2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

stevedebi

" Then there's the added noise of the diesel. Relative to other diesels, Honda's 2.2 is refined. But when you compare it with the 2.4 petrol engine, it's still pretty rough. Who here thinks the CR-V needs to be noisier?"

Hey, it is a truck (sort of). I don't mind a little vibration or noise. I would opt for the diesel any day.

ateixeira

Perhaps but he does have a point, NVH is very high on the priorities list for Americans.

When are the 06s expected at dealers? I have a buddy shopping for an SE.

-juice

andrelaplume

isn't that the one that actually has worse mileage with the diesell...think I read this in CR.

ateixeira

I think it did slightly better than the gas V6, but that's not saying much. It's much worse than some other peers.

-juice

stevedebi

"I think it did slightly better than the gas V6, but that's not saying much. It's much worse than some other peers. "

Hey, it's a Jeep; 'nuf said. They are good off road, but in my opinion, not so good for reliability or fuel economy.

samual

I need help. I bought 2005 CR-V, LX about two weeks ago. At the time of purchase I noticed that CR-V was having PTTR. The dealer told me he would fixed with alignment. Next day he did 4-wheel alignment. Result- zero. I am going to visit tomorrow to the dealer for same reason. Along with PTTR, I also have steering wheel vibration around 60-75 mph. I am frustrated and mainly angry at my own mistake. I trusted dealer blindly. After reading PTTR and CR-V issue from various forum. I am convinced that dealer and Honda America won’t help me. I have only 800 miles in my car. Either I sell car or go through painful legal process. Can any one help me how to proceed? I am also going to complaint to NHSA. Because PTTR is dangerous, at least for me. Please help me out what Arbitrator process? How to file? Where to file? Main thing- Do I get all my money back? I heard that in 2005, PTTR issue is being solved? Is it true of just BS? Thanks.

theracoon

Call Honda directly (not the dealer). The phone number is in the back of your Owners Manual. Let the dealer have a chance to fix the problem.

mikefm58

Did you get a pamphlet when you bought the vehicle that details your state's lemon law? Procedures should be in there. There should also be a good description on your state's website.

ateixeira

Try to work with the dealer, ask him to rotate the tires, make sure they are balanced, too.

By nature we tend to get upset and adversarial with dealership service staff, but they are the ones most likely to be able to help you now.

If you hit a dead end there, call Honda's 800 number (anyone got that handy?) and see if they can help. Again, be polite, you want these folks to feel empathy for you, not apathy.

Good luck.

-juice

gearjammer62

You're fine to use the cruise. You still may want to vary your speed somehwat - set the cruise for 70 for a while, then 75, then 65, etc. depending on whatever the speed limit is and road conditions will allow.

tcasboy

Take a copy of the TSB for the pull to the right problem to your dealer and demand that they perform the TSB on your vehicle. It might work. If not, continue up the old chain of command and call Honda directly.

Good luck.

fmatous

Power Outlet, & a CRV They don't power anything because they have a short in the wiring that needs replaced. everytime you plug it in, the fuse blows. My Honda Dealer tells me to get a new phone! My chager has worked in 8 other cars. Poo poo on Honda for not fixing the issue. I plan to complain.

stevedebi

"Power Outlet, & a CRV They don't power anything because they have a short in the wiring that needs replaced. everytime you plug it in, the fuse blows. My Honda Dealer tells me to get a new phone! My chager has worked in 8 other cars. Poo poo on Honda for not fixing the issue. I plan to complain."

I have used three different power units in my cigarette lighter, none have blown the fuse. How much power does your power adapter draw? Mine outputs 5v.

wrascal

I suspect that your charger is the rapid charge type, and that your new car isn't designed to carry that load. Get yourself a slow type charger. It'll draw less current, and hopefully solve your problem. Cost $15.

andrelaplume

We are getting an LX and heard you can get the windows tinted? Do they spray something on the windows? Do they use film? How much should a reputable job cost? How does it hold up? THANKS!

blueiedgod

Power Outlet, & a CRV They don't power anything because they have a short in the wiring that needs replaced. everytime you plug it in, the fuse blows. My Honda Dealer tells me to get a new phone! My chager has worked in 8 other cars. Poo poo on Honda for not fixing the issue. I plan to complain.

