Man, what a disappointment this thing is. I held off a year buying a new car because I knew Honda was doing a complete makeover on the CR-V. They finally hit the showroom yesterday, so I hied meself down there for a look.
Well, the body style is okay, being more streamlined, but that’s about it. The interior is cheap plastic and just plain ugly. And this is the top-shelf model, no less. One adjusts the driver’s seat by pumping a handle up or down, sort of like a barber’s chair. Heated leather seats and a pump; what the hell were they thinking? The seats are uncomfortable and minimally adjustable.
While there are some interior improvements, such as an external thermometer, the driver’s cockpit is cramped. I felt like my left arm was stuck in a tucked position against my side, which doesn’t seem like the safest position. Outside, they continue to use those crappy Bridgestone tires, although they increased the rim size to 17". They’ve upgraded the chassis from the Civic to the Acura RDX, and marginally increased the horsepower, but it still lacks assertive acceleration.
For $26,000, I would expect more from the vehicle. I’d give it a 5/10 score.
On the other hand, I drove the new 2007 Acura RDX. Very nice, turbo engine, premium sound, comfortable seats, excellent handling. It retails for about $33K, and you don’t have to pump up the friggin’ seats. We both really liked it. Unfortunately the dealer doesn’t want to deal, so I’m still searching.
Yeah, the old one’s were clunky. I have a 2003 and have liked it fine. I was actually shocked by the chintzy interior on the '07, but I’ve heard the same complaints about the Accord in recent years. I can’t go with a sedan at this point because of the volunteer work we do or I’d certainly buy one.
My only complaints about Toyota is that you pay a lot for very little. That and I’ve never ridden in (or drove) one that didn’t cause me back pain in short order. Just my own experience.
I bought a new Subaru a couple months back and I’m in love with it. Being in Alaska the AWD probably can’t hurt. I’d try the Outback, Legacy, or Baja before the Tribeca but that’s just me. I personally own an Impreza.
Funny. I have a 1998 CRV with 170,000 miles on it and it still runs as well as the day I got it. Only problems I’ve had were the plastic latches on the doors wore out and the tires seemed more prone to blowouts. Only did regular oil changes, brake repairs and tuneups. It still runs like a top and I’m keeping it for my son to use in 2 years.
My father has a 2004 CR-V. I guess it suits his ascetic aesthetic (hey, that’s a cute phrase) but it is absolutely torture to ride in the back seat. Wouldn’t ever buy one myself.
Mr. SCL and I recently took his Toyota Prius on a 459 mile each way road trip - the first time I have spent any amount of time in the car since he got it a year ago. I rode in the back seat since his sister was with us, and am pleased to say I was very comfortable. There was much more room in the back seat than I had expected and the seats are well-cushioned. The car has good air circulation (a problem I’ve noticed in other cars when riding in the back) and even has small back speakers so I could hear the book on CD without having to turn it up too loud for the folks in front. Mr. SCL is very pleased with it - I don’t drive it often, I prefer my Wrangler, which is not comfortable for a long trip.
Getting an average of 49mpg didn’t hurt my feelings a bit, either!
I haven’t seen the 2007 CR-V, but I have a 2006 CR-V EX and like it fine. (The thermometer isn’t new for 2007, by the way.) The only negatives so far are gas mileage – my own damn fault, shoulda bought something smaller, but at least I only drive a couple times a week – and someone’s strange decision to make the automatic locks look like window controls.
Before the CR-V I drove a 1990 Toyota Celica GT for 12 years…quite a different experience. I miss that little thing.
Don’t forget about the Forester. They are pretty similar to the CR-V, and I daresay at least as reliable as a Honda, if not more so.
I personally drive an '03 Forester and it is a great vehicle. Dependable, quiet, and suprisingly nimble due to the low center-of-gravity. And the AWD is unbelievable. I intentionally tried to get my car stuck in snow last winter and was unable to do it.
Huh. Two months ago, when I decided to abruptly buy a new vehicle, the CRV was on the top of my list. This was due to the reviews I’d read on Edmunds.
