Compare the2025 Honda CR-VVS 2025 GMC Terrain

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Honda CR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Terrain’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda CR-V achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The GMC Terrain has not been tested.

The CR-V’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CR-V and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Honda CR-V achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Terrain has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The CR-V’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Honda CR-V’s reliability 13 points higher than the Terrain.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. GMC is ranked 20th.

The CR-V’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (190 vs. 175) than the Terrain FWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (190 vs. 175) than the Terrain AWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The CR-V Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 29 more horsepower (204 vs. 175) and 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 203) than the Terrain AWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Terrain:

Regenerative brakes improve the CR-V Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Terrain doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

For better stopping power the CR-V’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Terrain:

The CR-V has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CR-V flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a 2.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain (8.2 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The CR-V has .7 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.6 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Terrain.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CR-V’s rear seats recline. The Terrain’s rear seats don’t recline.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 29.8 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 63.5 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V. The Terrain doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The CR-V’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Terrain’s (1000 vs. 800 pounds).

The CR-V uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Terrain uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The CR-V’s standard front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically. The CR-V EX-L/Sport L/Sport Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The CR-V’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Terrain’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 24 years. The Terrain has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Terrain has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the GMC Terrain by almost five to one during 2024.