I am not sure what kind of charger you have, but if it is one of those EBAY chargers, you are lucky it did not start a fire.

I have a Sharper image ionic breeze, radar detector with compas, and my LG phone charger plugged in the same outlet with a 3 way spltter. No problems. I can even plug in the 150 watt DC-to-AC converter wihtout blowing fuses.

If the fuses don't blow when nothing is plugged in, then it is not the wiring. Maybe the charger works in other vehicles because they have a CIGARETTE LIGHTER, not POWER OUTLET, two different things.

Have you tried plugging in a different item, like a radar detector, or power converter, or even a different phone charger?

dottie1

I have just put a deposit on my 2nd CRV. I was unable to view the SE model so am not sure what the black with black interior will look like? Is it too much black? The dealer mentioned the sand with the light interior is apt to get too dirty. Does anyone have a comment on either color?

sockpuppet1969

We did not get the black leather CR-V because we were afraid it would be too hot and show dust and lint too easily. We are awaiting delivery on a white SE with the ivory (really beige) interior. I have a 2003 Accord EX-L with the ivory leather interior and it is easy to clean and does not get real hot (we live in NC).

andrelaplume

We are debating between an 05 LX AWD auto or an 05 EX AWD auto. Personally, there is a 2K difference between the two and I am not sure it is worth it for alloys, tinted windows, a 6Cd changed and sunroof....but my wife likes the wheels and tinted windows. (I'd opt for aftermarket wheel and tinting and save $1100 but it is not my car and perhaps the other stuff will add to resale value if we had to get rid of it early on)

We are both VERY concerned about the sunroof though. If we had our way we'd opt out of it. We had terrible experiences with sunroofs in the past (80s vehickes)...wind noise and leaks over time. We plan on keeping the V for 7 years and maybe longer. An extended warranty will cover part of that. Has there been any leak issues on sunroofs now a days. Anyone have a 10 year old V with a sunroof, or another vehicle with one...how is it holding up?

Also,

In the PA /NJ area is 20.5K +tax/tags reasonable for an LX AWD? How about 22.5K for auto EX AWD?

THANKS!!!!!!!!

ateixeira

Don't be a cheap skate! :P

Look at this long-term. You'll probably own the car for 5 years or longer, if so you're paying about a dollar a day for happiness.

Yes, it's easily worth it. You'll make a lot of it back in resale, also.

I have aftermarket tint film on my Forester, paid $170 for it. Film scratches, though. At least it hasn't faded or turned purple like some people said it would (I have SolarGard dyed film).

-juice

jimbres

I wouldn't worry about leakage from a factory-installed sunroof. We just got rid of a '92 Ford Taurus that we bought new & that was equipped with a sunroof. Lots of stuff went wrong with our Ford over the years but the sunroof was trouble-free. Never a leak, & we rarely garaged this car.

We also owned an '87 Accord LXi for almost 12 years. About a year or so before we sold it, I climbed into the car immediately after a thunderstorm, put it into gear & started to move forward. Suddenly, a large quantity of rainwater spilled down the back of my neck. I suspected a leak, but the deluge was actually caused by accumulated dead leaves in the sunroof drainage system. After my mechanic cleaned out the drains - a job so simple that he didn't bother to charge me for it - I had no more unwanted water in the car.

It's up to you to decide whether a sunroof is worth the extra cost - for me it is - but you shouldn't let fears about leaks color your decision.

FWIW, I just returned from my local (Huntington, NY) Honda store, where a salesman offered me an '05 EX w/5-speed manual for $21.7K. I wasn't trying to negotiate, so I'm quite sure that a lower price is easily attainable.

andrelaplume

thanks, anyone else care to chime in....

