2018 Toyota C-HR Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?

Bold and striking, the all-new 2018 Toyota C-HR is a sporty-looking little crossover vehicle that brings a lot of flair to its class. It is ripe with advanced safety features and is a considerably comfortable ride. Despite its lack of smartphone app integration and sluggish acceleration on the highway, the C-HR has a lot of fantastic features that drivers can appreciate.

What's New for 2018?

The 2018 Toyota C-HR is entirely new! The C-HR originally debuted at the 2016 LA Auto Show and showcases Toyota's New Global Architecture, which keeps the 2018 model extremely close to what you see on the 2016 concept model.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2018 Toyota C-HR – The Pros

1. Smooth and Sporty Handling

The 2018 Toyota C-HR isn't without its quirks as a brand-new vehicle, but it handles turns with a surprising amount of precision. Overall, the handling feels sporty and smooth until you take this crossover up a steep heel. While the vehicle might seem slow, it steers and handles in a steady and predictable manner.

2. Many Advanced Safety Features

There are quite a few advanced safety features to be found on the 2018 Toyota C-HR. On the base XLE trim, you get a lane departure warning accident avoidance system, traction and stability control, tire pressure monitoring, automatic braking assist, and a Pre-Collision safety system. On the top-level XLE Premium trim, blind spot monitoring is added into the mix.

3. Chic Exterior Style

The most striking thing about the C-HR is how it looks. It stands out from the crowd and has a wide variety of exterior paint colors to choose from. The teal option is particularly bold and sporty. The 18-inch wheels give the C-HR an athletic boost, and the overall styling is very contemporary with its sloping roofline and slenderized headlights on the front fascia.

4. Good Ride Quality On Rough Road Surfaces

The 2018 Toyota C-HR produces an unexpectedly smooth ride quality over rugged terrain. Despite not having all-wheel drive, the wheels feel very secure and absorb large bumps rather well. The standard four-wheel independent suspension seems fairly well-tuned.

5. Comfortable Seats

It should come as no surprise that the seats are incredibly comfortable. Toyota seems to be stepping up its game with making even more comfortable seats as time goes on. The seat quality is definitely not lacking, as the seats are well-bolstered, and the driver's seat has excellent lumbar support.

6. Easy to Find a Driving Position

The tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel doesn't manage to tilt as far as some of its competitors, but it still has a decent range. This makes it easy enough for most drivers to find a comfortable driving position. The driver's seat is power-adjustable.

7. Plenty of Headroom

Legroom is a little tight in the back, as is common with many small crossover vehicles. However, the 2018 Toyota C-HR offers plenty of headroom.There is a grand total of 38.1 inches of headroom up front, which feels pretty generous when you are sitting inside of the vehicle. In the rear, there are 38.3 inches of headroom, although it feels somewhat diminished by the sloping roofline.

8. A Good Amount of Cargo Space

Small crossover SUVs are not known for having a ridiculously large amount of cargo space. The C-HR gives an ample amount of cargo space. With all seats in place, there are 19 cubic feet of cargo space. This can be maximized to 36.4 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down.

9. Many Buttons On the Steering Wheel

A lot of the control buttons are conveniently located on the steering wheel. They are all clearly marked and make it easy to adjust the controls without taking your hand away from the steering wheel.

10. Center Stack Controls are Easy to Use

The controls on the center stack are very easy to use. They are all clearly labeled and arranged in a way that makes sense. Even non-tech-savvy drivers can easily navigate the controls on this vehicle.

 

Reasons Not to Buy a 2018 Toyota C-HR – The Cons

1. All-Wheel Drive Isn't Even an Option

Many vehicles in this class come with the option for all-wheel drive. The 2018 Toyota C-HR does not. Only front-wheel drive is available on both the XLE and XLE Premium. It is somewhat surprising that Toyota did not make AWD an option on the XLE Premium, which would make it better able to compete with the 2018 Honda HR-V and all Subaru vehicles.

2. Slow Acceleration On the Highway

Acceleration feels fine enough on slower-speed main roads, but getting up-to-speed on the highway is quite a chore. The 2.0-L inline-4 engine and CVT only generate 144 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque, which does not give the C-HR much get-up-and-go power. Drivers will have to plan their merges and passing other vehicles on the highway with a bit of care.

3. Smartphone App Integration Isn't Offered

Almost every vehicle on the market (including other Toyotas) for 2018 offers smartphone app integration. The C-HR does not offer Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which seems like a technological step backward, not forward. There is also no navigation system, which seems like a huge blunder that will put the C-HR behind its competitors in terms of sales.

4. Engine Noise At High RPM

Although the vehicle is mostly quiet, when you get it up to highway speeds, there is a lot of noise that filters in from the tires. Also, the engine makes quite a racket when you take the vehicle into full throttle.

How it stacks up to the competition:

2018 Toyota C-HR vs. 2018 Honda HR-V

The 2018 Honda HR-V is one of the top competitors for the model year. Although the HR-V's infotainment system is a bit finicky, smartphone app integration and navigation are at least present in the system and work fairly well. The vehicle gets fantastic gas mileage and has a decent amount of cargo space.

2018 Toyota C-HR vs. 2018 Mazda CX-3

Another top competitor is the 2018 Mazda CX-3. This crossover has spunky handling abilities, gets excellent fuel economy, and is extremely quiet at any speed. Its only real drawback is that there is not a lot of space in the rear or in the cargo area.

Conclusion

Since this is the first model of the first generation of C-HRs, Toyota has some things it needs to refine over the next few model years if it wants to compete. However, there are a lot of great features to be found on both trim levels, and the car's exterior has an edgy look. With a few nips and tucks to the powertrain and infotainment system, the C-HR could eventually make its way to the head of the pack.