Living with a… Honda CR-V (Month 2)

The Honda CR-V has been around for nearly three decades and despite its much more utilitarian roots, it has now transformed into a large, family SUV which looks perfectly at home on the school run. However, with rivals including the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5, can the CR-V hold its own? We’ve got three months to find out.

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​Month 1 – Hello Honda!

Month 2 – What do you bench?​​

What is it?

Who’s testing it?

We like

We don’t like

Month 1 – Hello Honda!

Catherine says: "The arrival of such a spacious car couldn’t have been timelier. I absolutely love the roominess of the CR-V"

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How much has it cost you?

After living with the electric Toyota Urban Cruiser for the past six months, remembering to fill up the CR-V with petrol has come as a culture shock. Luckily despite being a large all-wheel drive SUV, the self-charging hybrid system means it has been averaging around 42mpg and you don't need to plug it in. I’ve covered over 600 miles and topped the car up twice which has cost me £115.40 in total.

Where have you been?

The longest trip in the CR-V was from Manchester to the eastern edge of Suffolk and back. I’ve also been over the Pennines to Worksop and tootling around my local area.

What have you been carrying?

My brother got married this month, so my husband and I travelled down to sunny Suffolk for the big day. The venue was a barn in the middle of absolutely nowhere so between the CR-V, my parents’ Volvo V90 and my brother’s Skoda Karoq we had to transport EVERYTHING you need for a DIY wedding: suitcases, flower arrangements, fairy lights, tablecloths, toolboxes, bottles of bubbly, enough tea-making supplies for a small army – you name it and it was probably in the back of our car!

Once all the essentials were unpacked the CR-V then became a taxi ferrying various family and soon-to-be family members back and forth between the wedding venue, the Airbnb where we were all staying and the local pub. As five newly acquainted adults all climbed aboard the Honda, I was relieved there was plenty of space to accommodate everyone in comfort.

After the excitement of the wedding, the following week I was invited to a fund-raising golf event in Worksop. I don’t play golf, but I gave it a go and managed to borrow some golf clubs from my dad which easily fitted into the CR-V’s boot.

Delights?

The arrival of such a spacious car couldn’t have been timelier. I absolutely love the roominess of the CR-V. It’s comfy, quiet, nice to drive and I have already become very fond of it. I like how despite being a big car the CR-V doesn’t feel intimidatingly huge on the road. The steering is precise and visibility out is good due to the large wing mirrors and way long bonnet slopes away from you. There are also handy buttons on the end of the indicator and wiper stalk which provide shortcuts to the cameras. The whole thing is well-built and well thought-through.

Frustrations?

Life with the Honda has been plain sailing so far. I have very little to complain about. If you are looking for a tech-centric car with large screens, twirly graphics and jazzy ambient lighting, then the Honda CR-V is not for you, but I am enjoying the physical buttons and familiar layout. I was initially a bit miffed it doesn’t have wireless Android Auto, but once I had found a working USB-A cable, it hasn’t been a problem.

This month in a nutshell

I didn’t expect to be so impressed with the CR-V but I really like its no-nonsense vibe and all the practicality it offers. Roll on more summer adventures!

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Month 2 – What do you bench?

Catherine says: “I am still marvelling at how roomy and practical the CR-V is!”

How much has it cost you?

I’ve done one longer trip of around 500 miles this month and some local pottering. One tank of fuel has cost me £66.33 and the CR-V is still claiming it’s doing around 40mpg.

Where have you been?

A mix of local and longer journeys including an early morning drive to Manchester airport for work and a weekend away in East Anglia to visit family. The trip took us from Manchester to Suffolk followed by a day out near Colchester before returning home via Norwich.

What have you been carrying?

A large garden bench which wouldn’t fit in most cars but was no match for the CR-V. The Honda’s large boot opening and cavernous space meant we could easily load the bench and take it to a new home for upcycling. I am still marvelling at how roomy and practical the CR-V is!

Delights?

The ride in the CR-V is soft and squidgy, but you don’t wobbly around like a jelly every time you go around a corner, nor do you need to worry about potholes because the CR-V takes them all in its stride. I recently tested a Nissan X-Trail and it was very interesting to drive the two cars back-to-back. The Honda felt so much more solid and premium than the Nissan. I much prefer the heavier steering in the CR-V which makes it feeling more substantial and tank-like compared to the X-Trail. 

Frustrations?

Despite my love of the CR-V, my time with the X-Trail did highlight just how much road noise creeps into the Honda. The interior of the Nissan is a noticeably quieter place to be at higher speeds whereas in the CR-V I constantly find myself having to crank up the radio volume to mask the rumbling of the tyres on the road.

Also, I’ve been complimentary about the advanced driver safety systems in the Honda so far, but this month it seems to have acquired a nervous disposition. The front cross-traffic warning has regularly been having a good old panic at junctions if it thinks I’m about to pull out into an approach car, even if said car is miles away and I am clearly waiting patiently for it to pass. There have also been a couple of false alarms when the car thought to was about to drive into a row of parked cars rather than going around them.

This month in a nutshell

The CR-V has been a trusty road trip companion this month and its large boot continues to impress.