Anyone know if honda has any low financing now...or EVER?

kyfdx

I have an '02 EX.... I love the sunroof.. .and the alloys... and the CD changer.. and the factory tinted windows..

If you are going to spend half of the difference on part of the stuff, you'll be farther ahead by just buying the EX... The sunroof really makes the interior feel "airier", with the shade open...

regards,
kyfdx
Host-Prices Paid Forums
(no leaks, either)

tcasboy

What color was that manual tranny EX? I'm looking for a manual and they are fairly scarce.

Thanks.

jimbres

There were no sticks on the lot. My sales rep was confident that he could locate one within 2 weeks...after I sign an order & put down a deposit. We'll see.

ateixeira

05 supply is dwindling, I doubt given more time he'll have more luck. In fact supply will be even shorter. If he can't find it within a day, I bet he can't find an 05 at all.

-juice

theracoon

I assume he meant have it ready for pickup when he said "find it". It shouldn't take longer than 1 day to locate a CR-V with a manual transmission.

JM2C

jimbres

You're probably right. I live in a suburb of NYC, where heavy traffic & cell phone sickness have combined to make sticks even less popular than they are in the rest of the country. The last time I bought a manual transmission car off the lot was in the mid 1980s. Since then, I've had to place special orders & wait for up to 3 months to get the car I wanted. So let's say that I'm more than slightly skeptical of this salesman's claim.

bargainbabe

:confuse:
I just bought a 2005EX CR-V Automatic, red w/ivory (really beige) interior. I love this car! I recommend it over the LX. The difference in price is really quite small for what you get. And it just makes the car feel much more like a luxury car. The tinting on the windows is really nice, and although I never thought much about the 6CD changer, now that I have it I find I use it all the time. The sunroof is fantastic - no problems. The only problem is the gas mileage! It is ridiculously low. My first tank of gas I got around 13mpg. How long is the break in period supposed to be? My dealer said 1,000 miles, the 800 Honda number person told me up to 5,000 (!!) miles. My second tank of gas is getting a little bit better gas mileage. I do both local and highway driving. I've been very careful with trying to drive smoothly with not a lot of stop and go. It's not always easy here (i live in Rockland County, a NYC suburb). It's very hilly here, and sometimes when going over the mountains, my car almost feels like there's a brake on somewhere. Is this where that D3 gear comes in? I read the manual, but I want to know if anyone has actually used this gear, how it works, and how the car should feel. Is this something that may be making my car suck down gas? The pickup on my car is fantastic! I know that there are things that factor into the gas mileage, such as tire pressure, air conditioning use, and stop and go traffic. My car is brand new and the tire pressure is fine. I do use the airconditioning, and I've already discussed the traffic conditions. Are there any other things that can be affecting it? It's got under 300 miles on it.
Thanks so much for anyones help!

stevedebi

"Is this something that may be making my car suck down gas? The pickup on my car is fantastic! "

You have answered your own question. As with all vehicles, there is a trade off between performance and MPG. If you push your RPMs past 2500 regularly (and I'll admit it is a blast!), you will get poor mileage. For the CR-V, above 2500 the engine is set up to open the cylinders (a very simplistic way of explaining VTEC), and use more gas. It uses even more when you drive it past 4500 RPMs or so. But of course, the acceleration and power increase accordingly.

For the hills, you might consider that D3 option, or turning off the Overdrive (the button on the transmission lever). To get best hillside acceleration, the RPMs need to be over 3500. So that will drag down the MPG.

Your mileage should improve after 3000 or so, but if you have a heavy foot, don't expect miracles, but rather around 17-18 MPG.

