The best one yet?? (Honda CR-V in general)

Member Name: trussellp

Product:	Honda CR-V in general
Date:	26/03/02 (794 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: light off-roader, handling, i-VTEC engine

Disadvantages: rolls a bit

Honda’s first CR-V was a million seller and here is the second generation version. It may go by the same name but this one’s built in Swindon and is an all-new car with restyled, more aggressive looks, a completely new powertrain and a brochure full of new features and equipment.

Although its off-road capabilities are better suited to grass and gravel rather than deep mud and sand, the CR-V with its ‘intelligent’ 4WD system certainly shouldn’t get stuck in a shallow puddle. Like the outgoing model, should the permanently driven front wheels start to slip, power is automatically fed on demand to the rears.

Unlike the old model, the new CR-V is powered by the latest generation i-VTEC engine, similar to the Stream’s and indeed the hot Civic Type-R’s. Though power in this application is rated at 148bhp it’s enough to let it sing along a motorway or climb a mountain pass without getting breathless. Needless to say, for the urban school run, power and torque is more than ample.

Chassis-wise the new CR-V’s wheelbase remains the same although overall body length and width have been slightly increased for greater passenger and luggage accommodation. The body has also been stiffened in certain areas thus improving overall rigidity.

Peek inside and you’ll notice a redesigned dash with a novel vertically-mounted handbrake which frees-up useful floor space. There are more bins and pockets for bits and bobs but a more notable improvement is the rethink of the two-way tailgate in which the upper window section is now part of, rather than separate from, the rear door, making it easier to flip open the glass to drop things in. In addition to reclining by up to 45 degrees, the rear seats are now 60/40 split/fold and each rear section slides to and fro for greater loadspace or legroom flexibility.

Riding taller than a pure on-roader means the CR-V can still roll around a bit,
but on the whole it grips, steers, stops, and handles very politely. I had one driver-induced ‘moment’ on a mountain bend and didn’t even kick up any dust, which is a better outcome than I’d momentarily expected. Phew,

The CR-V comes in SE or SE Sport spec as a five-door only. There’s only one engine but you can choose between a five-speed manual or four-speed auto, the latter having a dash-mounted stick, liberating even more space.

Summary: