Honda CR-V Review: A Smooth and Reliable Ride - Full Review

Honda CR-V Review: A Smooth and Reliable Ride

Overview

The growth of the SUV/MPV market over the last decade or so has been interesting to watch. Manufacturers have scrambled to find their place in the SUV market, and we’ve had SUV’s fall into all kinds of niches, from the high end German SUV’s like the BMX 1 we wrote about recently to some far more budget, far less capable asian variants.

Family’s want bigger more spacious cars, for a number of reasons ranging from off road capability to just accommodating a growing family to fitting in with an active lifestyle.

Honda have joined the throng with the CR-V, and they’ve recently given us a new CR-V, which we tested.

Performance

Under the bonnet you’ll find a rock solid Honda engine. A 2.2-litre in this case, giving you a nifty 140kW. Which when you consider the CR-V isn’t a performance SUV is actually a good amount of power.

The power is also delivered in an interesting way, it’s not a performance feeling you get with the VTEC, rather a power on demand when you need it feeling. The CR-V is a very smooth drive, coupled with Honda’s CVT gearbox, you barely notice anything happening as it quietly chugs along down the road. But the minute you encounter an uphill or need to overtake someone, there is this extra dose of power that seems to just come out of nowhere pulling you along just a little quicker to get you past the car you’re over taking.

Economy

Being a 2.2-litre engine, with a CVT gearbox, and 140kW, the fuel consumption does take a bit of a hit. You can keep it round the 10 l/100kms mark if you drive carefully, if you make full use of the 140kW you’re probably in for a bit of a shock, but on the open road it does become a bit more manageable.

Another economy killer is the permanent 4x4 the CR-V has, which has it’s uses on slippery road surfaces, but might just be overkill for the SA market.

Tech

This is one area of the Honda CR-V where the R499,000 you paid for it begins to make some sense. There is all manner of tech available, although the screen in the centre of the dash could have been a little bigger.

You get a steering wheel with more buttons than the Startrek Enterprise, which allows you to control everything from the radio, to your phone, the cruise control and the Multi Information display settings.

You’ve also got a 12v jack to power your phone / MP3 player right next to the USB and Aux connectors, essentially allowing you to connect anything you want to the car.

Comfort

The CR-V makes a big deal of the comfort, and truth be told it’s one of the more comfortable cars that I’ve driven recently. The seats are stylish and comfortable, which judging by some of the cars I’ve driven is harder to get right that you’d think.

You get seat warmers too, for those cold winters mornings when you lug the kids off to school or a rugby match. The Dual climate control is standard too, allowing you to adjust the temperature of passenger and driver side of the car individually.

I mentioned the CVT gearbox earlier, and it also plays a huge roll in the comfort of the car. Gear changes are barely noticeable, and combined with a smooth soft suspension it’s really a terrifically pleasant car to drive and run the kids around in.

Practicality

One of the design requirements for a car like this is that it’s practical, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it is. The boot space is 1146 litres, which is just big enough to get the last of Greece’s money into.

The rear seats fold down too, providing you with an ocean of space to load just about anything you need in the back.

The rear seating position is spacious allowing even adults to be more than comfortable, and you can easily get 3 kids in the back without any issues.

Conclusion

Despite the R500k price tag, (that’s the top end model we tested), the CR-V is a lovely car that’s well thought out, well planned, and well executed.

It’s a serious contender in the SUV/MPV market, and will come with a dose of Honda reliability to boot.

So if you’re looking for something reliable, comfortable and well equipped the Honda CR-V should be a serious consideration.