2005 Honda CR-V Reviews

The SUV market was really beginning to swing by the time Honda launched its improved CR-V late in 2001. With sales surging and more and more people switching out of traditional sedans and station wagons, carmakers were racing to get in on the action. Honda having been there virtually from the beginning was enjoying

When the Honda CR-V was first sold in Australia in October 1997 it was a considered to be a genuine 4WD, albeit one intended only for mild conditions. That was almost 20 years ago and the SUV situation has changed markedly in the meantime. Today so-called small SUVs are really station wagons, are frequently driven by

The CR-V hit the ground running and was one of the first of a new generation of four-wheel drives conceived to suit people who rarely pass the city limits.Honda's entry was based on its Civic small car, but had a smart looking wagon body that promised performance in the bush, even if it never got that far.Inside it was comfortable, had a walk through facility to move from the front seats back to sort out troublesome kids, and a 50/50 split-fold rear seat for greater flexibility.Power from launch was from a 2.0-litre double overhead camshaft fuel-injected four cylinder engine, which produced 94 kW at 5500 rpm. An update in 1999 saw power climb to 108 kW and torque to 182 Nm.Transmissions on offer were a four-speed manual and four-speed auto.The CR-V's four-wheel drive system comes into play only when it detects the front wheels are slipping, and it then directs drive to the rear wheels so it's a part-time or on-demand system, but it still has to carry the extra driveline gear which soaks up fuel.In reality, it's designed to cope with slippery roads, and unsealed bush tracks, as long as you don't head too far off the beaten track.The Honda's suspension was on the soft side and it would soak up bumps with ease, but it lost out a little on the handling side, wanting to lurch into typical front-wheel drive understeer when pressed in corners.Power steering was standard, but it had drum rear brakes and ABS wasn't available on the base model.Honda initially offered the Wagon, which had steel wheels, grey bumpers, standard airconditioning, remote central locking, dual airbags, power windows and mirrors, and an immobiliser. In 1998 it was joined by a 50th Anniversary model, which also had ABS, alloy wheels and a roof rack.An upgrade in 1999 saw the arrival of the Sport model with standard ABS, alloys, sunroof and picnic tables.In 2001 there was also a limited edition Sport Classic model which had all of the above and a CD stacker.There isn't much underbody protection on the CR-V, so take a good look underneath for damage to brackets, body panels and suspension components from being driven off-road.Most will have stayed on the black top, so won't have any visible damage. Walk away from any car that looks as though it has been used extensively off-road and look for one that has been used in town.It's important to look for a service record. Hondas don't handle poor servicing well, so make sure of regular servicing, preferably by a Honda dealer or specialist.Hondas are generally sound and well built so give little trouble in service, but listen for knocks and clunks from the suspension while driving,and any grinding noises while turning or braking.Interior trim generally stands up well in service, but look for the usual wear on seat bolsters from rubbing as people enter and exit the vehicle.The CR-V rates well in real life crashes. The recent used car survey revealed it performed well above the average. Its unitary body construction and dual front airbags no doubt contribute to its crashworthiness.

There have been few questions about the compact Honda's build, comfort or style since the CR-V first arrived in 1997. Some 70,000 have been sold around Australia and the CR-V has been a major element on Honda Australia's sales charts.But there have been questions about the Honda's ability compared with rivals when the bitumen disappeared.The heart of the problem was Honda's much-vaunted Real Time four-wheel-drive system. This relied on the front wheels losing traction and slipping, the hydraulics to warm up, locking up the centre and transferring drive to the idle back wheels.The issue was the time taken and the CR-V was often bogged in soft sand or stranded halfway up a hillside track before the back wheels offered any real help.Now, Honda Australia do not believe many CR-V customers take off for the scrub every other weekend. But with 19 competitors in this soft-road segment now (and more to come) Honda understands the prospective CR-V customer needs that peace of mind, those dirt track bragging rights to match the rivals.So the four-door wagon's four-wheel-drive system has been upgraded, claimed now to be 50 per cent quicker in reacting and locking power away to rear wheels.The revised Real Time system uses a one-way ball cam and pilot clutch for quicker torque transmission. If more is needed the hydraulics lock the system harder. There are no electronics, just the simple mechanics of the front-wheel slippage transferred back down the line and locking up the system for the back wheels to bite. For most driving, the front wheels take 100 per cent of the drive from the new five-speed automatic gearbox; the rear wheels can take up to 40 per cent of the drive if the front gets into trouble.Honda Australia boss Lindsay Smalley reckons "there's not a shadow of doubt, the new system clearly has balls".Out on the track there is a noticeable improvement in the CR-V's reaction times. It will now tackle small and scrabbling slopes which would have unglued the previous model.And it will fight its way through a patch of deeper sand without bogging down.The new system also allows for minimal scrabble off the line on loose surfaces and, in general, helps improve the wagon's traction and handling on slippery surfaces. There is less wheel spin and torque steer from the front.Some of that improvement in rough track ability, handling and road holding is also down to the new 16-inch wheels (up from the previous 15-inch and with alloys for Sport models), fewer turns lock-to-lock on the steering and thicker stabiliser bars up front.The Honda's five-speed automatic works smooth and easy with the 2.4-litre engine producing 118kW at 6000rpm and 220Nm of torque at 3600rpm.There remain situations – a long uphill scrabble for instance – where the CR-V runs out of sting. This is not unknown among soft roaders; fine for a 10-minute jaunt through the soft sand or over a washed-out bush track, these compact machines with smaller engines can find a long slog, particularly with a full load, a trifle daunting.Other upgrades include drive-by-wire throttle, a six-stack CD player for CR-V sport models and cruise control for manual CR-Vs. Outside, there are new headlights, a new bonnet and front bumper, plus revisions to the tail lights, adding up to a cleaner style all round.