I’ve started the process of looking to trade in my 2011 Kia Sorento in for something new. I recently test drove the 2025 CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring and really liked the feel of the vehicle. That, along with the great reliability history that Honda has developed has me leaning towards the 2025 CR-V Hybrid. When I looked at the spec comparison between the Sport Touring and the Sport-L models, the biggest differences for me are the Real-Time AWD with Intelligent Control System and the heated steering wheel. I live in Iowa, so the roads are always a concern in the winter. While most of my driving is in town, I live in a rural area, so I do spend a bit of time on the highway. I can live without the heated steering wheel, but how much difference does the Real-Time AWD control system make? Is it worth the almost $4000 difference in price?
I was between the two models as well, and went with the Sport-L. I wanted 2WD for gas mileage, as I live in the south with no snow.
I wish I had gone touring for 2 reasons:
The audio quality is pretty bad. The Bose sound system is likely a big upgrade.
Wind/engine noise is pretty noticeable. The touring has acoustic glass which helps.
@Heath
Wind/engine noise is pretty noticeable. The touring has acoustic glass which helps.
Oh! I didn’t realize that there was a difference in the glass and how it would impact wind/engine noise. Yes, this definitely helps. Thanks!
@Lux
Supposedly the Touring has active noise cancellation as well…
Cort said:
@Lux
Supposedly the Touring has active noise cancellation as well…
According to the spec sheet, all the models have the active noise cancellation. The difference is the touring model has baffles inside the tires that reduce road noise.
I can’t compare to the Sport-L but have the 2024 Touring. The sound system is great, it is a very quiet ride, and I actually really like having the kick-open rear hatch.
Sawyer said:
I can’t compare to the Sport-L but have the 2024 Touring. The sound system is great, it is a very quiet ride, and I actually really like having the kick-open rear hatch.
Yep, I was impressed with the ride and the way it handled the corners. While I like the kick-open hatch, I don’t have one now, so I don’t know if it is a big selling point for me. Funny enough, one of the details I liked about it was the leather-wrapped steering wheel. I’m sure that it’s because I have an older SUV, but I just loved the way the steering wheel felt, which I think is similar on all models?
Similar situation. I went in leaning toward Touring because I wanted the upgraded sound and added acoustic dampening. Dealer only had AWD on Sport-L, but I didn’t want FWD anyway. I really liked the Touring after the test drive and decided to go for it. See quite a few members of this sub regretting not going Touring and I didn’t want that to be me.
@Joss
Good to know. I’ve had my Kia for almost 14 years and plan on driving my next vehicle for a while, too. So, I definitely do not want to regret my choice! Thank you!
@Joss
I’m so happy that I went for the Sport Touring. I can play the Bose stereo at low volumes, and have a conversation with others without having to yell.
Also, availability and dealer pricing are different on different trims depending on which one is more popular in your area. Overall, Honda makes much less Touring, on top, even less on the color you want.
Where I live in California, Touring is extremely popular, my local dealers refuse to offer anything lower than $1500 below MSRP. I eventually got an EXL for $3600 below MSRP because everybody wants a hybrid here, also because people don’t want to pay ridiculous prices for RAV4 hybrid. Basically, to me, it makes the price difference between Sport-L and EXL $5500 or so, it makes no financial sense to pay $5500 extra to save $300 a year on gas.
That said, the commonly agreed idea between Sport-L and Touring is that if you really need AWD, you better go with Touring because it’s standard, but a $1700 extra on Sport-L, making the price difference just $2300. It is well worth it for the Bose sound system, heated steering (if you need AWD, you may want this too), and hands-free power liftgate being nice features too, all for $2300.
I would drive both back to back. Do a mix of normal and highway driving.
Conley said:
I would drive both back to back. Do a mix of normal and highway driving.
Good idea. I live about two hours away from the nearest Honda dealer, but I plan on visiting again and will make sure to do that.
Depends on what you can live with. A base hybrid is probably the best bang for the buck, but the Sport-L gives you extras like a bigger screen, leather seats, and a sunroof which really brings it up on the luxury scale. But Touring gives you all the bells and whistles. If you don’t need them all, the Sport-L is kind of in the middle.
@Orion
I’d never had a car with all the options, so for my 70th birthday, I went for the whole thing. I’m very happy with my decision.
@Orion
I don’t need all the bells and whistles, but do want leather seats. I often take my dog with me and the leather cleans up much easier. But, my biggest question is how much of a difference that Real-Time AWD Intelligent System would be on snow and wet roads. If I didn’t go with the Touring, would it be noticeable not having that system?
@Lux
I haven’t driven in snow, but you can get an EX-L AWD for about 36k, which comes in cheaper than a Sport-L AWD or Touring. Maybe that’ll meet most of your wants (hybrid, AWD, and leather).
They both have the same AWD system, the Touring gets the Bose over the 8-speaker premium system in the Sport-L, heated steering wheel, foot-activated tailgate, and acoustic front side glass (both have an acoustic windshield). The Sport Touring also gets wheel resonators, which will impact road noise.
I bought a Sport-L earlier this year and had the same choice. The difference when I was looking at it was, Touring included a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, a tailgate that can open by wagging your foot under the bumper, and an upgraded sound system. I was already over budget and didn’t want to spend $4k more for this stuff, but I really wanted a heated steering wheel.
My 2024 is a Sport-L that has hybrid and AWD. I don’t know if that changed. If it did, you might be able to find a year-old model with this setup.
So after talking to the dealership, I found out you can option in the heated steering wheel, which is not something they advertise, probably because they want you to get into the Touring trim for all the money.
It was about $1,300. I did have to wait months for it to come and get it installed, but I have it now and it is getting cold and I am so glad I did it. I plan on keeping this thing for like 7 years, so $1300 over 7/8 winters? Worth it.
Also, get a lighter color. I got the meteor gray (I think that is what it is called) and it constantly looks dirty with pollen and dust. I hate it.
@Ridley
The price difference between a Sport-L and a Touring is basically that steering wheel upgrade…