2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

guyf

Don't push it over 4000 RPM and vary your speed from time to time. That's all that is really needed. If that's a highway trip you are talking about, vary your speed from 100-120 KPH occasionally. Just don't strain the engine.

ateixeira

Pilot: if you don't like the look, good, the waiting lists won't be as long. ;-)

The Forester update looks good IMHO. They updated the look, it's more modern. I like the flares and how they extend into the door and hatch, and the D-pillar and how it's shape is reflected in the hatch.

It definitely looks a lot taller, with a lot more ground clearance. I hope the handling doesn't suffer because of that.

We'll see how Subaru does the interior, and what powertrains they use. A turbo is rumored for 2004. It's supposed to be two inches longer and an inch wider, but again I hope they keep weight under control.

-juice

rsholland

Unlike the new Baja, it seems most people over in the Subaru forums, myself included, like the new Forester—a lot. Haven't seen the interior, or specs yet. The car is being shown today at 10:45 AM in Chicago.

Bob

mam9

Anyone else have the little yellow engine light come on yet? Mine did last night. Pulled over and checked the manual (which calls it the engine malfunction light) and it said it could be the emissions system. Filled up on Sunday and was very careful to get the gas cap back on tight so didn't think that was the problem. Went by Honda on the way to work today and they read the code, which said the engine was getting lean fuel, whatever that means. The service guy said this is the third one he's seen and "Honda's working on it." Probably not a big deal, just aggravating. I bought a Honda so I wouldn't *have* to spend time at the service dept. Sigh.

ateixeira

Will Subaru break a trend? Usually people buy a WRX or Baja despite the styling, will they now buy Subies because of the styling? ;-)

LOL!

-juice (a Subie owner)

rsholland

did you notice they brought back the Hill-Holder clutch. No more rolling back on hills when you take off from a start. I think that was a very smart move. One of the biggest fears of stick-shift-newbies is the fear of rolling back into someone behind you on a hill. Now that's not a problem.

Bob

zops

Well, after only 1200 miles of satisfying driving a stone from a 18-wheeler hit my windshield lat night. Was only a small semi-circualr depression but now a 2 inch horizontal crack starting out from the lower drivers side of the windshield.
The initaila hit is about an inch from the side but crack gos to the edge in now in about 2 inches.
Can I do anythin to stop it from propogating or not?

Can water leak in or anything that would cause damage.

johnlw

This is John from the CRV meet in Maryland last year (The lead dog). Hope you are well and still mudding it with your CRV.

Maybe you can tell me what is going on here.

I post here infrequenly, but yesterday I referred someone on another thread with a link to the CRVIX. I got an angry email from the moderator saying I had broken all these rules, that they would ban me if I continued, chapter and verse. Heck, he might put it on my PERMANENT RECORD!!

Is Edmunds the new Microsoft? I thought I was just giving someone a hand. You seem to post here a lot, is this usual? A couple of years ago, when I was researching cars, I posted a lot, and the moderators were very pleasant folks. What gives?

jlyonmn

That's a bummer. They say that once you have experienced your first dent or other trauma in a new car you can relax. So hopefully this will be the worst damage it will experience!

Most insurance policies (here in Minnesota anyway) cover replacement of safety glass without a deductible even if you have a collision deductible. There are quick fixes to stop propagation of cracks. They involve drilling into or counter-scoring the glass. Better, I think, to have it replaced.

ateixeira

Edmunds understandably doesn't want you to refer people to its competitors, especially using their resources to do so. I can understand that.

Think of it this way. If you ran a sign shop, "Johns Signs", would you print a huge sign (for free like Edmunds) for your competitor, "CRVIX Signs"?

In MD, windshields are covered by your comprehensive insurance. My deductible for the comprehensive is lower than for collision ($200 vs. $500), for this exact reason. My wife has gone through 2 windshields on her 626!

Looks like Subaru is keeping its "high content" strategy for the next Forester, too. AWD and ABS are already standard, now they are adding CD, 16" wheels, variable intermittent wipers, and keyless entry, all to their "base" model (they will have an S, XS, and XS premium). I bet it'll continue to have cross bars, mud guards, carpets, and a cargo cover standard, too.

Hopefully that'll pressure Honda to make incremental improvements. I'd love to see them stretch their warranty a bit. And if you argue that it's not needed, fine, then it won't cost Honda a penny to offer it!

-juice

zops

Isn't the cracked windshied taken care via
insurance as a comprehensive and not collison.

diploid

cars.com has a good pic of the 2003 Forester (instead of the super huge pics from the Subaru website).

