Best Year Toyota C-HR

‍2020 Toyota C-HR

The 2020 Toyota C-HR is a sensible subcompact crossover with many modern features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It offers a comfortable ride with crisp handling and steering that responds impressively to driver input. The vehicle is quite fun to drive around the city and on twisty roads.

The 2020 C-HR has more than just a few impressive new features compared to the previous models. The vehicle is available in three trims, LE, XLE, and Limited.

Design Features

If we had to pick one thing that makes the 2020 Toyota C-HR unique among its rivals, it would be its distinctive design. The vehicle is covered with creases, curves, and sharp angles, which have your eyes running in all directions across the car.

For those who think that the Nissan Juke was difficult to digest, the C-HR will beg you for attention to study its infinite collection of crests, creases, and curves. Even if you seem to reach the end, you will be attracted by some other design feature that is equally eye-catching.

According to the manufacturer, C-HR stands for "Coupe, High Riding," and the vehicle is a subcompact crossover. But we find it to be more of a larger hatchback than a crossover. However, there is no denying that Toyota has added a lot of coupe features to the vehicle, such as the window line rising towards the rear and noticeably missing handles for the rear door panel, which are hidden in the back pillar.  

The C-HR looks smaller than it really is. It is more of a mid-sized vehicle that is significantly bigger than a Yaris from the same manufacturer. The first thing that grasps attention from the front is the broad cat-eye headlamps, which are about all that is flashy on the front. These headlamps flow into the fenders, bringing us to the vehicle's side, where real design music happens.

The fenders sit tightly over the wheel wells, and the side curves and creases give the vehicle a very stylish and extraordinary shape. The rear pillar rises as we move towards the vehicle's rear end, and the roofline swoops down. They meet, interestingly, at the rear door handles.

The tail lights seem out of the ordinary and seem like brackets on the sides of the rather tall rear end, which adds more emphasis to the vehicle's imposing stance. The 18-inch wheels hardly grab any attention among the fancy design cues.

Although Toyota markets the C-HR as a crossover, we like to think of the vehicle as a large five-door hatchback that gives away flashy design cues and style from every angle.

Inside, the dashboard is kept low, and the controls are high. The most significant feature is the screen that sticks out of the dashboard's center. Below it, in open space, sit climate controls. They are well-situated and easy to access compared to what you find on many rivals.

It seems as if Toyota asked its designers to entice customers with the flashy exterior and then welcome them with the familiar, comfortable interior.

Performance Features

The best year Toyota C-HR comes with a single powertrain across all trims. It is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, producing 144 hp and 139 lb-ft torque. For some reason, Toyota decided the Hybrid and Turbo variants of the C-HR found globally will not make it to the US market.

The engine is coupled with a Continuously Variable Transmission that transmits power only to the front wheel. There is no all-wheel-drive variant of the C-HR available in the US. The vehicle can be used in three modes:

• Eco mode keeps the fuel consumption in check and delivers better fuel economy than other modes. It restricts the throttle response and early shifting, making the vehicle slower and consuming less fuel.
• The normal mode balances performance and fuel economy, compromising on one to achieve the other.
• The Sport mode toggles the CVT to deliver seven preset gear ratios and tightens the steering slightly.

Toyota markets the C-HR as a crossover. But the crossover features begin with the tall proportions and end with high seating – there is no all-wheel-drive option available. The engine is a little underpowered and does not entice our car enthusiast senses, not one bit.

But because the C-HR is targeted towards families that are looking for an entry-level crossover with stylish looks, it is okay, especially with all the comfort features it offers.

We notice the cabin is well-insulated and quiet. There is hardly any engine howl in the cabin, thanks to the advanced sound-proofing material used all around. You will hear the engine when you floor it, but it is only noticeable and not annoying even then.

The 2020 Toyota C-HR, however, does shine in terms of handling and steering response.

According to the lead project manager, the C-HR was designed and tested to perform on the bends of the famous Nürburgring track in Germany, which is evident in the vehicle's drivability.

The front suspension is equipped with a strong stabilizer and independent Sachs shock absorbers. The rear end is mounted on Sach dampers and a double-wishbone suspension instead of the less costly torsion beam found on most small cars.

This combination delivers a smooth and comfortable ride and makes the C-HR responsive for city driving. The C-HR takes high-speed corners with confidence and feels secure and planted throughout. If it only had a more powerful engine, it would indeed be a fantastic vehicle to drive.

