2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

theracoon

In terms of the RT4WD yes, you need to have the circumference of the spare be very close to the same as the other four tires so that you don't have the RT4WD kicking in. Of course there's some flexibility, since the tires on your CR-V aren't all going to wear at the same rate. If I remember correctly, the right front wears the fastest on front wheel drive vehicles (which is what the CR-V is most of the time).

Width really doesn't matter in this case, only that the axles all spin at the same rate.

bonyparte

I was able to find a dealer that went $1100 below. He was the fleet rep - got his name thru my credit union. I'm still waiting for the car to arrive, so hopefully there will be no 'hidden' charges or dealer 'add-ons'. He did write all this down, even figuring TT&L based upon his quoted price. Every other dealer either quoted MSRP or $300 below. I'm in the Houston area.

hpc1

i'm in the chicago area and got the same kind of MSRP talk that you did. it's pretty disheartening until you start talking to other dealerships also and tell them you're comparing. i.e., "if everyone is only doing msrp, why should i come to your dealership?" the demand here seems high. but as in my post before, i was still able to find someone who was willing to go well below msrp and get me the color i wanted within a very reasonable time. in fact he's working incredibly hard at doing so and had a trade in (that was destined for me) swiped out from under him because the dealership acceeded to some customer who walked in and offered $1,000 OVER msrp for the cr-v. go figure.

hislander

I am also in Houston. Would you mind mentioning the name of person at what dealer that you've got $1100 under MSRP for the CR-V? Thanks.

ateixeira

Big in-line 4s like the CR-V's use balance shafts to stay smooth. Porsche and Subaru have had bigger 4 cylinders, but they are boxers, which have a natural second order balance. Besides that, some truck 4 cylinders were bigger.

-juice

daveghh

I was just trying to keep the math simple by comparing sidewall height.

So the 205/70R15 would have the following diameter or you could even say tire height from the ground to the top of the tire:

15 inches + 205mm*.70 + 205mm*.70 =
15 inches + 143mm + 143mm = 26.26inches

The speedometer would be effected like you said, but even if it was adjusted you would still get better "real" acceleration.....
The tire is rotated from the middle of the tire using a rotational force, so the further away the edge of the turning tire is, it becomes harder to turn..... basically torque..... its hard to put physics into words without showing a diagram and/or math.

scname

I bot my 02 last November, $500 over invoice on Ex auto. Gillman Honda Sharpstown, salesman Moon.
Houston must be a good place to buy now with so many layoff from Enron.

Isellhonda,.. find a couple 300 pound guys to test the seats.

V6,....I don't want it even if the Accord V6 were an option. Rather small advantage over the big 4 and not safe if you actually use all 200 horses.

bonyparte

Gillman Honda Sharpstown, Pat Paterson. '02 EX Automatic. Sounds like salesman Moon gave a little better deal - I got $600 over invoice.
Enronitis? Don't know - every other dealer here is not offering any discount or very little.

bonyparte

If I were to swap out the Bridgestone tires for another brand, say Michelin, would the pressure still be 26?

bonyparte

Could the road noise (tire noise) be associated with the fact that the front wheel area is open to the engine? Do other Honda's have this same 'feature'?

rocky5656

Canadiancl, perhaps I should have said "it floats like a butterfly, but stings like a bee".

Another question, am I to assume that with this amount of dirty lubricant being created in the rear differential, this is the unit that contains a clutch pack that locks up to respond to the 4 wheel drive needs?
Anyone please. Thanks.

dudka

reading through the posts i noticed that someone askedd shelly meister to write up about HR-V.
well, i drove HR-V in japan last year, and it is a fine small car. first of all it is kind of difficult to notice all the other things while trying to stay on the "wrong" side of the road while sitting in, what whould have been our passenger seat. try shifting with your left hand, and turn on the wiper instead of the turn signal. right turns are the worst.
anyway, hr-v is a typical honda product, you have to rev it to get it going, but you are not going anywhere fast in yokohama. it has the high seating capacity, and kind of reminded me of volvo sport wagon.
i liked life dunk though. i thought stpwgn was way to big for my tastes, but i loved AZIMO, he is cool as long as you speak japanese you can play with him at honda's aoyama headquaters showroom.
the car i really liked is from toyota and is called Bb, i read somewhere they may bring it to us in the next few years. one thing i did notice about people driving in japan, they shift at or bellow 3000 rpm, they never enjoyed the VTEC at all.

