Gas milage, quality and fun to drive

Steering wheel position.

We have 2 SUV's in our household. An Explorer and the CRV. I can tell you that it's no fun putting 20+ gallons of gas a week in the Explorer. The CRV is easier to drive, quicker, stops in a shorter distance ,more reliable and a whole lot cheaper to own in general.
The CRV has more ground clearence than the Explorer and that folks is a biggie if you do any off roading. AWD works just fine for most any off road work. As a matter of fact I can't think of one place the Explorer can go that the CRV can't
All in all it's a great all around SUV. I have even thought of trading in the Explorer for another CRV

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Ford Explorer

SPACE. It is the most spacious RV in its class. Its a Honda with reknown reliability. It drives like a car, although my wife want let me test its maximum speed, its cruises on New Zealands single lane twisty highways, (which are steep in places ) comfortably at 70mph (120 kph ) and she is not inclined to notice if I sneak up to 90 mph (150 kph ) as long as the great sounding Kenwood CD player is on.
As for off road, I have put to a more extreme test than I intended to, and to it's credit we got back up an extremely steep deeply rutted, rocky track
and were complemented by a Real 4wd driver, you know, Deisel, low ratio box,knobbly tyres etc.It appears that to get the best response in an extreme situation is to lock it in first and use higher revs which is where the torque comes in ! The picnic table has been great in the skifield carpark when the cafe was very full.Tried sleeping in it when camping by the lake (must have read too many brochures ) but it was worse than an aircraft seat !!! The bigger engine is adequate, but you do have to rev it when neccessary, but then all Hondas love revs.The standard N Z version comes with ABS brakes & dual air bags, also now both front seats have arm rests.

Lack of a indication ( say a light ) to say it has gone into 4wd. When driving on sand, mud, snow or wet grass it would be handy to know if it has gone in, or have you still got the back wheel drive in reserve.

Well priced in New Zealand Definately the best machine for me. Comfort & finish are pretty good.

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Toyota Rav 4 even the new model does not have the room inside.

Easy to drive, fun, large rear passenger room, full-size spare alloy wheel, good milage

need more power to climb, should have leather seats

Price/quality is very good. Pay less than a Rav-4 with the same equipment (and more powerful too). Compared to Forrester, it has more leg room for rear passengers and higher ground clearance. The only complaint: not enough power for climbing slopes. Overall: It is an excellent vehicle and you don't have to pay a lot.

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1999 Forrester L

Roomy, great outward visibility.
Good mileage.
Honda build quality and features.

Alot of tire noise from the standard BFGoodrich all-season tires, especially on anything less than smooth pavement.
Weird power window switch placement!

Have had our 2000 blue EX automatic for little over 1 month and love it. Just made a 2000 mile trip throughout Oregon and found it tackles all roads well, from effortless 70 mph on interstate to crawling up & down the coastal mountains and Cascades. Overall mileage good at 27.7. Lots of cargo room, especially with the easy fold down seats. We find the seats comfortable & supportive for long drives. Plenty of power from the little 4, but it does need to rev in typical Honda fashion to get it. Tested the RAV4, Grand Cherokee, 4Runner, and Explorer; the Honda bested them all when price, reliability, and features were considered.

Great on wet roads, rainy weather, big puddles. Okay in small amount of snow. Drives like a mini-van over rough roads and bumps which is good.
Love the keyless entry.
I like that it beeps when you leave the headlights on.
I like it has a low gas light.
Electric outside mirrors are always a plus.

Like the fact that you're sitting up higher than a car, but more like a van.

Get ready, this will be long.....
-I totally agree with Connie from Tulsa, OK, USA from 7/7/00.
-The tilt steering wheel is absolutely worthless.
-The folding cup tray between the front seats collapses too easily if something happens to get caught on the lever to release it.
-The seats are very uncomfortable if driving more than 20 minutes at a time. Not enough adjustment to them in any way.
-Cheap for not putting arm rest on passenger seat.
-The power window switches are in an awkward spot, should be on the door. And you cannot easily get to the switch of the window that you want. Constantly putting the wrong window up/down. Very very awkward.
-What's up with the power locks. Okay for the driver, but the passenger cannot lock the door if they want to on their own. AND more importantly if something were to happen, they cannot just pull on the door handle to get out. They have to either wait for me to unlock the door or reach awkwardly around to pull up the little door lock. I think that is a ridiculous design and potentially dangerous.
-The tires are wimpy.
-The clock is impossible to read because it's ORANGE.
-There is no gas cap leash, so I'm sure there will be a gas attendant in my future who will forget to put it back on.
-Mid range torque is terrible. You have to actually have the pedal to the floor board too many times entering traffic. Very scary trying to pass someone who is going 45 mph.
-No oil pressure gauge.
-Hopefully the CRV comes with the option of tinted windows now. Mine didn't, and I had to take it to a place to get the back windows heavy tinted, since there is no cargo cover. And from what one of the other customers said, the one they have as an option (now) is too awkward when you want to put the seats down to get something in the back.
-Honda could have given a tinted windshield, that's a big windshield and it's amazing how blinding the sun is when there is no tinting on a windshield. Perhaps the 2000 comes with tinting?
-What's the problem with constant air blowing. Everything is off, and there is still either hot or cold air blowing from the vents, so you have to adjust the thermostat and/or the vents all the time.
-Cheap speakers.
-No front mud flaps.
-No daytime driving lights. Had them installed on my own. I thought that was a law in new cars now.
-Cruise controls on steering wheel are too close together, hard to distinguish without taking eyes off the road.
-The oil dip stick is extremely hard to read. What happened to the old add a quart, and full marks.
-The delayed wipers are not adjustable enough for when it's just misting out. Yet another cheap feature for the CRV.
-Should have an eyeglass/sunglass holder as a standard feature, not as an option.
-Since it did not come with a tinted windshield, they should have made the visors with the pull out and pull down extensions like real cars have now as visors. I'm surprised it actually has a mirror attached to it. (sarcasm)
-Could use heated mirrors like lots of cars have now too.
-There is an awkward hump next to the gas pedal.
-Headrest is not adjustable enough, only 2 positions, all the way down, or all the way up.
-Can't stand that long hesitation from the time you push down the gas and the time it finally decides to move.
-Not good on mountainous roads/highways, because it's constantly shifting gears. Can't find the right gear (and its automatic).
-Stiff steering, guess that's because it's front wheel drive perhaps. Need to use both hands, therefore not a comfortable relaxing drive.

