For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.
For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.
The Honda HR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda HR-V achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The GMC Terrain has not been tested.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The HR-V EX-L has a standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
The HR-V’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the HR-V and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the GMC Terrain:
|
|
HR-V |
Terrain |
|
|
Driver |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
139 |
159 |
| Neck Stress |
134 lbs. |
190 lbs. |
| Leg Forces (l/r) |
279/312 lbs. |
363/349 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the GMC Terrain:
|
|
HR-V |
Terrain |
|
|
Front Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
87 |
109 |
| Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
1.1 inches |
| Abdominal Force |
118 lbs. |
195 lbs. |
|
|
Rear Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
173 |
288 |
|
|
Into Pole |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
13 inches |
| HIC |
292 |
377 |
| Hip Force |
564 lbs. |
730 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda HR-V is much safer than the Terrain:
|
|
HR-V |
Terrain |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
| Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Neck Tension |
223 lbs. |
290 lbs. |
| Neck Compression |
89 lbs. |
112 lbs. |
| Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
| Shoulder Deflection |
.87 in |
1.73 in |
| Shoulder Force |
178 lbs. |
312 lbs. |
| Torso Max Deflection |
1.3 in |
1.69 in |
| Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
8 MPH |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
| Head/Neck |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Head Injury Criterion |
186 |
733 |
| Head Peak Forces |
no contact |
101 G’s |
| Neck Tension |
67 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
| Neck Compression |
156 lbs. |
491 lbs. |
| Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
| Shoulder Deflection |
1.42 in |
1.65 in |
| Shoulder Force |
312 lbs. |
402 lbs. |
| Torso Max Deflection |
1.46 in |
1.57 in |
| Torso Deflection Rate |
5 MPH |
7 MPH |
| Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| Pelvis Force |
625 lbs. |
669 lbs. |
| Head Protection |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the HR-V is 2.1% to 4.5% less likely to roll over than the Terrain.
The Honda HR-V has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Terrain is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.