Comfort and Space Features

The 2020 C-HR looks like a small car from the outside, but it is pretty spacious inside. It does not feel tight, whether from the front seats or the rear part of the cabin.

Hop into the front seats, and you notice that they are lower than what you would have expected from a vehicle with "High-Riding" in its name, which is a good thing as it delivers a better driving position. The seats are well-bolstered, supportive, and comfortable. You can spend hours sitting in them without getting tired thanks to the excessive headroom, which is excellent even for six-footers.

The backseats live up to the "High-Riding" name, as the rear passengers sit higher. This position makes them more comfortable and avoids the knee-up posture, typical on small cars with a lower seat. As per Toyota's claims, the front seats are scooped up towards the bottom, allowing more "shoe room" for the rear passengers. Even for people over six feet, the back seat is quite comfortable. There is enough room to seat three adults comfortably, even for longer trips.

Behind the rear seat is 19 cubic feet of storage space, which you find on traditional hatchbacks. The main culprits for the low cargo space are the swooping roofline and external design cues. The C-HR foregoes utility to wear an ostentatious look. But if you need to carry extra cargo, the rear seats fold down in 60/40 splits and, when fully down, can provide up to 32.4 cubic feet behind the front seats.

There are multiple trays, cup holders, and storage bins around the cabin for your small items. The quality of the materials is what you find on an average car. There are soft-touch materials in some areas, but the cabin mainly comprises hard plastic, which is durable and easy to clean.

Safety Features

The best year Toyota C-HR is a safe family crossover. It comes with many safety features ensuring you and your family remain safe during a collision. Some of the most significant safety features on the C-HR are:

Ten airbags around the cabin, including frontal, side-impact- overhead, and knee airbags to keep the occupants safe from severe injuries during a crash.

Toyota Safety Sense-P package, which includes:

• Frontal collision prevention with emergency braking detects any vehicle or pedestrian in the line of motion of the C-HR. It can issue an alert for the driver and trigger braking.
• Blind-spot monitors watch for and alert the driver of any vehicle in the blind spots.
• Lane departure alert and control ensure that the vehicle does not leave the lane it is running in without the driver's consent.
• Adaptive cruise control slows down the C-HR if a slower vehicle is ahead and speeds it up back to the set speed once the road is clear.
• Automatic high beams lower the beams if there is a vehicle ahead.

A rearview camera is mounted on the tail. It is a much-needed resource due to C-HR's poor outside visibility.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear traffic cross alert are available only on the XLE and Limited trims.

The 2020 C-HR gets five stars for overall safety from the NHTSA. The federal testing agency gives the vehicle five stars for frontal, side crashes and four stars for rollover.

The IIHS (Insurance Institute for High Safety) awards the C-HR the top "Good" score for all crashworthiness tests. The crash prevention system on the vehicle is also rated at "Superior."

Tests from these reliable testing agencies point to the fact that the C-HR is a safe and secure vehicle that keeps its occupants protected above all else.

Trim Features

The 2020 C-HR is equipped with more advanced features than its predecessors. The vehicle is offered in three trims, LE, XLE, and Limited.

The base variant, LE, gets decent features like:

• Power-operated mirrors, windows, and door locks
• Automatic dual-zone climate control
• An upgraded eight-inch infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Ample safety equipment discussed in the previous section

Step up to the XLE, and you add on blind-spot monitors, alloy wheels, and keyless engine starting. The top-of-the-line Premium adds leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver seat, and heated front seats.

We think that the LE delivers excellent features and will help you save money on some features that might not have much significance.

Fuel Economy Features

We cannot call the 2020 C-HR too fuel-efficient. Even with a compact body, and a small engine, the subcompact crossover gulps down more than one might expect. The fuel numbers are not all that bad, but they are much lower than expected on a vehicle this size.

With its single powertrain that comprises a 2.0-liter, inline-four engine, the C-HR earns EPA ratings of 27 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined. These numbers are easily topped by many other vehicles in this class, even some of which are all-wheel drives.

Price Range of 2020 Toyota C-HR

A used 2020 Toyota C-HR's prices start at around $23,000 and go up to $33,000. The average price of the vehicle is approximately $28,000. The prices vary according to trim levels, mileage, location, and vehicle condition.

Reliability of 2020 Toyota C-HR

J.D Power awards the 2020 C-HR with a reliability score of 86 out of 100. This score means that the vehicle’s reliability is “Great” and higher than many other vehicles in the market.