Freeber, as others have already answered, the OEM rack for 2nd gen is not adjustable.
Varmint, I don't foresee driving my 'V up north much, but I was nevertheless a bit concerned by your words of caution regarding the use of the LTX M/S tire up north. Tire Rack classifies the LTX M/S tire as "Highway All Season" Their general description of "Highway All Season" is:
"Your worst driving conditions are gravel roads and snow covered highways...
These light tuck/SUV tires feature small independent tread blocks positioned around the the tire to maintain very good on-road performance, as well as traction on gravel roads, in sand and moderate snow."
Tire Rack/Michelin's specific description of the LTX M/S tires is:
"The Michelin LTX M/S offers optimal durability and traction in combination with exceptional mileage and the classic Michelin smooth, quiet ride for pickups, vans, sport utilities and other commercial light truck applications. If you, like most light truck owners, spend a lot more time on the road than off, the LTX M/S gives you the manners of a car tire, with the ruggedness of a light truck tire while maintaining an exceptional amount of snow traction due to the interlocking, full depth sipes."
FWIW, here's a LINK to the survey comments at Tire Rack on the LTX M/S tires. Based on this info, it sounds like this particular tire would be well-suited for your neck of the woods, so I'm wondering if perhaps you could elaborate on your concerns.
It has been a long time since I could not afford a full tank of gas but I was wondering if you only put a few gallons in,what happens?The air in the tank has to be vaccumed off by the recovery system and the check engine light might come on. Cars are way to complicated now all in an attempt to make them idiot proof.The best safety device is drivers training and strict enforcement of rules of the road.Remember,it is the nut behind the wheel that may be loose.
This board is really rolling! I have been away for a while and got so many posts to catch up. juice - congrat on your new Legacy, it sounds like a great deal. Like you, if I can convince my wife, my next car would be a WRX. How about a Sti? I can dream, at least
varmint - as usual, always enjoy your advice and info. It is funny you have changed from varmit to varmint since Feb, but you are still being called varmit some times.
susanlm - I had the side airbig light turned on once. My wife of driving and I was sorting out bunch of CDs on the passage seat. I was either leaning forward or on the side, my wife told me the side airbig light turned on, I leaned over and looked it went away already. We haven't seen it came on since. Does your side airbig light come on frequently?
I have been browsing thru a lot of web site with regard to the tires performance. Gatorgreg is right on the MICHELIN'S LTX M/S tires info. In windy city where I am, LTX M/S may work find for me as long as I keep my speed limit especially on winter time. Drive safe to all.
For some reason I prefer varmit, maybe it is because varmint was varmit when I first join the board. juice - do you keep your miata in a garage? Since we bought our CR-V, my miata has been sitting on the street instead of our garage. After a few months of Texas sunlight the clear coat on the rear license area started to fade/peel. I think I will need a car cover, any suggestion?
No, our two Subies sit under a car port. The Miata is on the driveway, but at least it's off-street parking.
And I have the Crystal White, a color notorious for peeling. I guess I like to live on the edge! ;-)
Out of curiosity, are both cars yours? Do you drive the Miata on nice days, the CR-V the rest of the time? I'm asking because I do (Miata and Forester), and I think they make a good team, complementing each other nicely.
juice - the CR-V is supposed to be my wife's car. I have been so busy and didn't have time to sell her 98 Jetta VR6. She is not used to driving a SUV yet(especially parking and back up) so she let me drive the V for now. I try to drive my Miata whenever the weather is nice enough. Mine is in Montego Blue. Beside the Texas sunlight, I guess when I had my trunk fixed last year (a piece of metal bar fell off my garage door and made a big dent on my trunk), they must have some paint solvent or something got on the that panel to make the clear coat fade/peel over time
I don't even have my CR-V yet, and I keep reading all these complaints. Do you guys regret buying it? Would you buy something else if you had it to do all over again?
I filled up my CR-V today and drove for about 2 miles, the light went off. It seems that the vehicle does have a very sensitive emission control system. So next time you have this happen to you, don't panic just yet. You may be able to fix it by fill it up and drive away( certainly after paying for the gas).
I picked up my EX CR-V had the fog light ,front bumper guard , chrome tail pipe extention,cargo cover, hard tire cver, front mud flaps,andleather steering wheel cover put on, I got my CR-V over $1000.00 under sticker . The only thing I had to do is wait 6 weeks for it to come in . So far I like it alot. Did anyone put the honda bass in there V.. if so how was the sound.
