In-depth reviews
Toyota C-HR SUV review (2016-2023): owner reviews
“The Toyota C-HR gives the small SUV class a boost thanks to its fresh styling and hybrid powertrain”
Carbuyer Rating
3.5 out of 5
Owners Rating
3.8 out of 5
Price
£31,300 - £46,590
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Reviews
Owner Reviews
- 5 out of 5
- 4 out of 5
- 3 out of 5
- 2 out of 5
- 1 out of 5
70%of people would recommend this car to a friendCommon Problems
- Other (4 cases)
- Brakes, Electrics (1 case)
Review 1 of 10
2 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.2 CVT AWD
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
0 – 4,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
46
Tell us what you think about your car?
Looks good but build quality is poor. Our car arrived with a scratched windscreen and bonnet; the latter was buffed over in an attempt to hide? The tyres were all 7-10 psi below recommended spec. Within 3 weeks the dashboard was loose and steering cowling has so much movement I can't use the short 3 flash indicator as the movement takes away the sensitivity.
Ours has spent a lot of time at the dealer so far. Movement around the cowling switches is "normal" according to Toyota; strange then that the RAV 4 and Yaris do not suffer the same! The sat nav is atrocious as is the sound system; it's full of bugs and very slow. In summary, all show, very poor quality (as at £27K it is not exactly the cheapest in this market segment) and a dealer that is very slow to admit any issues exist but many; i.e. windscreen issues are well known.
Like many manufacturers, Toyota appear to have rushed this model to market too soon and their brand value and residuals could well suffer as other inherent design faults surface.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No 
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.8 hybrid
Year
17
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
48
Tell us what you think about your car?
When most people see it they go "OMG it's smaller than I thought". Its not an SUV.
Mine has also fallen apart. The windscreens seem to have a fault and mine went bang down the motorway. They replaced it but mucked it up so now the surrounds are all coming off and letting fumes into the fans.
It also has a recall on the petrol tank due to poor quality again.
The car has now decided that it wont fully turn off and all the keys and locks dont work. So the 7 inch stereo is left lit up. Toyota have emailed someone though! In the meantime I have to use the manual key and disconnect the battery every time I stop somewhere for long.
I can hear wind and road noise like the window is open at 30mph. The door rubbers do not seal and are held on with a few clips no adhesive. I have found trim in several places with bent clips from the wrong orientation or installation. Remedies include double sided sticky foam and silicone.
Theres a 10mm gap between the door and glass so leaves and twigs build up there daily. The glass also flops around by 10mm if you pull them gently while half down.
There was a burning smell one week before it went wrong that I am pretty sure came from the HV battery fan under the back seat. A plastic hoover nozzle is enough to mark interior plastics. Its 3 months old and looks 3 years already and keeps going white. Almost like mold. None of the gadgets work like collision avoidance and I've turned everything off. It has warned me about parked cars on the other side of the road before.
Regeerative braking is great till you hit a bump and it disables itself leaving you kangarooing onto a roundabout. Its like someone disabled your brakes as its switches to the pads. This is my first new car and I took a year off to travel around europe in it. 3 months later I haven't left kent. Thanks Toyota.
There are other issues, too, but the above are the most significant.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.8 Hybrid Excel
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
65
Tell us what you think about your car?
I just love this car - it's a delight to drive, has a spacious interior and stunning looks. There's no Road tax to pay, and the fuel economy gets better with every journey. Some of the press have claimed that the rear is claustrophobic but my passenger didn't think so! I'm doing my bit for the planet with this car, and it's great value for what it offers - much better than some of the PHEV offerings.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.8 Dynamic
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
49
Tell us what you think about your car?
This car is fantastic and I can highly recommend it.
The hybrid engine is smooth and powerful. It is responsive when needed and I am rarely aware of the switch back-and-forth from battery to petrol; it's quiet and smooth with no engine judder.
The interior cabin is very well designed with plenty of storage. All controls are well laid out and the instrument cluster is easy to read. The central information display has a large number of different options and they're all easy to get to.
The satnav and media system is very easy to control with the large touchscreen perfectly positioned for use and viewing. The voice controls work excellently and it hasn't once failed me when making calls. It would be good if the maps were a little bit more high-res but it's a minor irritation. One major problem I encounter with the software is when going around roundabouts; for some reason the display stops moving and the car icon just progresses around it. I live on the outskirts of London and there are some quite large roundabouts so the icon frequently disappears of the side of the screen. You find yourself counting exits!
It is a bit dark in the back because of the shape of the rear windows but I have carried a number of people of differing shapes and sizes in the back and it hasn't bothered any of them; one thing they've all commented on is how comfortable it is.
The styling is certainly a head-turner and we have had so many comments on it; we love it.
Toyota certainly deserve this car to be a winner. It encompasses premium styling and superb handling and performance in a very competitively priced package.
