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I'm curious about why people here made the decision to go with the hybrid drive.
In my case it was NOT the mileage, I would have gone with the hybrid if it got the same, or even lower, mileage than the 1.5T.
I liked the mechanically (but not electronically) simpler drive train.
I have no experience with turbos, GDI or CVTs. There's nothing wrong with them, they are proven technologies, but I know more about induction motors and inverters than I do about those. I'm an electronics tech far more than I am a mechanic, and I am more comfortable with what I understand.
Since I wanted AWD anyway, the upcharge for the hybrid was only about $1200, hardly noticeable from $30K.
I love the smooth power delivery. I did drive the 1.5T first. When I drove the hybrid I knew I was going to buy it before I got off the dealer's lot (but didn't tell them that of course).
Since I bought during Covid, I was able to test drive by myself, a new experience for me, no sales pitches, but they weren't needed.
They weren't letting just anybody take off with a new car, but I had bought from them in the past, and was a steady service customer, so I guess they trusted me.
Why did you opt for the hybrid?
Inquiring minds want to know.

 

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Sometimes I feel for US-buyers getting a raw deal spec-wise compared to us in the UK.....

Well you are paying considerably more than we do. You should get something for it.

 

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finally bought a new Valentine One (previous version was 7 years old and getting a little old for technology) - too many false alarms and attached it to the mirror with a Blend Mount.

I wasn't familiar with the Valentine One.
Holy Moley, wouldn't it be cheaper to just pay any tickets you get?
I'm not buying one, my last speeding ticket was in 1972 (and I STILL don't think I was going that fast).
You could buy a fully operational 4-kilowatt X-band marine radar for what that detector costs.

 

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(I bet the ICE will run constantly for 4 months blowing any mileage gains I rack up in the summer LOL).

It's not quite that bad, the heated seats help. I use Sport mode to warm up the ICE quickly, then switch to normal mode.
Factors like winter blend fuel and driving on snow also kill mileage.
It's interesting that so far nobody has said mileage was the major factor in choosing the hybrid.
I guess most of us know better than to bank on mileage "estimates".
The phrase "YMMV" didn't become popular for no reason.

 

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Ha. Will see about that down the road but yeah the regen paddle braking is helpful as well. Keeping my hands on wheel and drive focused as it feels the way to me.

Remember you get regen braking from the paddles or the brake pedal. It's just two ways of activating the same thing.
The disks don't come into play unless you slow below effective regeneration speed or brake very hard (more than .3G).
The paddles are more convenient in some situations, but they can't do anything the pedal can't do.

 

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While technically true, you can't easily apply maximum regen braking but no friction braking with the pedals like you can with the paddles.

I'll bet you could, but you'd need some sort of feedback, like a light. The pedal feel is so good you really can't tell when it transitions to friction braking only.
Certain other vehicles with regen braking however, make it really obvious when that transition happens.
As you say, with the paddles you know you are using regen only.
Actually I'd like to see a fifth "level" of paddle regen, which is "come to a full stop, using friction for the last few feet".
Not having this is the only thing preventing full "one-pedal" driving.
Not having it also encourages "California Stops".
(No offense intended to California Members)

 

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I don't like the alternative shifters one bit. PRND slider is the most intuitive solution that's been working fine for decades. You can sit in a random car and shift between these directions without ever familiarizing yourself with this particular car. Your brain automatically knows the gear it is in. Every other solution requires attention, picture youself being the hero of a catastrophy movie, trying to figure out the shifter while the world is burning. This movie will fail.

It's only intuitive if it's what you are used to. A Martian arriving on Earth would find it confusing at best.
I had a push-button transmission on a 60s era Dodge.
The problem was, the way it was designed, I was never sure if I was selecting "Drive" mode or activating the defroster. They both said "D".
I like the way the hybrid is now. Push "D", and don't even think about it until I get where I'm going.
Of course bucket seats with a shift lever between them are approved by Moms of teenage girls everywhere.

 

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I remember the old push button shifters too from my youth (we had a few 'driveway' or "field" cars just before i got my license that we use to mess around with) , I've often wondered why manufacturers abandoned the push button concept until recently (I figured back then since it was mechanical system it may have been more trouble prone and of course there is always the argument this is the way we've always done it and people expect it). Funny thing is I consider myself slow to adapt to change yet I adapted instantly to Honda's push button concept that I believe maintains the PRND (no low) order; I can whirl the car right around, buttons are within easy reach, at my finger tips. I think the tone alert on reverse is good idea especially when first adjusting to the change. I may leave it on beyond that, I find it commands my attention and I perk up in reverse when the tone goes off checking the camera and my surroundings carefully.