I can't link it though, the addy is too long.

canadiancl

The pics on car.com show it to be even more wagon-like in appearance. Overall, the styling makeover is definitely evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

diploid

But didn't want to upset the Subaru natives since all the members over at the Subaru owners club seem to love the new look.

mainman

Two thoughts - I have towed about 10,000 miles with a tow bar that stores on the front of the car, similar to the Stowmaster, and about 7,000 with a Roadmaster Sterling, that stows on the back of the MH. The Sterling is more money, but I wouldn't go back to the Stowmaster for anything.
Second - I found a local muffler/hitch shop that was a Roadmaster dealer and bought the bracket kit/wiring/towbar about $100 lewss than Camping World and didn't have to drive the 120 miles to a Camping World store. I am looking at an 02 CRV myself and will be anxious to hear how satisfied your are.

inkie

with the seats folded and strapped I was able to get a Nordic Trac and a Recumbent Excercise Bike into the back of my EX.I just had to fold the pully mech. on the Nordic Trac so it did not hit the roof. The length was approx. 55" and I still had some room left. This should give you an idea.

inky

Again, check auto Mark Roberts Honda at
www.autoinvoice.com (all CRVs sell everyday for $316 over Invoice plus $49 doc fee). No games or hassles. I have bought 3 cars there myself.
Talk with John Page, 800 number on the web site or email for John. If you have frequent flyer miles or near Tulsa OK it is worth the no hassle trip. They even pick you up at the airport. I have known people to come from Boston, Denver, northwest and Houston.
INKY

isellhondas

1. WHY he would do this...I mean...WHY?

And...

2. What his waiting list looks like!!

varmint

Acor2 - I've seen a picture of two mountain bikes in the back of an '02 CR-V, but I can't find the link. To answer your question, yes, it can hold two bikes without removing the tires. However, you should know that Honda conducted this test with two 26" frames. Take your bike with you to the test drive.

Johlw - Hiya John. I've never had a problem with linking to the CR-V IX in the past. I've posted links to specific articles that describe fixes, instructions, or upgrades. I try to limit it to items that cannot also be found here. I can't comment on your particular situation, but maybe Steve or Tidester can explain the specific rule you broke. As Juice said, just don't go selling the CR-V IX over here.

BTW, has Allan said anything about a third Baltimore meet? I've thought about having one here in New England (probably the White Mountains of NH), but I don't want to create a conflict with either Allan or Chas.

slugline

I got cited for the same violation. My best guess is that references to the CRVIX site is OK, but don't mention anything about the f**** over there.

rsholland

with its new Forester, like Honda with its new CRV, took a very conservative approach to updating their respective models. I think both the new Forester and the new CRV are much better than the models they replace.

Bob

canadiancl

and not having seen the '03 Forester in the flesh, I have to say that I'm not sure if Subaru has improved the Forester enough in areas that needed improving (ie. rear seat room, somewhat awkward/dorky styling) and perhaps addressed areas that did not require attention (suspension and handling, and to a lesser degree, interior content). Whereas Honda managed to zero in on problem areas (power, noise) and addressed them with the '02, and at the same time effected slight improvements in all other areas. This has been a Honda trademark since day 1. Just MHO.

rsholland

http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosinsider/0202/07/-409307.htm

As to styling—it's purely subjective. However, most over on the Subaru forums think it's a big improvement.

As to power—wait till next year when the turbo arrives.

Bob

canadiancl

I think someone posted that the Forester gains about 40 mm in interior space. And I had noted that even if all 40 mm went into the back, it would still be about 112 mm LESS than the '02 CR-V.

As to styling, I respect those guys over at Subaru forum, but lets face it, it wouldn't take much to improve on the current Forester!

As to turbo power, aside from Porsche, I wouldn't pay to option up to one. For an everyday car, I couldn't bother with the added care & maintenance, the peakiness, lag, etc.

diploid

From a 2.5 4-banger...and you STILL want a turbo?

199 lb-ft...that's almost as much torque as a 3.0L V-6 in an Escape, and the Subaru guys want a turbo? I have one word for them: greedy.

That amount of power is more than adequate for the Forester. Even the current engine, with only 165 lb-ft of torque, is a strong performer.

