But the LX without side airbags is far more popular than the LX with side airbags. And the LX is more popular than the EX. So both side airbags and ABS take a backseat to price in our market.
I believe this is changing as people learn more and more about safety. The NHTSA and IIHS crash tests have brought more media attention to safety. But we're not there, yet.
I won't argue against safety, but I'm glad that we have a choice (for now) and can purchase vehicles without the added cost and complexity of ABS, traction control, and multiple airbags. Not everyone wants these features, or desires to pay for them.
Yes, but that is the point. You have the choice to NOT buy those things, but others do not have the choice to buy these items. I wanted VSC and curtains, and Honda makes them for the CR-V - just not for the American market.
What brings down the cost of airbags (front, side, curtain, etc), abs brakes, vehicle stability control and other features that save lives is economies of scale.
Nobody gets hurt by having these features in a car as it saves lives. A government mandate will dramatically drive down prices for these important features. It is not a bad idea to make all car buyers pay let's say $400 for safety features in all cars, instead of making them optional for $2,000.
If you give people too much choices, I bet you some people would want to save $80, by eliminating seat belts from cars or $200 to eliminate turn signals. Freedom of choice is great, but when it comes to safety, I prefer some mandates on mature technologies.
I would have gladly paid more for a VSC system and curtain airbags for my CR-V. But I did not have the option. Because there was no mandate for them.
"Nobody gets hurt by having these features in a car as it saves lives" - Try telling that to the people who have been injured by airbags that have deployed unnecessarily during low speed collisions, not to mention the children who've been killed by them. Again, I'm not arguing against safety, I'd just prefer to have the option to not buy some of the technology. And no, I don't have a problem with seatbelts or turn signals. If you want all the gizmos, there are plenty of vehicles out there to satisfy you - stop looking at CR-Vs and go visit the Acura dealer ;-)
My wife and I have been looking for a new second vehicle. She wants a CR-V. We've confirmed with the local dealers that all 2005 CR-Vs will come with side + side curtain airbags, VSA, 16" wheels/tires, 5 speed auto, and redesign of the front and rear. The dealer wasn't certain of a delivery date, nor did they have any pictures available. They also didn't have pricing information either. (Leather and heated seats have been available in Canada as the EX-L model for a while now)
This is what Honda of Canada has announced for the 2005 CR-V.
New 5-Speed Automatic transmission Vehicle Stability Assist, Side SRS & Side Curtain SRS on all trims Restyled front and rear Keyless entry added on LX model 16" steel wheels on LX, 16" alloy wheels on all other trims Plus several new colors and a few original colors discontinued.
This link shows what the 2005 CR-V looks like in Europe. It has some of the styling changes that have been mentioned earlier in the thread but not some of the mechanical things (16" wheels seem to be an option). Not sure if this is what the 05 CR-V will look like but it is probably close. I like the changes (like it now too!). It does seem weird to see the steering wheel on the right though!
I know what you mean about the trivial stuff. One of the upgrades I've been hoping for is the addition of steering wheel-mounted controls for the radio. Seems simple, but I've come to appreciate them in my wife's TL.
Hopefully, the new tranny doesn't add much weight (it shouldn't). We may see a small boost in highway MPG.
We are also lookin g for next year, when will crv be redesigned, new model??? also does this make sense to compare the two, apples and oranges or reasonable choices?
Can i get a learned pros and cons of both. i like the syling of the element and doesn't it have a place to plug in your MP3 player or is that a honda add on
ride, comfort, room aren't they very similar??
which to choose with two carseats and the ability to hold stuff. is the interior volume greater in the crv or the element??
is that it functions as a two-door car. Go to pick up your child at school, and you have to open your door for them to enter in the left side of the car. Or, they can get in the right side, but who closes the front passenger door after they are in the back seat?
Can anyone provide insight as to what I might expect to pay for a 2005 CR-V? I'm getting quotes at slightly over invoice on the 2004s, and the dealers are saying the 2005s will sell at or above sticker price when they come out (meaning net price for a 2005 will be maybe $1500-2000 more). Does anyone have experience as to whether that is true, or whether I could get a similar deal on a 2005 once it comes out?
The 2005s will cost more since, if they didn't, there would be no reason for anyone to buy the left over 2004 models. However, "at or above sticker" is likely are severe exaggeration. When all the 2004s are gone the prices on the 2005s will get better.
I would expect an extra $1000-$1500 over a regular EX for the leather model if it adds more features other than just leather. If the only difference is just the upholstery, then it should be less. With leather and navigation and the restyled front end, it could be a Pilot Lite.
Keep in mind that the pilot with Nav and leather is only 32K, so they'd better keep the price reasonable. The Pilot is a lot more vehicle, though some people don't want an SUV that big.
