10 minutes was all it needed to show that the 2024 Honda CR-V RS is the best family SUV you can get

10 minutes – that’s all it took for me to decide that the all-new 2024 Honda CR-V e:HEV RS is my car of the year. It was one of those moments when everything feels right, and you know this is the car.

I spent about five minutes looking through the interior, feeling the materials, evaluating the space and ergonomics, getting in and out, etc. Then, I drove it for five minutes before realising this is the car to beat, the new yardstick.

The 2024 Honda CR-V is such a well-packaged, well-designed, well-engineered, and well-thought-out car that makes you question, “Why aren’t more SUVs made like this?”

It hasn’t fallen into the “Let’s give it 10 massive touchscreens, remove all physical buttons, and bury the frequently used settings several layers deep into the menu” trap. From an ergonomics standpoint, it’s spot on.

It doesn’t matter what car you’ve been driving; every button, control, or switch is intuitively placed – no second-guessing what they do. Everything is clear, easy to read, and easily within reach. One glance at the steering wheel buttons, and you know what they do.

There are knobs for the climate control (which feel great and tactile) and a volume control knob. The interface for both the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen is clean, simple, easy to read, and easy to navigate. It’s simple things like these that prove Honda knows what users want – user-friendliness.

The driving position is also something that truly impresses. You get the perfect hip-to-heel point in an SUV, the steering wheel is positioned dead centre to your body, and the pedals are placed where it feels most natural. The seats are well-sculpted and hug you in all the right places.

Some might not give much thought to driving position, but it’s the difference between arriving at your destination tired, with body aches from constant stretching and twisting, and getting there feeling fresh. In the CR-V, it’s always the latter.

It’s simple things like these that so many new entrants to this category, and even many long-time players, don’t get nailed down as well as Honda did. It’s what separates the CR-V from the rest. And these are just the basics; the CR-V offers so much more than that.

The range-topping 2024 Honda CR-V RS gets aluminium garnishes, red ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity with Android Auto, powered tailgate with walk away close, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system, which brings a concert-like experience to your live recordings.

There’s also a full suite of ADAS with Honda SENSING, plus the Honda CONNECT app, which allows you to control selected functions remotely via smartphone and keeps you informed about your car.

The rear seats still lead the pack by a significant margin as the most spacious and practical, with the ability to slide and recline to your heart’s content. It’s one of the few cars in which you can fit three abreast without feeling too much of a squeeze. The boot is massive at 589 litres and stretches to 1,072 litres when you need it.

So, that’s my first five minutes done assessing the car’s interior. And the car hasn’t even moved yet, which is next on the to-do list.

The 2024 Honda CR-V RS features a two-motor full hybrid powertrain dubbed the e:HEV. An afternoon can be spent explaining the workings of the powertrain, but all you need to know is this: it maximises fuel efficiency by letting the engine work at its most efficient condition, with the rest supplemented by the electric motor.

And you really shouldn’t bore yourself with the technicalities either. Because on the move, it feels completely natural. It rolls off in electric mode seamlessly, and when the engine does kick in, it does so in the least intrusive way possible.

When you put your foot down, the experience is also natural as the powertrain mimics gear changes, as if you’re driving a conventional petrol-powered car. But the upside is that you get much better fuel consumption, at 5.0-litre/100 km (a real-world figure even an Axia struggles to achieve).

The suspension calibration is noteworthy as well, something its predecessor didn’t quite achieve. It feels surefooted on the highway and displays rock-solid body control in the bends. It also absorbs all the imperfections with aplomb.

The CR-V simply does what you tell it to do; there’s no hesitation in responding to your inputs, thanks to its well-weighted, well-judged steering. That is the mark of a great handling car. This level of poise isn’t necessarily required in this class of car, but Honda did it anyway, and again, it’s what separates it from the rest.

And that’s another five minutes gone, which was all I needed to decide that the 2024 Honda CR-V RS is my car of the year. The way I see it, it just fits what Malaysians want from a car.

Perhaps you’re starting a family and need an SUV; this is perfect. Or if you are about to retire and you’re looking for something with understated elegance but at the same time practical and efficient without sacrificing space, this is it.

Put it this way: if I had to give up my stick shift coupe for a family car, I would denounce the family it would be the 2024 Honda CR-V RS. And that’s why it’s my car of the year. When the time comes for me to get a family car in an SUV form, I know which one I’d be getting. Hopefully, I’ve convinced you too.