I also use 35PSI in my tires; it rides a bit rougher, but gets maybe 1.5 MPG better.

bargainbabe

What exactly does that D3 button do? I didn't really understand my salesman, who honestly I don't think he really knew the answer, and I'm a bit confused by the manual. When do you push it? Why does it make it better going up and down hills? The manual compares it to a manual transmission, but I don't drive manual, although I understand the concept (I did learn how once). It says something that it locks it in gear, but then when do you turn it off? As you can see, I'm very confused. Can you explain to me in plain English, assuming that I know nothing about cars? I try not to punch the accelerator when I take off. I know what RPMs are, but I don't understand how you know that the RPMs need to be over 3500 going up a mountain, or under 2500 at other times. How do I learn all this stuff? This is my first new car, and I really want to take care of it. Every other car I've ever owned has been over 10 years old.
Thanks so much!

stevedebi

Hmmm, I hope varmint or others don't make me feel silly for trying to answer these.

First of all, the engine puts out more power at higher RPMs. So the higher the engine goes, the more power you feel.

D3 puts the transmission in 3rd gear (the 2005 has 5 forward gears). This causes the engine to go to higher RPMs, providing more power. Note that it just places a maximum gear of 3rd gear - the CR-V can still use the lower gears, just not the higher gears.

The Overdrive is used to lower RPMs at highway speeds - it thus robs some power, but provides better MPG. It actually functions in all gears (except maybe first gear). The CR-V always turns on the Overdrive when the engine is started. You can shut it off by hitting the button on the end of the gear selector. The O/D light will be lit on the instrument cluster. When the overdrive is turned off, the CR-V has more power.

I know about RPMs and mountains because I have driven the CR-V in those conditions. But keep in mind that my 2003 has only 4 speeds, not 5, so your vehicle may be somewhat different. But you don't have to go to D3 or drop out of Overdrive. Just hit the accelerator and the car will shift for you. I have noticed that my best mountain climbing power is when the engine is revving up to around 4000 RPMs. Basically, if you don't like how the CR-V is performing, give it more gas. Or you could experiment with lowering to D3, turning off the O/D, etc. and see if you prefer those settings.

One characteristic you may have noticed about the CR-V is that the normal power curve is a bit, well, "not so robust" in the range from 50 - 70 MPH. What I mean is that the engine is reluctant to shift down to a lower gear, and so the car doesn't accelerate as fast as some other vehicles. It shows up primarily in passing situations, when I sometimes prefer to hit the Overdrive button to get more power. If you are climbing those hills at around 50 or so MPH, you may be in that area of engine output.

RE: Taking care of your CR-V. Don't worry; change the oil when the Owner's Manual says to, keep the paint clean and occaisionally waxed, and have the periodic maintenance performed at the mileage listed in the manual. The CR-V will take care of itself otherwise. Just drive it!

bargainbabe

Thank you so much! So, I can just press the D3 button while I'm driving? at what speed should I do that? Should I wait until I hit 4000 RPMs? When I give it more gas, sometimes it feels like its struggling, but I think that may be my driving, because it doesn't happen all the time. Do you know at what MPH the gears shift? I'm used to an automatic, not a manual, so I really have no idea! (I know that sounds pathetic, but its true). When can I hit the overdrive button? at what speeds, or RPMs? It's nice to now I can get more power if I need it, especially since I'll be visiting my cousins this winter and they live up a steep mountain with hairpin turns. Don't worry if anybody picks on you for answering me! I have to learn this stuff somewhere, and I appreciate you even if they don't!!! :-)

bargainbabe

I test drove a black 2005CRV EX. the car felt small, and dark. I bought a red one w/beige interior. It feels about twice as big! The difference was marked! I am constantly dragging stuff around with me, and so far the car is still clean! You can always scotch guard the fabric, but I highly recommend the lighter color!

blueiedgod

My first tank of gas I got around 13mpg.

How did you arrive at that number??

How long is the break in period supposed to be? My dealer said 1,000 miles, the 800 Honda number person told me up to 5,000 (!!) miles.

And the OWNER's MANUAL says...?

Is this something that may be making my car suck down gas? The pickup on my car is fantastic!