I'd expect $1500 for leather. But the Nav traditionally costs $2000 on Hondas. You could be looking at $28K MSRP for a CR-V?????!!!?
I don't think... Someone on here ought to remember the '01 and how much more the SE was than the EX... anyone?? I'm guessing $2K more for the leather, body color bumpers, and whatever other doodads they come up with. Considering a small price increase, that should bring it up to $25,500 or less (not including nav.).
It should be cheaper factory installed just like factory installed A/C is much cheaper than what the dealership charges to install. They may include extra features in a leather "package" that could make it cost that much or more though. In other Honda models, like the Accord, when you get the leather model, you automatically get a bunch of extra standard equipment on top of the leather. Just leather by itself should be under $1000 coming off a factory assembly line.
I've read in a few places where people had leather installed at the dealership. Can someone tell me whats up with that. I want to look at crv's the other day at o' donnell honda in maryland and the salesperson told me I may have to wait until 05 and the possible se may have it. So basically I am asking, Can you get leather? if so how much? And if it's aftermarket how's the fit? any input would be appreciated. thanks
Yes, I ordered heated leather seats (black) when I bought my EX 03. I paid $1400. Looks and feels good (soft but firm) and interior looks much better. In the N-E we got very cold weather and heated seats are good option to have. Before ordering, ask dealer to show you a car with such leather seats. We did not like quality of other leather colors. Black was the best. Black leather steering wheel cover goes very well with leather seats. Another option I ordered, which proved to be useful, were the fog lights. Leather job was done in some after market shop. But the deal was - as we ordered seats through Honda dealership - Honda warranty would cover seats and heaters (and fog lights) just like other parts of the car. Actually dealer showed us one car (color red with light brown leather), which was returned to the dealership because owner was not happy with the color/quality of leather. If your dealer would provide you similar warranty deal, I believe, it's worth it. Another info: dealer told us that leather shop will not just put leather above the regular seats material or just replacing it. They are adding some 'good stuff' beneath the leather so seats will be more firm and 'puffy' than the regular seats. Looks like it's true. So far so good. You might ask dealer how the job would be done. About Fog lights: Regular lights in CR-V are very good. But sometimes you need extra lighting at your sides ( like on windy narrow driveways or sides of the road during bad visibility). Honda Fog Lights give you vertically flat but horizontally wide beam.
Regardless of what the salesperson may have said, it's hard to believe Honda is going to warranty the aftermarket leather and seat heaters. I have only heard of them warrantying "Genuine Honda" parts and accessories. Maybe that dealership's service department or the outside installer will.
I'm saying the Honda dealership or the installer may be covering it, not the Honda factory warranty. When you took the car in, they may have sent the car back to the original installer for repairs at the installer's expense.
At this point I do not even really care which warranty is working. They fixed it, and that what counts! Of course, I would prefer to have a factory installed leather, but it was not available at that time and now too. Actually, I am not sure that the factory leather would be of better quality (my leather is very good). For mass production they always use the cheapest quality material they can get. What do you think?
The difference is for parts covered by the Honda factory warranty, you can go to any dealership, but if the local dealer is guaranteeing it, you have to go back there. If you are on a cross-country road trip and your dealer-installed genuine Honda fog lights go out, you can get them fixed under the Honda factory warranty at a dealership in the middle of Iowa. If your aftermarket seat heaters went out, you would have to wait until you go back to your local town since it is being guaranteed by the local dealer or the installer. This is similar to various non-Honda accessories the dealer can set up and finance for you such as window tinting, non-Honda alarm systems, Lojack and what not. Your Honda factory warranty is not going to cover those things. It is between you, your local dealership and the installer. If you buy aftermarket leather, you will have choice of leather quality, so you could get better quality leather than what you could get from Honda if you pay for it.
So back in 1998 Leather was not a factory option, but rather a dealer accessory (dealer installed option) when we bought our 1998 Integra GS-R. It was billed by the dealer and was rolled into our purchase price.
Some facts about our experience at the time: -------------------------------------------- 1. The dealer did not install the leather, but rather the job was farmed out to a custom installer who installed a custom fit leather system from Classic Soft. http://www.classicsofttrim.com/
2. The fit and quality of the product over the last 6 years has been excellent. The leather has "weathered" very nicely and looks better every day. The kit included the steering wheel, door inserts and trim, and the shift knob and boot.
3. The leather had it's own warranty of 1 year. We had one issue with a side bolster, a Classic Soft branded installer came to our house and replaced the offending section. I looked at their website now and their newer warranties are 3 years/36,000 miles.
4. The leather was connelly grade (meaning it was vat dyed Vs. spray dyed) and was/is .28 millimeters. In 1999, Acura offered leather as a factory installed option using .13 millimeter material. Bleh...
If the CR-V "dealer installed" leather for 2005 is anything like our 1998 experience, you can sign me up now. Actually we're still fishing around for a 2004. Given our past experience, I will be visiting the folks as Classic Soft again.