Why do various auto review magazines publish the CR-V ground clearance from anywhere between 6.6" and 8". According to GatorGreg, an SUV must have 8" of ground clearance otherwise its just a wagon.
I would think that capability is a better measure than ground clearance. Some SUV's (like the X5) don't have 8", but are certainly quite capable. Anyway most "SUV's" are wagon or car based. The CRV is based on the Civic platform. I think GatorGreg is getting confused with SUT (truck) vs SUV (vehicle). Vehicle being the operative word. If its sporty, has utility and is a vehicle - then call it an SUV.
GatorGreg - My bad. Thanks for questioning that post. I was thinking of the X-Ones (isn't that what you had on AlbinoGator?). The X-Ones are a standard touring tire and, while they have not rated poorly for snow, they aren't exactly ideal either. Anyway, my mistake. The LTX M/S rubber looks like a better all-season choice.
Chaya - We often end up posting the same issues and their corrections repeatedly for new members. It happens in many threads. For that reason, many folks keep coming here to have their issues solved. So we get a lot of talk about "problems".
Personally, I seldom post about the great trips I've had, simply because I've already done that dozens of times over the past few years (Edmunds, you owe me a life). But I'd be happy to do it again for you!
I have 60,000 miles on my 99 CR-V. The only unscheduled maintenace I've done was to replace a set of worn out wipers at around 25K. I average over 25mpg (mine is a 5 speed). My daily commute is about 60/40 split between highway and town roads. There's typically a few minutes of bumper to bumper traffic.
Most frequently, I use the cargo area to haul my two greyhounds to the local ballfield. I give them some quality time in a fenced-in area big enough for them to reach full speed. However, I've also used it for Home Depot runs, numerous camping trips, and ski trips. One of my camping buddies is 6'4", so the diminutive RAV4 was not going to cut it.
I've also done a few long trips simply for the sake of being a CR-Ver. My last one was more than 2,000 miles round trip. I drove from the Boston area down to St Augustine Florida to meet up with GatorGreg and a few other CR-Vers (and two MDXers). Prior to that, I made a trip to join up with about 26 CR-Vs in Baltimore for the second Mid Atlantic CR-V meet. I won a cargo mat and several other groovy CR-V items. My first CR-V meet was the first Allegheny National Forest run in PA. That's when I met TheRacoon and my first visit with "RECS" (known on other boards as the lovable Goonga Ron). He and his family were also there at the Mid Atlantic meet.
Along the way, there have been a few off-road trips, more than a few snow storms, and even a leisurely drive through the atlantic ocean. Okay, maybe just the surf...
Buster (that's the CR-V's name) turned three years old this April. He has a few mods to make him my own. I've got custom leather seats (with dual heaters), the leather steering wheel wrap, an OEM skidplate, obnoxious little blue lights on the hood, all red taillights, mud guards, XtraVision bulbs in the headlamps, dynamat sound proofing, and a few other rinky-dink items.
My only complaint with the vehicle has been road noise at highway speeds. The new models are better in this regard, but some folks still wish for more quiet. YMMV
Nimrod - All SUVs are wagons. The term "wagon" refers to the two box body style.
Ground clearance is one (of the many) measurements that gauges a vehicle's potential for off-road performance. Some of the others include approach, departure, and breakover angles. Then there is the ramp index (for suspension travel or articulation), and measurements to various points other than the rear diff.
For a decent discussion on the merits of articulation vs clearance, check out this thread.
As for your definitions of SUV and SUT, umm... why does it matter?
After four trips to the dealer to have the d*** thing turned off and the code read, I got a call this morning that the software fix is in. Will go next week for 5000-mile oil change and let them load the new software.
My list of things to mention/ask about while there:
The funny buzz/sizzle noise when turning the key sometimes.
The rear washer squirt thing doesn't seem to work.
Seat jiggles when I hit a rough place in the road. (Not rocking, more like loosely attached.)
Anyone think of other ideosyncracies I should ask about while I have their undivided attention?