Fantastic pick up comes at a cost. Next time you drive, follow a big truck with a heavy load. You will see how long it takes him to get up to speed and you will also notice that your fellow light-to-light racers are not far ahead. If you follow him you will get close to 30 mpg.

andrelaplume

The price difference between the LX and EX is about $2500 where I am. That really seams like a lot for alloys, 6Cd, tint and sunroof. I can get a nice set of alloys for $500 and get the windows tinted for $200 (I think) . In fact a dude sells replica Honda alloys on ebay for $400...though I'd pick something sportier. I am not a big fan of sunroofs, in fact I'd prefer sidesteps, a roof rack and some other smaller goodies instead.....

Has anyone had there windows tinted and what were the results?

Also, if the EXs (auto AWD) are selling for 22.9 now, how much more were they earlier in the year....or are they still hot even now?

theracoon

Also, if the EXs (auto AWD) are selling for 22.9 now, how much more were they earlier in the year....or are they still hot even now?

That's slightly above invoice (as reported by Edmunds.com) so it's a good deal.

tamaraster

Let's step back a little with the gear thing, and assume you know nothing about cars. Someone will correct me if I get something wrong here, since I'm not an expert.

You have ridden a bicycle, right? With gears? The general way that gears work is that, if you are in a LOW gear, you have to turn the pedals more times to make the bicycle's wheel go around. In a higher gear, one turn of the pedals makes the wheel go around more, but it's harder to turn the pedals for that reason. When you ride a bicycle, you start in a low gear because it's easy to take off, and then if you're on a flat surface, you usually go to a higher gear so you don't have to turn the pedals as often (which is more tiring).

So with gears, there is a trade-off between having to push harder with your feet (high gear) versus having to move your feet around more times (low gear). Or, alternately, a trade-off between being able to accelerate quickly (low gear) versus being able to get by with less overall work (high gear).

A car works basically the same way, except that parts of the engine generate the motion, rather than your feet. So when you take off, your car is in a low gear, and as you coast along, it switches to the highest gear that is still comfortable. The RPM shown on the tachometer is analogous to how many times in a minute a bicyclist is moving his feet in a circle.

When you are coasting along and you push the gas pedal a little aggressively, the car shifts down to a lower gear to allow you to accelerate more quickly. But the higher gears are more fuel efficient.

One difference between a bicycle and a car is that, on a bike, you can stop pedalling and the wheels can still move, so you can literally coast. In a car, the engine is always connected to the wheels, unless you're in neutral (or have the clutch in, in a manual shift). It is this feature that is helpful when going downhill.

Imagine if, going downhill on a bike, the pedals always turned with the wheels. Then if you were in a low gear going downhill, you wouldn't be able to move your feet around fast enough to keep up, so your feet would in effect be braking the bicycle, making it go slower. This is what happens in a car going downhill in a low gear: the engine acts as a brake on the wheels. This can save braking if you go downhill for a long time.

When going uphill, sticking your car in a low gear gives you the same advantage it would on a bicycle - you can accelerate faster. So the gears below "D" (usually 4 and 3, or D4 and D3, and sometimes D2) just limit the car to going no higher than that gear. This decreases gas mileage because lower gears are more efficient but, on uphill, it gives you better acceleration and, on downhill, the engine provides some braking so you don't have to.

You could leave your car in a lower gear on the flats, too, but you'd be sacrifcing fuel efficiency for not that much gain, since cars are generally designed to operate well on flats anyway.

stevedebi

The engine computer decides when to shift gears; it depends basically upon how hard you are accelerating and the speed you are at. There is no set speed or RPM.

You can hit the O/D switch at any time.

lscrv

The road noise in this car is above speaking decibels. I am hoping to reduce this by replacing the OEM tires. Has anyone been successful in reducing the noise with a tire replacement. If so, which tires would you reccommend?

maferna

I went with the LX (no need for a sunroof or 6cd or AWD). I did install OEM alloys ($675 + inst. + tax) and window tint ($169+ tax). I couldn't be happier. Even after adding these, I still paid $2,200 less than for the EX, and my LX looks very distinctive.

