KS34
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Disappointing review, in fact they say the latest CR-V is indicative of Honda's current malaise. No longer one the class leaders, a competent but unremarkable SUV.
Good: Bombproof material quality, Practical and well conceived cabin, Economical powertrain
Bad: Unremarkable performance, Mediocre ride and handling, Price of high-end models
Verdict
For all Honda’s talk about new Type Rs and a resurgence of excitement in its products, it’s hard to see the latest CR-V as anything but indicative of its current malaise.
The CR-V was once one of the pioneers in the SUV segment and, even in its most recent generation, it was one of the best drives in the class. But Honda has allowed one of its most established models to morph into an also-ran and to become so conservative as to be almost invisible.
That’s a great pity for a car maker with such a fine reputation for innovation and excellence. The CR-V is well engineered and wholly competent but were it to come from Hyundai or Kia we would suggest that their progress had slowed; that it comes from Honda is a more worrying sign.
To its credit, the firm’s most recent rhetoric suggests that it is aware of its problems and is addressing them.
It is just a pity that this attitude has come too late to affect the CR-V.
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superchg2
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My neighbor just keeps on truckin' in her unremarkable 15 year old CRV!
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Grace141
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Autocar review:
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/honda/cr-v
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Jeeves
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Well, here is the current european automarket. We need luxury, soft plastics everywhere, no noise, 5 sec to 100 km/h, And oh sorry, we don't have enough money...
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A77
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pretty fair review really - does nothing badly and very spacious and well made and reliable. Just what most people want. Only in the UK it is priced up to BMW X3 levels which is silly. And Honda's diesel is about to be replaced by a thriftier 1.6 is it not which should help. I can't imagine the gas versions having much/any appeal over there. Where everything is being shrunk and turbo'd.
Notice the nice centre console arrangement with cup holder covers and a beefy arm rest.
Note they have the relatively cramped, bumpy, unrefined Sportage as first choice. Maybe they are better with diesels.
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PhrozeDeuce
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Keep in mind that BMW can sell their cars cheaper in Europe than in the US due to tariffs and currency exchange rates.
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PhrozeDeuce
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Keep in mind that BMW can sell their cars cheaper in Europe than in the US due to tariffs and currency exchange rates.
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A77
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PhrozeDeuce wrote:
Keep in mind that BMW can sell their cars cheaper in Europe than in the US due to tariffs and currency exchange rates.
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tarrifs as in 5% import duty (?) as opposed to euro VAT rates which are often over 20%. Exchange rates has nothing to do with it. BMW is just more mass market, esp the 3 series, in Europe. While Honda has traditionally pitched higher in europe than in North America. There's no Acura (lest you count the euro accord which is a TSX) to bump up against. Less shipping cost I guess for BMW in europe.
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JeffX
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I didn't see the Autocar review but I've thought all along that the CR-V update was pretty unremarkable, so the criticism you mention sounds pretty fair to me. The 2012 update was certainly not as big of a jump as the '07 CR-V was compared to the '06. It's a nice vehicle but the engine isn't a great match to the 5AT and the styling seems to have taken a small step downmarket and it has a generally cheaper look and feel, if only slightly so.
Really the biggest thing for the new CR-V is the self-folding rear seats. I was hoping for some notable mechanical changes but the only thing we got was a new version of Realtime AWD. It's underpowered and the fuel economy can be pretty good if the conditions are perfect. Throw in a crosswind, a headwind, a bit of hilly terrain and the FE plunges pretty quickly and the engine has to work pretty hard just to hold pace.
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dmarks
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Any chance for more power from the ED or just more fuel economy? I think an injection of 15 - 20 ft/lb torque and a few more hp would make a big difference. Jeff is right, the CRV is underpowered and in fact probably always has been. I know I'm crazy, but I always thought the CRV was a perfect home for the old 3.0 V6 from the Accord Gen 6. Drop that and a 6sp auto into the powertrain. Gain FE on the highway and run like a banshee just about anywhere. I guess the combo makes too darn sense as an uplevel option.
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superchg2
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dmarks wrote:
I know I'm crazy, but I always thought the CRV was a perfect home for the old 3.0 V6 from the Accord Gen 6. Drop that and a 6sp auto into the powertrain. Gain FE on the highway and run like a banshee just about anywhere. I guess the combo makes too darn sense as an uplevel option.
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Make it a 3.5 V-6 and you have just described the RDX.
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P54
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Come on guys, you talk about one of the best sellers in its class. If it was so under-powered sales would have suffered. Toyota offers V6 RAV-4, yet the CR-V with only I4 outsells it.
Do not compare the USA model with the one tested by Autocar, the European model got a 2.2 L diesel or a 2.0L gas engine. Later it will get the new 1.6L diesel.
In USA we got a 2.4L engine with 185 HP which is more than 30 HP more than the European model. When the ED engine comes in effect performance and FE will improve further.
There was a day when Accord had less than 70 HP and had plenty of power. The new European Ford Fusion (Mondeo) got a 1.0L 3 cylinder engine. Under-powered???
Want an up-level option? It is called Acura RDX. Is 3.5L V6 with 273 HP enough for you? Or would you prefer the Ford solution, a 1.0L 3 cyl.?
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JeffX
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P54 wrote:
Come on guys, you talk about one of the best sellers in its class. If it was so under-powered sales would have suffered. Toyota offers V6 RAV-4, yet the CR-V with only I4 outsells it.
