an all-new design. 

Subaru also offers a six-cylinder, a horizontally opposed boxer unit to be precise, but we've been disappointed by its output in the past, albeit thankful for an all-wheel-drive system that helps get the power down. 

Almost across the board, the various V6 engines are linked to the most luxurious trim levels of each car. At Nissan, the V6 is available only as a 3.5SL, priced at $37,508. At Honda, the EX-L V6 and Touring V6 are $35,685 and $38,185, respectively. (And in Accord Touring Coupe form with a six-speed manual transmission at $37,985 or with an automatic at $38,985.) In the outgoing Camry, the V6 is an option on the XSE and XLE trim levels, priced at $37,485 and $38,510, respectively. Finally, at Subaru, the 256-horsepower H6 is part of the $32,590 3.6R Touring trim, the $36,090 3.6R Limited, and the $37,590 3.6R Limited Tech. 

And at Volkswagen?

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

MONEY TALK
You'll pay more. Only on the 2017 Passat Highline is the 3.6L, 280-horsepower even an option. It'll cost you $2000, driving the base price for the Passat V6 up to $39,540. (There was a $1350 Driver Assistance Package added to our test car.)

Only at Ford, where the Fusion Sport stands out for no shortage of reasons, does a core mainstream midsize car make a V6 such an expensive proposition. And at Ford, there's a 240-horsepower 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder that now serves as a mid-grade option, priced from $30,738. 

The Passat V6, therefore, is a costly proposition. 

Naturally, it's well-equipped: 18-inch wheels, power sport seats, navigation, sunroof, 400-watt Fender audio, proximity access, blind spot monitoring, and much more.

Moreover, the Passat does a passing Americanized impression of a de-luxed, upsized Audi A4. 

Granted, Audi Canada sells nearly two A4s, priced from $40,595 and tested last year by GCBC, for every Passat sold by Volkswagen Canada. 

Forget the money. Forget the junior Passat and the Passat's opposition. What's this V6 engine actually like when the throttle pedal is depressed?

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IN ISOLATION
First, stand behind the car while you ignite the Passat's 3.6L V6 using the remote starter. You'll quickly be alerted to a surprisingly intoxicating burble. Subdued German styling, yes. But subdued German symphony? Not so much. 

You won't hear much of the V6's burble inside the quiet cabin, but there's no shortage of snorty breathing when the Passat is under the gun. 280 horsepower rarely feels slow in any machine, but tasked with motivating fewer than 3600 pounds and linked to a rapid-fire transmission, 280 horsepower is copious. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Volkswagen Passat Sales Figures
2015 Toyota Camry XSE V6 Driven Review
2017 Audi A4 Driven Review
2015 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited Driven Review
2016 Volkswagen Golf R Driven Review

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In fact, the six-speed DSG can be more soul stirring if you drop the shifter from D into S, where low gears are held for as long as the Passat considers it remotely possible that more power may soon be required. It's an aggressive Sport mode, and not unwelcome when you're truly under the gun.

But to be honest, if that's the kind of driving you plan to participate in very frequently, a true sports sedan is probably going to reside much farther up your alley. 

The 2017 Volkswagen Passat's 3.6L V6 is a sports sedan's engine, but it's under the hood of a traditional American family sedan. 

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Passat was supplied by Volkswagen Canada's press office.

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Review: 2017 Honda CR-V Touring – It's Our Problem-Free Philosophy

I am not wowed. I do not stand here in awe. 

My mouth is not agape. My knees are not weak. My heart does not need to be stilled. 

THE GOOD + Exemplary ride quality + Huge inside space + Very fuel efficient + Plenty of pep + Quiet cabin

THE BAD – She ain't pretty – Slow infotainment startup – No available engine upgrade – CVT only – Annoying idle sounds

The Honda CR-V, even brand new as a 2017 model in its fifth-generation form, is not the kind of vehicle that can wow you; it doesn't have the potential to blow your mind.

