Polished performer
Honda has had plenty of time to perfect the CR-V, certainly more so than many other manufacturers dispatching more recent arrivals into this popular field of family transport. The CR-V’s “user-friendliness” is nicely complemented by its great sense of civility.
While compact crossovers of this class aren’t renowned for their refinement, the CR-V is about as good as it gets without moving into a premium brand for thousands more. Of course the extra greenbacks would likely deliver a little more heat under the hood as well – and that would be a welcomed addition.
Power and performance
For most driving situations, the CR-V will provide more than adequate acceleration and hill-climbing performance; nonetheless, things aren’t impressive in the passing lane but that’s to be expected when balancing fuel economy with performance—not to mention price—in a four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicle.
Powering the CR-V is a rev-happy 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine capable of spinning-out 180 horsepower @ 6,800 rpm and 161 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm. Unlike higher-end crossovers that devour expensive premium nectar, the CR-V relies upon good old regular fuel – which by the way, is also expensive as of late!
The 4WD CR-V is rated at a thrifty 10.1L/100km and 7.5L/100km of fuel consumption, city and highway driving respectively. The majority of my driving was city centric, giving me a consumption average in the 12-13L range, which is notably higher than rated.
Power is managed by a 5-speed automatic transmission; there’s no manual transmission option. And regrettably, the autobox is not accompanied by an electronic manual-mode to enhance the process of efficiently swapping cogs to apply engine braking or tackle hilly terrain. But thanks to Honda’s Real Time 4WD setup, which is included as standard equipment with EX-L trim, the CR-V quite competently greets such challenges, including snow-laden roads.
I’ve driven this vehicle on multiple occasions over a variety of terrain and in various weather conditions and have always been pleased with its grit and tenacity while of course, keeping in mind its compact, light duty status.
Honda has had plenty of time to perfect the CR-V, certainly more so than many other manufacturers dispatching more recent arrivals into this popular field of family transport. The CR-V’s “user-friendliness” is nicely complemented by its great sense of civility.
While compact crossovers of this class aren’t renowned for their refinement, the CR-V is about as good as it gets without moving into a premium brand for thousands more. Of course the extra greenbacks would likely deliver a little more heat under the hood as well – and that would be a welcomed addition.
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| Powering the CR-V is a rev-happy 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine capable of spinning-out 180 horsepower @ 6,800 rpm and 161 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |
Power and performance
For most driving situations, the CR-V will provide more than adequate acceleration and hill-climbing performance; nonetheless, things aren’t impressive in the passing lane but that’s to be expected when balancing fuel economy with performance—not to mention price—in a four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicle.
Powering the CR-V is a rev-happy 2.4-litre DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine capable of spinning-out 180 horsepower @ 6,800 rpm and 161 pound-feet of torque @ 4,400 rpm. Unlike higher-end crossovers that devour expensive premium nectar, the CR-V relies upon good old regular fuel – which by the way, is also expensive as of late!
The 4WD CR-V is rated at a thrifty 10.1L/100km and 7.5L/100km of fuel consumption, city and highway driving respectively. The majority of my driving was city centric, giving me a consumption average in the 12-13L range, which is notably higher than rated.
Power is managed by a 5-speed automatic transmission; there’s no manual transmission option. And regrettably, the autobox is not accompanied by an electronic manual-mode to enhance the process of efficiently swapping cogs to apply engine braking or tackle hilly terrain. But thanks to Honda’s Real Time 4WD setup, which is included as standard equipment with EX-L trim, the CR-V quite competently greets such challenges, including snow-laden roads.
I’ve driven this vehicle on multiple occasions over a variety of terrain and in various weather conditions and have always been pleased with its grit and tenacity while of course, keeping in mind its compact, light duty status.
 |
| Power is managed by a 5-speed automatic transmission; there’s no manual transmission option. (Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com) |