If you don't need AWD, the LX is the best choice, IMO.

epm1

You may want to check out www.tirerack.com - they have a lot of free online info on tires and you can read what people say about different brand tires on a car similar to yours. We went from the orig. Bridgestones to Yokohama Touring- much quieter on our '02 and handles better. You will have to replace all tires at one time if you have AWD. epm1

tcasboy

I have been able to locate several 2005 EX 5 speed manual tranny CR-Vs. Unfortunately they are in Oklahoma City, Milwaukee and Dallas. Not a problem for me, as I can fly to those cities to pick up the car and drive it home. I'd obviously prefer to buy the vehicle locally. It just frustrating that none of the 3 local dealers seem to order any manual tranny CR-Vs. Yes I know that they aren't very poplular, but it is the STANDARD transmission after all and you'd think that they would at least get one or two a month with the STANDARD equipment. Oh well.

gearjammer62

If you don't need AWD, the LX is the best choice, IMO.

And if you do want AWD, you can still get it on an LX.

girlygirl

I have a new (under 2000 miles) automatic 2wd CRV. The thing shakes and vibrates when I stop at a light. I live in Florida so the air is always on. Feels like the compressor kicks in and off and shakes ( a lot)...the head lights dim and then resume...sometimes there is an audible clunk! Since I'm in a lot of traffic every day, the problem is more then annoying. Does anybody's car shake and vibrate while idling??? dealer says it's normal for a 4 cylinder suv..I've owned some in the past that NEVER did this. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Please help... :lemon:

thegraduate

:shades: My 1996 Accord does this very thing, and often (I live in Alabama, so the air is always on, too!). Don't worry yourself about it, it IS caused by the a/c compressor kicking on and off. You also can watch your rpms drop slightly (100 rpm or less, though). It is due to the extra load the engine incurs, and the alternator soon recovers to it(lights getting dimmer, then recovering). Don't fret about it, the dealer is NOT LYING to you, although you may not have experienced this before, we (my dad and I) found that his 2003 and 2005 Accords both did/do this. NO problems have ever evidenced themselves from this, and my car has done this for 151000 miles since new. Don't worry, be happy with your new CR-V, and congrats on it!

ateixeira

Ask the dealer to check the accessory belt tension. Sounds like the alternator belt might be slipping a bit. I assume you don't have an underdrive pulley or anything like that installed?

-juice

donna123

I live in Baton Rouge, so all of the dealerships are VERY short on supplies. I wanted to test drive the Toyota Matrix, the Ford Focus, the Scion xA, and lastly, the Honda CR-V. I cannot find a dealer that has ANY of the others in stock. Well, I did find a Scion xA manual, but it looked so small, and I can only drive and automatic - so, I didn't drive it.
So, I have ONLY driven a Honda CR-V. I liked it. I own a 1995 Ford Explorer, and feel it's a piece of junk. So, driving the Honda CR-V was nice, and it didn't feel that different for me, in that I was used to driving a SUV.
QUESTION: Do you think I should buy the Honda CR-V given that I haven't been able to drive - or even physically lay eyes on any of the other vehicles (aside from the tiny Scion) on my list?
The car dealers feel it will be a month or more before they get substantially more stock. I don't want to wait that long as my A/C is out on my Ford.
What do you think? You all seem happy with your purchases.
Thanks for your advice.
Donna

saabgirl

FWIW, my '05 CR-V EX, now with 4000 miles, is the only car I've ever owned that I haven't had even one teeny hint of buyer's remorse at a comparable time in ownership. Plus, they hold their value so well that, even if you had a change of heart sometime in the future, you'd still make out pretty well. 'Course, it's your money and only you can answer your own question.

macadam1

I have a '99 Honda CR-V that need tires. Currently on the car are the Bridgstone Dueler H/T, 205/70R 15's. It has 40,000 miles and is used as a passenger vehicle. I would like to change tires but prefer a similar type. I have read that the Dueler H/L is a good choice. Any suggestions out there?