2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

georged98

I was wondering if the new 2002 CRV engine has a timing belt or chain.
Thanks.

bfyerxa

The 2002 CR-V has a timing chain. This was a significant issue for me as changing timing belts every 60,000 miles (100,000 km) was the one annoying aspect of Honda ownership that I found.

isellhondas

It's 105,000 miles for Honda timing belts for 1997 and newer models. 90,000 miles for 1990-1997 models.

I guess I'll always wonder why that's such a "significant issue" or such an "annoying" thing?

Don't mind me....just grumpy today, I guess!

Anyway...everyone should be happy! New CRVS now have a chain. Ooops....chains can and do cause trouble too!

rsholland

It's "significant" or annoying" because it's expensive to replace. A timing chain is unlikely to need replacing.

Bob

yachtie

Only times I have had any timing chain or belt break on me was on a 1981 Datsun diesel Maxima.The timing CHAIN broke twice, once at about 150,000kms and again at about 230,000 kms.They are also 4-5 times more expensive to replace than a belt.

Yachtie.

inky

glad you got Joe marina to match price it is their policy anyhow-I am guessing. don Carleton usually will not. I am an engineer and in the Army Reserve. I love Hondas and have been buying since 1991. I push Mark Roberts because of their pricing policy. I have always been treated well and the price has never been an issue. You know what you will pay up front. the only reason you got the deal you did was due to Mark Roberts Honda-who is hated by the Tulsa dealers. I imagine you even showed them the bill of sale to match the price. good for you. I actually bought my 00 CRV from Joe Marina but I walked in with my Mark Roberts Jacket on (they give on at each sale) and they gave me the price without asking.
But, they were in good supply and Mark Roberts did not have any for a while due in.
What color and when do you take delivery?

INKY

hayduke01

Is replacing a timing chain NOT routine maintenance, as is the belt.

Had a chain go out in a 1970 Pontiac Lemans back in '75. Also had a belt go out on an '87 Subaru prior to the scheuled replacement, which I think was 60k miles.

zops

You amy get lucky and not have to replace one, but if you do I'm sure it would be over 1K on a CRV. Much more than the 300 for the serpentine belts.
This is another reason i purchased the 7yr/100mi extended warranty for my 02 EX/auto directly from the dealer for $995. I'd rather pay $15 per month and not have to even think about it for 7 years, which is when i typically sell cars.

varmint

Timing chains tend to be more durable than belts. There is no guarantee, but, generally, they last longer. The flip side is that they are louder than a belt. As we know, Hondas tend to be loud even with a belt. Moving to the chain could require additional sound proofing (melt sheets), which are not cheap and add weight. Pick your poison.

carguy62

Wrecked my Accord, so it's new vehicle time. Was hoping I wouldn't have to play the game with such a hot vehicle (middle of the summer when the Pilot will be hogging all the attention was when I was planning to purchase) but the wreck changed that.

I've read about the CR-Vs going for under invoice to ADMs of $2000 so I'm sure it will be quite fun (as much as having a tooth pulled ;-)). I'll let you know.

varmint

CR-V sales in January put the CR-V at the top of the chart (just like December). It has widened the gap from the Liberty and is now selling more than the Escape and Tribute combined. If this continues, good deals will be very hard to find.

http://www.autosite.com/editoria/asmr/svolsu.asp

tomsr

I have been checking CRV inventories at various
local Honda dealers and I noticed there are
hundreds of Accords and they are offering 2.9%
financing.Seems like the smart thing to do is cut production of Accords and convert to CRV.The closest dealer has 5 CRVs and have added $1000
to MSRP because of limited availablity.I wonder if
I tried to get a 5 speed would it be marked up cause not everyone likes manual transmissions.

varmint

Chances are, Honda is already beginning plans to convert those Accord facilities to produce the newer model.