Do not compare the USA model with the one tested by Autocar, the European model got a 2.2 L diesel or a 2.0L gas engine. Later it will get the new 1.6L diesel.
In USA we got a 2.4L engine with 185 HP which is more than 30 HP more than the European model. When the ED engine comes in effect performance and FE will improve further.
There was a day when Accord had less than 70 HP and had plenty of power. The new European Ford Fusion (Mondeo) got a 1.0L 3 cylinder engine. Under-powered???
Want an up-level option? It is called Acura RDX. Is 3.5L V6 with 273 HP enough for you? Or would you prefer the Ford solution, a 1.0L 3 cyl.?
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for "runabout" duty around town it has adequate power. But out on the open road is where I found it to be lacking. The Earth Dreams W24 + CVT will probably help quite a bit. Just the extra 20lb-ft would offset a lot of the problems I have with the too-widely gapped gear ratios of the 5-speed automatic transmission, though maybe still not enough to give it enough juice when you're at the lower end of 3rd gear.
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DrWhiner
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A77
pretty fair review really - does nothing badly and very spacious and well made and reliable. Just what most people want. Only in the UK it is priced up to BMW X3 levels which is silly.
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Have you check BMW UK's web site?
Honda CR-V starts from less than GBP22k.
OTOH, X3 FWD 18d (143hp) starts from almost GBP29k.
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BachelorFrog
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^ that X3 must be RWD, not FWD.
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DrWhiner
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Haha. My bad.
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A77
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DrWhiner wrote:
A77
pretty fair review really - does nothing badly and very spacious and well made and reliable. Just what most people want. Only in the UK it is priced up to BMW X3 levels which is silly.
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Have you check BMW UK's web site?
Honda CR-V starts from less than GBP22k.
OTOH, X3 FWD 18d (143hp) starts from almost GBP29k.
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The point the reviewer is making and which I made is that you can pay more for a CRV than an X3. There are 3 CRV versions over £30,000. That's near $50,000.
The CRV in North America has 185hp which is more than any other NA 4 cul engine. So arguably its not underpowered compared to its rivals - 4Cyl RAV4, Forester, Rogue, etc....The Accords torquier engine which must be coming, with CVT, in a couple of years will make all the difference though.
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6SPDTL
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I have to disagree. The new one is a significant upgrade in all but the engine. The interior looks and feels better than before. NVH is remarkably lower and handling is also significantly better. Aside from being underpowered the new CRV is a lot more pleasant to drive than the previous model. As far as fuel efficiency is concerned its excellent and better than before too, particularly in city driving. Push the ecobutton and it will provide a consistent 20 something city MPG without any appreciable loss of performance (its tepid anyway). Having driven both the old and new they feel very different just like is true on the RDX. No surprise since they are the same car the only difference being a bigger engine and additional "plushiness".
IMO opinion like in the Accord Honda hit out of the ball park with the CRV, an utilitarian, thrifty one for honda and a nicer more powerful one for its Acura division, platform sharing done right.
Sales dont lie, both have hit the bullseye of the american market.
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bigblue
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Christmas Treat for New Honda CR-V as it's Crowned 4x4 of the Year
If Santa is looking for a capable, reliable and award winning mode of transport this Christmas, he should get himself the new Honda CR-V. The British built sports utility vehicle (SUV) has scooped the prestigious ‘4x4 of the Year’ honour from respected publication Total 4x4 Magazine. It’s the new CR-V’s first award win since arriving in dealerships only two months ago [...]
The publication’s editor, Alan Kidd, commented: “Never before have there been so many likely candidates for the overall title. However, from the moment we started crawling around inside the CR-V, it was clear Honda had hit the jackpot. The quality of its interior is on a par with the best, and its flexibility is exceptional – and that was before we actually drove it.”
He continued: “Seldom has a new 4x4 put such a big tick in so many boxes. It takes an awful lot to impress us these days. The new CR-V didn’t just impress us – it made our jaws drop.” [...] Quite odd, completely different conclusion to autocar.
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xBeastx
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Well of course it's going to be overpriced on the high end models if you have washers for the headlights.
Good review, but does anyone know how the driving dynamics compare to the previous generation CR-V? That car feel pretty powerful and drives well when you really push it (to me). Though I guess I've never really "driven" a car that supposedly drives well, so I can't give my true opinion.
The 50,000 USD price tag isn't too bad considering they don't have the Acura brand and the RDX. The top trim has more features than the RDX, and it comes in a diesel manual! :D
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sadlerau
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When I test drove the Australian version of the CRV I found it a big improvement on my '09 CRV, in interior design, engine power [now 187hp], handling and quietness. It doesn't handle like a sedan, but it does get around with great balance and even adjust-ability. :)
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mobis21
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The CR-V in europe is much more luxurious than in North America.
LED daytime running lights
Keyless entry and push button start
Power tailgate
Hill Descent Control
Honda's Advanced Driver Assist System, or ADAS - includes:
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
"Emergency Stop System (ESS)
memory seat settings on the door.
parking sensors,
turn signal mirrors
headlamp washers.
The Euro CR-V is more luxurious than the Acura RDX. And I doubt a BMW X3 equipped similarly in Europe will be priced close to the CR-V.
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