2006 Honda CR-V Review

Specifications

An Urban Ute for All Occasions

Hondas CR-V is the perfect example of what happens when engineers and marketing people work together. It is a compact SUV that was never intended to go off-road, which, when it came out, before the term crossover was even dreamt up, went against the grain. After all, thats what SUVs are generally designed to do. It has never had a ladder-on-frame chassis, nor has it ever had a transfer case (not even an electrical switch-knob type thing). You would think that engineering a product against what, up until the point of its inception, was an SUVs very purpose would flop, but it hasnt. Rather, the CR-V, and the Toyota RAV4 that almost simultaneously joined it on North Americas automotive stage, proved that macho qualities arent needed in order to make an SUV sell well. The effects of these light-duty players, as well as others that have come along since, have caused Suzuki, the originator of the cute ute segment, to modify its ladder-frame ways with an all-new combined monocoque-ladder frame in its new Grand Vitara - what many soft-roaders consider a best of both worlds scenario.

To keep things a-bubbling in dealerships and on the streets, Honda has gone and revised the CR-V with a minor refresh, similar to what it did this year with its near full-size Pilot, but, like the Pilot, the facelift was so mild that it will probably go unnoticed; it certainly did in our office, slipping past our radar on vehicles to test last year. If you  manage to get face to face with a new 2006 CR-V, however, you can tell it a part from the old model by its grille, which now touts more chrome and an extra spar, not to mention different front and rear bumpers that feature faux-metal trim. Of course, a facelift just wouldnt be a facelift without some changes to the exterior lighting, so the CR-V gets new projector-beam style headlamps and new white and red tail lights with larger cornering indicators.

Honda also simplified your choices when it comes down to buying the CR-V. There are now three models, the LX, the EX (our tester), and the top-line SE, all of which feature Hondas RealTime 4WD as standard except the base LX. The trim lines are a pretty simple lesson as well - front-wheel drive model excluded, the base LX is well equipped with power windows, power mirrors, keyless entry and a CD stereo, not to mention 16-inch alloy wheels, ABS brakes, VSA stability control, a roof rack and a novelty step bar, which is somewhat trivial considering the CR-V isnt all that tall. Stepping up to the EX gives you more extras, although, its not until the SE model that you get heated leather seats, colour-keyed bumpers and a hard-cover case for the tailgate-mounted spare. The LX and SE are only available with a column-shift automatic, whereas the EX comes standard with a stick.

All CR-Vs are powered by one lone engine, which in fact is the most powerful engine in the CRVs global lineup. Where other
juridictions are given the choice of an older 140-horsepower 2.0-liter
inline-four, or a 2.2-liter diesel, were blessed with a punchy 156-horsepower 2.4-liter i-VTEC enhanced four-cylinder engine, also featured in the base Accord and Acuras RSX (plus the Canada-only CSX). Its a fantastically smooth and willing powerplant, providing the necessary grunt for dealing with roads that arent just sloped downwards. Of course, this engine is just blown out of the water by Toyotas excessive 269-horsepower 3.5-liter V6-powered RAV4, but as far as inline-four-powered SUVs, this CR-V is still the one to beat.

Despite having an eager engine and slick shifter, it must be said that the CR-V is not an enthusiasts vehicle. Mixed messages are conveyed while on the move; though the ride is firm, in an over dampened sort of way, the CR-V still manages to roll a lot in the corners. Even though I mentally prepared myself for a top-heavy SUV, the steering required me to retrain my driving tactics with its slower than normal gearing, but its ways are easily learned after a few minutes behind the wheel. With just the right amount of assist, the CR-V is not at all taxing to drive; it doesnt fidget or require constant adjustments to keep it on course, which is a welcome quality in a metropolis where a drivers undivided attention is required at all times.

The update to the CR-V isnt entirely cosmetic, the Japanese havent left the intelligent RealTime 4WD alone. Along with the re-profiled exterior, its been mechanically tweaked to deliver improved acceleration on slippery surfaces, like loose gravel or wet grass. That should suit most compact SUV customers just fine, considering that loose gravel or wet grass arent in abundant quantities in any major North American city that I know of. And, in times when the system does detect that traction is needed, last years facelift also smoothed out the torque transfer; not to mention the dividends the system pays out in improved fuel consumption over a permanent AWD layout.

