Practical and fun to drive family car

For those looking for a family hauler, the BR-V is a great choice. Drives amazingly well with very good fuel economy as advertised, just learn how to modulate the accelerator pedal well. On highways, it easily gets 18+ km/L with full 7 passengers and luggage. In the city, it gets me 8-15 km/L depending on traffic conditions. But behind those fuel economy figures is a very powerful engine and responsive transmission that can pull 6 adults and 2 kids up the steep (30+ degree) slopes of Mabini, Batangas quite confidently. On open roads, it doesn't have a noticeable rubber band effect (it's a CVT), and you can feel that surge when you floor the pedal. But for fuel economy, I find that gently and progressively pressing on the accelerator will bring you up to speed quickly and in quite the same time as manuals and traditional automatics, it just needs getting used to. Handling is great and the suspension absorbs the annoying unevenness of "tagpi" roads in the city very well, with no "kalampag", so ride quality is also good and build is solid. I've been in emergency braking situations in the rain and it's as if the brake pedal knows you need more braking power because it feels shallower, more stiff, and responds very quickly. Very stable car. Hill start assist works too, so you don't need to worry about those parking ramps where the parking card slots are placed midway up the ramp. The interior, some might say, is quite plain and full of hard plastics, but if you're hauling children, it's a plus because you don't have to worry about scratched leather or soiled door paddings. Keep it clean with a good interior detailer and the cabin will feel more premium than it really is. Some also complain that there's no center armrest, but there are quite a number of good quality aftermarket armrests that are durable, fit well, and look and feel like it is really part of the car from the factory. Features-wise, the S variant has no phone mirroring, cruise control and other bells and whistles, but it does have a backup camera, and if you can haggle your dealer for a free backup sensor, it's pretty much all you need to assist you in backing up. Hook up your phone via bluetooth and you can make and take calls/messages, navigate to your destination, and play your favorite playlist with Google Assistant driving mode, all hands-free. And there are also media controls on the steering wheel. The head unit response is very fast (partly because it's not heavily loaded with a lot of features), and pairing a phone is seamless too. It only has one power outlet, but plug in a multi-port car charger and you're done. The aftermarket armrests usually also have charging ports for those on the second row, too. But what I made me decide on the BR-V is the third row. It can really seat (average-height, 5'+) adults comfortably for 2+ hour drives to the province, and that makes it the perfect car to bring your family and the lolos/lolas/titos/titas on a trip. And there's still ample space for luggage. Did I mention the BR-V doesn't have a problem pulling everyone to the destination, because it can? And the kids LOVE the big 2nd row windows. So overall, the BR-V, particularly the S variant, is a very practical family car, reasonably-priced, and fun to drive at the same time. What's missing from the factory can easily be supplemented by your current phone and some good aftermarket components for the interior, which can all be had for less than P3000. During six months of ownership, it's well worth the money.

The front especially looks elegant and mature. It has a sporty vibe as well (and can drive sporty too), but for me the maturity dominates (the 2nd-gen BR-V is more mature though). But definitely not boxy or too edgy.

It's a small, compact car with roughly the same dimensions as a 7th-gen Civic, but wow the interior is spacious.

Really powerful engine and responsive CVT. Can confidently haul a full load of 7 people plus luggage. Performance and fuel economy in one package.

Tried the brakes in sudden braking situations in the rain, and the hill start assists feature - They are confidence-inspiring.