In the second half of the 90s some small to medium four-wheel drives came onto the market and we were on our way to Sports Utility Vehicles. One of the earliest was the Honda CRV. The latest CRV comes in in 5 model variants and Rob Fraser takes a look at the top model
The latest all new CRV is bigger and better than the previous model. It surprising how much room there is inside as well as a clever layout and huge storage areas, especially the centre console.
Powered by a VTEC four cylinder engine the CRV has enough power and torque for normal daily driving and for the most part the CVT drives the front wheels, unless AWD is needed to prevent wheel slip.
The 5th generation CRV gives a quiet, enjoyable ride and the handling has also been improved significantly.
Seating is very comfortable for five and with wide opening doors access is easy. Even this 190cm frame will fit in the back seats, however the third row of seats are definitely in the occasional category. Boot space is surprisingly large.
The CRV hits a sweet spot between conservative and exciting and at a touch over $44,000 plus the usual costs, the Honda CRV is pretty good value and definitely worth a drive.