When I went to take a test drive in one, I also saw a Honda Element… which was also getting extremely good reviews.
I ended up buying an Element, instead. Damn, I love that thing. My bike riding regimen has been really falling by the wayside… 'cause I just want to drive to work every day.
Unfortunately, the Subaru dealer up here is too proud of his product and usually refuses to negotiate. They (the dealer) also have a bad vehicle maintenance history with customers.
erie774: Does that vehicle have Bridgestone tires? I didn’t have a flat for 30 years, then had two in one year with this CR-V.
E. Thorp: 2006 was the last year for that body design. Here is the 2007.
I was in the market this summer for one of these mini-suvs.
I checked out the 2006 CRV at the autoshow and it just felt too cramped.
I also tried out the newly redesigned RAV-4 and thought it was great. Very roomy and comfortable.
I heard Honda was redesigning the CRV for 2007 and was contemplating waiting. Then I read that they weren’t planning on giving it any more space inside.
I went with the RAV-4 Limited for $25,000 and it’s really a great vehicle. Consumer reports liked it but gave it a jab about how difficult it is to install a baby car seat. I have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about since I’ve installed ours in about 1 minute using the anchor points between the seat and upright seatback. They said something about the anchor points being behind the seat and hard to reach. I still have no idea what they are talking about.
Honda CRV’s are at the top of my list for the next car I want to buy, but I will be buying used. They are hard to find around here and go fast because of the high demand. Everyone I have talked to who has one loves it, but it is good to hear the other side too.
If anyone has a CRV and wants a VW passat, I’m willing to trade!
Two points of note: I like Subarus and personally find them very comfortable, but they seem to be intolerable for anyone over 6’. (Something to do with the thigh support of the seats, I gather.) And while the Forester is a great vehicle (and the most comperable to the CR-V of Subaru’s line), the rear seats are just about equally uncomfortable for adults.
This seems to be a problem with Subaru dealers in general (and disappointing, as Subaru used to pride itself on its service record.) I’ve had problems with every dealer I’ve been to recently, both in the Service and Parts departments. (The dealer I bought the most recent car from is in Santa Monica, so I haven’t and don’t intend to take the car for service there.) The upside is that the car rarely needs service; the last Subaru I had (a '99 Legacy GT) saw dealer service once at ~90k to replace a leaky engine seal and preventative replacement of the timing belt, and then didn’t see the dealer again until 170k, when I got a wheel bearing replaced, and I didn’t baby this car. IMHO, they’re well worth the price, although the fit and finish are admittedly somewhat below European luxcar standards, though they are improving. (I’d still get the Subaru over an Audi any day.)
Absolute poppycock. I laugh everytime I hear someone say they’re too tall for X car or they can only drive trucks/SUVs because they’re 6’2" or whatever.
I’m 6’5" and I’ve owned:
-A Volkswagen Rabbit
-A Ford Escort
-A 2-door Saturn
-Two 2-door Honda Civics
-A Subaru Impreza
The Impreza is by far the roomiest out of all of those and it’s not like I was cramped in the other cars (I wouldn’t have kept buying small cars if they didn’t fit me - I buy them for fuel economy but it wouldn’t be worth my back.)
shrug I’m 5’10", so I have no dog in this fight, but I’ll note that everyone I’ve known who is over 6’ and has ridden in a Subaru for any length of time finds them uncomfortable. Note that it’s not headroom (they have plenty) or elbow space, but something about leg support. My 6’3" officemate test-drove a new Legacy and found it immediately uncomfortable. (He ended up buying a Mazdaspeed 6, which is nice but I’m kind of unimpressed with its seats.)
Personally, I think my current Legacy is the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven, save perhaps for a Porsche 911. (I have Recaro seats, so I can’t speak for the entry level models, though past Subarus I’ve owned have been plenty comfortable for me.) It also grabs the pavement like a wolverine on the attack, and shoves like cheetah in pursuit, and my track record with previous Subarus has been (with one exception) nearly unblemished as far as mechanical failure.