Driving Impressions

At 103.2 inches, the CR-V's wheelbase is long for its overall size--a little longer than the Cherokee, 8.3 inches longer than the four-door Rav4. That's typical of current Honda designs, and it's one of the reasons for Honda's success with ride quality. Good ride quality is a CR-V strong suit. It's supple enough to absorb the nasty little irregularities of warty pavement without excessive compromise in handling response. The CR-V isn't quite as quick on its feet as the Rav4, but it's thoroughly competent, and its steering is precise, with excellent feedback. Overall, the CR-V feels like a compact station wagon--which is essentially what it is. There's nothing remotely truckish about its behavior. Low-end torque, the engine commodity that gets you up and running when the light turns green, isn't particularly abundant in the CR-V. The torque peak is 4300 rpm, and standing start getaway is a tad sluggish. Once it builds up a head of steam, though, the CR-V is significantly quicker to 60 mph than a Rav4 automatic, and the engine is reasonably quiet at most operating speeds. However, the Rav4's standard transmission is a five-speed manual, and a Rav4 with a manual transmission provides livelier performance.

Final Word

Aside from the absence of a manual transmission, the CR-V is an excellent piece of work. It's much roomier than the Rav4, has all sorts of nifty features and a respectable load of standard equipment. It's not the best choice for tough off-road use, even though it has 8.1 inches of ground clearance. But for the kind of duties that most sport-utilities perform, its all-around practicality and comfort are tops at the small end of the spectrum.