It's not a CRX Si or a Civic Type R, let alone an S2000. If you want more power or three pedals or low-profile tires, look elsewhere. 

So my socks have not been knocked off. 

Yet rarely have we spent a week with a manufacturer-supplied test vehicle that induced such a high level of automotive contentment. In the same way in which a Mazda MX-5 Miata entirely fulfills its mission, the way most modern light-duty pickup trucks go above and beyond the call of duty, the way most minivans make life so easy, the 2017 Honda CR-V Touring is precisely what a Honda CR-V is supposed to be. 

At GCBC, we don't shy away from voicing our complaints. But in order to take issue with the all-new CR-V, one must search long and hard for problems. The search is largely fruitless.

WHAT IS IT?
Honda began building the first CR-V in 1997. Two decades later, with three more generations of CR-V here and gone, the fifth Honda CR-V bowed for the 2017 model year. It's not the most attractive CR-V ever, but it's already beginning to cement a reputation as the most popular. 

2017 HONDA CR-V TOURING Base Price: $28,515 * As-Tested Price: $39,915 * Colour: Molten Lava Assembly: Alliston, Ontario Drive Type: all-wheel drive Transmission: continuously variable Engine: 1.5L turbo DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder Horsepower: 190 @ 5600 rpm Torque: 179 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Curb Weight: 3565 pounds Length: 180.6 inches Width: 73.0 inches Height: 66.5 inches Wheelbase: 104.7 inches Tires: Bridgestone Blizzak Tire Size: 235/60R18 Passenger Volume: 2877 litres Cargo Volume: 1110 litres Max Cargo Volume: 2146 litres EPA City: 27 mpg EPA Hwy: 33 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 8.7 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.2 L/100km Observed: 27.7 mpg Observed: 8.5 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1825 in fees.

In Canada, where the CR-V is assembled, all 2017 CR-Vs are equipped as standard with the Civic's optional engine, a 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque, the latter plateauing just above idle. 

Aside from the entry-level LX, all CR-Vs come standard with all-wheel drive. Together, HondaSensing and AWD add $2800 to the cost of a basic LX. 

Another $3500 leap to the $34,815 CR-V EX adds a sunroof, 18-inch wheels, a power driver's seat, and LaneWatch. 

$2300 higher up the ladder, the $37,115 EX-L adds leather, a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate, heated rear seats, power for the passenger seat, and memory for the driver's seat. 

To GCBC Towers last week, Honda Canada delivered a 2017 Honda CR-V Touring, priced just a hair under $40,000. At $39,915, the sunroof is panoramic, the touchscreen adds navigation, the audio is upgraded, and there's blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.

HOW BIG IS IT?
Not much bigger than it's ever been before on the outside, the CR-V is nevertheless far more spacious inside today than it was twenty years ago. 

The wheelbase of the new CR-V has grown by little more than an inch in twenty years, overall length is up by three inches, width is up by a more significant four inches, and the newest CR-V is less than an inch taller than the oldest CR-V. 

Despite those modest increases, the 2017 Honda CR-V has 4% more passenger volume and 32% more space for cargo than the 1997 Honda CR-V. 

The one utility vehicle that has the capability of selling more often than the CR-V, Toyota's RAV4, isn't quite as long as the CR-V but offers marginally more passenger space and marginally less cargo volume. Both stand out as leaders of the pack in terms of space efficiency in their segment. 

The CR-V is nearly a foot longer than its Honda HR-V sibling but makes good use of its length: the CR-V has 6% more space for passengers (it feels like 15% more) and 69% space for stuff. More than a foot longer than the CR-V, the Honda Pilot has room for 1583 litres of cargo behind the second row of seats, or a third row of seats plus 524 litres of extra space.

DOES IT WORK?
Perhaps an easier question to answer: In which ways does it not? 