dchphotos

Hi everyone. I picked up my CRV black EX from Mark Roberts Motors yesterday. I live in Tulsa and got 356 over invoice. Dealt with John Page. Great guy to work with. Ask for him if you buy from the dealership. He's been there a long time and is very knowledgeable. Tell him Don Harris from Tulsa sent you. Best buying experience ever. Not pushy at all. They checked the car over, washed it, and gave it a full tank of gas. The seats don't rock, I don't hear any clicking noises, it rides great and has a very solid feel. And I love the looks!! It's peppy and inspires confidence. I absolutely love it. Great room inside without the big bulky SUV feeling I got when test driving other suv's. And I don't feel guilty because it isn't a gas guzzler! The things that could be improved? Well, the seats are a bit too small. My arm keeps wanting to fall off the arm rest. I'm 5'8" 210. The sun visor isn't long enough and really needs extenders for both the front and side. Also, the shifter makes it too easy to turn off the overdrive when you switch gears. And the tires are WAY TOO LOUD! The car could be the poster child for road noise. A set of Yokohama Avid Touring are on the way! We will see how things hold up for the long haul. I am very pleased.

tomsr

RED EX,paid $22740 which included wheel locks,door
edge guards, cargo tray,spare tire cover.Very happy so far.Not as peppy as the Escape but more
solid feel and a lot more roomier.The quality
puts the Ford to shame.Someone offered to buy it from me before I left the dealer.Highly sought after here in San Diego.Some scoff at paying MSRP
but remember it means Manufactures Suggested Retail Price.So what ever the competition will allow.I could have had an Escape for under invoice
but I would not have feel of a quality rig.In six
months when volume increases prices will come down
maybe but for now compare it to the competition,

ssoto1

So i guess no one gotten a good deal in NY area,Msrp well I guess I have to go with the RAV4 gotten quotes from 300 over invoice.But still hopeing someone comes though in NY with a good deal,I tried e-mails,cars.com,invoice.com autobytel about 2weeks ago and no one called or even e-mailed so i guess they are getting msrp to bad.

tomsr

A RAV 4 loaded the way my CRV is would be $21420
invoice.Add $300 for your over invoice price and
you have $21720.My crv was $22740.So the CRV costs
$1000 more.If they were equal in content the RAV4
would be the better deal.My CRV feels like a midsize SUV inside whereas the RAV 4 feels like a
mini ute.Maybe that is why people are falling over themselves to get a CRV and not RAV4.The only
negative so far is my son is 32 years old and said it is a girls car.He drives a big gas hog
4x4 truck.Time to get in touch with my feminine side.A negative for Honda would be in order to get
all the bells and whistles meaning ABS,Alloys,
CD changer,moonroof,you have to get all wheel
drive which adds weight without benefit here in
Southern Ca.

bonyparte

Michelin X-One or Yokohoma Avid Touring - both appear to be highly rated with a big difference in price. Any thoughts?
Thanks.

carguy62

I'm also in the Chicago area. Glad to hear someone else got a good deal. They are out there, just takes a little looking.

Mine worked out just perfect, agreed on the price over the phone on a Saturday, the color I wanted came in two days later and I went in and finalized the paperwork and drove away. Couldn't have been easier.

'02 4WD EX (redundant I know) Auto, Taffeta White
~600 miles
2 fill ups 1st tank ~24.8 mpg
2nd tank~24.4 mpg

dudka

i logged to carsdirect and compared the cr-v ex with rav4. cr-v comes with sunroof, abs, am/fm/cass/6disk cd, a/c, power wind/locks, remote keyless entry and gate release, rear mudguards, cruise and floor mats standard. plus a 160 hp engine and 4 wheel disk brakes for $21,940 rav 4 after adding the L package, moonroof, remote keyless entry, ABS, mudguards and still unable to add 6 disk changer ($414) and floor mats ($52) came with the price of $21,411 add the 6 disk changer and mats and you are at $21,877 or about $53 cheaper than CR-V but still only getting 148 horses, front disk and rear drum brakes and no leg room in the back.
when you outfit competition with the all the bells and whistles honda gives you standard the price is identical.
good luck

strager

Forgot to mention this in my previous post. On the hondasuv.com site, I read a post in the noise discussion from a new owner who had replaced the Bridgestone with the Avid Touring tires. He said that the Avids were a little quieter, but overall the road noise was still high, that he was considering unloading his new CR-V! His experience seems to agree with Consumer Reports saying that the Avids are noisy on coarse pavement.

