I bought a bright red 2002 CRV EX new in February, 2002. It’s a good looking vehicle and I was most impressed by the improved power over the 2001 model. Overall, I’ve been very please with drivability and performance. I’ve been very disappointed in the quality.

Performance: The new more powerful engine makes a big difference. I find that it has good power in the city and on the freeway. In the mountains, performance is reasonable. The transmission shifts smoothly under most all conditions. The vehicle handles well and the turning radius is the best I’ve ever experienced. The engine is smooth, but a bit noisy. Gas mileage in town started at around 20 to 21, but after about 10000 miles it now is consistently at 23 to 24. Gas mileage on the freeway is not a whole lot better.

Features: The features I like best are the one-piece rear door, brake lever in dash, large cargo area with rear seat folded down and the deep tint rear glass (not available in the older CRV model, 2001 and prior). What I would like to see improved is front seat comfort (seats not deep enough for tall people) and air conditioning performance.

My BIG disappointment in the vehicle is quality. I have owned 3 Honda Accords, including a 1984, 1994 and 1998. My son still drives the 1998. All have been excellent in terms of quality, with minimal defects and very few dealer visits. Unfortunately, the CRV is not conforming to this great record. I’ve had way too many problems. Here’s the rundown:

Required repairs: Loose drivers seat; sun visors that will not stay in position (fall down in front of your eyes); poor AC performance, AC compressor failure, noisy AC compressor on replacement compressor, etc. Then, to make matters worse, many of these items did not get fixed on the first dealer visit. The sun visors, for example, have resulted in 3 trips to the dealer, were replaced once, and now still fall down. It’s back in the shop for the AC again now.

There are many other things that have disappointed me, but that are either not worth pursuing or that plain cannot be fixed. These include flimsy accessory tray between seats; zipper stuck on spare tire cover; cargo cover that is poorly designed (blocks access to cargo area); noisy rear brakes.
Amount Paid (US$): 21, 250
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: EX, no options