I love Rosebud--a fun drive, very responsive, easy to park, smooth at speed. Wish the seats were more comfy though.
tman: keep 3 cars. I love our fleet and we get lots of use out of all our cars. The VR6's torque is intoxicating. :-)
8" seems like a pretty arbitrary number, chosen specifically to include the CR-V. If you ever get the chance, tag along on a Jeep Jamboree. Most of those are modified and anything less than 10" or 12" is considered lacking.
Is it true that the top speed of the 02 CR-V is only around a 110 mph? That seems slow. Is there any way to make it faster? What controls the top speed? Especially since the speedo goes to 150 mph. Thanks
Top speed can be affected by a number of things. Gearing and engine rpm being the most significant. You can have an engine with lots of power, but, if it runs out of transmission, you're out of luck. Aerodynamics would be the next. A brick isn't going to fly as fast as a baseball even if they are "thrown" with the same amount of power. Acura recently upped the top speed of the NSX by giving it an aerodynamic facelift.
That said, I think that 110 mph is plenty fast for an SUV. IIRC, the actual number is 106 or 108. Don't try it at home, kids.
I'm confused? ROTFLMAO! You can't even decide on a username As for your comments on ground clearance, you've obviously been reading my recent post over on CR-VIX. Maybe you should consider posting your replies on the appropriate forum
I've never seen a review with either the 6.6" or 8" measurement of ground clearance for the CR-V that you mentioned, but then again, I don't subscribe to the Cuckoo Times. The lowest I've ever seen was 6.5" in the recent CR comparo of 2nd gen 'V v. Liberty v. Freelander v. XL-7 v. VUE which according to CR the 'V won "easily". In the same comparo, CR says the ground clearance for the Jeep and Land Rover are also 6.5", while the Saturn and Suzuki are both listed at 5.5". Thus, they obviously have a unique testing arrangement. Rightly or wrongly, ground clearance is almost always measured from the rear diff and most reviews I've seen list both the 1st and 2nd gen CR-V's at 8.1" (Automobile, Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Truck Trend). Therefore the CR-V meets my own personal criteria, unlike, for example, the Highlander (maybe they should have called it the Lowlander instead ). BTW, according to BMW the X5 is not an SUV as you say, it's an SAV (activity being the operative word ).
For those of you wondering why I'm being so nice to nimrod/mikey/raymond,etc..., it's cuz someone posted under my name at CR-VIX in addition to posting an anonymous death wish towards me. When the administrator over there temporarily revealed the IP addresses, nimrod/mikey/raymond, etc... was the loser who did it.
Varmint, I thought maybe you were thinking of the X-Ones. I also had the LTX M/S on the Albinogator. You might be thinking of Thai, who used to have X-Ones on his 'V.
ateixeira, you're right, the 8" of ground clearance is an arbitrary number. However, I did not pick it to specifically include the CR-V. I picked it to specifically include the MDX which has a ground clearance of 8.0" That said, if you look at the ground clearance figures for all SUVs, the vehicles with 8.0" of ground clearance or more tend to be, generally speaking, SUVs with decent off-road capabilities while those with less than 8.0" of ground clearance tend to be, generally speaking, vehicles with poor off-road cabilities (btw, when I say "decent off-road capabilities" I am NOT talking about serious off-roading which takes way more than 8" obviously). So I figure it's fair to adopt it as my own arbitrary rule of thumb. Since it's a rule of thumb, there are obvioulsy exceptions (e.g. Freelander).
IN RESPOND TO CHAYA, I LOOKED AROUND FOR A LONG TIME TILL I SAW THE CRV AT THE MIAMI CAR SHOW LAST YEAR, MY WIVE WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE A NICE PRACTICAL VEHICLE SHE HAVE HER FOR ABOUT 2 MONTH BUT I AM REALLY THE ONE WHO DRIVE THE CAR AND I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY OF THE PROBLEMS MENTIONED HERE BEFORE, THE SIZE/STYLE/POWER/MPG/AT THE END I AM GLAD WE GOT THE CR-V LX 2WD PAID $17,700 AND THE DEALER GAVE US $200 ON GAS CARDS.
BTW, it's not taken at the rear diffy. I've actually measured mine and the Forester is nearly 10" off the ground at the diffy. The front cross member under the boxer engine is 3 inches lower.
CR probably measures the minimum clearance before you begin to scrape bottom, so it's a useful figure. I think the Camry has like 3.8" because the exhaust dips under the rear suspension.
