Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 79%

Chelsea tractors! Gas-guzzlers! Polluters of the planet!

Call them what you will, but 4x4 drivers are almost guaranteed a dirty look from green campaigners in our environmentally-conscious times.

“Not all 4x4s are the same,” is the claim from Honda. We drove the CR-V for a week to spot the difference.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals

1. Looks

Honda’s first and second generation CR-Vs were a bit on the bland side. Not so this, the third generation. It combines chunky 4x4 styling below the shoulder-line with a more car-like appearance above. The side-view is particularly eye-catching with the windows tapering towards the rear. The CR-V also looks good because of what isn’t there – the spare wheel now sits inside the vehicle rather than being attached to the rear.

Of the three trim grades: SE, ES and EX, only the top two come with alloy wheels. Front fog lights and privacy glass also appear on the ES while you’ll need to upgrade to the EX to get the panoramic glass roof.

8/10

2. Looks inside

Honda sought to combine the best elements of SUVs, MPVs and saloons when putting the interior together, though it’s the SUV element which dominates due to chunky styling. The gearstick is mounted on the console while the futuristic, C-shaped handbrake sits between driver and front seat passenger. Quality materials have been used and put together very well. The controls are neatly laid out and easy to use, with steering wheel-mounted buttons reducing the need to fiddle with dials while driving.

7/10

3. Practicality

As expected the CR-V scores well here. With all seats in place there is 556 litres space to stow your shopping, but this can be increased to 955 with only the two front seats occupied. No need to wince at the prospect of folding the seats back either – the ones in the CR-V are some of the easiest to flip we’ve encountered. Boot access is now hatch-style rather than side opening. Other storage options include door bins which can take a 500ml bottle, a 6.5 litre storage space between the driver and front seat passenger and the “double deck” shelf, dividing the bootspace in two horizontally, which can be used to keep luggage separate and easier to access.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

Honda claims that rather than benchmarking the CR-V against its natural rivals: Toyota’s RAV4 and Nissan’s X-Trail, they sought to make their SUV as car-like as possible by comparison with saloons like the VW Passat and Ford Mondeo. In order to achieve this, Honda reduced the car’s centre of gravity by 35mm - and on the evidence of our week’s driving it was well worth the effort. The car certainly doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of a cumbersome 4x4 and negotiates corners and curves with minimal wallow. However, it still does what you expect a 4x4 to do, swallow the lumps and bumps in the road before they are passed onto the occupants.

9/10

5. Performance

CR-V buyers can choose between a single petrol or diesel engine. The 140bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine has a top speed of 116mph and is available as a six-speed automatic only. The 150bhp 2-litre petrol model, has a top speed of 118mph, and is available as six speed manual or five speed automatic. Both models can cover 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds. Neither model is likely to be on any boy racers’ shopping list anytime soon. We drove the automatic petrol model and though it shaves half a second off the second generation car’s 0-62mph time, we still found the response pretty sluggish. Thinking of going off-road? We didn’t get the opportunity but Honda expect the CR-V  to cope with light off-roading over dirt roads or slippery grass fields. However, for most, the car’s off-road capability is likely to be seen as an addition to its suite of safety features.

6/10

6. Running Costs

“Not all 4x4s are the same”, says Honda, and this is one of the areas where that claim undergoes most scrutiny. A £205 annual tax bill is less than most off-roaders and a respectable return on fuel (34.9 mpg for the petrol and 43.5mpg for the diesel) certainly helps support the claim. The fairly sedate performance secures a Group 12 insurance for the whole range. When it’s time to sell, CR-Vs do a good job of holding on to their value.

8/10

7. Reliability

Honda come a very respectable third in the UK’s list of most reliable manufacturers and the CR-V is one of its most reliable models. So how come our model wouldn’t start one morning during the loan? Because we’d left the interior light on. “I knew it’d be the battery when I heard it was a Honda,” said our AA man: “they just don’t break down”. And he was right.

9/10

8. Safety

The CR-V’s soft-road capabilities contribute to the car’s safety – which earned four from a maximum five star’s following EuroNCAP crash tests. Under normal conditions the car operates in two-wheel drive. But the “on-demand” four wheel drive will come to your assistance in tricky situations e.g. when the front wheels lose grip. Other driver aids include adaptive cruise control (keeping you a set distance from the car in front), which is an option with the top trim, vehicle stability assist, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution. If the worst comes to the worst there are six airbags to reduce the injuries caused by an accident – as well as active headrests designed to reduce whiplash injuries.

8/10

9. Equipment

There are three trim levels to choose from. The entry-level SE trim comes well-specced with electric windows, CD stereo with steering wheel-mounted controls. We drove the ES trim model which also featured 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights and privacy glass. Opt for the top EX trim and Honda adds 18-inch alloy wheels, DVD sat-nav, glass roof and heated seats. Each trim level represents good value for money.

8/10

10. X-Factor

Honda might say the CR-V’s X-factor is being the acceptable face of 4x4s – fairly economical mileage, lower-than-expected tax and a car-like feel to the handling. We’d say it is the fact the CR-V gives the impression of being a car which costs several thousand pounds more than it actually does, with great looks, quality build and materials and the fact it’s only likely to break down if you leave the light on.

8/10

Rivals

You might also want to consider:

Nissan X-Trail
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4

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