HONDA CR-V Review

As we've said, Honda advertises the CR-V as a very comfortable ride, claiming it could provide one of the smoothest rides in its class. But what we've found is that the statement is only partially true.

In order to discuss about the comfort level provided by the CR-V, we must split this chapter into two separate parts - city and highway, only because of the suspension configuration that changes the car's behavior almost entirely.

First of all, the city. The thing that makes the difference is mostly the suspension configuration because it does a really good job inside the city, where passing over speed limiters is almost unnoticeable while handling remains great. Outside the city however, things are almost entirely in the opposite direction. The car becomes unstable at high speeds and cornering is a real problem unless you're ready to push the brakes every time.

Other than that, it has the things to spoil the driver and the passenger, but don't have too high expectations. For example, our test car was equipped with dual-zone automatic air control, heated front seats, armrests for the driver and the front passenger, an audio system with MP3 support, USB connectivity and AUX port plus cruise control, rain and light sensors and steering wheel mounted buttons.

A number of other comfort features are placed on the options list, such as lumbar support, hands-free function, electrically-adjustable front seats and height-adjustable driver seat plus adaptive cruise control, navigation feature, rear-view camera and adaptive headlights. Basically, there's enough space for all passengers and five occupants should experience no problems from this point of view. The trunk has a maximum volume of 556 liters, but can be expanded to no less than 955 liters with the rear seats down.

The level of comfort provided by the CR-V might be also reflected in the model's name, although things are pretty unclear when it comes to the designation. Opinions are divided into two separate parts: some people are claiming that CR-V stands for "Compact Recreational Vehicle", while others go for "Comfortable Runabout Vehicle".

As mentioned, Honda says the 2.2-liter diesel engine installed on our test car was also used on the 2008 Honda Accord and develops 150 horsepower at 4000 rpm. The maximum torque of 350 Nm is delivered starting from 2000 rpm but you won't even notice this output when driving outside the city.

The automatic transmission fails to do its job, especially when it has to deal with sportier drivers who use to overtake slower cars on a regular basis. It is a decent configuration for city cruising though, although fuel consumption and performance figures aren't great in urban conditions either.

And speaking of performance, the engine is capable of pushing the car to a maximum speed of 187 km/h (116 mph), while the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint is completed in 10.6 seconds. Fuel consumption, at least on paper, stays at 9.5 l/100km (24.7 mpg) city, 6.2 l/100km (37.9 mpg) highway and 7.4 l/100km (31.7 mpg) combined, while emissions shouldn't exceed 195 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

Interestingly, Honda says the CR-V offers a sedan-like driving experience because it comes with a low center of gravity that gives you extra control on the car. Furthermore, the chassis is made of lightweight and flexible steel to improve performance and efficiency but, after spending a couple of days behind the wheel, we're not really sure how much of the above statement is actually true.

The car doesn't feel like a sedan at all and the best way to try it is by pressing the brake pedal at a higher speed. It indeed weighs 1782 kilos (3928 pounds) and uses ventilated discs on front and solid discs on the rear, but braking doesn't make you feel safe at all. Of course, there are improvements to be made in this sector and the all-wheel drive version might have a superior behavior.

Gadget freaks won't be too happy when jumping into a CR-V like the one we tested, but to better understand the toys available across the range, we'll have to split this chapter into two separate parts: what we got and what we could have gotten.

The car was equipped with a decent audio system with MP3 support, USB and AUX input, but the first time when we've listened to music louder the first thought that came into our minds was that soundproofing wasn't at all a concern for Honda's engineers. Basically, every time you'll listen to a certain sound at a higher volume, all your "neighbors" at the traffic light will be more or less forced to listen to the same song as you.

The car was also equipped with parking sensors with audio warnings at both the front and the rear, but a rear-view camera for reverse mode is also available on the options list. Rain and light sensors were installed as standard, just like the cruise control function, but more capabilities are once again optional. For example, Honda also offers a so-called Adaptive Cruise Control that modifies its configuration depending on the cars in front.

Of course, we also got the chance to test the heated front seats with two modes and the dual-zone air conditioning system but we'll have to consult the options list one more time.

A navigation system is also offered as optional, just like the so-called auto-adaptive headlights which are nothing more than adaptive headlights with a more appealing name. Last but not least, Honda allows CR-V customers to install the collision mitigating braking system on their cars in order to increase safety and let the car take control of the steering wheel and of the braking system in case it detects an inevitable impact.

The latest Honda CR-V tested by Euro NCAP was the 2007 version, which received only 4 stars for adult occupant protection, 4 stars for child occupants and 2 stars for pedestrian. Euro NCAP mentioned that the way the car performed should have brought the SUV a five-star rating but, due to its reaction in the frontal impact, the final award dropped to 4 stars.

IIHS also tested the model but, as compared to Euro NCAP, it offered a Good rating at every single chapter, including head/neck, chest, legs and restraints. "," said in a statement from the IIHS.

In full configuration, the CR-V would be equipped with active headrests, frontal airbags, side airbags, side curtain airbags, audio warnings for the seatbelts, 3-point rear seatbelts, ISOFIX, ABS, EBD, EBA, VSA, TSA and all-wheel drive. Of course, some of them were not available on the model we tested, but this impressive list makes the CR-V a pretty safe vehicle.

Taken separately, the most interesting piece of technology available in this chapter is the so-called Collision Mitigation Braking System which helps reduce damages caused by frontal impacts. It uses a front-mounted radar to calculate the risk of accidents and transmits audio and visual warnings to the driver. If the driver does not react, the system shows a visual warning on the display and prepares the braking system. In case the impact is imminent, the function applies full braking power and fastens the driver's and the front passenger's seatbelts.

The fact that Honda has built the CR-V to complete its lineup is more than obvious when taking a closer look to the car. It is indeed an SUV and makes you feel like you're driving one, but fails to raise to the expectations at very important chapters where rivals would pretty much excel.

The good bit of the CR-V is surely the suspension system when driving inside a city. It is so soft that you won't even notice when the car goes over a speed bump or a pothole and seems to be perfectly balanced for cornering at low speeds. Comfort is also decent, but don't expect too many fancy things when getting inside the car.

The bad part when it comes to Honda's crossover SUV is the suspension system this time outside the city. The car becomes extremely unstable and it's pretty dangerous to exceed 140 km/h (87 mph). Furthermore, the noise level is also high, although the engine soundproofing seems to be quite good. The automatic transmission isn't impressive either and you might be unpleasantly surprised when driving on the highway and engine power is absolutely mandatory.

The ugly award goes to the SUV's design. Although it underwent so many facelifts and so many exterior modifications, the CR-V remains a common presence on the road and it barely manages to make passing bystanders turn their heads when seeing the car.