But I can live with your 8" standard since I have bigger tires that put mine in the acceptable range. ;-)
Hi folks -- I am thinking of looking around for a used hard spare tire cover (maybe even colour matched!) for my 2002 EX, and I was wondering if the spare tire covers on the 19997-2001 models would fit the 2002 -- can anybody answer this? I assume that if the tire sizes are the same, then it should work. Unfortunately, I cannot find the specs for the 2001 and earlier. The 2002 tire size is P205/70 R15 95T. Is this the same for the 1997-2002? Thanks!
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Regarding ground clearance... There are a number of ways to measure it.
The most common is to measure from the ground to the lowest point on the drivetrain (diff) or the body supports (frame). Most off-roaders do not count the "hanging" mechanicals like the muffler piping, since you can break that and still drive away. (Not that I recommend it.)
CR takes a rather silly approach and measures to the lowest point on the axles. In layman's terms, this would be the "joint" where the suspension meets the wheels. I call this silly, because that joint will move up and down with the tire. When you roll a wheel over a bump, the joint will be lifted up with it. It's like a dog chasing his own tail. The only time this measurement might matter is if you were driving through deep ruts.
However, the single lowest point isn't the only measure. There is also the height of the sills for example. If you roll over a rock and bottom out on the panel under your door, you're bummin'. In this situation, it doesn't matter how low to the ground your differential is.
That said, ground clearance is only one measure of a vehicle's ability. The example Gator mentions is a good one. The Freelander is a very capable vehicle despite its low clearance. The old RAV4 was better than the CR-V, in part because it's short wheelbase gives it a decent breakover angle. So a lack of clearance can be overcome by other design elements.
The old CR-V may be a better offroader than the new version. The old model has better clearance (even though they have the same 8.1" to the diff) and better slightly approach/departure angles. However, the '02 design has more low end torque.
So, I finally solved the creaking noise problem on acceleration I was having. Then last week, I noticed the driver's seat rocking when I accelerate in 1st gear. I've seen several messages in the last month about this problem. Since my computer is at work, I don't have time to scroll thru looking for them. Have some of you gotten this problem remedied? If so, what specifically was done? Thanks!
The stock tire spec for the 1997-2001 CR-V is 205/70/15, so I think you should be fine mixing and matching spare covers. One of the few "perks" we first-gen owners still have is that we can afford to settle for "S" rated rubber.
Finally, the day has come. Tomorrow my wife and I are driving to Mark&Roberts to get our CRV we ordered in back in Jan. Can't wait to get into the drive seat in that one. We are leaving from Memphis. so that gives us 470 miles to test the CRV on our way back. I am excited. Will share my exprience here when I get home Sunday. Wish me luck!
Thanks to those of you who reassured me - I feel much better now! In the 14 years I had my Civic, I had fewer problems than in the 7 years I've had my Jeep. That's all I'm hoping for again ...
As far as road noise goes, the CR-V can't possibly be noisier than a totally non-tricked out Cherokee Sport. So whatever it is, it'll be better.
Chaya: Trust me the noise in the 2002 is minimal in my opinion and is quieter then the jeep and the previous crv.
Also....
Has anyone installed the side steps on the 2002 crv?
I saw a green one with the side step in the showroom and it looked awesome! I cannot remember how low it goes though, does it decrease the clearence of the vehicle much???
Anyone have any pictures? I have seen the ones at collegehills.com and handa-accessores.com and I would like to see a different angle.
prices - Edmunds has dropped it's TMV on the EX (or at least it had yesterday). I got mine for about $200 less, but I have to drive up to Ontario to pick it up. California, not Canada. I got so tired of dealing with car salesmen (one dealership here WON'T sell you the car without $3000 aftermarket stuff added on - important stuff like a pin stripe), I went with carsdirect.com. Not only that I just heard I'm getting it a week earier than they thought - Saturday!!!
bike racks: can't you just take the spare tire off completely and use a regular old bike rack? (assuming you are going some place where you know you can get help easily). I really don't want to spend $150 on a good spare-tire rack.
accessories: how much of that stuff is really useful? Like a cargo net - does stuff fall out if you don't have one?
I also have the problem on my 2002 ex. When I got my tags I mentioned the problem and they said they would order the parts. They appeared impressed when I offered the TSB #, said I saved him the time looking it up. I am going to have it fixed on 5/14/02. They want it for a whole day. I will keep everyone informed. I stopped at an intersection the other day about 30ft from a working jackhammer with the windows down. The windows saved my ears. Its not lexas quiet but it sure is better than my old accord. Mark
Hey odds009, I just posted a pic of mine as well, but yours isn't showing up for some reason.
