2021 Toyota C-HR review: Standing out at the back of the pack

Table of Contents

The Nightshade deal is new for 2021.


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With its wild styling and youthful vibe, I can see how you would think the Toyota C-HR may possibly be a entertaining small runabout. But seriously, this subcompact crossover was by no means meant to be anything at all far more than an economical equipment, and it does not even seriously excel in the most simple types, either.

Like

  • Awesome model
  • Plenty of normal driver-support tech

Don’t Like

  • Tedious to generate
  • Lackluster fuel financial system
  • More costly than its competitors

The C-HR is run by a two.-liter I4 making one hundred forty four horsepower and 139 pound-ft of torque. That engine is paired with a repeatedly variable transmission that results in the I4 to seriously drone less than acceleration, though it does help the C-HR return EPA-estimated fuel financial system rankings of 27 miles for each gallon metropolis, 31 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined. Even so, fantastic as that sounds, the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Venue, Mazda CX-3 and Nissan Kicks all conquer that range the Nissan can extend to an outstanding 36 mpg highway.

There just isn’t considerably get-up-and-go in the C-HR’s powertrain, even in Activity mode, which is accessed via the TFT display in the gauge cluster. This adjustments the transmission mapping to have it behave far more like a conventional automatic, with “upshift” sensations that keep the engine revving minimal. This does not seriously help with sporty driving, of training course. It just tries to make the C-HR far more fuel-economical.

Like other subcompact crossovers, the Toyota C-HR is only out there with entrance-wheel generate. If you want all-wheel-generate capability, verify out the Honda HR-V or Mazda CX-3. The C-HR is beautifully snug and competent on smooth pavement, and it’s going to handle the occasional bump with poise. But this thing is rarely entertaining to generate, with vague steering and sloppy dealing with. Put together with the awful CVT, the C-HR is a total dud behind the wheel.

The fantastic information is that driver-support technologies receives a increase for 2021. All C-HR trims get Toyota’s Safety Perception two.5 suite as normal. This pack incorporates lane-departure warning, highway sign help, forward-collision warning, lane-tracing help and comprehensive-velocity adaptive cruise handle. Blind-location monitoring is normal on all but the foundation LE trim. Toyota generally does a fantastic position of giving a large range of driving aids on its comprehensive variety of cars and trucks, and this adds a ton of worth to the C-HR, though it appears odd that blind-location monitoring would be remaining off the normal tools record when almost everything else is bundled.

This two.-liter engine just isn’t all that strong or economical.


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Unfortunately, Toyota’s Entune infotainment is one of Roadshow’s minimum preferred programs, with a clunky interface and dated graphics. Apple CarPlay and Android Vehicle are normal, which allows, but one supremely disappointing characteristic is the fuzzy, minimal-res backup camera. Arrive on, Toyota, backup cameras are rarely new, and they’ve been a federally mandated piece of security tools for a couple yrs now. That show ought to be crystal-crystal clear. I shouldn’t have to guess if that’s a bush or a sack of groceries behind me. Further more, be well prepared to duke it out with your travellers in excess of charging ports. There is only one USB-A and one 12-volt outlet in the entrance. Rear-seat travellers are SOL.

Talking of the backseat, it can be not uncomfortable. With the entrance seat established for my 5-foot, 9-inch driving place, I even now have some room involving my knees and the seat back, and loads of headroom as very well. My only grievance is that the uptick in the rear window helps make for a seriously high beltline, which helps make the rear compartment experience darkish and far more cramped than it seriously is.

The cabin’s style is good, but the infotainment tech requires some help.


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There is a ton of low-priced plastic in listed here, but the doorways have some interesting diamond-pattern texture that’s echoed in the cloth seats, and the fake-leather sprint is essentially fairly good. My Nightshade trim has a leather-wrapped steering wheel, though the controls are oddly slanted at an angle.

The C-HR’s cargo ability is beneath common for the course, with 19.1 cubic ft behind the rear seats and 37 cubic ft overall. Those needing lots of room would do very well to verify out the Honda HR-V, which has as considerably as 58.8 cubic ft of room with its back seats folded.

Awesome as the exterior style is, I can see how it may possibly put some people off. Even I sometimes search at it and think of Coco Chanel’s notorious line, “Before you go away the residence, search in the mirror and take one thing off.” Possibly the C-HR would search improved devoid of so several body creases. Or possibly it can be those bulging rear fenders. It is really all a bit considerably. I do like the Nightshade trim, though, which is new for 2021. My brilliant pink tester has a contrasting black roof and black trim, with distinctive eighteen-inch wheels.

It is really challenging to advocate the C-HR.


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The C-HR is priced bigger than several of its competitors, at $22,620 which include $1,a hundred seventy five for vacation spot. The sweet location in the variety is the midlevel XLE that receives you a proximity crucial and blind-location monitoring and expenses $24,655. The Nightshade witnessed listed here raises that MSRP a bit, to $twenty five,420.

In the finish, the C-HR does not seriously excel at any one thing, apart from obtaining lots of driver-support tech normal. But even then, it can be far more costly, worse to generate, a lot less spacious and not as economical as its competitors. If all you treatment about is standout styling, then the C-HR may possibly be your jam. Or else, this subcompact CUV remains a challenging one to advocate.