A bolder CR-V for a new generation
When Honda introduced the CR-V compact utility in 1996, it was capitalizing on the growing desirability for sport-utility vehicles. A decade later, it’s switching its focus to the growing crossover utility market.
CR-V was meant to take a bite out of the market created by the Toyota Rav4 two years earlier, but it took a quicker route to the North American market than did the Rav4. Rav4 came to North America in 1996; CR-V in 1997.
From the start, CR-V pushed the four-door, all-seasonability aspect of the slab-sided vehicle, which led to is being considered boring in comparison to the smaller and sleeker Rav4 (which also had a couple years of two-door bodystyles and convertible tops).
The second generation of the vehicle didn’t step too far away from the “dull” stick, but then what Honda vehicle hasn’t been whacked with it several times over?
However, with this third generation, CR-V steps out nicely with a sweeping profile, domed greenhouse and a limit on the number of straight lines inside or outside. It’s a poser, alright, but one that hasn’t abandoned the things that made it great in the first place.
There’s still that four-door bodystyle that allows passengers easy in-and-out privileges without the usual awkward door openings that are a byproduct of curved styling cues.
The rear seat is not completely user-friendly with tight knee restrictions, but it’s acceptable for this size vehicle and the CR-V’s more upright (uprighter?) seating position makes it seem less tight than some of its competitors. They can also slide fore/aft about six inches for longer legs.
The front seating can also become tight, if you attempt to create more rear-seat legroom. The centre console parcel tray that could swing down when not in use (one of the CR-V’s signature items) is still available on the lower trim levels.
Otherwise, the driver’s office is nice and tidy, with small but easy to read buttons arrayed geometrically up from the dash-mounted shifter (another CR-V signature trait), and clear instrumentation presented professionally beyond the Honda Flying-V steering wheel.
The rear seatbacks are also reclinable some 15 degrees to make long journeys more comfortable on more sensitive backs. They also fold and tumble up against the front seats to expand the cargo floor (though not flatly) for longer cargo items. A clip on the back of each rear seatback latches the folded seat to the B-pillar to keep it from flipping back down and crushing whatever fragile cargo you may be carrying.
The cargo area itself is roomy enough for a couple golf bags and features a hard cover that can hold lighter items. For example, you can drop a week’s worth of groceries in the cargo hold and put bread and eggs on top of the parcel shelf to keep them from being run over by bottles of pop or cans of spaghetti sauce that may shift during transport.
The spare tire has been relocated from the hatch door (yet another CR-V signature) to underneath the cargo floor, which allows the door to open as a regular hatch door rather than the previous generations' method toward the curb. The door itself is light and easy to open and close (additional handgrips on the edge of the door make the operation easier still).
On the driving front, the newest CR-V feels light and controlled, with an extra 10 horses spurred on from the engine (compared to the previous generation). That means more power delivered in passing situations. Torque is marginally increased from the previous CR-V, and the vehicle continues to feel sluggish from a standstill.
The ride is firm, which leads us to believe it might be better off-road than we’d think from its preppy new looks. Everyday driving is smooth and controlled and pushing the CR-V a bit harder into corners doesn’t make it feel out of place any. We attribute that to overall chassis enhancements to the latest Civic (on which the CR-V continues to be based).
The steering is predictable, albeit without much feel. It’s not a vehicle you’d want to put through the twisties, but it does what it needs to do quite well. The only odd thing we encountered was a bit of drivetrain chatter from the front end on very tight, very low-speed manoeuvres. An although it’s nothing we encountered on previous CR-Vs, it’s something we attribute to four-wheel drivetrains in general.
Overall, though, CR-V improves in all the right places — looks, cargo handling — while maintaining what it has for the past decade — reliable drivetrain, acceptable interior dimensions and presentation.
The only quibble might be with our fully loaded test vehicle’s $38,000 price tag, but it should be noted that you can get into a front-wheel-drive CR-V for as little as $27,790, and a four-wheel-drive for $29,790.
Fact File
2007 Honda CR-V EX-L Navi
As tested, before tax: $37,790
Configuration: front engine/4WD
Engine/Transmission: 2.4L I4/5-speed automatic
Horsepower: 166 @ 5,800 rpm
Torque: 161 lb.-ft. @ 4,200 rpm
Options: None
Freight: $1,540
Fuel required: 58 litres, regular
EnerGuide fuel ratings (L/100 km): 11.2 city; 8.3 hwy.
Observed fuel economy (L/100 km): 9.0 combined over 963 km
Warranty: 3 years/60,000 km
Competition: Dodge Nitro, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Saturn Vue, Toyota Rav4
Strengths: Fuel economy, clean exterior design, rear seat comfort
Weaknesses: Lackluster steering
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