The 2002 Honda CR-V delivers the economy, dependability, and overall value for which Honda has become known. I was very favorably impressed with the service that my daughter, Penny, received from her Honda . When it was finally time for me to get a new car, it was one of the brands into which I looked. I was looking for a great little vehicle in which to store golf clubs, run errands, and transport grandchildren.

I wasn't really looking for an SUV when I began shopping for a car. I had always associated SUV's with gas guzzling and a truck-like ride. I had spent too many hours driving work vans to and from construction sites, and now I wanted a comfortable ride.

The sales lady at our local Honda dealership skillfully pointed out how the CR-V was different. The CR-V is built from a 'unibody' car platform. Building from this base made it more like a car than a truck. Because of this feature, it gets better gas mileage, has the comfort of a car, and is safer in the event of an accident.

Exterior. This compact utility vehicle has a somewhat boxy utilitarian look. The styling is quite straight forward and nothing to get excited about. The spare tire is attached outside on the back of the rear door. This vehicle stresses substance over style. It comes in several basic colors including: Chianti Red, Nighthawk Black, and Taffeta White.

Interior. The interior styling continues to be functional and plain. Interiors come in either Saddle or Black. For a compact vehicle, the CRV affords quite a bit of room. I am 6' 1" tall and the legroom and headroom were adequate enough for me. The seats are very comfortable and supportive. The room in the backseat is a bit more cozy. Still for such a small car, their is a surprising amount of personal space. And you can fold the seat down in order to increase your carrying space. The seats fold down easily.

The dash is well laid out. You can read the instrument panel with no difficulty. All the knobs and switches are large and easy to access. Front airbags are standard for the CRV . If you want side airbags, they are optionable.

Under the hood. A sixteen valve 2.4 litre four cylinder engine powers this car. It produces 160 horsepower. The CR-V gets 22 miles per gallon in city driving and 26 on the open road. I was surprised at this low output. I was used to getting 30+ MPG from my old Grand Am .

Driving experience. The CR-V handles well. It hugs corners well and is responsive to the steering wheel. It brakes smoothly and surely. The power output is okay. When you are going up a prolonged upgrade, you may wish for more power.

The Honda CR-V has many favorable features. It is a solid dependable vehicle with a reasonable price tag attached. It is adaptable for many tasks including hauling and transporting. I think it would be a fine vehicle especially for busy people in need of a second car. The two things that I didn't like were the styling and the gas mileage. Still I came away favorably impressed with the CR-V . A good vehicle, just not exactly what I want.


Amount Paid (US$): 23000