But back to the CR-V...I would like to hear from owners on what their lease contracts are like. I'm playing e-mail tag with someone about a blue 2WD LX.

canadiancl

It should be 166.

diploid

I was hoping they'd either tweak the old engine just a bit, or offer a completely new one.

sdealy

What kind of mileage are you getting out of your 2002 CRV?

acor2

Thanks for your info on cargo space
and reference to 26" frames, helpful info.
Great selling - safety point not to have to put
your bikes on a roof or rear carrier......

scname

My first tank was 22 mpg. Now its up to 25.02 mpg on my latest tank after 1600 miles. I think I can get over 30 mpg on the freeway at speeds around 73 mph. Its EX auto.

kens

Raymond,

You're right. The Forester probably didn't get the increase in rear seat room that many owners were hoping for. However, don't forget that Forester was designed as compact wagon/miniute. If people needed people hauling capacity, Subaru has the Legacy line for that. I think Honda is the exception in being able to carve a lot of rear passenger seat room in the CR-V, albeit at the expense of some cargo room.

True, while Honda did fix some glaring drawbacks of the previous generation CR-V, there are still other aspects that still could use improvement such as the tailgate swing out position, steering wheel angle and RT4WD. Also, since you mentioned styling, I personally think Honda took a step back with the current CR-V styling. I much prefer the old front end over the current cartoon like facade.

BTW, modern day turbos are not quite the high-maintenance engines of yesteryear. Depending on it's tuning a turbo can offer good low end grunt and help to broaden a torque curve while offering good fuel milage. Also, turbos can benefit those who consistently drive at high altitudes -- not a bad idea for a vehicle that could spend time in the mountains.

Ken

varmint

Kens - I dunno about that. The Tribute/Escape also managed to keep decent cargo area and a generous back seat. So does the Santa Fe, but that's just a bigger vehicle, period. But you make a good point about doubling up with the Legacy line. There's not a lot of room in that niche for the Forester to grow.

With regard to the CR-V, the biggest complaints about the 1st gen were power, the tailgate, the window switches, and to a lesser extend the bus-like driving position. Honda addressed power, the window switches, and did change the position of the steering wheel. There were two problems with the tailgate. The direction that it opened and the two step opening process. Honda addressed the two step process. So, yes, it was addressed, but you can argue that they didn't go far enough.

RT4WD was only a problem for the enthusiast critics and folks who view AWD as a performance gain. Owners have had very few problems with it. In fact, similar reactive systems have been used by Ford/Mazda and Saturn. I'll admit that I was hoping for an LSD or some other enhancement on the upper models, but I wouldn't classify the basic design as a "problem".

guyf

You're talking about 26" wheels. 26" frame for a bike would be for a guy about 7 foot tall. Large size for a mountain bike frame is 19-20" while a medium is 16-17"...

rsholland

As with the first generation of these models, the basic character has not changed. Those who value utility (SUV) will prefer the CRV. Those who value sport (SUV) will prefer the Forester. Since they emphasize sport, a turbo option is a natural extension of their marketing.

Subaru, with all of its products, doesn't take "dead aim" at the center of any one market. Instead they prefer to take a "glancing blow," which is what the Forester is. The new Forester is designed first, to please current customers who value and appreciate the direction Subaru is headed in, and second, to bring in new customers.

As with Honda and the new CRV, I think Subaru did an excellent job.

Bob

ohiogreg

I finally picked up my new 2002 EX last night from Park Honda in Akron/Canton. WOW!! The dark green color is fantastic. They parked it next to a silver model that I had considered as my other color choice and I'm pleased with the green. Got the hard tire cover, floor mats, cargo net. Only minor complaint on the ride home that I hadn't noticed was the reduced left foot room. Can I check the mileage after 12 miles? Kidding.

The ride, power, noise level and interior room are superior to my wife's 1997.

In love so far.

kens

varmint,

Not sure if I agree. The Tribape was based off a 626 chassis and the Santa Fe, a Sonata -- both larger models than the Civic and Impreza. It's no suprise here that they have more rear passenger and cargo room.

I was just trying to point out that Honda did a good job with the rear seats given the fact that the CR-V is based on a sub-compact frame.

Ken

jlyonmn

The first tank in my '02 EX 5-speed got me 22 mpg in mostly ( very hilly ) city driving. The second tank of almost all freeway driving was 27 mpg.

Jeff

scname

I have an 02 EX automatic. rev vs speeds are: 1500 rpm at 40 mph. 1900 rpm at 50 mph. 2250 rpm at 60 mph. 2500 rpm at 70 mph. 2980 rpm at 80 mph. Conditions are 65 degree F , windless .

Manual transmissions rev highier.

New engine is 2.4 L vs old 2.0 L.

canadiancl

kens: Your points are well taken except I still feel there is too much overlap between the Forester and the Lagacy/OB. Perhaps the problem is that Subaru should have made the OB even bigger, closer to to mid-size. As it stands now, the Lagacy/OB line is quite compact, somewhere between a Civic and an Accord in terms of size and capacity.