Then there were the "TeleTouch" shift buttons in the steering wheel of the Edsel.
I find the cross traffic alerts very useful. There are a lot of "false positives" but in general it's a helpful feature.

 

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Well, mileage was a major factor for me, in that I wasn't going to buy anything that WASN'T a hybrid. Even if it doesn't live up to the claimed MPG, it is unequivocally better than my previous car or any new ICE I might otherwise have considered. Granted, I wasn't comparing hybrid-to-hybrid, once I decided to stick with Honda. (FWIW, I got stuck in some major traffic over the weekend and my MPG was impressive, even with the AC going. Since I've been teleworking the whole time I've owned it, most of my driving has been highway trips and non-congested suburban errands, so that was my first preview of how it will perform in commuting conditions.)

I have been completely unable to determine any mileage difference between using and not using the Air Conditioner.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
Pretty rare to even want the AC on around here, but so far this has been a warm summer.

 

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With the automatic climate control who even switches off A/C nowdays? It's always on Auto and engages when needed.

Somehow mine got set to off in the graphical interface. This seems to mean that when the CC system calls for cooling it blows outside air. I had to turn it on on the screen and now it operates as you describe. Just wish I knew how it got turned off, I know it was on when I got the car, one of the first things I checked.
Splitting the CC controls between the screen annd hard buttons is a sub-optimal solution.

 

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On collision avoidance, you have parking sensors on your touring (front and rear), in the EX L (and I guess all trims) we share cross traffic alert and front radar/camera. Have you seen subaru's commercial of a young driver at a stop sign leaving a side street on to a main road and the car brakes hard avoiding a potential tee-bone. Do you think the Honda would behave in similar way that is braking if it picks up an approaching car on its cross traffic sensor or is collision mitigation braking limited to frontal radar/camera detection only (and if so I wonder what the field of vision is, directly in front or some degreee of peripheral vision detection)

I don't think the cross traffic radars on the rear quarters are taken into account for collision avoidance, but I'm not sure of that.

 

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I love the power delivery of the hybrid, rock solid feel, and hushed demeanor.

I totally agree. In fact, probably due to the "rock solid feel" I find myself more willing to pull out in front of someone to enter a highway.
I KNOW it won't stumble, and that's always in the back of my mind with an ICE car.
The ICE crankshaft could snap in two, and all four con rods punch through the block, and that car would STILL be up to speed in time to avoid an accident.

 

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It is really very easy, PUSH "D" to go forward, PULL (rearwards) "R" to go backwards.

I like that "Pull" for reverse, it's very unlikely you'd engage it unintentionally.
I think I did all the learning that was needed during my test drive, but everyone is different.
Heck, these days actual mechanical push buttons are considered "Retro" by some.

But there is somehow something very satisfying about grabbing a lever and shoving it forward, even though with most ATs that will only get you Reverse or Park.
Pushing a button just isn't the same.
(Maybe slamming it with your fist like Capt. Kirk would be close?)
Any Pilots out there will certainly know what I mean.

 

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I just bought my CRV Hybrid two weeks ago, I love it. This is my second CRV and 5th Honda at home. I'm an electro-mechanical engineer. For me, any CRV is a no-brainer if you are looking for a capable AWD small SUV. The Honda's Hybrid system is very similar to the one used on the GE's diesel locomotives that we have running today and was developed in the '70s. The fact of not having a gearbox and no turbo makes it indestructible in extremely cold weather like what we have in Chicagoland. Your fuel saving with pay for the $1200 difference between the regular CRV and the Hybrid power one. There are many Pros listed by other people here that I'm not going to repeat. In my opinion, the Hybrid models have a few Cons over the 1.5 turbo sibling, which you need to think about if you can leave without them. 1) No towing capacity, towing is NOT allowed, 2) No spare tire, 3) you have a push bottom gears selector. And that is all, everything else is a Pro. Anyway, you will be fine, because Honda stays behind their products even when the warranty runs out. Good luck.

Interesting comparison. I'm more familiar with the EMDs than the GEs, but for one thing they take a good ten seconds to switch from drive mode to dynamic braking (it's not "regenerative" because the power is being thrown away in heater grids).
My brother was a UPRR Engineer for 35 years. When he drove my Hybrid he was surprised it could switch instantly from drive to braking.
I don't see the PB "transmission" as a con, I consider it a plus, especially if you have to crawl across the front seats.
The spare tire is an issue of course.
About a week after I bought my hybrid I got an email survey from Honda. The first question was whether the lack of a spare influenced my decision, so Honda appears to know it's an issue.

 

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I wonder why they don’t just equip them with RFTs and call it good? It’s what a lot of other brands do, and I’d be happy with that solution. Probably what I’ll do when it’s time to replace the OE tires.

