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Honda CR-V:
Still Selling
A few years back,
the Honda CR-V was the best vehicle in its class. Since than the Hyundai Santa
Fe and the Ford Escape have moved into the arena and Honda has had to look for
new ways to keep sales. Both competitors offer V6 engines, are as adept at
handling as the Honda, and are friskier. So where does this leave the Honda
CR-V? The answer is a hard earned perception of quality. People interested in
buying one constantly asked us about the CR-V and they all had one thing in
common, they had heard good things about Honda. In other words, even though the
competition has the CR-V covered in terms of interior, engine, and pricing,
people still value reliability as a leading criterion.
Despite this
trait, we think Honda has left the CR-V out of the research and development mix
too long. The basic vehicle is fine, but the powerplant is just not ample enough
and they still have the heavy spare tire hanging off the rear gate making it
difficult to open and close on inclines. On the road, when you don’t express
your passing intensions with enough vigor, the transmission and the engine feel
that a gentle reaction is best. The location of the shift lever high on the dash
next to the steering wheel makes it difficult to take matters into your own
hands. In other words, the Honda CRV is an excellent tall station wagon with
good manners, ample room, and good gas mileage, but it is more at home with
those drivers who prefer dainty over dastardly when it comes to driving. It is
better than the Toyota RAV 4, but falls short of the Ford Escape and soon to be
released Hyundai Tucson in strength of purpose.
Of course, all
these negatives shouldn’t distract one from its good buy status among those who
don’t live in the mountains or often travel with a full family onboard. It is
spacious, comfortable, has good resale, and is reliable. Add to that good crash
test scores, above average fuel economy, and you have a very practical vehicle.
On the other hand, Honda has a quirky, but very good Element that provides
nearly the same room, same performance, and same sense of utility for less. So
the main competition for the Honda CR-V might be their own Element. As for us,
we liked the Element more. And why not? For a few thousand less you get, shall
we say, distinctive looking vehicle with clamshell rear doors that allow access
to a vast cargo area that holds more than a CR-V, has nearly the same cruising
range, is also available in all wheel drive, and has the same engine.
Mom’s view:
After testing the Ford Escape I find the Honda quieter, more graceful, and
roomier. I also find the side-hinged tailgate a pain. Honda has a glass lift
gate that can be flipped up to put objects in the cargo bay, but this is
impossible for me to use because at 5’4” I am not tall enough. Besides it is
easy to get your dry clean only outfit dirty, as you have to brush up against
the cursed spare tire cover that collects grime like a magnet. With all that
design talent at Honda you think they could come up with something better.
Pricing isn’t bad
for the base model. We had the all wheel drive model and would only recommend it
if you live where it snows. The extra cost and reduction in gas mileage make it
a questionable option in more temperature climes.
The low floor makes getting into and out of the CR-V easy and there is plenty of
headroom. Even when wearing a long dress I never found it dragging across the
threshold which is rare in today’s SUVs. Once inside there is ample legroom in
front and back for those of average dimensions, however tall individuals may
want to take a longer test ride to see if there is enough adjustment for them.
Driving the CR-V
is easy with excellent visibility, great outside mirrors, fairly quick steering,
a smooth ride, although there is more tire noise than I would have expected.
Since we had just tested the Ford Escape it was easy to notice how much quieter
the Honda was, but also how much more tire slap you could hear. The independent
suspension works well, but the short wheel base makes uneven road surfaces
unpleasant at times. The brakes were reassuring, and the raised view nice for
rainy days and commuting. I would say that the CR-V is enjoyable to drive, but
it is not overly fond of being driven hard. I would go with the two-wheel drive
model, cut the options to a minimum, and enjoy a great shopping vehicle that can
make commuting easier. Getting a baby seat in and out does not require as much
effort as most SUVs and the Honda has exceptional crash test numbers.
I few things I
didn’t’ like, besides the spare tire mounted on the rear cargo door were the
position of the steering wheel, which is slanted more upright than I like, and
the handbrake location. It is positioned in the dash. That means you have to
pull it toward you to engage it and push a small button on the handle to release
the emergency brake. I don’t have the strength to pull it out very far and the
awkward angle of the button made if necessary for me to slump down low to apply
enough pressure to release it if someone strong had pulled it before. Since my
husband is a senior Olympian weightlifter you can pretty much figure out the
effort I had to put into releasing the brake after he parked.