If past experience with Honda holds true with the 2005 CRV, there will be much speculation, but Honda will not release any details right up until the vehicle itself is released. Honda has an annoying habit of doing that.
I have a co-worker who is at the Marysville assembly plant every day.. and he couldn't find out any news on the new TL last year, even a week before they shipped.
Just had my 5K oil change done on our '04 CRV (and no engine fire BTW). While waiting at the dealer I picked up new '05 Civic and Civic Si brochures. In the back of each brochure there are small pictures of all the the '05 models, except the Odyssey.
From what I can tell, the '05 CRV now has two horizontal chrome bars in the grill, and the wheels do look different and larger, most likely 16" units. The tires may (?) be a lower profile too, but it's hard to tell from that image.
Bob, did you notice a change in the shape of the driving lights?
Another site has pics of the 2005 CR-V from the UK. It shows a slightly different front bumper than the standard UK bumper. The biggest difference being larger driving lights.
I just took the brochure outside and compared it with our CRV, and the "plug" where the fog lamps go is now round, so the front bumper is (very!) slightly different too.
I don't know if this is hogwash or not, but for what it's worth this is what I recently stumbled across:
*********** 2005 Honda CR-V
Improved exterior styling: redesigned lamps, front bumper, headlight, side still, and front grille ABS, VSA and S-SRS standard on all trim levels Standard five speed automatic transmission 16” wheel for all trim levels plus new EX alloy wheel design and LX steel wheel design New Arch flare with one-piece mud guard Larger seatback pockets and improved ivory interior color New retractable grab rail New integrated keyless remote entry Steering wheel mounted audio controls and outside temperature gauge added to EX trim level New Cam-driven Real Time™ 4WD mechanism on all models (replaces hydraulic pump-type system) New Special Edition trim level that includes heated leather seats and door mirrors, leather steering wheel and shift knob, body-colored bumpers, side molding, door handles and hard spare tire cover Three new colors exterior – Silver Moss, Redondo Red Pearl, Sahara Sand Exclusive SE trim exterior color – Pewter Pearl
It will have both. The side torso style bags will remain. They are adding curtain-style bags, as well. Like the system used in some Ford SUVs, these will stay inflated to protect occupants in the event of a rollover.
Comments
But the LX without side airbags is far more popular than the LX with side airbags. And the LX is more popular than the EX. So both side airbags and ABS take a backseat to price in our market.
I believe this is changing as people learn more and more about safety. The NHTSA and IIHS crash tests have brought more media attention to safety. But we're not there, yet.
IMO, side curtain, VSA, 5AT, along with 16" - 17" alloys, and 200 HP i-vtec 4, are more likely to be found on the '06 Acura RDX.
Nobody gets hurt by having these features in a car as it saves lives. A government mandate will dramatically drive down prices for these important features. It is not a bad idea to make all car buyers pay let's say $400 for safety features in all cars, instead of making them optional for $2,000.
If you give people too much choices, I bet you some people would want to save $80, by eliminating seat belts from cars or $200 to eliminate turn signals. Freedom of choice is great, but when it comes to safety, I prefer some mandates on mature technologies.
I would have gladly paid more for a VSC system and curtain airbags for my CR-V. But I did not have the option. Because there was no mandate for them.
New 5-Speed Automatic transmission
Vehicle Stability Assist, Side SRS & Side Curtain SRS on all trims
Restyled front and rear
Keyless entry added on LX model
16" steel wheels on LX,
16" alloy wheels on all other trims
Plus several new colors and a few original colors discontinued.
How about a bump in HP? Or auto-off headlights (trivial to some people, but not to me!)?
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Enjoy.
http://www.honda.co.uk/brochure/download/cars/HondaCR-V.pdf
Hopefully, the new tranny doesn't add much weight (it shouldn't). We may see a small boost in highway MPG.
Also, that 2.0 liter engine is pretty efficient, although it produces less HP and torque.
Actually, it's 3 year/90,000 mile warranty. Different country, different expectations.
http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/warrantyOverview.html
also does this make sense to compare the two, apples and oranges or reasonable choices?
Can i get a learned pros and cons of both. i like the syling of the element and doesn't it have a place to plug in your MP3 player or is that a honda add on
ride, comfort, room aren't they very similar??
which to choose with two carseats and the ability to hold stuff. is the interior volume greater in the crv or the element??
thanks for your help
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However, "at or above sticker" is likely are severe exaggeration.
When all the 2004s are gone the prices on the 2005s will get better.
Also, does anyone know if DVD navigation will be offered (like the UK model)?
If the only difference is just the upholstery, then it should be less.
With leather and navigation and the restyled front end, it could be a Pilot Lite.