You might have better luck trying to get a good deal on a 5 speed. However, you may have to wait a while for it to come in.

hurler4

I am in the market for a small SUV or hatchback/station wagon, and have narrowed it down to the Matrix, Protege5, Forester, and CR-V.
I lead hikes with the AMC and do a lot of skiing, mountain biking, etc., so I end up in the middle of nowhere a lot, often in bad weather. Does anyone know if you can get an outside temperature gauge, compass, and weather band radio with the CR-V? I checked online, read reviews, etc., and don't see anything on any of these options. They aren't "make or break" options, but they are fairly important to me. And the 2003 Forester will have all three as options from what I hear, plus heated seats.

altoon

I ordered my 5-speed (EX) on December 7 and am picking it up on Friday. My observation is that there is much less demand for manual transmissions (the dealer acted like he couldn't believe his ears when I told him I wanted the 5-speed) but there is also a very short supply. Based on what I'm hearing on this board, your ability to get a good deal may depend more on the area of the country you are in and the particular dealer you are negotiating with.

I got $1,000 off MSRP. The dealer offered this before I told him I wanted a 5 speed. I added after-market leather which brought the purchase price to $22,750 (almost identical to MSRP for the automatic). I'm adding a few other options that I plan to order from Handa and install myself (moon roof visor, roof rack, splash guards, and wheel locks) I'll let you know about the 5 speed after I get it. I haven't even driven one yet - hope the head room is adequate!

carguy62

In my very limited searching so far, one dealer said "you know with supply and demand these things are going for sticker plus options". And then he goes on to mention that he gets 15-20 a month and currently has 4 in stock. Another dealer sent me a quote for a manual (I asked for an auto) that was ~$1000 above invoice although he mentioned "other fees". A check of their inventory showed 59 CR-Vs including 33 EX models (with four of those being MT).

That's just two. There are at least five others I would consider buying from including the last dealer I purchased from. Supply is here, at least in my area. As for the demand, well if a dealer has 59 vehicles in inventory, that tells me everyone they get isn't being sold so I am expecting a pretty good deal. That's one benefit of living in a major market.

ronstoy

I don't place much "stock" in online inventories, I have been checking out some around my area and they are never accuate. I think it would be hard to "hide" 59 CR-V's on the lot. It either includes ones in transit or ones that have been sold days or weeks ago and have not been removed.

carguy62

Although I haven't visited this particular dealer, you're right that it would be pretty hard to have all those on their lot. I do remember when I bought my last Honda, the dealer (again very large volume) had two lots (one remote) so they had a pretty good inventory. Funny story related to that, when I'm driving home with my new Accord the check engine light goes on, I return (not very happy to say the least) and they start to give me the line about the gas cap and I told them I won't take the car, so they go to their lot and find the same one, switch the paperwork and voila.

Back to the CR-V, my area has enough dealers that I imagine there are some deals to be had.

isellhondas

This has come up numerous time on other boards.

I just know that some folks think a timing belt is something sinister or something.

My point was...so we replace them once every 105,000 miles! Is that such a big deal? Will we even keep the car that long?

Chains wear out also along with the gears and tenshioners etc...they are not without problems although they aren't a normal replacement item.

I think Honda probably got tired of hearing about this and went with the chains now.

Hopefully everyone will now be happy!

ticktock4321

I personally would prefer the belt. Why? As you mentioned it's a maintenance item. Do it and be done with it. The chain? Well as I understand it you don't replace it as part of regular maintenance but like any other part it may need replacing and from what I hear it is bigger bucks than the belt. So pick your poison.

sfbayarea

Check out the v6000 model at:

http://www.pnicorp.com/compass-products-and-digital-compasses/compasses.html#compasses

wyoreb

hey, congrats on your new crv! sounds like so far, so go. did you purchase yours at a denver area dealership? how was availability?

also, if you're willing to share your experience about aftermarket window tinting, i would appreciate your insights.

please post pix if you get a chance.

