Introduction

The Honda CR-V is roomy, convenient and easy to drive. You can put lots of stuff in it and the back seats are quite comfortable. It rides smoothly, without the jouncy harshness of many SUVs. The CR-V is surprisingly maneuverable in tight quarters and handles well on winding roads. It's also stable in stiff crosswinds at freeway speeds. Like Toyota's RAV4, the CR-V was one of the first so-called cute-utes: Not quite a sport-utility, but more than a car, offering an upright seating position, all-wheel drive and decent cargo space. Since it was built on a car platform (the Honda Civic), CR-V's highway-friendly ride and handling made it drive more like a car. This combination attracted buyers who needed a minivan but wanted something smaller and more maneuverable, and something that didn't look like a minivan. The CR-V isn't much good off-road, but it's better than competent on the highways and byways where most SUVs are driven most of the time. It beats most of its immediate competitors in both qualitative and quantitative measures, and trails the competition in only a few. It's available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive for winter weather capability. Changes for 2005 include minor exterior restyling, added standard safety features, and the addition of a new luxury trim level. A cam-driven all-wheel-drive mechanism now replaces the pump system on all 4WD-equipped models, improving acceleration and hill-climbing performance.

Walkaround

For 2005, the front grille and front bumper have been redesigned to improve aerodynamics, and cylindrical headlights added to complement the stronger appearance. This second-generation CR-V features smoother styling than the original (pre-2002) CR-V. And the shorter, blunter front-end creates a more rugged look. The CR-V still sports its trademark high-mount tail lights on either side of the rear window. The rear glass opens on its own, separately from the tailgate, which is good. Unfortunately, the lower part of the gate is side-hinged and opens to the right. That's a nod toward Honda's right-hand drive models in Japan; in America, you'll have to walk around the tailgate when you're loading cargo from the curb, inconvenient at the airport.

Interior Features

The Honda CR-V has a friendly interior that's easy to live with, and quite convenient in the daily hustle. Getting in and out is quick and easy and doesn't require climbing or stooping. The front seats are excellent. In most measures of interior room, the CR-V beats its competition. Only the Toyota RAV4 tops the CR-V's front-seat headroom, and by less than half an inch. The CR-V offers generous front leg room (41.3 inches), though the RAV4 and Ford Escape provide marginally more (by 0.9 and 0.3 inches, respectively). The moonroof, standard on the EX and SE is nice, but reduces headroom by nearly 2 inches. Taller drivers or those who like to sit upright will notice. More surprising than the front-passenger accommodations is the space and comfort provided by the CR-V's rear seats. The rear bench is neither too soft nor too hard, and allows passengers to travel without getting numb-reared or fidgety. All three rear positions have three-point belts and head restraints, something not all SUVs offer. Gauges are easy to read, with white numerals on a black background, eliminating the twilight wash-out afflicting the black-on-white arrays that are the current fad. Cruise control is standard, as is an adjustable steering column. We love the stereo and six-disc in-dash CD changer, standard on the EX and SE. On the other hand, Honda does not provide a compass in the CR-V. The parking brake is disguised, subtly integrated into the vertical panel forward of the center console. It looks like a grab handle until you spot the icon in the grip. As odd as the placement might seem at first, using the hand brake gets more comfortable in short order. It's the small, thoughtful touches that make the CR-V a pleasant place to go about the business of driving. There's a convenient, collapsible tray table betwixt the front seats, with a couple of cup holders and a recess for a cell phone. The cover for the spare-tire bin does double duty as a folding picnic table. Almost everything else seems to be where it should be, and there are no less than 21 storage nooks adroitly spread through the cabin. Coat hooks are provided above the rear seats and the center console accommodates CDs and cassettes. For 2005, Honda added retractable grab rails and larger seat pockets. In terms of cargo hauling, the CR-V is the champion among the small SUVs, with 72.0 cubic feet of cargo space. By comparison, the Escape offers 64.8 cubic feet, while the Land Rover Freelander provides just 46.6 cubic feet. The CR-V provides 33.5 cubic feet with the rear seat in place. Better still, the CR-V's 60/40 split rear seat slides forward and back over a range of six inches to maximize either passenger or cargo space when the seat is up.