Chevrolet Trailblazer RS (2025) vs Honda HR-V Sport (2025): Small SUV Comparison
Two small SUVs pull into the same Ohio driveway, both priced within two hundred dollars of each other. The 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS arrives with a turbocharged three-cylinder, a blacked-out attitude, and the biggest touchscreen in the class. The 2025 Honda HR-V Sport answers with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder, Honda's reputation for resale value, and the largest maximum cargo hold of the pair.
On paper, this is one of the closest fights we have covered. The Trailblazer RS starts at $29,095 including destination in front-wheel-drive form. The HR-V Sport starts at $28,895 including destination — a $200 gap, less than a tank of gas and a car wash. So the decision is not really about money. It is about which engineering philosophy you would rather live with: a small turbo that works hard for its power, or a bigger naturally aspirated engine that takes its time.
Our early verdict: the Trailblazer RS is the more fun and better-equipped choice, with stronger low-end torque, a bigger screen, and wireless phone mirroring. The HR-V Sport is the safer long-term bet, with more maximum cargo space, standard blind-spot monitoring, and an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
| Performance | Chevrolet Trailblazer RS | 174 lb-ft at just 1,600 rpm vs 138 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm; about a second quicker to 60 mph |
| Fuel economy | Chevrolet Trailblazer RS | 31 mpg combined FWD vs 28 mpg; 33 mpg highway is the best number here |
| Cargo & space | Honda HR-V Sport | 55.1 cu ft max vs 54.4, and a longer wheelbase with more rear legroom |
| Technology | Chevrolet Trailblazer RS | 11-inch touchscreen and wireless CarPlay/Android Auto vs a 7-inch screen and wired-only mirroring |
| Safety | Honda HR-V Sport | IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and standard blind-spot monitoring; both carry five-star NHTSA ratings |
| Towing | Chevrolet Trailblazer RS | 1,000 lbs rated vs no towing rating at all — Honda does not recommend towing with the HR-V |
| Value | Tie | $200 separates them in FWD form; $300 in AWD form |
| Best for families | Honda HR-V Sport | More max cargo, more rear legroom, and the stronger safety record |
| Best for commuters | Chevrolet Trailblazer RS | Better highway economy and a calmer, better-connected cabin for the daily drive |
At a Glance
| Specification | 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS | 2025 Honda HR-V Sport |
| Engine | ECOTEC 1.3L turbo inline-3 | 2.0L inline-4 DOHC i-VTEC |
| Power | 155 hp @ 5,600 rpm | 158 hp @ 6,500 rpm |
| Torque | 174 lb-ft | 138 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT (FWD) / 9-speed automatic (AWD) | CVT |
| Drivetrain | FWD standard, AWD available (+$1,600) | FWD standard, AWD available (+$1,500) |
| EPA MPG (FWD) | 29 city / 33 hwy / 31 combined | 26 city / 32 hwy / 28 combined |
| EPA MPG (AWD) | 26 city / 29 hwy / 27 combined | 25 city / 30 hwy / 27 combined |
| Cargo (seats up / max) | 25.3 / 54.4 cu ft | 24.4 / 55.1 cu ft |
| Max Towing | 1,000 lbs | Not rated — Honda does not recommend towing |
| Length / Wheelbase | 174.1 in / 103.9 in | 179.8 in / 104.5 in |
| Curb Weight | 3,252 lbs (AWD) | 3,197 lbs (FWD) |
| Starting Price (FWD, incl. dest.) | $29,095 | $28,895 |
| Starting Price (AWD, incl. dest.) | $30,695 | $30,395 |
Design & Exterior
Both of these SUVs wear their sport badges honestly — at least on the outside. The Trailblazer RS is the louder of the two. Its black mesh grille, black exterior trim, dark chrome accents, and 19-inch high-gloss black wheels give it a junior-Blazer attitude, and the dual-exit exhaust with chrome tips finishes the look.
The HR-V Sport is quieter about its ambitions. Its sport cues are gloss black rather than chrome: 18-inch gloss-black alloy wheels, a Sport grille, a gloss-black rear roofline spoiler, gloss-black heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, and a chrome exhaust finisher. The Sport's extra ground clearance, 7.3 inches against 7.0 on the LX and EX-L, is a small but real advantage on rutted Ohio side streets and unplowed winter mornings.
Size tells a subtler story. The Honda is the longer car by more than five inches, at 179.8 inches against the Chevy's 174.1, and its 104.5-inch wheelbase edges the Trailblazer's 103.9 — which shows up as a slightly roomier back seat. The Chevy is the easier one to park downtown in Columbus or Cincinnati. Neither is a big SUV pretending to be small; both fit a standard garage with room to spare.
