Honda CR-V 2007

By Bruno Bouchard

A bold gamble

This is not the first time Honda follows a different path than those taken by its rivals. The examples are many, and far be it from me to bore you with the list. However, this time, I have to question their judgement. You see, I’ve just taken the CR-V for an initial spin. Although my first impression is favourable, the market seems to be going in the opposite direction.

A crossover ?

Here’s how the CR-V was presented: the philosophy behind the vehicle is to distance it from the SUV market and include it among the crossovers. Thus, Honda considers it part of the car fleet and not the truck line-up. Don’t get me wrong, it still looks like a SUV but flashier and more aggressive although the handling and suspensions were modified to approximate the feel of the Accord.
When it comes to motorization, I think Honda rolls the dice. There’s still only one available: a 2.4 litre, four cylinder i-Vtec that develops 166 horsepower. It’s an agile, powerful and eager engine, but the fact remains that a V-6 CR-V does not exist, in stark contrast to most smaller SUVS while Toyota, the great rival, offers a V-6 in its Rav4.

And there’s more: Honda has even downsized the CR-V! Granted, it’s only 1 or 2 cm but still bucking the current industry trend. Also, Honda has decided to do away with the manual transmission in the CR-V given that its lack of appeal south of the border was not offset by increased sales in Canada. It also dropped the four wheel drive option. It can be had on the EX model, however, for a mere $ 32,000 retail.

Interior

The interior has been completely redone; the shifter is no longer to the right of the steering wheel. Like the Odyssey, it’s now in the middle of the main console. This frustrates many a reviewer because of the close proximity of the gears making it difficult to know if the shifter is in proper D. I had to make several attempts as well.

Roominess, however, has not suffered. This 3rd generation CR-V comes with a 30/70 split backseat that adjust front to back which is quite handy for easy access to a toddler or if your basketball player wants to stretch out. You can also adjust the backrest angle.

Likes:

• New interior design with the blue-light dials and an ergonomic lay-out that’s beyond reproach;
• Supple 4 cylinder engine;
• Acceleration times. Essai-auto managed 8.55 sec. over 0-100 km/h in the LX;
• Substantially improved handling but doesn’t compare with the Accord;
• Comfortable front seating;
• Adjustable rear seat;
• Numerous security features;
• Fuel consumption.