timz58

I live in the great Pacific NW about 40 miles north of PDX. CRV availability is a tough nut to crack in this area as most dealers are asking anywhere from $1500-$3000+ over MSRP. We purchased our Chianti Red EX Automatic at MSRP and got decent trade for our 98 GMC Sonoma Pickup. Actually about $1500 over what Edmunds said it was worth. I shopped this deal all over the Portland and Seattle areas and couldn't beat it. We made the deal in mid-December and picked the vehicle up on Feb 7th. Worth the wait when I looked at the Saturn, Escape, Suzuki, Tranker and Santa Fe. After one week in the VEE, I wouldn't trade it for any one of them. First choice would have been the Hilander but toooooo pricey! The Rondevous was interesting but untried and sadly, another GM product. Love my Vee.

kitzthefrat

I have read some of the tranny problems already mentioned, but I think I have a new one. I have a 2002 CRV EX, had it for a month. Only complaint is that on cold mornings when the tranny shifts from first to second or second to third it acts like it slips into neutral for a second, the engine revs up, and then it slams back into gear. Only happens on cold mornings, and only on the first drive, after that it is fine. Been back to the dealer multiple times they cannot reproduce so I get nothing. It is really more of an nuisance, but wondered if anybody else had experienced?

Also, I live in Omaha, Nebraska, when I ordered my CRV in December it was at MSRP, they did give me a break on the options but not much. Three Honda dealers in the Omaha area, all were selling at MSRP, tried playing two against each other, didn't work, MSRP or leave it.

mrbassman

I finally got to drive an EX automatic and heard "the noise". It isn't bad at all, I can live with it. I put a deposit down to hold an EX coming in next week. They are selling for MSRP. I still wonder if I should have gotten the 5-speed though.

ateixeira

I'd ask the dealer to flush the ATF, and more importantly document your complaint now, while it's under warranty. That way if the tranny fails, you're covered.

-juice

johncrv

Hi, this is my first post. Just joined the group today. First, thanks to varmint for posting the link pertaining the sale figures for SUVs, which basically shows that the CRV '02 outsold the RAV by a margin of 2 to 1 in January '02. This should settle the question of which of the cars is better. We were in the market for the new matrix but since our local dealer ain't have it yet...we walked to the other dealers next door just for fun. So we ended up in the Honda dealer and started looking at a new CRV '01. It looked very nice but still wanted to see the new matrix. Then the salesman pointed out the new '02 CRV dark red parked near the show room. We went and looked at it and it looked great. We were highly impressed but wanted a different color. The salesman said that two "silver ones" had just arrived and were in the back. Sure enough we went to the back of the dealer and there they were, still with factory wrapped seats, spare tire, etc. We told the salesman that we were taking one of them but since it was almost 8PM we made an appointment for the following day, early morning. That evening we made our homework, looking for reviews, etc. on the web; this is how I found this site. The following morning, the salesman give us a price quote that was almost $22K (LX 2WD), which was almost $2000 over MSRP. I was very surprised and a bit angry to say the least. The salesman said that the car was hot and consumers were paying about that much over MSRP. So we mentioned our auto buying program, which the dealer is a participant of, and without any more words showed us the prearranged price, which was just a few hundred dollars over invoice price. Obviously, we made the transaction right away and took the car home. We've had it for almost a week and can't say enough about the CRV '02...it is just a wonderful car. It drives great. My two favorite things: a CD player with cassette (I have a lots of cassettes); the picnic table...what an idea! Of course we now notice all other CRVs on the road...I didn't realize that there were so many of them out there... as one reads in other posts, we'll be seeing more CRVs in the next few months. Needless to say but we forgot about the matrix the minute we saw the CRV '02.

kentwong

johncrv, would you please tell us more details of the "auto buying program" you're referring to? and what was the prearranged price you paid? Thanks.

tidester

Welcome to the Town Hall - we're looking forward to hearing lots more from you!

tidester
Host
SUVs

mexicali

I've just finished settling a deal with a Honda dealer in the Pacific Northwest. All the crap about $1000-$1500 pricing above MSRP is true, but only in the I-5 corridor.