Go and buy one! You won't regret it.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.2 petrol
Year
2016
Avg annual mileage
15,000 – 19,999
Owned
2 - 3 years
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
45
Tell us what you think about your car?
Love the extra height and the stylish exterior compared to my previous car. Very comfortable to drive. No issues to date. Very easy to park and manoeuvre. Steady to drive on motorways. Fuel economy is fine for a petrol car. Will definitely buy another in the future.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.2 petrol automatic
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
40
Tell us what you think about your car?
"The Batmobile", "A Spaceship" and simply; 'so cool' .You just can't help but smile when you leave or return to your C-HR. Along with my Mazda MX 5 , I've never felt so much joy from driving a car. My kids ( aged 3 and 6) always wanted to go out in my wife's HONDA CRV before I got the C-HR. Not any more.
I'm not a car buff so can only go on my general experience of the month I've had driving this car. I've never driven such a smooth car, it's even a pleasure to be stuck in traffic! The main display is not obtrusive and offers so much information. The only gripe is the sat nav is a little slow (though very easy to set up ) and you can be almost up to the turning before you're told to turn. It also says to take the 3rd exit from a roundabout rather than the second.
The interior is eye-catching and was a selling point. The driving position is excellent; you almost melt into the seat.
There is enough room in the back for three people and the boot is an ample size too. While it's not quick, the acceleration is fine and petrol consumption was excellent on the two longer journeys I've made (45 mpg). I can't see me changing this car for years.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
1 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.2 Dynamic
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
44.3
Tell us what you think about your car?
Lovely looking car and gets lots of compliments for the aesthetics of it. Sadly, though, the production quality of the car is a totally different matter. When I collected the car brand new, the rear window was gouged and it had to return to the dealer for a replacement, and the the carpet had to be looked at because it was a mess. It has had two recalls carried out on it already, and the latest thing is the paint on the rear is bubbling and peeling off. The car has been nothing but a nightmare since I have owned it. I think Toyota focused on creating a lovely looking car which definitely catches the eye, but cut corners on build quality.
When driving the car it makes a lot of wind noise. If you open the back windows, it sounds like you are on an underground train. I wouldn't recommend purchasing one and am already looking at offloading mine due to the continuous headache of it.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
No
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
EXCELL 1,2 petrol
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
New
Typical MPG
35
Tell us what you think about your car?
Fuel consumption very disappointing, doesn't match what' Toyota's claims. When I fill the maximum I can put in is 38 LITRES the Toyota information says 45/50 LITRES. The maximum range reading never goes over 344 miles to a full tank – that's well below the Toyota data.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
4 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.8 HYBRID DYNAMIQUE
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
5,000 – 9,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
53
Tell us what you think about your car?
Good Points:-
Stunning looks,
Hybrid Good fuel economy on motorway and country roads always over 53 Mpg.
Good responsive handling.
Accelerates well though my Automatic is a bit noisy on hard acceleration.
No Tax on Hybrid at time of purchase.
Reversing camera comes in very useful.
Well thought out interior colours and multimedia system,
Wing mirrors light up as a warning if there is a car in your rear quarter such as on motorways and dual carriageways.
Drivers side seat holds you in a good position and is comfortable on long runs,
Sport mode comes in very useful when going up hills on the motorway.
BAD POINTS:-
Warning noises become irritating after a while everything seems to have a beep to it,
Lane departure system becomes a pain at every white or yellow line the car detects, also when on motorway pulls you back to the left hand side. I have now disarmed the system, some people might like being warned of every issue, I don't.
Passengers front seat doesn't hold the passenger in position when going round bends, no side support.
FRONT WINDSCREEN ISSUE:- I have had this car 4 months and the front top of the windscreen suddenly appeared to develop a crack. Took it back to Toyota main dealer who said that they had a number of CHR,s develop this fault.
Pity they couldn't be bothered to contact everyone that has brought a CH-R to tell them of the design issue, Only replacing when crack appears(blamed on the wrong glue holding the windscreen ).
With the Toyota CH-R being a new car and model I did expect there to be the odd design issue that may require recall or rectification. ( I did used to work in the automotive supply chain so now how they work ).
On the hole I really do like the Toyota CH-R, it's a very enjoyable car to drive, handles well and certainly gets noticed. It's nice to drive something that is a bit different.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
5 out of 5
Car Details
Model
1.2 turbo excel
Year
2017
Avg annual mileage
10,000 – 14,999
Owned
Less than a year
Bought Car
Used
Typical MPG
45
Tell us what you think about your car?
I bought this for the looks and stunning interior. Suspension is top of the line, comfortable yet sporty and although the 1.2 isn't touring car fast it's mpg in eco mode is fabulous and out on the open road it only takes one click to sport mode and the buzzy engine springs to life. It's comfortable, practical, stylish and most of all fun.
Would you recommend the car to a friend?
Yes