Interior, Comfort & Technology
The Trailblazer RS is the more exciting place to sit: Jet Black Evotex sport seats with red accents, a heated flat-bottom steering wheel, and an 8-way power driver's seat give it a cockpit feel the Honda does not try to match. The 11-inch touchscreen dominates the dash, backed by an 8-inch digital cluster, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard, Google built-in, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.
The HR-V Sport cabin is simpler, and depending on your taste, that is either a virtue or a flaw. Heated front seats and remote start are standard — genuinely useful on a January morning in Cleveland. But the 7-inch touchscreen is the smallest screen in this comparison by a wide margin, and CarPlay and Android Auto are wired-only on the Sport; wireless mirroring is reserved for the EX-L. There is no power driver's seat, no moonroof, and no dual-zone climate control on the Sport.
One practical note for shoppers who carry long cargo: the Trailblazer's fold-flat front passenger seat stretches load length to 8.5 feet, enough for flat-pack furniture or a kayak paddle. The HR-V counters with a slightly larger maximum cargo hold, 55.1 cubic feet against 54.4, and a low, wide load floor that makes heavy boxes easier to slide in. A word of caution for Honda loyalists: the clever Magic Seat from the old HR-V is gone — the 2023 redesign retired it, so the second row is a conventional 60/40 split that folds almost flat.
Performance & Driving Feel
This is where the two SUVs stop looking alike. The Trailblazer RS runs a 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder making 155 horsepower and, more importantly, 174 lb-ft of torque from just 1,600 rpm. That low-end torque is the whole story: around town, pulling away from a light on High Street or merging onto I-270, the Chevy feels eager and responsive. Front-drive versions use a CVT; all-wheel-drive versions get a proper nine-speed automatic. In instrumented testing of the mechanically identical 2024 RS, the sprint to 60 mph took about 8.7 seconds.
The HR-V Sport runs a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder making 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque — but that torque does not arrive until 4,200 rpm, so you have to work the engine hard to get moving. MotorTrend's instrumented test of an all-wheel-drive HR-V recorded a 9.8-second 0–60 run, and the review called the acceleration inadequate, noting the engine makes an awful racket at full throttle. The CVT is the only transmission, and there is no turbo and no hybrid available in the US HR-V at any price.
Be honest about the RS badge, though: it is an appearance package, not a performance upgrade. The RS gets no extra power and no sport suspension over an LT with the same engine — the off-road-tuned suspension belongs to the ACTIV. The 19-inch wheels that look so good also firm up the ride a touch. Neither SUV is a driver's car. The Chevy is simply the less slow one, and on a daily commute that difference matters more than the spec sheet suggests.
Fuel Economy
The turbo pays off at the pump. In front-wheel-drive form the Trailblazer RS is rated at 29 city, 33 highway, and 31 combined — the best highway number in this comparison. With all-wheel drive it settles to 26 city, 29 highway, and 27 combined, on regular gasoline, from a 13.2-gallon tank that delivers roughly 400 miles of range.
The HR-V Sport is rated at 26 city, 32 highway, and 28 combined in front-drive form, and 25 city, 30 highway, and 27 combined with all-wheel drive, from a 14.0-gallon tank. In all-wheel-drive form the two are effectively tied at 27 mpg combined, but in front-drive form the Chevy's three-mpg advantage adds up over a year of commuting. Neither car asks for premium fuel — but the Trailblazer RS is the thriftier commuter of the two.
Safety & Driver Assistance
Both SUVs carry five-star overall ratings from NHTSA, and both come standard with a full driver-assistance suite. The Trailblazer RS gets Chevy Safety Assist: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision alert, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, following distance indicator, and automatic high beams, with blind-zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert available in an optional Driver Confidence Package.
The HR-V Sport matches that list and goes one better in two places. First, blind-spot monitoring and a cross-traffic monitor are standard on the Sport for 2025 — the base LX does not get them. Second, the 2025 HR-V carries an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, the Institute's highest honor, while the Trailblazer has not yet completed the full IIHS test battery. Honda Sensing is standard on every HR-V, covering collision mitigation braking, lane keeping, adaptive cruise with low-speed follow, traffic sign recognition, and traffic jam assist.
One honest note: certain 2023–2025 HR-Vs were covered by a steering-gearbox recall (NHTSA 24V744000, October 2024). The fix is free at the dealer and VIN-specific — check any HR-V's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Pricing, Trims & Value
Here is the number that frames this whole comparison: $200. That is the gap between a front-drive Trailblazer RS at $29,095 including destination and a front-drive HR-V Sport at $28,895 including destination. In all-wheel-drive form the gap is $300 — $30,695 for the Chevy against $30,395 for the Honda.