moonkat

strager:

  the aegis ls4s would be a better choice for me with better snow and off-road traction, and lower price.

  i subscribe to cu and have read their reviews. you can't make a selection by their reviews because they are too far and few in between as you point out. go to about.com and search for tires. they recommend tirerack as a reference above cu.

  better yet go to the tirerack.com to understand my discussion:

  tirerack on aegis ls4 - actually all their all season tires;

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/as.jsp

  tirerack on avid - all their performance all season tires;

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/pas.jsp

  i was originally skeptical of the tirerack survey being a collection of comments from non-expert users. but over the years and from experience, have found the survey results to match my evaluation of the tires i have owned (i only recently bought my first set from them, the ls4s).

  having said that, i would use the above surveys to determine that the avid st & t (rate 8.2-8.3 in noise) are probably quieter than the aegis ls4s (7.6). downside for the avids is the mediocre snow rating.

establish your criteria then select your tire. using these tirerack surveys is a huge advantage towards making a good choice of tires.

moonkat

bonyparte:
both are excellent tires (see tirerack.com reviews), but these are all season grand touring tires. i had the x-one plus's (price club version) on my 95 gc awd; oem tires went 23K miles, the x-one's went 70k (rated for 80k)and still had tread, but were very hard (they were luxurious when new) and lost grip and comfort near the end. i replaced the x-ones with yokohama aegis ls4s and have been pleased. the ls4s, in spite of the blocky tread design, are very comfortable, quiet tires with excellent snow traction. the ls4 is an all season tire, and i suspect a better fit for the crv than the avids.

bottom line; check the tire rack reviews with your specific preferences in mind, for example noise, comfort, snow traction, handling, etc to help decide on type of tire to select. they are also a good resource for tire sizes, plus one sizing, and max tire size for crv. once you narrow it down, i would go to the manufactureres url and learn their max recommended size for your vehicle. you don't have to buy there, but it is a great resource.

i did this to arrive at my selection of michellin energy mxv4 plus tires in 235h60x16 for my 99 Ody ex. i needed to get away from the oem firestone affinity noise. i selected them as a compromise between michellin xgt and x-one, because i wanted a very good handling tire with reduced noise, and that's what i got. when i wear these out (look to be good for the rated 40k miles), i would consider the aegis ls4, and a promising tire tirerack - bf goodrich control t/a m65 - current top rated in their survey of all season tires ($$). the. in the all season grand touring category ($$$), the bridgestone turanza revos look unbeatable.

the crv has so much going for it; honda has most of it right that you folks looking to improve the desired characteristic of your vehicle (or reducing some undesireable characteristics) by replacing tires are doing it right. the folks waiting for the manufacturer to get everything absolutely perfect, including tires, have a long wait.

when my pilot comes in, and who knows what kind of tires it will have, i wouldn't hesitate to replace them with turanza revos or whatever i need to tune it to my needs.

and all you numbers obsessed fans; don't hang your hats on manufacturers published numbers. time was when manufacturers would fudge their numbers up (e.g. in the perennial camaro vs mustang wars until gm pulled a huge lead). honda can rightfully be accused of being conservative with their numbers. i went through this gyration with the mdx (robertsmx where are you?) and based on its mass and 1/4 mile times it computed to 278 hp, though rated for 240 hp. also, the vtec motors make power with a much flatter & broader torque and horsepower curve so you should compare vtec hp to vtec hp. otherwise, i would approximate about a 5-10% increase for vtec hp in comparison to non-vtec hp. robertsmx?

and if you really want more hp and torque, get a jackson racing supercharger - 30-50% increase.

whew!!!!!?????

bonyparte

Am still wondering if the open area around the wheels is the source of the road noise?? And that changing tires would have little or no effect. I've looked at my present car, and some others, and they seem to have more shielding around the wheel well. My current car does not exhibit a high level of road noise. I've read just about review I could find on the '02 CR-V and if memory serves, there was only one reviewer who talked about high road noise - the others had no comment or said it was not bad.

strager

I know that lots of people don't care about Consumer Reports, but FWIW, they claim that almost every Honda that they have tested suffers from a high level of road noise. Perhaps it is related to the insulation(or lack thereof) in the wheelwells of Honda cars. Their review of small SUVs (including the 2002 CR-V) is scheduled to be out in a month.

bonyparte

I've read reviews of other SUV's and passenger cars - many of them talked about a high level of road noise, even on some that cost 2-4 times the CR-V.
I subscribe to CR online also - I will read what they have to say about whatever I'm thinking of buying at the time and usually they are pretty close to what I find after buying the item. Curiuos why Honda models are so highly visible on the streets if road noise is so pervasive. I've never owned a Honda and haven't been a passenger in a lot, so hard for me to know. Curiuos why Honda has not addressed this issue if it is so common.

strager

two factors that account for "why Honda models are so highly visible on the streets if road noise is so pervasive".

ateixeira

I bet many buyers don't even make it to a highway on test drives, so the road noise isn't even sampled in many cases.