Bob made a good point re Subaru's target market. I think Subaru, and to a lesser extent, Mazda, made their mark in the industry by being niche manufacturers. They produce vehicles for market "seams" that the bigger mainstream manufacturers have ignored. Granted, they have now evolved into more mainstream manufacturers, but I think there are still remnants of that niche marketing philosophy in their product lines.

zops

"Strong Demand for Light Trucks Drives Honda Sales in January
Sales of CR-V Up 82 Percent

Torrance, Calif. 02/01/2002 -- Strong demand for light trucks led American Honda to January sales of 84,878 down a scant 1.5 percent, narrowly missing setting a new January record, according to figures released today by American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Light truck sales of 28,778 increased 35.2 percent, shattering the previous January record of 21,283, set in 2001. The Honda Odyssey minivan, Honda CR-V sport utility vehicle and Acura MDX luxury sport utility vehicle all set January sales records. The all-new CR-V, which went on sale in November 2001, also set a new all-time, one-month record with sales of 13,723 units. Odyssey sales of 10,796 were up 23.4 percent from last year while MDX sales of 3,423 were up 0.3 percent.

"This is the most complete lineup of light trucks we've ever had," said Dick Colliver, American Honda executive vice president. "There is extremely strong demand for the new CR-V, and we continue to sell Odyssey minivans and Acura MDXs as quickly as we can build them."

Honda Division sales of 72,742 were only 1,041 units off of last January's record with Accord sales of 25,947 and Civic sales of 19,854. In addition, the S2000 set a January sales record of 752 vehicles.

Acura Division totaled near record January sales of 12,136 despite limited availability of several key models.
------------------------------------
CR-Vs will likely continue to sell at near MSRP for a while. The market for the Pilot is different and will effect Highlander sales.
CR-V demand could be same as Odysssey for a while. So if you're thinking of waiting to buy at lower levels, g=forget about it.
Kinda like buying a stock that is booming. You can never buy it because it never pulls back in price enough.

varmint

Guyf - It's been a while since I was into biking. I was a street biker in my youth and never got into mountain biking. Are they measured differently? FWIW, this is what Honda says about the bikes.

"With the rear seats folded and tumbled forward, the CR-V provides 72.0 cubic feet of rear cargo space (this can accommodate two full-size, 26-inch mountain bikes in an upright, secured position without having to remove the rear seats - a feat that few compact SUVs can accomplish!)"

Here's the link. Click on interior.

Kens - Frame? Actually the new Civic is a compact, not subcompact, but I get your point. I think that the Forester's "problem" is a lack of wheelbase. There's only so much room between the axles for two rows of seats. Subaru either doesn't want to change the vehicle that much (competition with the Legacy, performance compromises, etc.) or they cannot change the platform significantly for manufacturing reasons (structural issues, costs to change the lines, extra materials, etc.). Any of those could be enough to spoil Subaru's profits on the car.

rsholland

I agree. Virtually every other car (SUV) in this area has a wheelbase around 103" +/-. I haven't seen the measurement on the new Forester's wheelbase, but I doubt if it's over 100".

Bob

varmint

Zops - Try this link for sales comparisons. It updates every month when the data becomes available (currently December). In it's first full month of sales, the CR-V surpassed both the Liberty and Escape for unit sales. January also looks good, but we'll have to wait a while to see if those numbers become a trend. This could be backlash from all the folks who have been waiting on the '02 model. Someone here called it, "pent up demand", which seems like a good term to me.

varmint

Ay, who is u callin' stupit?

bajie2

This issue was mentioned before. But i would like to bring it up again.
Is it typical that for 2002 CRV, when you are slowing the car by applying the brake, almost when the car stops moving, and then you change mind and step on the gas pedal, the car will make a horrible sound of "thunk" and shake and start to
pick up the speed.

I experienced this situation several times, very concerned. Am i being paranoid?

canadiancl

I hope I'm not stating the obvious, but that thunk & subsequent shudder is due to the tranny not downshifting quick enough when you get back on the gas. I'll bet the problem doesn't happen when you ease back onto the throttle? Honda auto trannies prior to '97 were notorious for this flaw, only 10x worse. It used to feel and sound like the shifter got knocked into neutral in mid-throttle.

rsholland

I've just started a new forum for the new generation CRV and Forester to be disucused:

CRV vs Forester: 2nd generation, MY2003 -

Bob

Spyponder

Don't get me started (again)!

rsholland

It's bound to come up. I'm just trying to help out...

Bob

canadiancl

2003 CR-V's not out yet. Honda may be making improvements even as we speak (type)!