HOWEVER do your research.. I found a dealer just outside Portland, whose offering price was $400 below MSRP. No questions asked. The dealer was great, and I need to wait 2 months (early April) to get my car, but hey... to save over $1000 its really worth it.

Use the web..

Cheers!
Kevin

johncrv

kentwong, this was a program through my local "Cos..." membership warehouse. If you have one near you it wouldn't hurt to ask them about the local participant dealers (hopefully your local honda dealer is participating). The way it works is simple...you just go to the participant dealer, pick the car you like, and then ask to see the prearranged price. This price is nonnegotiable, but there is no need to negotiate since the price is usually at invoice or a few hundred dollars more. BTW, the invoice price listed here on edmunds.com seems to be right. I paid $500 over the invoice price of $17,811 (LX2WD). Of course any options are extra.

h1vc

Whats a "Cos..." membership warehouse? Thanks.

canadiancl

h1vc

thanks.

kentwong

johncrv, thanks for the info. I'll find out if our Honda dealer is dealing with "Cos...".

jvkalra

It looks like 0% just for this weekend, but tells you how much the CR-V has impacted RAV sales. Personally, I think RAV sales are going to keep on shrinking, until Toyota takes about $4K off the price.

seguy

I'm down in the springs area, paid $400 below Msrp for a lx auto awd with side air bags. Might have been able to shop around up in denver and get maybe 200 less, but that's alot of hassle, and from my experience the dealer in the springs stays pretty competitive with the region. I've added a few accessories that i bought from hparts and the best one is the leather steering wheel cover (1 hr to install). I don't like the plastic wheel too much. Also added the cargo cover (5 mins), kinda cheap looking in my opinion, suppose to be a vinyl material, but looks and feels almost like a thick cardboard paper!! Surprised me when I pulled it out, had to double check to see if it was OEM. other than that it does the job, but I don't know how well it will wear. Also added the front mud guards (15 mins). Waiting til it gets a little warmer to put in the metal trim kit, and next week my 16" rims should be in. got a set of yokohama avid h4's size 215/60 put on them. And the keyless are still on back order, don't expect to see them for at least a month.
Really enjoying the ride, but once it hits 1000 miles, turning it over to my wife for good (except for when we go on trips).
good luck on your vehicle purchase.

ateixeira

RAV4 sales are OK. It was 6864 units in January 2002, more than January 2001. CR-V had a fantastic January, with 13,723, easily the class leader. Sales aren't everything, though.

We'll see if Honda can sustain this pace. The Escape and Liberty have alternatively led for a while, so there isn't a clear leader.

You gotta remember, though, Honda has just one SUV. Toyota has half a dozen or so. Even the Matrix will overlap with the RAV4 a bit.

-juice

seguy

had mine done for $149 with madico film at a local tinting shop. Did very good work, took about 3 hours. My wife wanted all the windows tinted (legally) which means in colorado 27% is the lowest we could go. Madico only had 35% and 20%, so had to go with the 35%. I would have gone 20% all around, with the 35% or 50% up front, but my wife will be driving it most often, and she didn't feel that comfortable with it being that dark especially at night.

suvshopper4

RAV4 sales have not shrunk.

Jan 02 was up over Jan 01, and the RAV moved up the sales chart (to 14th) for all SUVs sold in Jan. And that is with no factory incentives.

seguy

Wyoreb-
Legally (in Colorado) you can tint as dark as you want as long as the two front windows aren't tinted. If you want to tint the front windows at all, you can only go down to 27%. I've seen a few cars with obviously darker tint all around, but that's there risk. When we looked around and had our accord tinted last summer, a lot of the tint shops didn't recommend going past legal, but said they would do it if we wanted it. They also said all cops carry a light emmission device, and the fine is $300. not to much of a gambler myself, so I figure that it wasn't worth it. Besides the % of the tint doesn't affect uv penetration, they (high quality films) all block like 99.9% of that, so that'll protect your interior. It does affect the amount of heat penetration though. Typically, i found that 27-35% blocks about 50-60% of heat, and 20% blocks like 65% of heat. So not much difference. But if you're looking for a darker look, go for it. As far as price, if you go to an independent shop expect to pay around 150 for the good film, and if you go to a major chain expect around 200-240, I think they offer faster turn around times (some say install in an hour!) with two people working on a car plus more overhead as they are usually located in large shopping areas.

ateixeira

Toyota is flying high, actually. Car sales are up 3.5% compared to last January. RAV4 sales are up 1.5%, with the total truck fleet skyrocketing 11.7%. All that in a recession.

