Honda CR-V VS Nissan X-Trail

One of the main reasons we’ve always been fans of the current gen Honda CR-V at CarsGuide is its practical cabin. It is, arguably, the best midsize SUV for young families in this part of the market.

That’s because it prioritises space and comfort, practicality and cabin smarts over things like excitement and wow factor. 

Sure, there’s a bit of a problem with that - rivals like the RAV4 prove you can do both things well. But the CR-V is unapologetically pleasant and well sorted in terms of practicality. It’s truly the pragmatic choice in this part of the market.

Up front there’s a clever centre console section that has been rethought for this update, and now scores easier-to-access USB ports, and in grades equipped with it, a wireless phone charger. There are still good sized cup holders, and the removable tray section that allows you to configure the console storage how you need it - see how much I fit in there in the video above.

There are also good sized door pockets with bottle holders, and a reasonable glovebox, too. It’s very cleverly designed, and the materials are good, too - the VTi LX model I drove had soft trim on the doors and dash, plus the leather seats are comfortable and offer good adjustment. I’ve driven CR-Vs with cloth seat trim too, and the quality is always top notch.

The shortfalls come in the ‘ooooh’ department. The CR-V still runs a small 7.0-inch media screen - some rivals have much larger displays - and while it does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a volume knob, it’s still a bit fidgety in terms of the operation. And it’s slow to react at times, too.

Plus, while there is a climate button and fan speed button, as well as dials for the temperature settings, you still have to go through the screen to control whether the air conditioner is on or off, and also which ventilation is active. Odd. 

In the back seat, there’s a really neat trick. The doors open up to almost 90 degrees, meaning parents loading their kids into child seats will be able to access the back row a lot easier than some rivals (we’re looking at you, Mr RAV4, with your narrow-hinged doors). Indeed, the apertures are huge, meaning access for people of all ages is pretty easy.

And the space in the second row is excellent, too. There is easily enough space for someone my size (182cm / 6’0”) to sit behind their own driving position with ample knee room, toe space and shoulder room to be comfortable. Only the head room is questionable if you get a CR-V with a sunroof, and even then, it’s not terrible.

If you do have kids, there are ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the outboard seats, and three top tether attachment points - but unlike most rivals, they actually mount in the ceiling above the boot, not the back of the second-row seat. Choose a seven-seater and you have the same issue, but the third-row seats add a pair of top-tether points mounted into the very back boot floor. 

The seven-seat versions of the CR-V have a sliding second-row seat, which makes head room even tighter. The five-seat CR-Vs have a 60:40 split fold second row. All models have a flip down armrest and cupholders fitted in the second row, plus door pockets large enough for big bottles, and map pockets on the front seat backs.

I tested the seven-seat CR-V pre-facelift, and found the third row space to be best left to smaller occupants. If you choose a three-row CR-V, you get rear row air vents and cupholders, too.

The boot space on offer for the CR-V also depends on the seating configuration. If you choose a five-seater like the VTi LX model here, you get a cargo capacity of 522 litres (VDA). Get the seven-seater, and the five-seats-up measurement is 50L less (472L VDA), while with all three rows of seats in use, there’s 150L (VDA) of boot space. 

If that’s not enough boot capacity - and it won't be if you’re heading away with all seven seats in use - you might want to consider checking out the accessories catalogue for roof rails, roof racks or a roof cargo box.

Happily, though, all CR-Vs come with a hidden full-size alloy spare wheel under the boot floor.

The complete overhaul to the X-Trail interior is more than just skin deep. Yes, it's much more visually appealing, but it is a very practical, flexible cabin - especially in ST-L grade and beyond.

Up front, the dash layout is neat and far less busy than the old model, and depending on the grade it has soft-touch, two-tone materials. The steering wheel looks good and has clear controls and the multimedia screen juts out at the top of the centre stack.

ST and ST-L get an 8.0-inch setup that is more basic, but it's easy to use, while other grades gain a 12.3-inch screen with Nissan's latest tech. It has much more functionality and addresses a criticism of the previous-Trail - old in-car tech. It's a top notch system with nice graphics, and it's not overly complicated to navigate.

There are no problems with the clarity of the 10.8-inch head-up display on higher grades, while the customisable 12.3-inch digital driver display in Ti and up is also well executed.

The seats in all grades we sampled are comfortable and offer decent support. Naturally the higher grades get the nicer trim.

The new X-Trail offers family friendly storage solutions including decent sized cupholders up front, ample room for big bottles in the doors, and a huge central bin with nooks, but the glovebox isn't massive.

Under the console is another large tray for storage with a rubber like mat to ensure items don't slide when driving. There's a USB-A and C port up front, and Ti and up have a wireless charger.

The rear doors have a massive aperture, opening to 85 degrees, making getting in and out as well as loading items and small humans, much easier.

Rear passengers will find another set of USB-A and C ports, rear lower air vents, map pockets, decent bottle storage in the doors and a fold-down armrest.

Despite retaining the same 2705mm wheelbase as the previous X-Trail, there's more space in the rear. In fact behind my six-foot (183cm) driving position, I had loads of leg and knee room, as well as ample toe room. Even in the higher grades with the panoramic sunroof, there's no shortage of headroom for taller folk.

It has ISOFIX points for the two outboard seats and top tethers for all three second-row seats. The third row in the seven-seat X-Trail is really for occasional use only as it's tight back there - much like other medium SUVs with a third seating row.

The base ST has 60/40 split-fold rear seating that reclines, while all other grades have 20/40/20 split seats that also recline, with a centre armrest or pass-through.

The ST also misses out on the X-Trail's storage party trick - its ‘Divide-N-Hide' boot. Basically, the boot floor is split into two removable panels that lift and slot in vertically so you can separate and hide items in the boot. It also includes some limited under-floor storage for flatter items. It's a neat and useful feature. The X-Trail has a temporary spare wheel.