Trilliumsteve, as others have already said the 1st and 2nd gen 'Vs both come with size 205/70-15 tires, so I'm guessing all the various covers will interchange from one gen to the other. There is a silver 2nd gen 'V in my area running around with a 1st gen silver SE hard spare tire cover and it looks VERY nice IMO. I suppose the owners may have gotten the plain 1st gen hard cover, painted it satin silver and added the stickers, but it looked like an actual SE cover to me.
I had no idea that section of edmunds existed and I have been a member here for a few months now!
odds009: Thanks for that picture, it looks awesome, I really think the black looks really sharp especially with the side step. I have a silver lx with an in dash 6 disc player, tinted windows, foglights and soon to be thule rack once it comes out next week. Your picture didn't work when I loaded up the page, but I got it to work by right clicking on it, copying it (the X around the box icon, which is supposed to be your picture), then I pasted it into word.
I usually remove the visor every couple of weeks to clean any dust and stuff under it. One night when I had it off and rewaxed the area, I saw a faint hint of paint depression from the visor. Was I suprised and ticked off. Needless to say its off for now. I wonder if the paint was too new. My old prelude had a visor that rubbed off the paint. Probably because I never took it off....Just FYI
Thanks for the answer to my tire/spare tire cover question. Slugline, you mention the rubber rating "S" for 1996-2001, and I noticed that the 2002 has "T" -- as in 95T -- what does this rating mean? And now that I have exposed my ignorance, I have to ask what the heck the words "Goongala goonga", which we see mentioned a lot on this board, are all about??
Hey trilliumsteve, I believe the "s" and "t" refer to the tire's top speed rating. As for GoongalaGoonga, click HERE to see an explanation of its origin, and HERE for more pics of mine and some info on how to get one.
Noticed your blue Crv on the sand in the photo section. We have a couple of beaches by use in NJ that we can drive on to fish but I've read things that say not to bring your crv on the sand because of its 4wd system. Have you had any problems or did you parachute down via helicopter :]
Comments
Varmint, I don't foresee driving my 'V up north much, but I was nevertheless a bit concerned by your words of caution regarding the use of the LTX M/S tire up north. Tire Rack classifies the LTX M/S tire as "Highway All Season" Their general description of "Highway All Season" is:
"Your worst driving conditions are gravel roads and snow covered highways...
These light tuck/SUV tires feature small independent tread blocks positioned around the the tire to maintain very good on-road performance, as well as traction on gravel roads, in sand and moderate snow."
Tire Rack/Michelin's specific description of the LTX M/S tires is:
"The Michelin LTX M/S offers optimal durability and traction in combination with exceptional mileage and the classic Michelin smooth, quiet ride for pickups, vans, sport utilities and other commercial light truck applications. If you, like most light truck owners, spend a lot more time on the road than off, the LTX M/S gives you the manners of a car tire, with the ruggedness of a light truck tire while maintaining an exceptional amount of snow traction due to the interlocking, full depth sipes."
FWIW, here's a LINK to the survey comments at Tire Rack on the LTX M/S tires. Based on this info, it sounds like this particular tire would be well-suited for your neck of the woods, so I'm wondering if perhaps you could elaborate on your concerns.
a full tank of gas but I was wondering if you only
put a few gallons in,what happens?The air in the tank has to be vaccumed off by the recovery
system and the check engine light might come on.
Cars are way to complicated now all in an attempt
to make them idiot proof.The best safety device is
drivers training and strict enforcement of rules of the road.Remember,it is the nut behind the
wheel that may be loose.
juice - congrat on your new Legacy, it sounds like a great deal. Like you, if I can convince my wife, my next car would be a WRX. How about a Sti? I can dream, at least
varmint - as usual, always enjoy your advice and info. It is funny you have changed from varmit
to varmint since Feb, but you are still being called varmit some times.
susanlm - I had the side airbig light turned on once. My wife of driving and I was sorting out
bunch of CDs on the passage seat. I was either leaning forward or on the side, my wife told me
the side airbig light turned on, I leaned over and looked it went away already. We haven't seen
it came on since. Does your side airbig light come on frequently?
