The first Honda HR-V that came to American shores in 2016 was a boring crossover sibling of the fabulous Honda Fit, which was already a perfect car. That HR-V was boring to look at, woefully underpowered and less enjoyable to drive than the Fit it was based on, but it won over more buyers thanks to its raised seating position and crossover categorization. The HR-V's true first generation was actually never sold in the U.S., and of course it was way cooler than the HR-Vs that roam our big American roads.
Now though, you can bid on this three-door 1999 Honda HR-V that's listed on Bring a Trailer with a clean Massachusetts title.
We're now on the second generation of HR-V in the U.S., which is sold in other markets as the ZR-V, because the third-gen HR-V in Europe and Japan is a smaller, separate model. Out HR-V gained more power and it's the brand's third-best-selling model this year, but it's still arguably the most boring model in Honda's portfolio. A new HR-V costs around $30,000 with all-wheel drive, and I think this low-mileage UK-market HR-V with a manual transmission and four-wheel drive is a way better deal for a way cooler car.
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Funky Outside, Conventional Inside
Honda went pretty bold with the first-gen HR-V's exterior design; it was a clean-sheet new model so it doesn't really look like any other Honda, and this example has sporty alloy wheels and a rooftop spoiler that's a hilarious choice for a compact crossover. It's about 20 inches shorter in length than a first-gen CR-V, but it's only about four inches shorter in height so it's got a unique stance. Its chunky fender flares, bold body lines, and tall tail lights that run the height of the C-pillar all work together to create a chic, sporty looking little Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle — that's what HR-V stands for, of course.
Despite having funky blue cloth seats and other blue accents on the gauges, HVAC dials, and steering wheel-mounted Honda badge, the HR-V's interior is overall a typically sensible late-'90s Honda design. The back seats fold down remarkably flat for an early crossover, and the HR-V's square shape facilitates a spacious interior with lots of usable cargo space. It is right-hand drive, though, so you'll have to stretch to grab your food at the drive-through.
You Get An Imported Car With Honda Reliability, What's Not To Like?
This HR-V is powered by a 1.6-liter inline-4 that sent 105 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque through Honda's RealTime 4WD system, so it's not going to offer much as far as straight-line excitement goes, but original reviews of the first-gen HR-V praise its car-like handling and fun-to-drive demeanor. It also got great gas mileage with 27.4 mpg combined, and again, it looks so funky and distinctive you can forgive some lackluster performance.
With just 54,000 miles on its odometer, a clean Carfax, and all of its import paperwork already taken care of, this would make a great purchase for someone looking for a distinctive yet reliable and efficient car. It's selling with no reserve, and the current highest bid is just $4,000 with five days left in its auction. If that price doesn't go up too much, I might need to be physically restrained to prevent myself from bidding on it, because I love it so much.
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