The 2017 Honda CR-V does not yet offer the infotainment unit from Honda's next-generation Odyssey minivan, a system already revealed that won't be featured in dealers until the Odyssey arrives later this spring. With this older system, start-up time is a slog, causing long waits to select climate control settings afte you turned the CR-V on, for instance. And while Apple CarPlay may improve upon the antiquated and sometimes convoluted Honda system in normal operation, you'll have to be corded to do so. We don't all want that. 

Honda also doesn't want you to have any choice when it comes to the CR-V's powertrain. You will have this (admittedly inconspicuous) continuously variable transmission and you must not ask for anything more than the (admittedly sufficient) 190 horsepower. You'd rather accelerate onto the highway with the Ford Escape's 2.0L EcoBoost and six-speed automatic or the Subaru Forester XT's 2.0L turbo and CVT, but you won't soon get an alternative from Honda, which sells all the CR-Vs it needs to without certifying another powertrain. 

And while the cabin is generally hushed, the ticky-ticky-tick-tick at idle gets old fast, and the general silence of the interior highlights whispering wind noise at the top of the A-pillar on the highway. You also may prefer to tidy up the front end design and choose wheels that at least one individual in the human race find attractive. 

But in every other regard, there are no problems to speak of. 

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

For me, the CR-V test starts with the rear seat's lower anchors. While at first they seem too hidden behind the seatback, your child's seats will go in without a fuss, aided by plenty of leg and knee room so you can make room for yourself during installation. Honda keeps the rear floor fairly flat, though three-across seating is still going to be difficult if you're trying to squeeze an adult in between two child seats: it's not a minivan. 

Front seat comfort is bolstered by very adjustable seats, at least in Touring trim, that provide four-way lumbar support. Visibility is excellent in all directions. Ingress/egress is predictably ideal for humans of nearly every height. Controls are nicely weighted – there's even a volume knob – and gauges are easily decipherable. 

Loaded up for winter adventures with a Stiga GT Snowracer and a big-wheeled Baby Jogger Summit X3, there's cargo room to spare. And my, did we ever need to be prepared for winter, with nearly one metre of snow falling in less than a week during the CR-V's visit. 

Thanks to the installation of Bridgestone Blizzaks, we weren't slowed by winter, lopping an additional 400 kilometres onto the CR-V's odometer. Despite the cold, snowy, urban environment and the winter tires, we still managed to consume only 8.5L/100km in the CR-V, outperforming its city rating. We weren't trying to be eco-minded. The CR-V is just powerful enough to make acceleration-for-the-fun-of-it worthwhile. While I'd still prefer the positive shifting of, say, the Honda Ridgeline's six-speed, this CVT isn't offensive, and to claim otherwise just to bolster your anti-CVT cred would be silly.

Despite losing a measure of its sharpness to the Blizzaks, the CR-V handles well thanks to a sub-3600-pound curb weight and nicely weighted steering. It's not a corner carver in the vein of Mazda's CX-5, to be sure, but ride quality is superior to the CX-5 and all of the Honda's other rivals, as well. You'll hear a minor thwack on rough roads, but it's doubtful you'll feel it.

It's doubtful you'll feel much at all. The CR-V assures occupants of a decidedly isolated experience. If you want the most athletic small crossover, this ain't it. But the CR-V marries exceptional rough road behaviour with above-average mid-corner composure in admirable fashion. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Everybody's buying it. 

The CR-V is a traditional top seller south of the border – America's best-selling utility vehicle in five consecutive years – and an intermittent monthly leader in Canada. But this new generation aims to take things up a notch. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Honda CR-V Sales Figures
2017 Honda Ridgeline Sport Review
2017 Ford Escape Titanium EcoBoost Review
2016 Kia Sorento SX Turbo Review

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January 2017, the first full month for the new model, marked the highest January sales output in the nameplate's history both north and south of the border, and by a wide margin.