Reason that I have it is because it's a "Honda" and they are suppose to last forever. We'll see....I can't imagine that I'd possibly want to keep it forever though.

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Reliable - It's a Honda. What more can you say. I've been driving this car for two and a half years, I have not run into any problems. I think anyone who have had a lemon before would appreciate how this car puts one's mind at peace.
Comfortable - Given that I mostly drive in SF, maneuverability was extremely important. CRV is perfect for taking care of errands as there is nothing easier than getting in and out of the car. The spacious cargo room just makes common sense as well.
Value - I keep thinking how much of a bargain this car was for the money I paid. Obviously, you can't compare it to RX300 or the M class, but in its class, the CRV is at top.

Power - V4 just doesn't cut it at times. I wish the it had a v6 option.
Air Conditioning - I don't use it much in SF but I feel for people in mid state.

Out the door, I paid $21,500. I definitely recommend it. Although if you have some more money, I suggest you look into a V6 in an SUV. I came to conclude that a V4 SUV is an anomaly.

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It's Overall Utility is Outstanding. It's a BLAST to drive for what it is. Plenty of room inside. Went on (2) week long Vacations to Boston and South Carolina with Wife and two kids and ALL of the belongings (including strollers and portable playpen)everything fit with no issue. 22-25MPG ! I have owned BOTH a 93' Explorer and a 97' Chevy Blazer. They are NO comparison to the CR-V.

If I can sum it up I would say the the Honda CR-V is the most underrated SUV on the market. It may not be as glamorous as an Explorer or Cherokee or Blazer , but who cares. That feeling of glamour wears off in 6 months TRUST ME...Buy this Truck...

a lttle road noise but to me bearable.

If you are in the market for an SUV at any price , size etc. PLEASE do yourself a favor and check this one out. I am considering on Trading in my 2000 Civic EX for another CR-V which my Wife uses most of the time and I am jealous...

If you have any questions on this drop me an e-mail, I'll be happy to help.

Thanks,

Gerry

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1993 Ford Explorer Sport - actually a very good truck as well; but not like the Honda. 14-16 MPG ugh..
1997 Chevy Blazer - I had MAJOR electrical problems at only 9K miles; traded it in for the CR-V.

- Drives and looks like a car (i.e other SUV's are clumsy)
- Reasonable gas milage 22 city 25 Country
- Good use of space (i.e. my wife and I fit in the seats)
- Fair Price

- Engine does not have quite what I like in HP (i.e Gas milage makes up for it)
- Stickers plastered all over the visors
- Small clock display/Radio display/Milage display/Shift Display (at 55 my eyes have a tough time with them
-

I saw the ratings of others on this web site. I drove the Jimmy and the CRV to see if what people said were correct. They were right.
I gave the vehicle a ggod work out on the back roads in Mich U.P.. I did all I ask (i.e pot holes 1 ft deep, mud, sand, ...). I folded the seats down and moved a cord of wood to my cottage. Quite a test.
I got back to the city and drive it on the express-way 100 miles a day.
Works great in rain, wind or sun. No rattles or noices to date.
I am very happy with it. It met my objectives a vehile that handles nice in the city but allows for the occassional country trip.

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First SUV, Van, ETC...

-Value
-Space
-Interior features
-Handling
-Color (the blue is a unique hue)
-Honda reliability

-A 6 cylinder engine would make it even better
-Cassette in addition to the CD player on the LX would have been thoughtful
-Less cheesy sales people at Honda dealerships!

Buying the CR-V after doing my buyers' homework has been a pleasure. The car is great in every way. I had no expectations of going on a tundra expedition for 4 months with it, or racing past accelerating Corvettes on the highway, so my experience with the car has been great. It is a car that really does its thing quite well. I like to think of it as a tall station wagon. Not an SUV. With that in mind, it's the best car I've ever had. I'd recommend it to anyone. But it isn't a hotrod or a tank; don't expect it to be one. It's a great family, camping, traveling, commuting, wagon. I love it!

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I test drove a Passport, and the CR-V beats it hands down for the price.

Handels very well, since it is build on a car chassis it drives like a car not a truck. Has a good turning radius. Fold out picnic table is cute. Though small has a good reliable engine that I have no doubt wil run forever. Fun to drive.

Engine, at leat in this year has only 130 hp, which isn't very much especially when you have a lot of snowboarding gear and people in the car. It's perfectly fine for driving around the nieghborhood, and on the highway but when it comes to mountian roads with long climbs it wimps out.The stock speakers are typical crappy paper speakers also, so for any one that lisnens to anything but talk radio, or like highish volumes, speaker upgrades are recomended.

I would recomend it highly. But would recomend getting the 98 99 or 2000 which have more power, and or adding on performance parts, Like the jackson rcinfg supercharger, 50% more horses! Other than that this is a great car from a great car company.

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