Had a couple of CRVs. Petrol one I had in 1998 was incredibly thirsty - 23mpg. Diesel one from 2010 was incredibly frugal - up to 60mpg. Can't speak for a recent petrol automatic.
I went from my CRV to a Jazz, then a HRV and now I'm in a hybrid RAV4, which is 2.5 petrol engine and for me is getting around 38-40mpg in real world driving. Less on the in town commute and more on long journeys. Great car, thoroughly recommended but not cheap to buy as a hybrid.