What that money buys is where the value argument splits. The Chevy's $200 premium returns the bigger screen, wireless phone mirroring, a power driver's seat, heated steering wheel, and the turbo engine's stronger low-end pull. The Honda's lower price returns standard blind-spot monitoring, a Top Safety Pick+ rating, and the larger maximum cargo hold — plus Honda's long-standing resale-value advantage, which shows up at trade-in time.
One pricing wrinkle worth knowing: Chevrolet raised the Trailblazer's destination charge by $100 in April 2025, to $1,395, so older online listings showing $28,995 for the RS are stale. Use the current $29,095 figure when you negotiate.
Pros and Cons
2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS
Pros: Strong low-end torque from the 1.3L turbo; best highway fuel economy in the pair at 33 mpg; 11-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto; 1,000-lb towing rating; fold-flat front passenger seat fits 8.5-foot loads; heated steering wheel and power driver's seat standard.
Cons: RS badge is appearance-only — no power or suspension upgrade; 19-inch wheels firm up the ride; CVT in front-drive form is less satisfying than the AWD's nine-speed; only 1,000 lbs of towing; smaller maximum cargo hold than the HR-V.
2025 Honda HR-V Sport
Pros: Largest maximum cargo hold at 55.1 cu ft; IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and five-star NHTSA rating; blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic monitor standard; Honda resale value; roomier back seat with more legroom.
Cons: Slowest in its class — 9.8-second 0–60 in AWD form; no turbo, no hybrid, no towing rating at all; 7-inch touchscreen with wired-only CarPlay and Android Auto; no power driver's seat or moonroof on Sport; engine gets loud at full throttle.
Who Should Buy Which?
Buy the 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS if your daily drive is mostly commuting and highway miles around Columbus, Cleveland, or Cincinnati, and you want the quicker, thriftier, better-connected car. The turbo's low-end torque, the 33-mpg highway rating, and the big wireless screen make the Chevy the easier car to live with day to day.
Buy the 2025 Honda HR-V Sport if you plan to keep the car a long time, carry passengers and cargo often, or simply value safety ratings and resale value above all else. The bigger cargo hold, the roomier back seat, and the Top Safety Pick+ award are real advantages.
Final Verdict
These two SUVs answer the same question with opposite philosophies, and both answers are defensible. The Trailblazer RS bets on technology and turbo torque: a bigger screen, wireless everything, and an engine that feels stronger than its horsepower number suggests. The HR-V Sport bets on space, safety, and staying power: the bigger cargo hold, the better crash-test record, and the badge that holds its value.
If we had to pick one for an Ohio driveway, the one we would take home is the Chevrolet Trailblazer RS. The $200 price gap is meaningless, and the Chevy wins the things you notice every single day: the quicker pull away from a light, the better highway mileage, the screen you actually want to use, and the ability to tow when you need it. The Honda wins the things you notice once a year — the trade-in value, the crash-test plaque — and those matter, but they do not change how Tuesday morning feels.
That said, the HR-V Sport deserves a long look from anyone who keeps cars for eight or ten years, hauls kids and cargo every weekend, or simply does not want to think about their car. Drive both back to back on the same afternoon — the Chevy's turbo and the Honda's calm will tell you more in ten minutes than any spec sheet can.
Which one would you choose — the turbocharged Chevy or the dependable Honda? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS cost?
The RS starts at $29,095 including destination in front-wheel-drive form, or $30,695 with all-wheel drive.
Can the 2025 Honda HR-V Sport tow a trailer?
No. Honda does not publish a tow rating for the HR-V and does not recommend towing with it at all — doing so may void the warranty. The Trailblazer RS is rated to tow up to 1,000 pounds, so it is the only choice in this pair if you tow.
Which is more fuel efficient, the Trailblazer RS or the HR-V Sport?
The Trailblazer RS, in front-drive form: 31 mpg combined (29 city / 33 highway) against the HR-V Sport's 28 mpg combined (26 city / 32 highway). In all-wheel-drive form they tie at 27 mpg combined.
Does the 2025 Honda HR-V Sport have wireless Apple CarPlay?
No. The Sport's 7-inch touchscreen offers wired-only Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; wireless mirroring is available only on the EX-L. The Trailblazer RS comes standard with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto on its 11-inch screen.
Is the 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS fast?
Quick for its class, but not fast. The 1.3-liter turbo makes 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, and the mechanically identical 2024 RS reached 60 mph in about 8.7 seconds.
By Stefany Aurora, ABBOhio Editorial. Specifications are US-market figures verified against manufacturer and independent sources; prices are MSRP plus destination unless noted.
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