I'd expect $1500 for leather. But the Nav traditionally costs $2000 on Hondas. You could be looking at $28K MSRP for a CR-V?????!!!?
regards,
kyfdx
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They may include extra features in a leather "package" that could make it cost that much or more though. In other Honda models, like the Accord, when you get the leather model, you automatically get a bunch of extra standard equipment on top of the leather.
Just leather by itself should be under $1000 coming off a factory assembly line.
Black leather steering wheel cover goes very well with leather seats.
Another option I ordered, which proved to be useful, were the fog lights.
Leather job was done in some after market shop. But the deal was - as we ordered seats through Honda dealership - Honda warranty would cover seats and heaters (and fog lights) just like other parts of the car. Actually dealer showed us one car (color red with light brown leather), which was returned to the dealership because owner was not happy with the color/quality of leather.
If your dealer would provide you similar warranty deal, I believe, it's worth it.
Another info: dealer told us that leather shop will not just put leather above the regular seats material or just replacing it. They are adding some 'good stuff' beneath the leather so seats will be more firm and 'puffy' than the regular seats. Looks like it's true. So far so good. You might ask dealer how the job would be done.
About Fog lights: Regular lights in CR-V are very good. But sometimes you need extra lighting at your sides ( like on windy narrow driveways or sides of the road during bad visibility). Honda Fog Lights give you vertically flat but horizontally wide beam.
Maybe that dealership's service department or the outside installer will.
On a cold October day I found that seat heaters did not work. They fixed them for me immediately.
So, warranty worked.
When you took the car in, they may have sent the car back to the original installer for repairs at the installer's expense.
Actually, I am not sure that the factory leather would be of better quality (my leather is very good).
For mass production they always use the cheapest quality material they can get. What do you think?
If you are on a cross-country road trip and your dealer-installed genuine Honda fog lights go out, you can get them fixed under the Honda factory warranty at a dealership in the middle of Iowa. If your aftermarket seat heaters went out, you would have to wait until you go back to your local town since it is being guaranteed by the local dealer or the installer. This is similar to various non-Honda accessories the dealer can set up and finance for you such as window tinting, non-Honda alarm systems, Lojack and what not. Your Honda factory warranty is not going to cover those things. It is between you, your local dealership and the installer.
If you buy aftermarket leather, you will have choice of leather quality, so you could get better quality leather than what you could get from Honda if you pay for it.
Some facts about our experience at the time:
--------------------------------------------
1. The dealer did not install the leather, but rather the job was farmed out to a custom installer who installed a custom fit leather system from Classic Soft. http://www.classicsofttrim.com/
2. The fit and quality of the product over the last 6 years has been excellent. The leather has "weathered" very nicely and looks better every day. The kit included the steering wheel, door inserts and trim, and the shift knob and boot.
3. The leather had it's own warranty of 1 year. We had one issue with a side bolster, a Classic Soft branded installer came to our house and replaced the offending section. I looked at their website now and their newer warranties are 3 years/36,000 miles.
4. The leather was connelly grade (meaning it was vat dyed Vs. spray dyed) and was/is .28 millimeters. In 1999, Acura offered leather as a factory installed option using .13 millimeter material. Bleh...
If the CR-V "dealer installed" leather for 2005 is anything like our 1998 experience, you can sign me up now. Actually we're still fishing around for a 2004. Given our past experience, I will be visiting the folks as Classic Soft again.
Hope that helps,
jp
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From what I can tell, the '05 CRV now has two horizontal chrome bars in the grill, and the wheels do look different and larger, most likely 16" units. The tires may (?) be a lower profile too, but it's hard to tell from that image.
Bob
Another site has pics of the 2005 CR-V from the UK. It shows a slightly different front bumper than the standard UK bumper. The biggest difference being larger driving lights.
I just took the brochure outside and compared it with our CRV, and the "plug" where the fog lamps go is now round, so the front bumper is (very!) slightly different too.
Bob
***********
2005 Honda CR-V
Improved exterior styling: redesigned lamps, front bumper, headlight, side still, and front grille
ABS, VSA and S-SRS standard on all trim levels
Standard five speed automatic transmission
16” wheel for all trim levels plus new EX alloy wheel design and LX steel wheel design
New Arch flare with one-piece mud guard
Larger seatback pockets and improved ivory interior color
New retractable grab rail
New integrated keyless remote entry
Steering wheel mounted audio controls and outside temperature gauge added to EX trim level
New Cam-driven Real Time™ 4WD mechanism on all models (replaces hydraulic pump-type system)
New Special Edition trim level that includes heated leather seats and door mirrors, leather steering wheel and shift knob, body-colored bumpers, side molding, door handles and hard spare tire cover
Three new colors exterior – Silver Moss, Redondo Red Pearl, Sahara Sand
Exclusive SE trim exterior color – Pewter Pearl
****************
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=265410
Bob