Having come from just owning a Ford Ranger truck, a two-door coupe and a 4-door sedan, my first foray into the SUV market was carefully planned. I will admit that when I started my search, I was alreadly heavily leaning towards the Isuzu Rodeo/Honda Passport. I knew what I wanted and what I didn't want. I did not want to ever drive around on a truck suspension again as long as I lived. I did not want to be practically laying on my back looking up at all the other cars. I wanted more room for the kids and for hauling landscaping and recreational supplies, and most of all, I wanted dependability. Having owned a Honda CRX many years ago, I knew that Honda was the way to go dependability wise. However, it seemed that all the other manufacturers had a tremendous head-start on the SUV market and had much bigger more powerful SUV's. I went to work comparing. What I found quickly surprised me. All the most populare SUV's - the Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge Durango, etc. all felt gigantic, ate tons of gas and immediately reminded me of the ride in my Ranger. The rides were horribly uncomfortable - especially for someone who drives 30,000 miles a year on the highway. Dependability also seemed a question mark on these models, even though everyone else seemed content to snap them up like hotcakes. It was in the midst of this dilemma when I was considering backing out of the SUV market all together, when I went to Honda.
I tried the Passport via testdrive and found that it had lots of great features, got pretty decent gas mileage and was about the size I was looking for. Also, it was quite attractive on the outside and looked the way an SUV should. Still, I found myself unsatisfied with the comfort of the ride and the road noise. Plenty of power but still felt like a truck to drive. Nevertheless, I liked it best of all I had seen. At that moment, my wife, always one to explore all options, suggested I test drive a CRV. I will admit right here and now, I was not thrilled with the idea because, while it is attractive to look at from the front and appeared nice inside, its appearance from the back is less than stunning and it looks smallish from the outside. However, after the testdrive and a careful review of its features and specifications, I quickly realized that this was the car for me.
The CRV feels like a sedan to drive, kind of like the Accord or Civic. Very nimble and responds tremendously to steering. Furthermore, the bumpiness and vibration felt in the other models was virtually non-existent in the CRV. It truly felt like driving a Hummer version of an Accord. The view from the driver's seat is excellent, both over the hood and to the rear. Seats are comfortable and the armrest is excellent. I don't have power seats on my CRV but I've never missed them. Driving position is great and all instruments are easy to read. All driving controls are within close reach. The only downside to the driver's experience that I have found is that, as probably noted by other reviewers, the CRV feels a little underpowered. At times, especially on steep hills or when trying to quickly accelerate in traffic, the engine strains to deliver that extra power you want. However, the CRV is not designed to win races or to pull down houses. It is designed to haul people and cargo, and in those tasks it truly excels.
The CRV's interior is much more spacious on the inside than the car appears from the outside. It actually has as much interior room as a Jeep Cherokee. Front and rear passengers have copious head, leg and shoulder room. The rear seats fold down easily for a gargantuan cargo bay in back if needed. Even when upright, the rear cargo bed will haul a tremendous amount of stuff. Amenities are similarly well designed with six cupholders in a five passenger car, a walk-thru front passage between the driver and passenger seats, rear armrests, and even a power outlet in the rear cargo area. (This comes in especially handy on long trips or pre-game tailgate party with our DC powered cooler stowed in back, keeping our beverages and food items perfectly cool). The mirrors and windows are powered which is a nice feature and the stock speakers are pretty good, though a new head unit is probably in order. I also particularly like the storage compartment under the passenger seat where I keep my travel tool kit in case of emergencies. It has already come in handy several times. Plus, people just love the table that is hidden in the cargo floor and the water-proof tub underneath which is great to fill with ice and beers (see tailgate party above).
All in all, I have had no mechanical problems or complaints out of my car at all. I've only needed routine service and have always gotten great service from Honda. I would recommend that all buyers purchase the Honda floormats for this car which are uniquely designed to fit the vehicle and which are very durable. I would also recommend that owners get the windows tinted as all of that glass can lead to a warm car in the summertime. Overall though, you really can't be dissatisfied with this car. It is truly an enjoyable vehicle that has proven itself both on long trips or short hauls to Home Depot. I have yet to be in a situation where I have been unable to transport something I wanted to haul, since owning this car. I won't win any red light races in it, but I will have a great time driving around laughing at all those people with Suburbans (and undoubtedly high chiropractic bills to boot). Trust me, you will not regret this purchase, it is well worth the money.
Amount Paid (US$): 19500
Condition: New
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: LX 2WD Automatic