Either way, it's only one factor out of many.

-juice

varmint

Sound dampening material is often expensive and heavy. Two things that Honda does not want to add to their cars unless absolutely necessary. Often times the "melt-sheets" used as sound insulation are made from sheets of asphalt-like material.

In general, a lack of insulation around the wheel well can contribute to the noise in the cabin. However, I do not think that we can place all the blame on the suspension holes in the front wheel wells.

As for reviews... I've read some that say it is quiet, others that say there is still some noise at highway speeds. Most likely, it depends on the surface of the road. For example, concrete highways tend to be much louder than asphalt.

bonyparte

yes, I expected that to be an answer. Not that I am disagree. As for taking a test drive on a highway - you might be right, but I would never buy a car without getting on a highway, to see how it merges into traffic, how it feels going 70, try to listen for road/wind nosie. Granted, test drives are usually only a few miles - I've done two for the cr-v, each about 6 miles on the highway. I didn't notice an excessive amount of noise but 6 miles is not a lot when there are other things to consider while doing the test. While it may only be one factor out of many, I consider it highly - I've been in cars while the ride was not smooth or a lot of noise and it was not enjoyable. I really don't buy the argument that Honda would not do its utmost to cancel out road noise - their Accord/Civic are two of best selling cars ever. And now the cr-v is facing really stiff competition. From what I gather, the new model is quieter than the previous, so I would guess people who get the new one are really pleased with the noise level. And maybe Honda is counting on a lot of people doing just that. But the way the small SUV market is, there could be and almost certainly will be a lot of new people to this type car, like myself. I realize a lot of what I saying could be hogwash because I haven't picked up my car yet and I may find the noise level to be acceptable. I guess I am just doing a lot of thinking out loud (or out typing in this case) and trying to get opinions.

jvkalra

I felt the highway road noise was excessive, and have decided to hold off on getting one, at least the 2002 model. I'm sure that many new owners find the value and other advantages of the CR-V outweigh the road noise. I keep my vehicles for 8-10 years, and felt that the noise would get tiring for me after the high of getting a new Honda wore off.

wildcorgis

I know noise tolerance is a highly subjective issue and some times it's nice to have some point of reference as to why or how noisy someone thinks a car is.

I drive a 99 4cyl Accord, which I think is kinda of noisy - more than I like. My wife 93 4cyl Camry is better. My father in laws 92 Lexus LS400 is outer space like quiet.

I drove the 02 CR-V EX on a test drive that was probably over 10 miles round trip on the freeway. Even though it was a warm day, I turned off the fan, A/C and radio and closed the sunroof to determine the noise level. I found it totally acceptable, better than my Accord and maybe better than the wife's Camry.

I know this is a relatively short drive considering many people here own and have driven many miles on their new CR-V but I just wanted to give my opinion because noise, ride and power were my biggest concern about the new CR-V.

Steve

jfavour

I have mentioned this before on this board, but I think the 02 CR-V is acceptably quiet. I also have a 2000 Accord V6 and it is less noisy than my 02 CR-V, but not by much. There are obviously many differences in these two cars, but the most noticeable to me is the ride of the new CR-V. It rides good for its class of vehicle, but it bounces around considerably more than my Accord. I think the ride difference is most noticeable on highways, where the CR-V bounds on pavement irregularities and bumps, while my Accord stays well planted. You feel the bumps in both, but the CR-V seems more affected by them. That said, I think it handles and drives great, especially for a small SUV.

carguy62

I haven't spent a lot of time under the hood of my '02 but I did notice it has that material on the hood which supposedly helps reduce noise.

The Accord I just got rid of had no such material on the hood (really under the hood, hopefully you know what I mean). I felt the Accord was pretty quiet. So how did they dampen the sound on the Accord if there is none of that material? Were the body panels thicker in those days?

I guess what I'm saying is that in the CR-V they seemed to have tried to provide some sound insulation where in my Accord they didn't.