Dad’s view:
This is a tall station wagon with nice ground clearance, good visibility, and a
superior transmission. It comes well loaded with standard equipment. You get air
conditioning, micron air-filtration system, cruise control, power door locks,
windows and outside mirrors, front and rear accessory power outlets, AM/FM
stereo cassette/CD changer, spit folding rear seats, and a removable picnic
table that we never used, but at least someone thought it was useful.
It is on the road
where the shortcomings of the CR-V become noted and it is directly related to
the high revving four-cylinder 162 horsepower engine. The problem is that when
there is a family onboard or the car is loaded, the lack of torque is evident as
the 3500 pound CR-V with its high, block like profile, has only 160 foot pounds
of torque at 3500 rpm at its disposal. If you have patience this is not a
problem, but if you are on an incline or trying to pass give yourself plenty of
space. The good side is that the small engine provides very unlike SUV gas
mileage, as we were frequently able to get 23 mpg on the highway.
To be honest, I
don’t know why Honda refuses to put one of their smooth V6 engines into the CR-V
or take the hybrid technology and use it in this model. They had the same
reluctance with the previous model Odyssey van and it never sold well. When they
built a slightly larger van, put a V6 in it their new van became the standard of
the world and still retains incredible resale value.
College going male’s view: My singing career continues to astonish those
who expected me to get through university in just seven years, but nevertheless
you can catch my tunes at www.simple-thoughts.net. If you are interested in my
review of the Honda CR-V you wouldn’t be disappointed if you are a Hondaphile.
It is practical, efficient, has a touch of technology, and is built for
dependability. If you blackout the rear windows you have a great vehicle to
store those items that wouldn’t fit in your apartment and there is enough
capacity so that you don’t have to be leery of friends who are moving.
Safety wise you
get front-seat airbags, three-point belts and head restraints at all five
seating positions, front belt force limiters and pre-tensioners, front; front
and side-impact air bags; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control.
There isn’t much
new for the 2005 model so unless you need standard curtain side airbags for both
seats, leather covered seating, a smooth shifting five speed automatic
transmission, standard ABS, anti-skid systems, 16 inch rims you might be better
off looking for a 2004 model at a reduced price. However, I would go with the
2005 just for the automatic transmission that works much better with the limited
power of the CR-V thanks to its extra gear. If you feel the need for all wheel
drive remember that the CR-V does not have a transfer case and so your
off-roading is restricted although this year a cam-driven mechanism replaces the
pump system in the all wheel drive system and that improves hill-climbing speed.
The sound system is quite basic, nothing exceptional, but the reception was
above average and the stereo was easy to use. The speakers are located
throughout the CR-V but I would replace them. With a cavern like interior such
as this one, a good system could make this a much better place to listen to
music than the over hyped Disney complex at the Music Center. We recently sat
through a concert there on rock hard seats that didn’t have adequate legroom,
and are only view was of the back of the performer’s heads. Talk about sad. I
don’t even thing I would accept a singing gig there unless only the seats in
front of the performers were sold. Send me a contract and we’ll talk.
Would I buy a
CR-V? Yes, but it would not be my first choice. I like the Element better and
for just a few thousand more I would get the Honda Pilot. It has the V6 engine,
is very smooth, has more room, and also comes with all wheel drive. It is my
favorite SUV other than the Lexus RX, but that costs way more. So the bottom
line is that the CR-V is handy, economical, has good resale, and is not
ostentatious. If you are into practical check this Honda.
Young working girl’s view: She is spending some time in Florida in an
apparent attempt to give that state a younger demographic for a few weeks. We
are sure she would like the CR-V because it would hold a dog, hiking equipment,
her tennis gear, and the laptop computer she has not returned to her father in
three years.
Family conference: There is nothing really wrong with the CR-V and that
is why people like it. Nevertheless, we believe that Honda’s Element and Pilot
are priced very competitively and should also be tried out. If you are into hard
driving check out the small SUVs that have V6 engines. What more can we say than
this is a Honda.
Written by The
Car Family |
