The HR-V has an attractive design, but look beyond the surface and you’ll find it lacking. The driving experience is uninspired due to an anemic engine—even when teamed with the manual transmission. Light steering and a soft suspension result in disappointing driving dynamics. The interior is practical thanks to its configurability; there’s a maximum of 59 cubic feet of storage. Touch-capacitive buttons make the infotainment system hard to use; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t offered.

Under the HR-V’s short hood is a 141-hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder. We’ve tested front- and all-wheel-drive models, both equipped with the CVT. With front-wheel drive, the HR-V managed a rather sluggish 8.6-second zero-to-60-mph time. Adding all-wheel drive slowed it even further, to 9.3 seconds.