I have no experience with roll flats. Do they have more rolling resistance (when full of air)? That might mess with mileage figures. I know Honda chose tires based on minimum rolling friction.
Are they available as winter tires? How does the performance compare to standard winter tires?
I remember Goodyear's "Lifeguard Safety Spare" in the 60s, but that's about the extent of my experience with roll flats.
Of course no "Roll Flat" tire is going to help you when you run over a sharp piece of steel and shred your tires.
They may only help in cases where a plug kit or the slime pump would work as well.
Tires generally need to still be on the rim to be of much help.
It probably boils down to cost, as usual.

 

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I was going to write that Run Flats used to require specific rims, that normal tires would not work with, and vice versa...

BUT the topic here is "Why did you choose the Hybrid..."

SOOO.. We didn't choose the Hybrid. Why? Because we don't have any need for AWD, making the MSRP difference $2,700 IIRC, and when we were buying our '20 CR-V they were asking and getting way over MSRP for the Hybrids and discounting the 1.5Ts. My wife only drives about 5,000 miles a year in her 1.5T and is averaging ~37-38 MPG. I do like some of the extras that the Hybrid CR-V offers, and did consider it when I replaced my RDX, but ultimately, the car I bought would be used more for highway travel. I was aware of the fuel economy issues of many Hybrids at higher speeds, having owned several in the past.

Makes sense.
I still wonder why Honda decided that all hybrids would be AWD.
Considering at least half of Americans live where AWD is not required, it just seems like an odd decision.

 

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They're not alone. Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and Mitsubishi hybrid SUVs come only with AWD. Since the hybrid take rate is significantly lower than the ICE version, it would be more economical for the manufacturer to build just one drivetrain configuration. And since it's an SUV, AWD would probably be the best decision. The Ford Escape hybrid comes only with FWD, and one of the complaints about it is not offering AWD.

An "SUV" with 2WD has always seemed a contradiction in terms to me.
But I guess "SUV" is now a body style and not a vehicle type.
When I talked to the Ford people it took an act of Congress to get them to admit the Escape hybrid was not available with AWD or 4WD.
They had to know that was a deal killer around here, we get serious winters.
(I wasn't buying, just curious about the hybrid Escape)
In fact, since I had never seen a CR-V without the "4WD" or "AWD" on the back, I didn't even know they made FWD versions until I read about it here.
Never seen a 2WD on a lot, or on the roads, people around here want AWD.
But in a market like the UK, where the hybrid is the only CR-V available, it would force a lot of people to buy AWD they don't need or want.
Not likely to help their UK sales.

 

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The simple drivetrain is part of why I bought the hybrid. After watching the YT video from Weber auto, (

) I was satisfied seeing how the system works.
The other part is about day-to-day experiences where I have EV mode. For example, waiting in a drive thru, sitting in the car when my wife has to run in the store, or waiting for a curbside pickup.
I traded in my 2018 1.5T for the 2021 hybrid. Very happy with my change.
As a side note, I have a 2 specific uses for the EV only button. When I have to move the car to the driveway from the garage, usually for a car wash. And when I’m at a strip mall and park at one end for one store, then later drive in EV mode to another parking for another store at the other end. Anyone else have practical uses for EV only mode?

That video sold me, and I suspect many others.
Honda should be paying Professor Kelley a commission.
I have not found any use for EV mode. My days of sneaking up the GF's driveway at night are long gone.
When I first got the car I paid a lot (probably too much) attention to modes and where power is coming from and going to.
I have now reached the "Just press "D" and drive" mode, the easiest and simplest, just let the car worry about it.

 

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This is one of the best video's I have watched if he was a teacher at my school i would bet i would of learn't a lot more
Also like you I just put in D and off I go and enjoy every minute

If you like Prof Kelley check out the Illinois EnergyProf on Youtube.
I spend more time explaining to inquisitive passengers what the buttons are than I do actually using them.
I'm still thinking of alternate labels for them.

 

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That is one quirk of my wife's 2018 CR-V I don't like. I am very happy that all the climate controls in my 2021 Pilot are buttons; no need to use a driver-distracting touchscreen which, in my opinion, is one of the worst designs as far as convenience and safety automakers have ever come up with. The last thing a driver ought to be doing is dealing with a menu on a touchscreen while driving, but too many cars require that if a driver wants to change some standard setting. One can easily reach for a button with muscle memory and not need to take his/her eyes off the road to make adjustments.

It's one thing to require buttons to control the CC system. It's another to require touch-screen input.
But to have the controls split so that SOME of them require the touch screen and others use hard buttons just seems, well odd.
Make up your minds and go one way or the other guys.
Seems like they wanted to have the worst of both worlds.