The Honda Crosstour is aptly named and doesn’t look like anything else on the road. As a very unique offering from Honda the Crosstour is a blend of a sedan, wagon, and crossover SUV making it a very interesting looking and performing vehicle. Although it has a unique look that may attract a very interested crowd, the Crosstour doesn’t fit well in many categories and loses a little bit in each one that it may come anywhere near fitting into. Even with that said the Crosstour carries in the Honda nameplate and engineering which offers proven track record of reliability and quality.
As a vehicle that is made to handle rough terrain, deep snow and other tough road offerings the Honda Crosstour performs extremely well and comes in a package that is much smaller and more agile than a very bulky SUV. With no major changes for the new 2015 model, the Crosstour looks and is equipped the same as the previous model which has performed very nicely for owners. An interesting feature that is included in the Crosstour is a removable plastic utility box that is nearly two cubic feet in space to the cargo area but also can be removed to allow for cleanup duties to be performed.
Built on the Accord platform, the Crosstour offers a feeling of agility and gives drivers a very enjoyable driving experience that is provided by the highly-engineered suspension. This suspension allows the vehicle to ride smooth and handle curves and road abrasions with ease and capability. Along with the suspension system, the steering system is highly responsive, creating a driving experience that is agile, capable, and built to handle a wide variety of driving conditions.
Two engines that are offered for the Crosstour give owners the opportunity choose a bit of power and only lose a very small amount in the fuel efficiency realm. The base model engine comes in the form of a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that offers up to 192 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that may be replaced soon, but is currently in place and helps to bring in a fuel efficiency of 22 city/31 hwy mpg for owners to take advantage of.
The other engine is going to be the one to choose for anyone who is serious about allowing the Crosstour to be as capable as it possibly can. This engine shows up as a 3.5-liter V6 engine and offers 278 horsepower and 252 lb.-ft. of torque making it much more powerful than the base model. This power plant is matched up with a six-speed automatic transmission that includes steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and offers the ability to be equipped with all-wheel drive. This powertrain comes in with a fuel efficiency of 20 city/30 hwy mpg for the front-wheel drive version and 19 city/29 hwy mpg for the all-wheel drive models. This excellent engine offers Variable Cylinder Management as well that allows the car to run on three, four or six cylinders depending on the load needs and help to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. With such a small drop from the base engine its only makes sense to load the Crosstour with this engine in order to experience the performance this vehicle can offer.
Once inside the Crosstour, owners will feel like they are in an Accord. The layout is identical and makes sense with the Accord being such a popular design especially from the inside. The Crosstour offers high quality materials throughout the cabin and control features that are intuitive and give a very high-tech appearance for owners to fully enjoy. The rear seat offers a 60/40 split bench layout along with 25.7 cubic feet of storage space behind the seat in order to give owners some great cargo configurations and up to 51.3 cubic feet of storage when the rear bench is folded completely flat.
ON the outside the Crosstour appears to look a lot like the Accord from up front with an attractive front end that offers a high and large grill adorned with chrome and headlights that are trapezoidal in shape and lean the look of the vehicle toward the rear. After looking over the front and enjoying the hood to roof angle the most interesting feature of the Crosstour is found in the sloping rear roofline that gives the car a sporty appearance and starts the confusing conversation as to where this car fits and in what category.
The Crosstour is loaded with some great features to enjoy, making even the base model a nice purchase, but the recommendation it to buy one that has the V6 engine. These standard features on the base EX model include 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights, heated power side mirrors, cruise control, auto on/off headlights, a rearview camera, a ten-way power driver’s seat, a power moonroof, a seven speaker sound system with Bluetooth and USB connectivity, six airbags, electronic stability aids, and an active headrest.
Optional features for the Crosstour include all-wheel drive, forward collision and lane departure warning systems, dual zone climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, touch screen audio with Pandora Internet radio and hands-free texting to help improve this already feature filled vehicle. The only knock on these features is the Bluetooth profile with music streaming is only available on the EX-L models which is a feature that is standard fare on many compact cars.
For the crowd who wants the capability of an SUV without the size, the Crosstour is a great choice and starts out with a base price of $28,350 which is fairly affordable but does not have the V6 engine. To add the V6 engine and move into the EX-L trim level the price will actually reach much closer to $40,000 and doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room between the two. In either case, the Crosstour which carries the Honda nameplate is a fantastic vehicle with an interesting look that gives owners the feeling of reliability and longevity.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
