How much does it cost to service a Honda?

Honda’s secret weapon is low-cost servicing. So how much is it and how does it compare to the rest of the pack? We take our long-term CR-V hybrid to find out.

Getting your car serviced is one of those necessary evils. You’ve got to part with (sometimes a lot of) cash, and you’re without a car for an often undefined time.

But it doesn’t always have to be a painful experience, as I found when taking the Honda CR-V e:HEV RS I currently have on test through the first service process.

Honda has the cheapest servicing of any car maker in Australia for the first five years, except Hyundai’s luxury arm Genesis, which waives the cost for this period.

We take a look at how Honda’s service experience stacks up against its competitors.

How many Honda dealers are there in Australia?

There are 85 Honda dealerships dotted throughout Australia.

In 2025, it is common that a Honda centre will be shared with another car brand.

In this case, I took the CR-V to Northern Honda, Epping, in Melbourne’s north, which cohabits the space with Chinese newcomer Geely.

This centre is large, clean and modern-looking, with friendly staff who are keen to help.

How popular is Honda in Australia?

Since July 2021, Honda has sold its vehicles in Australia under the agency model system, also known as the Honda One Price Promise, which is where the parent company owns all of the stock, rather than individual dealers, and the price is set nationally, with no room for haggling or negotiation.

The switch, while becoming an increasingly popular method of selling cars – with Tesla, BYD, Polestar, Cupra, Genesis (plus Hyundai’s Ioniq range), and Mercedes-Benz adopting it – has cost Honda in sales numbers.

Back in 2020, before the change, Honda sold 29,040 cars locally. The number has dropped each year since then, with 6557 sold so far year-to-date.

How often should a Honda CR-V be serviced?

Honda’s servicing intervals are set at 12 months and 10,000km, or whichever comes first.

Each model comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with the possibility to extend to eight years. Additionally, if you have a hybrid variant, as I do here, the battery is also covered for eight years.

Is it expensive to service a Honda CR-V?

One real drawcard for the Honda CR-V is the service pricing, which is highly competitive.

For each of the five models in its line-up – the Accord, Civic, HR-V, ZR-V, and CR-V – the pricing is the same, just $199 for each of the first five years.

The cost of servicing the CR-V before the introduction of the agency model was $361 for the base grade and $358 for any of the others.

This dropped to as little as $125 from July 1, 2021, but was increased to the current price of $199 as of October 1, 2022.

In comparison, here’s what you can expect from its competitors in the medium SUV segment.

The Toyota RAV4 costs $270 annually for the first five years, with intervals set at 12 months and 15,000km. Toyota’s warranty is also five years and unlimited kilometres.

The Nissan X-Trail, meanwhile, costs $399 to service for each of the first five years, also with a 12-month/15,000km term, with a 10-year/300,000km warranty if you get it serviced within the dealer network.

The Mitsubishi Outlander costs $320 annually for the first five years for the petrol model, or $349 for the plug-in hybrid. It also has intervals set at 12 months or 15,000km, with a five-year/100,000km warranty.

For the Hyundai Tucson, servicing varies between $360 and $408 for each of the first five years, depending on the variant, with terms set at 12 months/10,000km for the petrol grades and 15,000km for those that are hybrid. Hyundai’s warranty covers five years and unlimited kilometres.

Its Kia Sportage cousin’s price starts from $479 and is capped for seven years, with intervals of 12 months/10,000km, or 15,000km for hybrid variants. Kia, however, has a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

And finally, the Mazda CX-5’s pricing starts from $427, also capped for seven years, with 12-month/15,000km intervals and a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

While not top-sellers, its competitors from Chery and MG cost $280 and $291 respectively.

What is included in a Honda CR-V service?

The Honda CR-V e:HEV RS I have on test has only clocked up just under 5000km, so strictly speaking isn’t due a service yet.

However, I took it through the process to find out what the experience is like.

The 12-month/10,000km service includes engine oil and oil filter replacements, new windscreen wash and washer drain, and the testing and inspection of all components around the car, including things like checking if any software needs updating or if there have been any recalls.

By far the biggest part of the bill is for the labour, as most of the work is minor.

The second service at 24 months or 20,000km adds a replacement air filter, while the third at 36 months/30,000km involves two new washer drains and a brake fluid change.

The fourth service is the same as the second, while the fifth – the final $199 instalment – is the same as the first.

It’s once you get outside of the capped-price servicing where the cost can shoot up, with Honda quoting Drive a $689.88 bill for the sixth.

To carry out a service, Honda offers two different scenarios: either you can leave your car for the day and they’ll call when it is ready, or you can pay extra for an ‘Express’ service, which guarantees it is done within two hours.

You can either call up to book a service or do it on the Honda website.

According to the team at Northern Honda, most people using the Express option opt to wait at the dealership, where free tea and coffee is available, or alternatively, they can pay for an Uber to take you home or somewhere to fill the time, such as the local shopping plaza.

The service also includes a basic car wash and vacuum, but if you’d like a full detail, the option is there for an added cost.

My service experience was good, with everything taken care of in less than two hours.

I also had roof racks installed to allow me to put larger items, such as a box, kayak, paddleboard, surfboard or even bikes, on the CR-V for days out and weekends away, as well as a cargo mat to keep the boot clean during winter from dirty pram wheels or footy boots and the like.

Why are Hondas so cheap to maintain?

Every time I tell someone that the Honda CR-V costs just $199 to service each year, their jaw drops in shock. It seems to be one of the best-kept secrets of modern motoring.

While it’s most likely a carrot being dangled to lure buyers back in after the switch to the agency model, it’s crazy that it’s not something more people know about.

If you’re weighing up medium-sized SUVs for your family, thinking beyond the showroom sticker price to the cost of long-term maintenance is worth the time, because, as this shows, you may be missing out on a real gem.

For more about the Honda CR-V e:HEV RS and what it’s like to drive, you can check out my first instalment here.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Honda CR-V and how its hybrid powertrain performs on both long and short commutes.

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