Is it Possible to be Too Popular?
I love driving. I especially love observing the cars that other people are driving. It's always great to see fellow road users cruising around in the same vehicle as me. For instance, when I spent a week in the Jeep TJ Rubicon, it was refreshing to see other Rubicon owners on the streets since this particular off-roading wonder-machine is not as common as the regular TJ; I felt special.
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| The Honda CR-V is a very popular compact SUV, so it's hard to stand out in the crowd. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
When testing out the 2003 Honda CR-V EX-L, I didn't feel special. Let me explain. I drove around the city a lot last week, and everywhere I went, even up the Sea-To-Sky Highway, the roads were swarming with Honda CR-Vs. I couldn't escape them. They are just too darn popular. I wanted to feel like I was the driver of the coolest Honda out there, but I guess every other CR-V owner figured that out before me.
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| A unique eye-catching interior with storage compartments galore. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
This brings me to the question, "Why did all those CR-V owners buy this particular model over other compact SUVs?"
The first reason for its popularity has to be the interior. It's unique. I haven't seen anything like it before. The parking break, located on the centre dash, is definitely an eye-catcher. In addition, there are storage consoles galore. Perhaps this is a bonus if used as a family car? Stashing the toys away from misbehaving kids wouldn't be too hard.