Teresa’s View: Understated CR-V packs utility in a smooth ride

Sat., Dec. 11, 2004

Teresa Herriman Marketing Department Correspondent

The CR-V was completely redesigned in 2002, and there have been just a few tweaks since then. Mostly the old girl has had work done on the exterior to freshen things up. The headlights, grille, front bumper, taillights and side sills have been redesigned. And the wheel arch flares — the eyebrows of the auto world — are now accessorized with mudguards. Larger tires are both handsome and handy.

Hondas have never been flashy and you don’t get a lot of extraneous doodads. That’s not to say the girl is bland. She’s just understated, like that nice girl at the office. She’s also not a buff babe. So don’t get a CR-V if you are planning to do any trailering or serious off-roading. She is a cheap date, which has its own appeal. Fuel economy is a quite reasonable 22 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

Wanna know a secret? The CR-V is built on the Civic platform. That’s right. It’s a buffed up Civic. It’s also what makes it ride so smooth.

What Is It?: The CR-V is a five-passenger compact sport-utility vehicle that’s versatile as all get out. For around $20K you can get a two-wheel drive CR-V LX. There’s also an upscale EX version and now, a new special edition is offered. It includes leather, heated seats and a trendy hard spare-tire cover.

And the Winner Is…: The CR-V was named the Consumers’ Most Wanted for the third year in a row at Edmunds.com and IntelliChoice dubbed the four-wheel drive version the 2004 Best Overall Value for a Compact Utility.

Safety: Are you kidding? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gets all mushy over the CR-V and why not? It was the first SUV ever to get top crash-test ratings — five stars — in NHTSA frontal and side impact tests. This year, front and side curtain airbags are standard and, surprise, anti-lock brakes are now standard on all trims. Vehicle Stability Assist controls brake pressure and engine power to help maintain traction, a must-have for winter driving.

So, Where Are Ya From?: The CR-V is assembled in Sayama, Saitama, Japan.