The Honda CR-V TrailSport Is All Looks: Review

Off-roading is officially a craze. Every automaker has some ruggedized variant of its small, medium, and large SUVs, while others go even harder with off-road trucks that are genuinely capable of huge jumps and rock crawling alike.

Honda entered this arena with the Pilot, Ridgeline, and Passport TrailSport—now the company is expanding to even more of its SUVs. Meet the CR-V TrailSport.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

TrailSport is Honda speak for off-roading, in the same vein as Subaru’s Wilderness line or Toyota’s TRD Off-Road trim. In the case of the Passport TrailSport (which we drove just recently), Honda went through significant effort to reinforce the unibody SUV with upgraded control arms, hubs, and subframe mountings to make the Passport more durable off-road. It even has skid protection.

The Ridgeline and Pilot, meanwhile, both get skid plates, off-road cameras, and retuned suspension to achieve the same effect. And all of them get Honda’s torque-vectoring VTM-4 all-wheel drive system.

The CR-V TrailSport doesn’t get as much. Instead, the compact SUV gains a silver front skid garnish, embossed headrests, hill-descent control, and a set of Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires. No extra underbody protection, no suspension lift, and no meaningful increase in the CR-V’s base durability.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Pros: Same On-Road Manners As Normal CR-V, Comfortable Off-Road, Decent Fuel Economy

Really, this is little more than an appearance package that comes with a brace of luxury features: Heated steering wheel, power tailgate, a 10.2-inch gauge cluster (new to the 2026 CR-V), and orange ambient lighting. The CR-V TrailSport also benefits from an updated traction-control system for all all-wheel drive CR-V models that now manages grip below 9 miles per hour for trickier situations.

While the lack of actual ruggedization is disappointing, the CR-V TrailSport is capable enough for the kind of off-roading most folks will do. Taking it on Honda’s pre-marked courses demonstrated that, with a little thinking, the CR-V can make it up some moderate climbs and clamber over mild obstacles.

The CR-V relies heavily on traction control, ABS, and good car positioning. But I wouldn’t rely on it for more than a slight berm or a steep hill. Looking underneath, it’s evident that the CR-V is not well equipped enough to handle more than a fire road, unless you’re willing to risk damage.

That said, the TrailSport model does ride nicely over rough patches—a virtue of its unibody construction. Plus, the onboard systems manage traction imperceptibly well. Hill-descent control is seamless and easy, and maximum flex situations are dispatched with relative ease.

Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1

Cons: Mostly An Appearance Package, No Suspension Lift, No Extra Underbody Protection

The on-road manners and features are almost identical to the standard CR-V, save for a bit more tire noise from the Continentals. In a backroad-heavy, 150-mile loop, the TrailSport returned 29.6 miles per gallon, below the 2025 CR-V’s EPA-estimated fuel economy. Frankly, this is where the TrailSport will see most of its days, and it does well.

Truthfully, the most significant difference with the CR-V TrailSport is price. It’s $40,650 for your trouble, and it’s only available with Honda’s 204-horsepower hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain. You get a good set of features, some extra off-road capability, and a whole bunch of stolen rock-bashing valor for your money.

A 4×4 it is not. But the more rugged CR-V does enough for a decent camping trip.

Competitors

Ford Bronco Sport
Mazda CX-50
Subaru Forester Wilderness
Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road

The Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Was (Mostly) Worth the Wait: First Drive Review
The Bronco Sport Sasquatch Does Its Big Brother Proud: Off-Road Review

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