The CR-V was Canada's sixth-best-selling vehicle overall in January – only the Honda Civic and four pickups were more popular. In the U.S. last month, the CR-V ranked fourth overall, trailing three pickup trucks but outselling all other utilities and all passenger cars.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Let's assume you want to spend less than $40,000 on a SUV/crossover and don't want to pay a premium for a luxury badge, losing equipment and space in the process. What are your options? There are too many to list.

The CR-V is decidedly more refined than most rivals, a top-tier player in terms of efficiency both with fuel and space, and comes equipped with abundant safety gear at a low price point. It's a difficult full meal deal with which to compete. 

The Ford Escape offers more power and more engaging ride/handling, but doesn't feel as well built and isn't nearly as spacious. Toyota offers a legendary reliability reputation, but the RAV4 otherwise feels behind the times. Mazda's CX-5 nicely blends interactive handling with good looks and fuel efficiency, but again, the CR-V is simply the quieter and more comfortable vehicle. 

Wait a day or two, however, and there'll always be another new compact crossover around the corner: a new Volkswagen Tiguan, a new diesel-powered Chevrolet Equinox, a revamped diesel-powered CX-5. 

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HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
The 2017 CR-V Touring with which we spent a week is the very same CR-V that sits at the bottom of the lineup, priced at $31,315 with AWD. Sure, there are $8600 worth of missing features, but it's the same quiet, composed, efficient, spacious, and sufficiently powerful vehicle in LX AWD guise as it is here in Touring trim. 

And it's not under-equipped in 2017. The CR-V LX finally has proper alloy wheels, so it doesn't look like poverty spec. 

Heated front seats, Apple CarPlay, Lane Keeping Assist, adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, proximity access and pushbutton start, and the tilt and telescoping steering wheel all conspire to make the least costly all-wheel-drive CR-V feel far more luxurious than the most impressive CR-V of twenty years ago.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
I didn't take the long way home from the grocery store. I didn't turn back for a second glance. My life was not transformed by moving the shifter from D to S. 

The CR-V is not the kind of vehicle that ought to be remembered. But now with the week over and a replacement installed in our driveway, how can I quickly forget a vehicle so free from faults?

Honda's fifth-gen 2017 CR-V isn't perfect. But its flaws are minor and would be easily remedied. Making family transportation easy shouldn't be that difficult, but in this segment, no automaker does it better than Honda.  

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The CR-V was supplied by Honda Canada's press office.

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Review: 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Premier – A Good Car In Need Of A Good Powertrain

Month after month after month, Canadians are buying and leasing more SUVs than cars.

In recent weeks, the gap has spread. In January 2017, for example, Canadians acquired 1.5 utility vehicles for every car.

THE GOOD + Hatch in the back + Quiet and refined + New, improved and nimble + Not a Civic/Elantra/Corolla + Looks good

THE BAD – Dreadful throttle response – Ride sometimes stiff on 18s – $29K and no sunroof? – MyLink is behind the times – 1.4L often buzzy

And yet new car introductions continue at a healthy pace. And in the most hotly contested passenger car sector, compacts, the arrivals are frequent. 

There are new luxury sedans from Cadillac, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Lincoln, and Volvo: CT6, XE, Giulia, Continental, S90.

There are new sports cars from Fiat and Acura: 124 Spider and NSX.

There are new hybrid and electric cars from Hyundai, Chevrolet, and Kia: Ioniq, Bolt, Niro.

And there are new hatchback variants of established nameplates such as the Chevrolet Cruze. With the car sector's share of the market rapidly shrinking, with only three in ten new vehicle sales in January coming from the car sector, automakers aren't giving up. 

2016 was not a year to remember for the Chevrolet Cruze. Will the addition of a practical bodystyle bring new life to GM's compact car?

WHAT IS IT?
General Motors has been building small cars for decades. Name changes are par for the course. The Cruze's Cobalt predecessor, for instance, lasted only one generation before the first Cruze arrived for the 2011 model year. Prior to the Cobalt and its Pontiac G5 twin, there were three generations of the Chevrolet Cavalier and accompanying badge-engineered twins. 