They have a full line of trucks, and outsell Honda by more than 2 to 1.

-juice

seguy

anybody install leather seats in their c-rv?? Did you get door trim as well, or a heated seat? prices paid?
thanks

carguy62

Remember when we were talking about inventories. A dealer I checked on-line said he had ~60 CR-Vs. Today they had a big ad in the paper saying they had over 70 so I called them. He confirmed they have them and he offered a very good price.

So maybe some on-line inventories are correct.

Amazing the difference in prices. He wouldn't have been my first, second or third choice to buy from but I can't pass up that price. Hopefully they won't pull a fast one with fees (I asked and he said no).

jvkalra

I agree that overall Toyota sales are doing well, simply because of their quality and broad product lineup, which has lots of overlap. IMHO, RAV sales were even or somewhat down for Jan even though Toyota says they were up slightly. Sometimes these numbers can be "borrowed" a little from the next month to show sales growth.

I'm convinced that 2001 was the peak for RAV sales until the next redesign(2006?). Time will tell. My point here is that even though the RAV is a very stylish SUV, compared to the CR-V and Matrix it comes across as cramped and overpriced. FWIW, RAV sales have dropped to less than 1000/month in Japan from 10000/month at the peak, because there's lots of competition.

atuzai

I want to do window tinting on my CR-V too. But I know nothing about tint film. Local tint shop has LLumar , Vista and Solar gard three brand films. which is better? Any suggestion? Thanks!

kentwong

A Toyota dealer (where we bought a Camry from) sent us an ad yesterday. The deals are $2500 off all RAV4, $4300 off the Sienna, and $4000 off the 4Runners... I still believe Toyotas are priced too high. In the Honda dealership, they're selling the CR-V $350 - $550 off the MSRP. Did anyone ever point out the fact that CR-V has a profit margin of less than 10%. It is hard for me to believe it. Carsdirect.com is selling the Civic and Accord 10% off the MSRP nowadays. Is Honda sending the "wrong" invoice price to the consumers?

isellhondas

Please...be careful! Personally, I HATE aftermarket tint for a variety of reasons.

I also live in the Seattle area where tint isn't needed though.

Be SURE to get a quality job done using the best of materials. Otherwise the stuff will look like crap in a couple of years, turn purple etc...

suvshopper4

jvkalra: "IMHO, RAV sales were even or somewhat down for Jan even though Toyota says they were up slightly. Sometimes these numbers can be "borrowed" a little from the next month to show sales growth."

What do you base your opinion on? Got insider info? C'mon, I won't tell anybody.

And what other SUV manufacturers, if any, do you think might be fudging their sales numbers?

The RAV may be overpriced for you. Buyer's choice. But to many buyers, it is apparently priced right. Your mileage has varied.

ateixeira

Cadillac and Mitsubishi. Remember the bogus sales Cadillac used to claim they were still ahead of Lincoln, whose Navigator was crushing them at the time? Busted.

Mitsu faked sales to meet quotas, and later the people that bought the cars had shorter warranties because they kicked in when the sales were registered. OOPS! That's not legal, Mitsu!

RAV4 was new last year, so that model year will probably be the peak for sales. Especially once you factor in the people that will cross-shop the Matrix. There's even an AWD model of the Matrix.

That's not Toyota's problem right now. They have a full line of cars and trucks and overall sales are way up in a bad market. Right now their problem is addressing the 3.3 million engines with possible oil sludge issues, and their unhappy customers.

-juice