As of last week when I became a dad again we have found that the pushchair takes up the entire boot on the A3.

I like the look of the CR-V, actually the older style one with the boot mounted spare wheel takes my fancy more than the new shape one.

Wondered if any of you guys had any experience of these, which model to look out for.

I especially would like it if I can fit my bike in the back upright..

Hopefully popping out later to have a look at some.

 

eSeM and Sazzy both have one, I'm sure one or both will be along in a while. If it helps, my boss has one, it's his fourth, so I guess he thinks they're OK

 

I am on my second and I have the older model that you like (Sazzy has a new one).

They are very practical, can take quite a load in the boot and they don't drive to badly either for a big car (they only weigh 1500kg).

For us it is a 3rd car but it has been invaluable over the past couple of months because of the ice and snow.

 

cool, there's a couple of 55 reg ones at the local main dealer I want to look at.

I take it mileage isn't a problem providing full history is present? Will be looking at between 20k and 40k miles at the budget I have.

Are the diesel engines ok or better stick with petrol? it won't be doing massive amounts of miles, say 10k a year.

 

I have only ever driven the petrol ones but the car does no more than 5k miles a year.

If I was doing over 10k I would consider the diesel.

 

That's like not yet run in for a Honda!

The Diesel is harsher than in the saloons, but still a superb Diesel. Just not Honda petrol, that's all!

It's also off the same plank as the FR-V if you can find one!

 

My dad's got a 04 one and I think it's awesome, he's got the 2 litre petrol one and it's quite pokey for a big hump of car like that.

It's very comfy and you can get the backend out on a snowy day

 

My dad has I think an 05, ie not the latest model.

He has done c 70k miles in it and aside from accidentally (twice ) parking it on a tree stump and removing the coolant pipe) he has had no problems whatsoever with it.

His is the diesel version which I like - I once had a petrol version as a courtesy car and didn't think it suited the car as well.

Very comfortable, goes well enough, rolls as you would expect on twisty bits, great in the snow and pulling boats up beaches etc.

Interior is very plain and seems to scratch quite easily, but very solid nontheless.

Comedy dash mounted handbrake takes a bit of getting used to - just need to sit nearer the wheel so you can grab it properly.

My dad gets in the high 40s from mixed use - I get about 5-10mpg less than that when I use it

Boot is quite a high lip, but then most soft roaders have this.

Tyres seem to be expensive, but wear rate is good.

Servicing costs from Honda and independent are so-so.

If I needed an all round car and did not require the extra space from a big estate or the towing power of "proper" 4x4 one of these would be very high on the list.

 

I have a CR-V MY02 with 115000 km (71457 miles) on the odometer and its transmission is automatic . I use it as my daily car and I have been in places that I thought that I was not gonna getaway (mad,snow,ice). However I have managed to drive through such driving conditions without any problems.

Although it weights around 1600kg the 2 liter engine (with 150hp) can move the car quite fast. Handling is very neutral and I must admit that it handles really great compared to other SUV ie RAV-4, Vitara, etc.

The interior space is big. I mean really big. The space on the trunk will carry anything you can imagine. Even four wheels for the S2K. Plus you can always drop the back seats.

The good part is that you have the option to open the rear door or just to open the rear window. Its an option that is not available in the new CR-V. I find it quite useful when carrying long items, ie. a ladder etc.

Fuel consumption is not bad at all for both city and highway.

As for quality and reliability the CR-V is very quite and even with my mileage you can't hear any squeaks or noice from plastics etc.

The only thing that you may hear is the hydraulic pump on the rear axle that presses the oil to move the axles once you loose grip on the front wheels. This can be heard ONLY when you accelerate real hard (and I do mean hard) on wet condition, or if you have your steering fully turned and you are on full throttle in small bents. These are the only circumstances that you can hear this sound. We are talking about pushing the car hard. This sound can be eliminated for several thousand miles by adding fresh oil at your Honda dealer.

Apart from that the only technical problems I had so far were the rear passengers door locks that had to be renewed since they both (eventually) stopped working by using the keyless remote control. The other problem which appears to be a common issue on that particular CR-V model is the compressor of the (clima) air-condition unit. This had to be replaced and as my Honda dealer workshop it has been a problem to other CR-Vs as well.

To sum up, I love the CR-V and I highly recommend it. You will be very satisfied with the quality and reliability of this car.

 

Funny thing is, the 2 & 3 are not far shy of the size of an XC90, yet are considerably lighter/handlier.

It's no wonder they were the best-selling crossover, despite the sneering of badge inverted-snobs.