Honda CR-V Review
Published: 15th October 2008
Honda CR-V
We tested the mid-range Honda CR-V 2.0 litre petrol ES spec (£21,630), coupled to the 5-speed automatic gearbox, not because this is the most popular option but rather that we currently own an automatic 2nd generation CR-V - so it made perfect sense.
The 2.0 litre SOHC i-VTEC petrol engine produces 150ps at 6000 rpm and produces 140lb.ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. Honda quotes a 0-62 mph figure of 12.2 seconds for the automatic (10.2 secs. manual) with a top speed of 110 mph (118 manual). The engine can run out of a bit of puff up hill and overtaking requires consideration but overall the engine is willing and silky smooth. The 5-speed automatic gearbox is easy to use, however you cannot manually shift gear although you can instantly downshift into D3 by using a button on the gear lever to enable better engine braking when descending hills or to assist you overtaking.
Honda quotes an urban fuel consumption figure of 25.9 mpg, 42.2 mpg extra urban and 34.4 mpg combined. We found that during mixed touring we were achieving 27.8 mpg and on a relaxed motorway cruise this increased to 33.1 mpg.
We would seriously look at the diesel engine - because it offers better fuel consumption with little loss in performance but if you would prefer an automatic the petrol engine is your only choice. The petrol engine is fantastic and reliable unit, just a little too thirsty.
The ride quality is superb - there was not a long wrong with its predecessor, perhaps it was a little soft but the new model is in a different league. The handling too has moved into a different class with a dramatic improvement in stability, which is especially noticeable when pulling quickly out of junctions in the wet. Petrol powered CR-Vs are equipped with electric power steering (EPS), while diesel-engined models use a hydraulically-assisted system.
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