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Cost example updated October 26, 2026
Start with the price you will actually pay
For a representative example, use a 2026 Honda HR-V LX with front-wheel drive at $26,200 starting MSRP (Honda's own pricing release lists the LX at $26,200 before destination). The LX is the base trim: a 2.0-liter engine with 158 horsepower and a continuously variable automatic (CVT, one gear that slides smoothly instead of shifting in steps). All-wheel drive is a $1,500 option on every trim. The example price leaves out the $1,450 destination charge, with destination, the LX stickers at $27,650. Replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering.
Here is the bottom line first: over five years, this HR-V costs roughly $39,353, or about $656 a month. The loan payment alone is $534 a month, with 10% down ($2,620), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, this example finances $26,314 and the loan costs about $5,699 in interest over five years. The payment is about 81% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Fuel: easy on gas, and it runs on regular
The HR-V LX's 2.0-liter engine is rated 28 mpg combined (26 city, 32 highway, per Honda's EPA ratings). At 12,000 miles a year that is about 429 gallons annually. At the AAA national average regular price of $4.29 a gallon on October 26, 2026, that is roughly $1,839 a year, $9,193 over five years. Gas prices move, so re-run this line at your local price. The method is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.
Depreciation is gentle here, Hondas hold their value
Depreciation is the value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. iSeeCars' data puts the HR-V's five-year value loss at about 33.9%, it keeps roughly 66.1% of its price. On a $26,200 purchase, plan on roughly $17,318 after five years, about $8,882 of depreciation, roughly $148 a month. That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. A second published figure, from CarEdge, puts five-year retention at 69.25% instead of 66.1%, that would mean $8,057 of depreciation and an $18,143 resale value, bringing the five-year total down to about $38,528. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.
Insurance: a little pricier than its size suggests
Published full-coverage averages for the HR-V run from about $147 a month (InsuredBetter) to about $189 a month (Compare.com). MoneyGeek puts it at $171 a month and CarEdge at about $167 a month. This example uses $189 a month, or $11,340 over five years. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays) and limits before treating any average as yours.
HR-V maintenance costs: among the cheapest small SUVs
RepairPal puts the HR-V's annual repair and maintenance cost near $301 a year, and rates the model 5.0 out of 5.0 for reliability, the top score among subcompact SUVs. CarEdge puts the first five years of new ownership near $469 a year on average. This example allows $301 a year, or $1,505 all-in, enough for routine service, a set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles, and a cushion for the wear items that show up as the miles add up.
The full five-year example
Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2026 Honda HR-V LX front-wheel drive, $26,200 starting MSRP, 10% down ($2,620), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 28 mpg, $4.29 per gallon regular, $189 per month insurance, $301 per year maintenance, $17,318 resale value after five years.
Depreciation: $8,882 ($26,200 minus $17,318 resale)
Insurance: $11,340 ($189 x 60 months)
Fuel: $9,193 (12,000 / 28 x $4.29 x 5 years)
Maintenance: $1,505 ($301 x 5 years)
Tax, fees and interest: $8,433 ($1,834 sales tax, $900 fees, $5,699 loan interest)
That totals roughly $39,353, or about $656 a month. Notice what that says about the $534 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 81% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Formula
The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $26,200 price minus the $17,318 resale value after five years, which is $8,882. Insurance is $189 a month times 60 months, which is $11,340. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 28 miles per gallon, times $4.29 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $9,193. Maintenance is $301 a year times 5 years, which is $1,505. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $26,200, which is $1,834, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $5,699 of loan interest, which is $8,433.
Added together, $8,882 plus $11,340 plus $9,193 plus $1,505 plus $8,433 equals $39,353, or about $656 a month. The amount financed is the $26,200 price plus $1,834 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $2,620 down payment, which is $26,314. The tax and fees are rolled into the loan. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $26,314 is $534 a month, and the loan costs about $5,699 in interest over five years.
Thinking past year five
Small Hondas are often keepers, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve (how fast the value drops) flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and the out-of-warranty items a repair cushion exists for. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.