Half of my generation is hard of hearing from the music we grew up with, so I don't think I'm as sensitive as some here. My CR-V seems very quiet.

ateixeira

WHAT? ;-)

-juice

scname

Wanna see some photos of dense fiber insulation around the rear trim panels ? Had to take it off to install hitch. Its about half inch thick. In R1 the clear tubing is moonroof drain, pink tubing is rear washer.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/scname2002/lst?.dir=/hitch&.view=t

tuckerm

I have only been a "lurker" here, and have been very appreciative of all the information that is passed around and shared here. We have had our 02 CR-V lx awd (green - great color! in my humble opinion) for 2 weeks now. We've put close to 700 miles on it, and I truly could not be any happier with this vehicle. O.K., well, there is a bit of road noise that takes getting used to, but that's because our other vehicles are pretty quiet(just to explain, this is 3rd car for us--the oldest of our 4 kids just got her liscence--and we plan to "use" her in helping transport the others to their various activities.) The talk about tires interests me, its something to consider.

rockycow

lucky owners, when you report on road noise do us a favor and state the tire type, bridgestone or goodrich, or whatever. Much grass

atthebeach

Well all this talk of road noise, funny noises, poor mpg and a short list of other complaints has caused me to provide an update to this message board. I've gone on 4 long 300 plus mile trips(02 EX 5spd-green) and find the ride and cabin noise to be nothing but pleasant with the cd's on or off-windows open or closed. No clanks or clunks. Worst mileage with factory ski racks on with a head wind at 75 plus mph and 3 other passengers plus a load of ski gear and defrost on (no a/c since I did the trick with the controls) =20.5 mpg. Best mileage 27.5 on nice country roads on a sunny day. Average to date 24.3mpg.

Did I mention how much fun this car is to drive, my brother who drove back from the mountains last week said it was a blast to drive and loves it when that VTEC kicks in, me too.

Would someone please let me know when they find a perfect vehicle that only costs in the low 20's and fits every ones definition of the perfect car.

ATB

canadiancl

Now that I've seen more and more '02 on the road, one thing about the new styling has struck me. The '02 has a slab-sided look which no doubt is accentuated by the undersized wheels. It almost looks like the wheel track should be wider. The old V actually has a more hunkered down look, maybe due to a lower overall height and more pronounced front fender flares.

cautiouswp

I've been reading lots of messages regarding road noise and the possible association with the "open" wheel wells. Another concern that I have with "open" wheel wells has to do with the long term (3-4year) corrosion effects of road salt and sand splashing into the engine compartment. Have any of you owners from snow zones noticed excessively dirty engine compartments after driving on treated roads? Please advise.

tomsr

I gave up my passion for motorcycles to get my V.
Now I find myself thinking where can I go just to go for a drive.The engine is quieter and stronger
than a straight four has a right to.The shift
points are almost unnoticeable.I traded in a
2.3 CL Acura which was fine as far as power but I wanted more utility,a higher view of the road,and easier egress for this 50 something grandpa.I
would have liked the 40 more horses the Escape
offered but the quality was poor.Now a question.
When I am rounding a corner If I floor it shouldn't I see a downshift.My old car would
drop down to first and rev like a banshee.I am afraid to experiment cause it is in the breakin period.

theracoon

Since the entire underside of the engine compartment is open to the elements, I can't see how some small openings in the front fender lining will greatly affect engine compartment dirt and corrosion. How could it possibly be worse than affect on the even more exposed brake calipers and drive shafts? I live in the snow zone and regularly run my cars through a car wash with an underbody flush, especially during snow season. That pretty much takes care of all of the salt deposits on the underside of the car.

As to the connection between the small openings in the front fender linings and road noise I think its just silly. Almost all over the reviews I've seen on the '02 CR-V point out that it's quieter than the '01 and earlier. I have a '99 EX with the original BFG tires, and the cabin is plenty quiet at highway speeds for conversation with someone in the passenger seat, although I wouldn't want to carry on a conversation with someone in the back seat.

Just try to remember, the CR-V is _not_ a luxury car. It's an small SUV. If you think it'll be too noisey then maybe you should be looking at the Acrua or Lexus SUVs. For the price the CR-V is hard to beat.

richk4

To answer cautiouswp, I noticed a lot of road salt in the engine compartment also . When the weather warms up I intend to install rubber boots or flaps in the wheel well opening. Using rubber pliable enough and cutting it around the tie rods should provide quite a bit of protection from whatever the tires throw up in the wells. There are several holes in the "A" shaped opening, using small bolts, washers and nuts to hold the rubber piece.

varmint

LOL. Sounds like TheRacoon is getting as bored with all his noise about sound. Can't say that I blame him.

