Honda ZR-V Lease Deals

Why Lease a Honda ZR-V?

The ZR-V sits between the Civic and the CR-V and it is quicker than a family SUV needs to be. 0 to 62mph in 7.8 seconds from a full hybrid that you never plug in, while still emitting 130g/km. That comes from Honda's i-MMD system, where the 135kW electric motor does most of the driving and the petrol engine mainly generates, stepping in to drive the wheels directly only at steadier higher speeds.

There are three grades and one powertrain, so the choice is simple, but it is not the choice most people make. Read the grade section next, because on this car the entry grade beats the top one on every objective measure including boot space, which is the opposite of how a range usually works.

Which Honda ZR-V Grade Should You Choose?

Here is the thing nobody tells you: the Advance has a smaller boot than the cheaper grades. 370 litres against 380, because the Bose sound system's subwoofer takes about ten litres out of the load area. If you are buying the top grade for the audio, fine, but go in knowing you are trading luggage space for it.

And the pattern runs further than the boot. Elegance is the quickest, the cleanest and the roomiest, simply because it is 50kg lighter than the Advance. Every step up the range makes the car heavier, slower and slightly thirstier. Honda publishes economy as 5.7 litres per 100km on Elegance and 5.8 on the other two, which is roughly 49.6mpg and 48.7mpg. None of that makes Advance a bad choice if you want the equipment, but if you are choosing on figures, the cheapest grade wins outright.

Does the Honda ZR-V Have Four Wheel Drive?

No, and there is no option for it. Every ZR-V drives the front wheels only. It is worth being plain about that, because the car looks like a crossover and a lot of people assume an all wheel drive version exists somewhere in the range. It does not. For most UK driving that is no handicap at all, and front wheel drive is part of why it is as efficient as it is. But if you need traction on a steep unmade track or you tow in the wet off grass, this is not the car for it, and nor is the towing limit, which we come to next.

Honda ZR-V Space, Towing and Dimensions

The towing figure is the one to check against your plans. 750kg braked is low for a car this size, roughly a small unbraked trailer or a couple of bikes on a proper rack, and nothing like enough for a caravan or a horse box. If towing is part of why you want an SUV, say so early and we will point you at something in the wider range that will actually do it. The boot is also a little smaller than a Civic's despite the taller body, by around 30 litres.

How Safe Is the Honda ZR-V?

It holds 4 stars from Euro NCAP, tested in December 2023, with 79 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant, 81 per cent for vulnerable road users and 68 per cent for safety assist. That rating runs until around December 2029, so it is current.

Four stars rather than five is worth saying plainly rather than leaving you to find it. The child occupant score is genuinely strong at 86 per cent, which matters if this is a family car, and the weak element is the safety assist figure, which reflects how the driver aids performed rather than how the car protects you in a crash. For context within the Honda range, the Jazz holds five stars, though from an older test. Honda tested the Advance grade and Euro NCAP confirms the rating also covers Elegance and Sport.

What Is the Honda ZR-V Like to Drive?

Brisk and quiet most of the time. 7.8 seconds to 62mph is properly quick for the class, and the electric motor's 315Nm arrives immediately so it feels effortless pulling out of junctions.

Reviewers are consistent that it is competent rather than enjoyable, finding it hardly fun to drive, the ride a little fidgety over smaller bumps, and road noise from the rear axle more audible than they would hope. Two specific quirks are worth knowing because they are the kind you meet daily rather than on a test drive. When you pull away on battery there can be a long pause while the petrol engine wakes up, which takes getting used to at a busy junction. And the regenerative braking setting resets as soon as you touch the accelerator, so if you like strong regen you are reselecting it constantly rather than setting it once. Reviewers also found Android Auto troublesome to connect and the lane departure and blind spot warnings too excitable.

Honda ZR-V Running Costs and Warranty

We want to be honest with you about one cost that sits outside the lease and catches people out. The ZR-V falls in insurance group 35, which Auto Express calls very high for a mid size SUV. Because a lease payment and an insurance premium are paid separately, it is easy to compare two cars on the monthly figure alone and miss a difference of several hundred pounds a year on cover. Get a quote on your own postcode and history before you sign anything, not after. It may be perfectly fine for you, but it is the number most likely to surprise you on this particular car.

The warranty is a genuine strength to set against it. 3 years or 90,000 miles as standard, extending a year at a time up to 8 years or 100,000 miles provided it is serviced at an authorised Honda retailer from the third annual service onwards, with the hybrid components and electric powertrain starting at 5 years or 90,000 miles and extending the same way. Structural corrosion cover runs to 12 years. On a business lease, 130g/km on the Elegance is competitive for a hybrid SUV of this size, though the bands move with each tax year so take the current position from your accountant. On a personal lease the fixed payment and the extendable warranty make for a straightforward three or four years.

Why Lease a Honda ZR-V with LetsLease?

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