2017 CHEVROLET CRUZE HATCHBACK PREMIER Base Price: $22,395 * As-Tested Price: $29,205 * Colour: Blue Jeans Assembly: Ramos Arizpe, Mexico Drive Type: front-wheel drive Transmission: 6-speed automatic Engine: 1.4L turbo DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder Horsepower: 153 @ 5600 rpm Torque: 177 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm Curb Weight: 2917 pounds Length: 175.3 inches Width: 70.5 inches Height: 57.7 inches Wheelbase: 106.3 inches Tires: Michelin X-Ice Tire Size: 225/40R18 Passenger Volume: 2661 litres Cargo Volume: 699 litres Max Cargo Volume: 1336 litres EPA City: 28 mpg EPA Hwy: 37 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 8.4 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 6.4 L/100km Observed: 30.6 mpg Observed: 7.7 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1700 in fees.

The dawn of the Cruze era, however, brought about far greater small car focus for General Motors, a company that for too long rested on the laurels of North American market share dominance and thrust upon an unsuspecting public disappointing compact cars. The Cruze needed to be successful around the world, in discerning small car markets where GM couldn't just toss out a half-baked appliance and call it a day. 

As a result of GM's more concerted effort, the Cruze brought big sedan ride quality, comfort, and refinement to the compact category. Unfortunately, the first Cruze was obese, hindering acceleration, handling, and fuel economy.

The second-generation Cruze enjoys the benefits of a meaningful weight loss campaign – this 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Premier weighs roughly 300 pounds less than a top-trim 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ sedan. 

Launched first as a sedan, the second-generation Cruze is now available in hatchback form for the 2017 model year. Forget the lower trim levels seen on the four-door Cruze: this Cruze five-door isn't available in L or LS trim. With a base price of $22,395 with a manual transmission, the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze LT can be optioned up with an automatic shifter for $1450. Equipped as standard with the automatic, the Premier, known in the past as Chevrolet's LTZ trim, adds $2600 to the price of the LT. To that $26,445 price, GM Canada's press fleet added a $995 RS Package (body kit, fog lights, 18-inch wheels), a $995 Convenience Package (auto climate control, heated rear seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and other smaller items), and the $870 Advanced Safety Package (FCA, LDW, LKA, IAHBC, SBZAWLCA, RPA, RCTA). 

$29,205 is the end result, though you could spend more. $31,035 gets you the Premier True North Edition, sunroof included. 

HOW BIG IS IT?
A 106.3-inch wheelbase is par for the course in the compact arena. Wheelbase length in the Cruze is identical to the Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Mazda 3. 

Compared with the Mazda and Honda, the two most recent Cruze-competing hatchbacks we've tested, the Chevrolet's overall length is three-tenths of an inch and 2.6 inches shorter, respectively. The Cruze is marginally narrower than both but marginally taller, as well. Official specs say the Cruze offers less overall passenger space than the Mazda and Honda. In reality, it feels more spacious than the Mazda, not quite as capacious as the Civic. Behind the rear seats, there are 699 litres of cargo space in the Cruze, 127 more than in the Mazda but 29 fewer than in the Civic.  

As for the Cruze sedan, overall length stretches 8.4 with the trunk added, but cargo capacity is 78% greater in the hatchback. The sedan doesn't drive like a car that's 8 inches longer; the hatchback won't swallow 78% more suitcases.

DOES IT WORK?
For all the perks associated with the first Cruze's big car manners – exemplary highway ride, quiet comfort, isolated harshness — there was always the sense that the reason the Cruze felt like an Impala was because it weighed as much as an Impala.

It wasn't quite that bad, but the exercise regimen the Cruze endured before debuting as a second-gen model was well worth it. Ride quality on 18-inch wheels isn't peerless, but the Cruze is fortunately now a nimble car with light and accurate steering, impressive response to mid-corner adjustments, and the kind of brake feel we've increasingly come to expect from General Motors.