On the other hand, I think it's interesting that these are the biggest complaints. So far the biggest problems have been a rocking seat and the possibility of a rough shift at low speeds. There's also a solenoid that could either drive you crazy or you can't hear it at all, a vibration in the brake pedal when the intermittent wipers are on, and a debatable amount of road noise. It's kind of funny when you compare it to the engine's seizing in the Santa Fe, the stalling engine in the Tribape, transmission failures, brake wear, engine sludge, and the other problems I read about in other forums.

FWIW, I found the noise levels to be perfectly adequate. Not luxury-car quiet, but not intrusive either. The noise in my '99 borders on excessive, but it was night and day with the '02. I drove it twice at highway speeds, and once in fairly windy weather.

varmint

Rich - How are you going to cover that big hole under the entire engine?

richk4

That big hole under the engine does not through up a fraction of what the tires throw up directly in the wells of which a good portion goe through the well openings.

susanlm

Hi, all!

I'm gone two days and I have over 60 postings to wade through...that will teach me to go away for so long!

Item 1) Not only my driver's seat but also the front passenger seat rocks. I also had heard it was because of "prematurely wore bushings". I didn't believe that story either. With only 600 miles on the car when I first noticed the rocking, it certainly could not be because they were worn out. Unless (and I will give my service tech this much) they were faulty to begin with and simply broke down in a short time span. Notice I said BROKE DOWN, not WORN DOWN. The implications are significant.

Item 2) I also was told that the dealer would not go any lower than the MSRP on the price. However, because the salesperson quoted me the wrong price the first time I went in, the dealer stuck to that price. So in fact, I actually paid $600 below the MSRP. However, in my experience with purchasing Honda's (I've had 3), Honda dealers NEVER haggle on the MSRP; you either pay that or don't get a Honda. They will deal on all the extra's but the MSRP has always been written in stone (in my experience.)

Item 3) Too much noise, just the right amount of noise...who the heck cares? Does anyone turn around and stare at you when you drive by? If not, then the CR-V is not making too much noise. Now, I drove a rented Chrysler Sebring the other day that made everyone turn and look to see what "bomb" was driving by. THAT car was too noisy! How embarrassing! :-0

Item 4) Tire size?? They come in sizes??? :-)

Item 5) I never heard of the Honda Pilot. I'm running right over to honda.com right now to look that baby up! Let's see, can I afford two Hondas right now???

Thanks for listening. The above opinions are not meant to harass, intimidate or anger anyone. It's just my two cents. Take it or leave it! :-)

Susan

canadiancl

Right on! Especially when the front wheels are turned the tires are "aiming" right at the holes.

The Civic, which has the same hole, is only in its second year. So long-term effects of corrosion cannot be determined at this time, IMO of course.

canadiancl

Re: noise - I don't think people are concerned about how much noise the CR-V is creating for the environment. Is the ambient noise level INSIDE the cabin that they are concerned about.

Re: MSRP - of course you can't negotiate to change the MSRP. But you don't have to pay it! (unless it's a Saturn) It's not like buying a pair of jeans at the store.

varmint

Rich - The holes for the tie rods are perpendicular to the wheels and spaced evenly with the center of the tires. For the wheels to kick up dirt or salt directly into the those holes, you would have to turn the tires a full 90 degrees. That is physically impossible.

As for the hole under the car, how does all that road dirt get under the hood of my '99? I have fully covered wheel wells.

That said, there are now and have been many, many, many cars with the same wheel well design. To date, I have never heard of any significant problems with the design (including the Civic). Honda has told us that their engineers did not find any problem in their tests. In fact, they said it might keep the engine bay cleaner! No one has reported a problem with the CR-V. What I do see, here and in other forums, is people feeding off of information and perception that has little basis on fact. What evidence is there to make us think it will be a problem? Just a hunch? A little birdie mentioned it in passing? Has Miss Cleo forecast certain doom?

This whole thing reminds of a story about an entrepreneur who had a stock of white salmon that he couldn't sell. Nobody wanted it. It looked weird. People were happy with regular pink salmon. So he labeled it, "Guaranteed not to turn pink". As the story goes, he sold tons of it.