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Off-pavement enabled trims are all the rage right now. The Subaru Wilderness versions are making up ever-increasing percentages of the total take for vehicles like the Crosstrek, Outback, and Forester, and were past 40% when we last heard. Toyota’s RAV4 has a LOT of off-pavement trims, and the Woodlands edition RAV4 Hybrid Woodlands is this Honda’s closest matchup, so we’ll mix in a little comparison and contrast as we go along.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - What Is It?
The CR-V is a roomy five-passenger crossover SUV that is neck and neck with Toyota in leadership of this massively important segment. The hybrid version uses a fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain with added torque to move the vehicle around. The TrailSport trim adds some key features to make the vehicle a bit better off-pavement than other trims. All Wheel Drive is standard.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - Price
Including Honda’s $1,450 Destination and Handling fee, the vehicle we tested has a 2026 price of $40,705. Add about $500 in dealer doc fees to get your out-the-door price.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - Powertrain
The TrailSport Hybrid is all-wheel drive. The engine is a 2.0-liter hybrid boosted with motors. Unfortunately, there is a driveshaft running front to back. Toyota’s AWD RAV4 ditched that heavy bunch of moving parts long ago. In operation, the CR-V Hybrid is mostly an EV that can gain power from its gas motor. It feels and drives like an EV. Only very rarely does the gas engine directly send power to the wheels. So rarely, it is unlikely you will ever notice it doing so. It’s smooth, quiet, offers great torque, and has an EPA-Estimated Combined MPG rating of 35 MPG. That means your annual fuel budget will be around $1,200, according to the EPA.
There are multiple drive modes to help you in various conditions. For 2026, Honda adds a Low-Speed Traction Management system to all CR-Vs. Drive modes include Snow, Sport, and Eco. There is a dedicated hill descent control button, easy to use on the shifter mount. This CR-V has the makings of a great snow vehicle.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - What Makes It Special?
The TrailSport is made special primarily by its 18-inch all-terrain tires. These sensible shoes will work great on access trials to kayak ramps and on dirt roads. We’d take them over all-season touring tires any day. The media vehicle we tested had Continental brand tires. We’d prefer Falken WildPeaks, but we do have to admit the Contis seemed quiet and handling was great on pavement.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - The Drive
In your mind, envision the CR-V’s mission. Do you have some idea of how the CR-V will be used in real life? OK, if you do, let us tell you it is brilliant in its role. Perfect. Ideal. Hard to even imagine how it could be better. It’s perfect around town, nice on the highway, and the all-terrain tires make it better over bumpy roads.
The torque is significant. 247 lb-ft from 0 RPMs. No conventionally powered vehicle in its class can match that. Gas engines need time to rev. No battery-electric vehicle in the CR-V’s price range can match its powertrain either. Try to find an AWD BEV for $41K with a 490-mile range. There isn’t one. There never has been, and none are coming.
In Sport mode, the CR-V TrailSport is quite quick, peppy, snappy even. You don’t need a single bit more thrust than you get. It’s perfect. Around town, the hybrid engine is brilliant. Often, just using the motors to move you.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - Infotainment and Controls - Seats
The seats in the CR-V TrailSport Hybrid are fantastic. Good-looking, great-feeling cloth. I’d take these seats over anything else crossover-shaped I’ve ever tested in any vehicle - period. Honda should never design any other seat ever again. Just use these. Wide, comfy, supportive, heated, cloth feels warmer in winter when you get in than plastic.
Honda’s infotainment system was also ideal. Android Auto worked quickly, wirelessly, and without any glitches. The HVAC controls are real knobs and buttons, and simple to use. Great job by Honda resisting the stupid trend to hide these in the infotainment screen.
Biggest bonus? Heated steering wheel. Best unexpected touch? Assisted hood supports (no stick). Most unexpected feature? Washer fluid comes out of the wipers, not from nozzles.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - OK, What’s It Missing?
There is no spare tire in the CR-V TrailSport Hybrid. This is an unforgivable omission in my opinion, as the owner of:
1) A Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness (compact spare)
2) A Ford Bronco Sport Badlands (full-size spare)
3) A Toyota Hybrid crossover (compact spare)
Who did Honda build this CR-V for if not shoppers like me?
Not only is there no spare, but the rear cargo area also does not even lift up. So, you need to decide if you are really going to go off-pavement with the CR-V TrailSport Hybrid and risk damaging a tire. If you do, being towed may be the only option unless you go to the trouble of finding your own spare. Tire repair kits do not help with sidewall tears, large punctures, or any puncture if you have to drive on the flat tire to get to a place in which a repair can be attempted. The crazy thing is, Honda does have a spare in other Honda CR-Vs, just not this off-pavement trim.
2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid - Conclusion & Comparisons
If you can live without a spare tire and want an off-pavement capable crossover that will be simply the best there is on pavement, this is a tie with the RAV4’s version. Subaru doesn’t offer a hybrid Wilderness, so there are really just these two choices unless you want to consider a Bronco Sport Badlands. Which we definitely would if we were cross-shopping. It will use about $5K more gas over the ten years of its life you own it, and likely break a lot, but it has a lot to offer.
Hondas generally don’t break, hold their value well, are safe, and have a sublime driving experience many love - including us. This CR-V TrailSport is a great execution of an expanding niche that cannot be ignored.
Tell us in the comments below what you think of the CR-V TrailSport Hybrid.
John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.
.Seat and tire images courtesy of Honda Media gallery. All other images by John Goreham.
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