Throttle response with the seemingly sufficiently powerful 153-bhp 1.4L turbo four-cylinder is lackluster, however. The six-speed automatic shifts smoothly enough, but downshifts must be begged and pleaded for. Always, one suspects the Cruze is attempting to convince you that going faster – even though it can, if you floor the throttle – would be a bad idea.

Also slow to respond is GM's MyLink infotainment system. Voice controls are useless, as well. At least it's straightforward and, in this case, reliable. 

Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net

Interior material quality befits the Cruze's compact category. While you may not be wowed by the Kalahari leather of our tester, others will be, and we should all be thankful for choice. Seat comfort in front and back is decent, rear legroom is much improved over the first-generation, and the low centre hump makes three abreast seating a possibility. 

Only on the rarest of occasions, such as hard acceleration, does excessive noise enter the cabin. The 1.4T can be buzzy in its protestations.

The heated steering wheel never feels truly heated, only warmed. At a $29K price point, it seems odd to have to spend even more to get a sunroof in a compact Chevrolet. 

For some buyers, the Cruze's faults will appear minor and easy to overlook. It's not a Honda Civic or Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla. It's not what everybody else is driving. And with the RS bodykit and wheels, it looks good, too. 

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Unfortunately, General Motors doesn't break down Cruze sales by bodystyle.

In Canada, Chevrolet's compact volume in 2016 was at its lowest point since the dreadful days of 2009. Sales have declined in eight of the last ten months.

South of the border, the story is similar. With fewer than 190,000 Cruze sales in 2016, it was by far the lowest-volume year for Chevrolet compacts since the Cobalt produced only 121,871 sales in the doldrums of 2009. Compared with 2014, Cruze sales in 2016 were down by more than 84,000 units. The good news: U.S. Cruze volume has now improved in six consecutive months, boosted presumably by sales of the Mexican-built hatchback.

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SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
The number of rivals is quickly expanding. Not only was there a handsome new version of the Hyundai Elantra GT unveiled earlier this month, but Honda now offers a hatchback variant of Canada's best-selling car, the Civic. The Scion iM now operates as the Toyota Corolla iM. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Chevrolet Cruze Sales Figures
2017 Honda Civic Hatchback LX Driven Review
2017 Mazda 3 Sport GT Driven Review
2016 Chevrolet Spark LS Driven Review

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There are hatchback versions of the Mazda 3, Kia Forte, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza, and Mitsubishi Lancer, plus the Volkswagen Golf.

The Cruze sits in amongst the group as a decent all-rounder: not as fun as the Mazda 3, not as spacious as the Honda Civic, not as mature as the Volkswagen Golf. But the Cruze is a decent drive on a back road, it's quite spacious, and it's really rather refined.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback is perhaps at its most desirable in LT trim with the manual transmission and the $1900 True North Edition package: rear park assist, side blind zone alert with lane change alert, rear cross traffic alert, an eight-inch MyLink touchscreen, upgraded Bose audio, sunroof, pushbutton start, proximity access, and a power driver's seat.

At $24,990, that car needs more stylish wheels to look the business, but since it costs $4215 than the Premier tester GM Canada sent our way, you'll have some spare coins in exchange for losing this car's bodykit and leather seating.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
For a moment, set aside verdicts past rendered in your mind on subjects such as the Chevrolet Cavalier and Citation. Forget, if you can, resale value, ignition switch scandals, and the dealer experience. Just take the 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Premier, if only for a moment, at face value.

Building on what made the first Cruze a real success, the second-generation Cruze adds to the nameplate's merit list a lighter weight chassis that enables nimble, responsive, and lively handling. The Cruze is still quiet, still free from vibration, and still rides well, but it's a decidedly more enjoyable car with which to engage when you take the long way home.

If only it was enjoyable to engage the throttle pedal. 

The 2017 Chevrolet Cruze is a good car, a fine and largely inoffensive car. It has the potential to be more than that.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Cruze was supplied by GM Canada's press office.

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