Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photos by Adrenaline Lifestyles
The Toyota C-HR has easily become one of my favorite vehicles, largely because of the futuristic design. I feel like the C-HR gives off a “Transformer” vibe. This is a comparison that I was consistently told throughout my drivetime in the Limited Blizzard Pearl 2019 Toyota C-HR. This Limited model is brand new for 2019. In previous years the C-HR was only offered in the LE, XLE or XLE Premium models. The annual Broccoli City Festival, that is sponsored by Toyota, took place during my review period, so it is fitting that I have the C-HR present for all the festivities.
The Toyota C-HR is a subcompact crossover SUV that was unveiled at the March 2016 Geneva Motor Show with the North American production version debuting at the November 2016 LA Auto Show. The name C-HR stands for Compact High Rider, Cross Hatch Run–About or Coupé High–Rider. The C-HR was originally planned to be sold as a Scion in the US before it was discontinued.
The sporty and curvy design of the C-HR fit is alluring upon first sight. The swooping roofline and rear three-quarter give it an edge that most crossovers do not have. The C-HR has projector-beam halogen headlights, C-HR unique cluster LED daytime running lights and high-performance LED fog lights are placed around the black front lower grille. The color-keyed sport front and rear bumpers, aerodynamic rear fins with rear spoiler stood out nicely with the C-HR sitting on 18-inch sport alloy wheels with P225/50R18 95V tires.
The interior design is stylish as well with the ambient interior lighting and leather upholstery. The C-HR has seating for five people in the C-HR which will be a tight fit if it is all adults. The front seats have a good amount of space and comfort, but the rear passengers were not afforded the same legroom and comfort. Backseat passengers will feel a bit cramped due to the smaller rear windows and sloping roofline. The 2019 Toyota C-HR has a decent amount of cargo space with 19.0 cubic feet. With the 60/40-split rear seatbacks folded down, the cargo space is expanded to 36.4 cubic feet. This is about average in the small crossover class.
The Entune 3.0 Infotainment system in the C-HR hit the mark with navigation, satellite radio, an 8-inch touch screen, a 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display within the gauge cluster, a premium six-speaker stereo system, Siri Eyes Free, a USB port, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot powered by Verizon, bluetooth, voice recognition and HD Radio. New for 2019 is Apple CarPlay but no Android Auto. The Entune 3.0 infotainment system includes apps for traffic, weather, Slacker, Yelp, sports, stocks, fuel and the ability to link a Scout GPS smartphone app for additional navigation purposes.
Safety is a priority at Toyota, which is evident by the 2019 Toyota C-HR receiving a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS rated the 2019 C-HR Good in all categories except the headlights. The C-HR is equipped with 10 airbags, a rearview camera and Toyota Safety Sense (TSS). TSS includes lane departure alert with steering assist, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and autonomous emergency braking. Am important factor to me was how well my daughter’s car seat fit into the rear seat. There are two sets of LATCH car-seat connectors in the rear outboard seats and an upper tether in the rear middle seat of the C-HR.
Behind the wheel I enjoyed the C-HR. This small crossover is no speed demon since the C-HR pushes 3,300 pounds with a 2.0-liter inline-4 that makes 144 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel-drive only. The ride was smooth and comfortable with agile handling in the corners. Attributing to the great handling of the C-HR is the front struts that have Sachs dampers, a front stabilizer bar and an independent rear suspension with double wishbones. Acceleration is not strong with the C-HR and the engine can get a bit noisy. Switching the C-HR into “Sport” mode does give it a bit more pep in its’ step.
The Toyota C-HR sits a competitive class of small crossovers alongside the Honda HR-V, Nissan Kick, Subaru Crosstrek, Hyundai Kona and the Mazda CX-3. I explained that C-HR was stylish, fuel efficient, very reliable and fun to drive. The Toyota C-HR stands out for daily driving in fuel economy, coming in at 27 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined. The C-HR’s warranty coverage is 3 years or 36,000 miles, powertrain warranty coverage is for 5 years or 60,000 miles and complimentary maintenance is covered for 2 years or 25,000 miles. I believe the C-HR will do well attracting younger buyers and perform as a great daily driver. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
