Honda CR-V TrailSport Tested: Starter Off-Roader

The first time I saw it, I almost laughed out loud

To be honest, when Honda announced that it would produce a TrailSport version of CRV, I had a question mark in my heart-can it be called "TrailSport"? But when the real car was parked in front of me, I admitted that I was a bit slapped in the face. The thick black wheel arches, the two conspicuous orange trailer hooks on the front of the car, the roof rack and all-terrain tires... the whole posture is really like a school uniform boy wearing hiking boots, cute and fierce. Although the ground clearance is only less than an inch higher than the regular version, the visual effect is at least five centimeters higher. Passers-by must turn back and take a second look when they pass by-well, it's a success.

Sitting in the car, the formula is familiar with, but it has a bit more "mud smell"

The interior... is basically the central control layout of an ordinary CRV, but the seats have been replaced with waterproof fabric (said to cope with mud and rain) and the orange TrailSport logo is embroidered. The steering wheel is thick, but the instrument panel is still the small 7-inch screen, which looks a little shabby. The most surprising thing is that the storage space in the front row is still huge, and the center armrest box can fit into an entire backpack. But there is one thing I really want to complain about: It's already a "Trail", why don't you give me a panoramic image? With such a narrow field of view, when cross-country, you can only rely on the rearview mirror to make wild guesses, like opening a blind box. In addition, the car supports wireless CarPlay. Like it, but the touch response speed... Well, the level in 2025 is barely passing.

Cross-country? Don't think too much, it just makes you "feel" you can cross country

I drove the car to a gravel slope in the suburbs and put it in TrailSport's exclusive "off-road mode"(which was actually a recalibration of traction control and throttle response), feeling a little uneasy. The result... It actually climbed up! Although the process was very difficult, and the front wheel occasionally idled and slipped, the electronic system intervened quickly. After a little oil collection and a kick, the top was steadily reached. But don't expect it to wash sand or cross Stonehenge-the AWD system is still the foundation of urban SUVs, and multiple clutches will occasionally overheat alarms. To put it bluntly, TrailSport is like matching you with a pair of cross-country running shoes, but your physical strength is still the level of a white-collar office worker. Being able to walk bad roads and go to a gravel parking area at a ski resort has exceeded expectations. But if you really drive it to travel through no man's land, I suggest you buy rescue insurance first.

Road performance: The expected "Honda flavor"

Back on the asphalt road, it is still the CRV that is easy to drive, fuel-efficient and has a lot of space. The 1.5T four-cylinder machine (190-horsepower) is equipped with a CVT, which accelerates smoothly like drinking warm milk. It is not passionate but not annoying. The steering feels so light that girls can rub the plate with one hand. Hanging on ordinary roads absorbs most of the bumps, but it will feel a little "duang" when encountering speed bumps-after all, the tire pressure is low after changing to off-road tires. High-speed cruise noise control was better than expected, and wind noise and tire noise were within acceptable ranges. The fuel consumption I drove for a week was around 8.5L/100km, which is quite decent for this weight and tires.

So is it worth buying?

If you're an ordinary person who lives in the suburbs and wants to go light off-road camping on weekends, but doesn't want to switch to a hardcore off-road vehicle, TrailSport may be the smartest choice-it retains all of CRV's daily advantages and adds a little passability and wildness. But you need to accept that it is expensive (about $3000 more expensive than the regular version with the same configuration), and that off-road capabilities are really just a "starter" level. To sum it up in my words: it's like a brother in the gym wearing a tight-fitting vest but only doing two-headed curls-it looks fierce, but it's actually what it is. But at least, he dresses well, doesn't he?