Yes, I'm back after a long break to catch up on my test driving. I have several cars with which I have experiences to begin sharing with you.

The CR-V has always been a top seller for many reasons. The last CR-V brought reliability, spirit, fuel efficiency, and now it is time for that box on wheels to move aside for a new, more oval shaped, "crossover" small truck SUV.

As I sit here looking at a picture of this newly redesigned vehicle I think... is it worth the price?

Well, here is my evaluation of this car. A friend of ours is downsizing so we borrowed this car from another friend for a weekend and tried it out. And what better a test than Canadian winter!

Drive
I had the urge to copy and paste the review of the 2002 CR-V because basically, that was what it felt like. Comparing this the RDX which we took for a short testdrive, I noticed that the CR-V was quite bouncy even on flat even ground... very trucklike rather than carlike as with the RDX and even the MDX's suspension. It was a little more rough. But I like that... these aren't cars, and I wouldn't expect it to feel like one. If I wanted a car that felt like a car I would buy... well... a car! The engine is quite powerful although there isn't much of a comparison with the old CR-V. The increased horsepower is not noticeable. 6 horsepower if I remember correctly. All in all it felt nice. I have to say for a tall skinny vehicle it felt pretty stable. I didn't find much lean around corners. Thats the sign of a good suspension. I wouldn't expect any less than Honda. The greatest part though, is ABS and I believe traction control are all STANDARD! Free gadgets are nice. Now, for the snow, it was just alright. I don't think the four wheel drive is necessary unless you drive on uncleared roads. I think all you really need is a car with good snow tires and ground clearance. The four wheel drive aspect is not one that would provoke me to buy this car. All in all though, the drive was alright. People who want a v6 are stupid... drive the 4cyl once and you'll see why. Even tow a boat and see, 4cyl is enough... well, if it's a dingy...

Style
The one noticeably new aspect to this vehicle. Honda's new styling is an acquired taste, kind of like scrambled eggs. Once you get used to it you either love it or hate it. I love this car's look. It definitely shows that they thought about the generally young buyers of this vehicle. It is also slightly feminine with its curves, again for the target buyer. On the inside the gearshift is mounted on the floor. It feels luxurious for a CR-V. They fixed the uncomfortable seats from the last generation. Then again, these seats were leather, I don't know what the cloth feels like. The latest change is the boot. Opens up not sideways... and Honda made this well... you can open it in the most cramped space. I prefer this to the multi-opening rear. The glass doesn't open but who cares? Great improvement here.

Reliability
Not going to say anything yet, but the drivetrain isn't too different and the past drivetrain has been very reliable so I'm expecting Honda quality! (Only a prediction, don't listen to me... I'm an idiot)

Safety
This car is a star. It has Uma's body, with Cameron Diaz's face and J-lo's butt as its safety device! This thing is packed with airbags as standard equipment. Add in the aforementioned ABS and traction control, some stability control, and you have a 5 star safety rating. Just what a soccer mom wants to hear! No complaints with here. Even the fact that it doesn't feel like it is going to roll over at any moment is an improvement. I like this a lot!

Recommendations
Ok, so here's the thing. If I were to look at this car and think about spending someone else's money I would buy it in a flash... but if it was my money I would just go with getting a used one. Sure, the new one is beautiful and has frills, but I could get a loaded 2003 for several thousand less and be just as happy with my car. So if you do want to spend that extra money for that newer car, there is no better a choice in this price range of this class! If you want to move to something a little more with a bigger engine definitely get the Mazda CX7. Thats a great car with a turbo charged 4cyl. Or even a little bit bigger go with the Subaru Tribeca which is a very cool car. As a matter of fact, I think the new CR-V could actually be cool as well. Never thought I would be saying that about a CR-V.

Honda is finally covering all aspects of what makes a good car... now it not only offers reliability, it also offers good looks and a fun drive.

I'm a fuel miser so the 4cyl is perfect for me and would probably suit your needs fine if you are looking in this class in the first place. Give it a drive, decide for yourself. But don't buy it without trying a previous year first... you'd be stupid not to.

As for you soccer moms, I was able to fit two huge bags of hockey equipment in the trunk and still see out the back, as well as 4 sacs of soccer balls. This car is no mini-van, but it certainly does well at trying to be.