For being quite stylish on the outside, the interior is mildly disappointing. It just feels old, and not with the times. The dashboard, for example, glows in the same monochrome hue that a Tandy computer monitor did in years past, which matches quite nicely with the vertical parking brake lever, a device reminiscent of the joystick that I once used to play Wing Commander. It even has a little hat to release the brake, but, unfortunately, theres no trigger. Whatevers not moulded in tan plastic is trimmed in fabric that looks like old wallpaper, although the build quality is sturdy. On the down side, two-thirds of the multi-function steering wheel is wrapped in dimpled, golf-ball patterned plastic, which I found rather displeasing. Give me a leather-wrapped wheel any day, as the CR-V wheels abrasive nature hurt my hands after fifteen minutes of lane changes and navigating congested city blocks.

But this is all irrelevant; so what if the people in charge of interior design at Honda continue to live in 1988; Im willing to let go of all of that because the CR-Vs driving position is nearly flawless. You sit in the seats, instead of on top of the cushions, while the steering wheel, gearshift lever and armrests are all positioned at car-like heights. In fact, the view out of the CR-V is car-like too, but for the fact that youre sitting higher up in the air. As far as ergonomics go, theyre nearly flawless, highlighted with big, chunky HVAC knobs. All, that is, except for the stereo, which forces you to lean forward across the car to switch tracks on your CD. Theres just a general feeling that Honda could have done a little bit more to progress this interior, moving it into the 21st century.

The rear seats are reasonably roomy and feature softer cushions than the pew-stiff front buckets, plus theyve got their fair share of tricks; the rear bench reclines up to 45 degrees and theres decent legroom for stretching out, making it easy to get comfy. For really long-legged passengers, or for torturing the kiddies, the seats also slide back and forth, which of course varies the cargo-carrying capacity. If you have to bring anything really big along, mind you, the bench folds forward and flat up against the front seatbacks for a very large, flat storage space. All three seats come with three-point seatbelts, and side-curtain airbags are standard. Interestingly, the CR-V is still the only vehicle of its kind to have a foldable table/tray organizer between the front seats - especially handy for parents needing to quickly tend to children (or so Im told).

Because of its boxy shape, the cargo area inside the CR-V is fantastic. Its wide and flat with plenty of height for taller objects. You get 33.4 cu-ft of stowage space before you fold the seats, and after you fold them, that more than doubles to 70.0 cu-ft. But, like all good things, theres a catch - the problem here is accessing it. The CR-V has one big, gigantic door hinged to the right. This perhaps isnt so much of an issue in the countryside, or on your driveway, but good luck getting things inside in the urban world; to open it fully requires an additional area behind the car nearly as long as the CR-V is wide. Thats a tall order, especially for someone who lives in a busy, large metropolitan area. To an extent, this has been solved by a swing-up tailgate, but Id like to see someone fit a television, or some other big, bulky item through the glass.

And it doesnt stop there. Suppose you do manage to find a parallel parking spot large enough to accommodate a Suburban, you definitely wont be doing much by the way of curbside loading because it opens the wrong way. This works fine if you live in Japan, or the UK (both assembly locations for the CR-V) where the tailgate shields you from traffic, but not here in left-hand-drive North America. They swapped the windshield wipers, they reworked the controls, and even made the pedals fit in the foot wells properly, but they didnt move the hinges and struts on the tailgate. Perhaps, for the next generation, Honda might consider borrowing an idea or two from its Element by offering a clamshell-hatch, or, perhaps even Dutch-style doors.

Just the same its easy to understand the appeal of the CR-V; its a nice enough looking vehicle, its well built, and because its a little bit more intelligent than the average compact SUV, you get the ride height without all the unnecessary mountain sailing equipment. For a brief window of time I saw the advantages of riding high up in the saddle; I could look out for street signs with ease, and generally have a better view outside the cockpit, all while enjoying a car-like driving position. But this novelty quickly wore off. On faster stretches of highway the CR-V gobbles up a third more fuel than the equally roomy Acura CSX or even larger Accord, the latter of which also features the same engine in base trim, plus an airy cabin and a big, wide panoramic view out (at least in the case of the CSX).

In many ways, the CR-V is a good vehicle, and a strong player in the segment. I have no difficulty recommending it for those who want a no-fuss compact crossover, but at the end of the day one must really ask the question, is riding high really worth such a premium?