Shopping the HR-V against other small SUVs? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side. Need more room for the same badge? See what a Honda CR-V really costs over 5 years. And if the value it loses is your biggest worry, the why cars lose value guide explains what drives it.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.
Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.29 a gallon (AAA national average, October 26, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.
Sources disagree on the HR-V's five-year value loss: iSeeCars puts it at 33.9% while CarEdge puts five-year retention at 69.25%, a 30.75% loss, so the 33.9% figure used here is kept as a planning assumption, not as a current reading.
Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Honda 2026 HR-V LX price, $26,200 before destination; EPA combined fuel economy, 28 mpg; Compare.com HR-V full-coverage average, $189 a month; RepairPal HR-V average annual repair cost, $301, reliability 5.0 out of 5.
Primary sources: Honda News, 2026 Honda HR-V pricing and EPA ratings; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; Compare.com, Honda HR-V car insurance; RepairPal, Honda HR-V reliability. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Depreciation. The value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. On this page, the $26,200 price minus the $17,318 resale value after five years, which is $8,882.
Resale value. What the car is worth after five years in this example, $17,318. A planning assumption, not a forecast.
APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.
Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $2,620.
Destination charge. The delivery fee added to the sticker price. It is $1,450 on the HR-V, left out of the $26,200 example price; with destination, the LX stickers at $27,650.
Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 28 for the front-wheel-drive LX, 26 in the city and 32 on the highway. All-wheel drive is rated 27 mpg combined.
Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. Published averages run from about $147 to $189 a month; this example uses $189 a month.
CVT. A continuously variable automatic, one gear that slides smoothly instead of shifting in steps.
Questions people actually ask
How much does it cost to own a Honda HR-V per month?
About $656 a month over five years in the example above, $39,353 total for a 2026 HR-V LX with front-wheel drive. The loan payment alone is $534 a month; insurance, fuel and upkeep make up the rest.
How much does a Honda HR-V depreciate in 5 years?
About $8,882 on a $26,200 purchase, using iSeeCars' 33.9% five-year depreciation, leaving a resale value near $17,318. A second published figure, from CarEdge, puts five-year retention at 69.25%, which would mean $8,057 of depreciation instead.
What gas mileage does a Honda HR-V get?
The front-wheel-drive LX is rated 28 mpg combined (26 city, 32 highway) per Honda's EPA ratings. At 12,000 miles a year and the October 26, 2026 AAA national regular average of $4.29 a gallon, fuel runs about $1,839 a year.
How much is insurance for a Honda HR-V?
Published full-coverage averages range from about $147 to $189 a month; Compare.com puts it at $189 a month, and this example uses $189 a month, or $11,340 over five years. Your quote will depend on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer.
Is a Honda HR-V expensive to maintain?
No, by small-SUV standards. RepairPal puts it near $301 a year for repairs and maintenance, rating it 5.0 out of 5 for reliability; this example allows $301 a year, or $1,505 over five years.
Related: Compare the Chevrolet Trax and the Subaru Crosstrek, see the cheapest cars to own, or browse all models.
Enter the HR-V purchase price, insurance quote, your real annual mileage, local fuel price, tire allowance and conservative resale value in the calculator. Then change only the inputs that differ to test all-wheel drive, the Sport or EX-L trim, or a longer ownership horizon.
Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.
Honest gaps and conflicts on this page: the $26,200 example price is the 2026 LX front-wheel-drive starting MSRP per Honda, before the $1,450 destination charge, with destination the LX stickers at $27,650, while some older write-ups still cite a $1,395 destination charge. The 7% sales tax is the site's standard example assumption, not any state's actual rate. Depreciation sources disagree (iSeeCars 33.9% loss vs CarEdge 30.75% loss); both figures are shown above, and this example leads with iSeeCars' figure. Insurance sources disagree by up to $42 a month; this example uses the highest published average, Compare.com's $189. RepairPal's $301 a year is an all-model-years average, not a 2026-specific figure, and CarEdge's $469-a-year average for the first five years would add $840 to the total. The $4.29 regular price is an October 26, 2026 national snapshot and moves with the market. This example covers only the gas LX with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive and higher trims cost different amounts to buy, insure and fuel.