2009 Honda CR-V Review

2009 Honda CR-V Review Recall when Honda first came out with the CR-V? Back then, it was this kind of barbaric little ruffian. Well, the CR-V is all grown up now and it’s really pleasant. That’s the only word I can think of. Let's go for a ride and check the tech. Now understand, it’s easy for me to describe the CR-V as pleasant when we’re running around in the very top of the line. This is the CR-V EX-L with navigation. Navigation on the CR-V is not an option. It’s a trim level. And along with that navigation rig comes the best audio system and all the toys such as they are. Let’s take a look. There's the nav system for which the model is named. That is the same software and interface Honda has had for at least four years that I can recall. It works fine, not a bad system, not my favorite. I find that the logic of getting around menus is pretty simple. On the other hand, I don’t like this little fiddly mushroom cap navigator, never have. But the brightness is real good. And like I say, the basics were easy to get too partly because we have a good amount of buttons. All in the audio system is 270-watts with seven-speakers around the cabin. One of those is a sub. In terms of your sources, you’ve got XM Radio in here, AM, FM, no HD. There's that goofy PC card these people are so crazy about. Below that is your single slot for CDs including MP3 and WMA and below that is the secret door for your GPS navigation DVD. We've also got a slot down here behind this door which is kind of hard to use because it’s got a spring door and a slide cover before you release the cartridge out of the slot. Once all that Houdini-ing is over with, the six-disc magazine to get six more discs in there. iPod is interesting. You can get what's called Honda Music Link for a true logical iPod connection. Inside, I detect a real noticeable pleasant improvement in the design of the dash in the instrument panel, nice looking instruments, very crisp and clean instrumentation, especially in that high resolution color multi-graph in the middle there. Notice you’ve got a bar graph for your fuel level and a bar graph for your temperature gauge, as well as for that instantaneous miles per gallon bar there on the top. It feels like a richer car than it really is. Now powering our pleasant little compact crossover is a classic Honda motor 2.4 liter, inline-four dual overhead cam with their i-VTEC variable valvetrain. You’ve got a 160 somewhat horsepower and about the same number of foot-pounds of torque, a nice parity there. 20/27 are your EPA mileage estimates. It always goes out through a five-speed automatic knotted up kind of here on the console, just that simple. No shiftable gait, no paddles. Now, the engine’s numbers are pretty good at 160 plus horsepower and foot-pounds but it doesn’t feel like. And I feel like we’re closer to the low-end toward a 100 of each. I mean, it’s a gutless little son of a gun. I think part of it is not the engine so much as the connection from the engine to the transmission with all of the thinking and the programming that is involved therein is just mushy and lazy. I know there's more power into that hood. I just can't get to it. Let's price our very pleasant CR-V EX-L. About 28,000 base. That’s for the two wheel drive but again, loaded at the high trim level with the nav package. Another $200.00 for that iPod adaptor through the dealer and that’s your very pleasant package. Not quite as pleasant as the Navy Grog here at Trader Vic’s. That’s where I'm going next.