2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid TrailSport Review: A Compromise Against Compromises
Is the 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid TrailSport Good Off-Road?
With a set of standard all-terrain tires, it’s certainly a step above a standard all-wheel-drive CR-V, but I would manage expectations if you plan for the TrailSport to serve as your new adventure mobile.
How Does the 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid TrailSport Compare to Other Compact SUVs?
From an off-road perspective, leave the gnarlier terrain to the Subaru Forester Wilderness or Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch. For day-to-day urban driving, the 2026 CR-V is one of the sharper, more satisfying crossovers on the market, and the TrailSport’s all-terrain tires don’t change this.
A simple line of questioning can help determine if the new 2026 Honda CR-V hybrid TrailSport meets your needs:
Do you frequently find yourself in a situation where you must engage the low range of your 4×4 system or lock differentials to progress? Are you more concerned with approach, breakover and departure angles than efficiency? Have you winched your daily driver from a pit of muck in the past year?
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If you even hesitated in answering any part of this questionnaire, keep moving. Despite the capability of Honda’s other TrailSport products, the TrailSporterized CR-V essentially amounts to an appearance package with a set of unique wheels and all-terrain tires. There are no changes to the suspension, drive modes, underbody protection or even the all-wheel-drive system that aren’t present elsewhere in the 2026 CR-V lineup.
In an era of genuinely adventure-capable unibody AWD crossovers like Subaru’s Wilderness line and Ford’s Bronco Sport Sasquatch products, this initially felt like a letdown. This is exacerbated when you superimpose the CR-V TrailSport against the adequately rugged Passport TrailSport, Honda’s 4Runner-baiting mid-sizer that packs skid plates, terrain modes, aggressive all-terrains and a revised AWD system.
How Does the 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid TrailSport Drive?
I voiced these concerns to Honda reps on hand at the TrailSport’s debut (per Cars.com’s ethics policy, we pay for all travel and lodging at such manufacturer-sponsored events). During product planning and development, Honda determined beefier off-road hardware added cost, complexity, and compromises in efficiency and comfort that ran the risk of losing more buyers than it would gain, with the resulting soft-roading TrailSport striking the balance between compromise and capability.
As far as I could tell, there’s not much compromise to be found at any level. The Continental CrossContact ATR all-terrain tires don’t meaningfully affect road noise or feel compared to standard CR-Vs of this generation. The majority of the drive route wove through the forested chaparral north of San Diego, a network of squiggled canyon roads that exposed the all-terrained SUV to dynamic motion far beyond what its (presumably) urban buyers would experience with any regularity.
The previous CR-V was one of the better-driving mainstream crossovers, and this baseline solidity shines through with the 2026 revision. Even with the knobbier rubber, the TrailSport stops and steers with just a hint of zest not present in equivalent crossovers from any competitors save Mazda and Toyota. It’s free from the unpleasant “squish” characteristic of all-terrain tires that’s often introduced with these rough-road specials, making it nearly as comfortable and composed as a standard CR-V hybrid — the only powertrain available for the TrailSport.
Both CR-V powertrains are left untouched for 2026, with the TrailSport’s hybridized 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for a combined 204 horsepower and 247 pounds-feet of torque — decent figures, but the TrailSport’s 3,900-pound curb weight limits straight-line performance to “adequate” and not beyond. With two occupants and nearly 100 pounds of cargo, the TrailSport was a smidge poky when pointed down an on-ramp, though merging speeds were capable enough not to cause worry.
What’s Different About the 2026 CR-V’s AWD System?
The CR-V hybrid’s AWD system is not insignificantly updated for 2026. Revised logic for low-speed, low-traction scenarios patches some of the current-gen CR-V’s middling AWD capability, with the available torque split now 50/50 front/rear against the prior 60/40 ratio. This is not unique to the TrailSport — all 2026 CR-V hybrids with AWD incorporate these changes.
Given the TrailSport’s, ah, “reserved” off-road capability, our guided off-road route involved a short cruise down an unpaved ranch road to a short incline for a very brief test of the hill descent control function. Then we took a similarly short drive to a second area where we induced slight articulation and lifted a rear wheel skyward.
Given the TrailSport’s unchanged ground clearance and approach, departure and breakover angles, I can confidently say we tackled no obstacle that any 2026 CR-V hybrid AWD couldn’t handle with similar aplomb. The staged tech demo of the year-over-year AWD improvements was more illustrative; an AWD 2025 CR-V failed to extricate itself from a set of low-friction wheel rollers, while a 2026 TrailSport scooted from the same setup with little effort.
It won’t conquer the Rubicon, but you’ll likely have no trouble getting to that remote lake house or surviving slick winter streets. And it looks mostly the part, too, with orange-accent TrailSport badges, silver trim on the lower portion of the front end, a set of TrailSport-branded rubber floormats, embroidered head restraints and orange stitching peppered throughout the cabin.
More From Cars.com:
- 2026 Honda CR-V Adds New TrailSport Trim, More Standard Equipment
- How Does the All-New 2026 Toyota RAV4 Compare to the 2026 Honda CR-V?
- How Much Is the 2026 Honda CR-V?
- 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid Review: Popular for Good Reason
- What’s the Best Compact SUV for 2025?
How Much Is the 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid TrailSport?
All of the modelwide upgrades for 2026 are here, and higher trims — including the TrailSport — arrive with the larger 10.2-inch display superseding the 2025 model’s 9-inch optional screen. The 9-inch touchscreen is now standard and 2 inches larger than the prior standard display. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is wireless device charging.
Minor changes, minor improvement. CR-V TrailSport pricing starts at $40,195, a $1,670 bump over an AWD 2026 hybrid Sport and a whopping $4,150 over an AWD EX (all prices include destination). So, it’s a no-brainer if you’re set on a rugged-looking CR-V hybrid but worth deliberation if you’re just keen on an AWD CR-V of any type. And for those looking for a Honda SUV with more off-road capability, please direct your attention to the 2026 Honda Passport base RTL trim, which starts at $46,200.
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