Toyota C-HR Review (2016-2023)

What is the Toyota C-HR?

Reckon the modern glut of SUVs all look a bit samey? If so, the Toyota C-HR might be right up your street. C-HR stands for Coupe High-Rider, and while its mix of angles, slashes, flowing curves and odd twiddly bits might not be to everyone’s taste, nobody can deny they contribute to a car with styling that's very different to that of almost every other SUV on sale today.

It’s a bit different under the skin, too, because most C-HRs are full hybrids, which means they blend petrol and electric power, a bit like the Toyota Prius.

This review focuses on the first-generation C-HR, which was on sale between 2016 and 2023, with a facelift in late 2019 bringing improved infotainment and updates to the hybrid system (for more details see the Three things to known section of this review).

A new and even more distinctive version of the C-HR went on sale in 2024 with both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions available.

How practical is it?

There’s plenty of space up front and a reasonable amount in the back seats, too, although the styling of the roofline takes its toll back there; the way the rear windows sweep up toward the roof means it feels rather cave-like, and the limited view out might cause some smaller children to feel car sick, too. As with most of these small crossovers, fitting three people across the back seat is going ot be a squeeze.

Beneath that sloping hatchback, the C-HR’s boot is quite small at 377 litres. For reference, that's about the same as you'll find in a VW Golf, and lags crossover rivals such as the Seat Ateca and Renault Captur. While the rear seat backs can be folded to increase luggage capacity, the seats themselves don't slide or tilt cleverly, so the C-HR isn’t the most versatile small SUV out there.

What's it like to drive?

If you can live with its limited practicality, the C-HR has talents in other areas. The way it feels behind the steering wheel, for instance. It’d be a bit of a stretch to call it sporty – it doesn’t quite have the agility of the Seat Ateca, for example – but it is still pretty enjoyable, with smooth, direct steering, lots of grip, and a responsive chassis.

That’s true especially if you choose the 2.0-litre hybrid version, which has a more sophisticated suspension setup, though the 1.2-litre petrol’s low weight and standard manual gearbox make it feel lighter on its feet.

It doesn’t lean over much in corners, either, but despite this, the C-HR doesn’t feel too firm over bumps; in fact, it smoothes out most urban potholes and settles into a relaxed cruise when you’re on the motorway.

The 182bhp 2.0-litre is one of two hybrid engine options, the other being a 120bhp 1.8-litre. It’s the former you’ll want, though, because its bigger battery and more powerful electric motor mean it relies less on the petrol engine for power. As a result, it’s quieter around town, and responds better when you put your foot down.

In addition, early C-HRs were available with a 1.2-litre petrol turbo engine, and this could be had with all-wheel drive as an optional extra (the C-HR is front-wheel drive as standard). It’s a great engine, offering better throttle response than either of the hybrids and decent fuel economy.

You might find automatic C-HRs – which include all hybrids, as these are automatic as standard – a little unusual to drive. That's because they use a continuously variable transmission, or CVT for short. This "stepless" transmission provides constant, seamless acceleration, and holds the engine’s revs at their most efficient point, which is good for fuel economy. But that does result in a rather strained engine note under harder acceleration. This is less of a problem in the 2.0-litre, mind you, which has enough power on tap that you very rarely need to push the throttle right down into the carpet.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Whichever C-HR you choose, you get the benefit of a smart, swooping interior that feels well built and easy to use. The one slight exception to this is the central touchscreen infotainment system, which features software that's fiddly at best, and downright frustrating at worst. On later C-HRs, you do at least get Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, so you can use your smartphone for most functions instead, if you wish to.

The C-HR trim line-up starts with Icon, which comes with dual-zone climate control and 17-inch alloy wheels. Design adds front and rear parking sensors, and auto wipers. Upgrading to Excel adds 18-inch wheels, satnav, keyless entry and heated seats.

Next up is Dynamic trim, which included LED headlights and styling upgrades including two-tone paintwork. A GR Sport C-HR joined the lineup in 2020 with more aggressive styling (including 19-inch alloys), a smarter interior complete with GR branding, and steering and suspension that were tweaked for a sharper driving experience.

All C-HRs also feature lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, auto headlights and adaptive cruise control as standard.

Toyota C-HR running costs

Fuel economy is the Toyota C-HR’s biggest trump card. That hybrid powertrain means it’s considerably more efficient even than similarly powerful diesel rivals, and blows its petrol competitors into the weeds.

In 2.0-litre form, it even posts better figures than some punier diesel rivals, meaning it’ll beat them not only away from the lights, but also at the pumps; you can expect to see around 50mpg on average, and possibly even more than that around town. And the 1.8-litre is even more efficient on paper; 55mpg should be a regular reality. Even the petrol engine shouldn’t cost too much to run; expect to see around 40mpg.

The good news doesn’t end there, though. The C-HR holds its value very well, which means you should see far more of your cash back when the time comes to sell it on than you will with similarly priced rivals. And Toyota’s servicing and maintenance costs are very reasonable, too, which will mean looking after your C-HR shouldn’t break the bank. All in all, then, this should be one of the cheapest SUVs of its type to run.

Toyota C-HR reliability

Toyota has a great reputation for reliability, and the C-HR is no exception. In the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, the C-HR finished 8th of the 34 models included in its class, while Toyota as a brand was 2nd of the 32 manufacturers included.

When new, the C-HR came with a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty. That was two years and 40,000 miles more than most of its rivals, though it was still beaten by Hyundai, Kia, Ssangyong and MG. Fast forward a few years, and Toyota has revamped its warranty so that it now runs up to an industry leading 10 years or 100,000 miles. To quality, your C-HR must be serviced annually at a Toyota dealer, at which point an additional 12 months of warranty is applied.

Happily, there are very few serious issues to be concerned about with the C-HR, though one that does keep cropping up is a problem with the windscreen. It’s been reported that some early C-HRs suffered from a manufacturing fault, which resulted in the screen cracking, so if it’s an early C-HR you’re planning to buy, check the screen carefully for cracks and defects.