I prefer "varmit", because that's how Yosemite Sam pronounces it when he's talking to Bugs. :-)
Thanks tman, I still have my Miata BTW.
-juice
juice - do you keep your miata in a garage? Since we bought our CR-V, my miata has been sitting on the street instead of our garage. After a few months of Texas sunlight the clear coat on the rear license area started to fade/peel. I think I will need a car cover, any suggestion?
And I have the Crystal White, a color notorious for peeling. I guess I like to live on the edge! ;-)
Out of curiosity, are both cars yours? Do you drive the Miata on nice days, the CR-V the rest of the time? I'm asking because I do (Miata and Forester), and I think they make a good team, complementing each other nicely.
-juice
According to GatorGreg, an SUV must have 8" of ground clearance otherwise its just a wagon.
I would think that capability is a better measure than ground clearance. Some SUV's (like the X5) don't have 8", but are certainly quite capable. Anyway most "SUV's" are wagon or car based. The CRV is based on the Civic platform.
I think GatorGreg is getting confused with SUT (truck) vs SUV (vehicle). Vehicle being the operative word. If its sporty, has utility and is a vehicle - then call it an SUV.
Chaya - We often end up posting the same issues and their corrections repeatedly for new members. It happens in many threads. For that reason, many folks keep coming here to have their issues solved. So we get a lot of talk about "problems".
Personally, I seldom post about the great trips I've had, simply because I've already done that dozens of times over the past few years (Edmunds, you owe me a life). But I'd be happy to do it again for you!
I have 60,000 miles on my 99 CR-V. The only unscheduled maintenace I've done was to replace a set of worn out wipers at around 25K. I average over 25mpg (mine is a 5 speed). My daily commute is about 60/40 split between highway and town roads. There's typically a few minutes of bumper to bumper traffic.
Most frequently, I use the cargo area to haul my two greyhounds to the local ballfield. I give them some quality time in a fenced-in area big enough for them to reach full speed. However, I've also used it for Home Depot runs, numerous camping trips, and ski trips. One of my camping buddies is 6'4", so the diminutive RAV4 was not going to cut it.
I've also done a few long trips simply for the sake of being a CR-Ver. My last one was more than 2,000 miles round trip. I drove from the Boston area down to St Augustine Florida to meet up with GatorGreg and a few other CR-Vers (and two MDXers). Prior to that, I made a trip to join up with about 26 CR-Vs in Baltimore for the second Mid Atlantic CR-V meet. I won a cargo mat and several other groovy CR-V items. My first CR-V meet was the first Allegheny National Forest run in PA. That's when I met TheRacoon and my first visit with "RECS" (known on other boards as the lovable Goonga Ron). He and his family were also there at the Mid Atlantic meet.
Along the way, there have been a few off-road trips, more than a few snow storms, and even a leisurely drive through the atlantic ocean. Okay, maybe just the surf...
Buster (that's the CR-V's name) turned three years old this April. He has a few mods to make him my own. I've got custom leather seats (with dual heaters), the leather steering wheel wrap, an OEM skidplate, obnoxious little blue lights on the hood, all red taillights, mud guards, XtraVision bulbs in the headlamps, dynamat sound proofing, and a few other rinky-dink items.
My only complaint with the vehicle has been road noise at highway speeds. The new models are better in this regard, but some folks still wish for more quiet. YMMV
Ground clearance is one (of the many) measurements that gauges a vehicle's potential for off-road performance. Some of the others include approach, departure, and breakover angles. Then there is the ramp index (for suspension travel or articulation), and measurements to various points other than the rear diff.
For a decent discussion on the merits of articulation vs clearance, check out this thread.
As for your definitions of SUV and SUT, umm... why does it matter?
My list of things to mention/ask about while there:
The funny buzz/sizzle noise when turning the key sometimes.
The rear washer squirt thing doesn't seem to work.
Seat jiggles when I hit a rough place in the road. (Not rocking, more like loosely attached.)
Anyone think of other ideosyncracies I should ask about while I have their undivided attention?
I love Rosebud--a fun drive, very responsive, easy to park, smooth at speed. Wish the seats were more comfy though.
8" seems like a pretty arbitrary number, chosen specifically to include the CR-V. If you ever get the chance, tag along on a Jeep Jamboree. Most of those are modified and anything less than 10" or 12" is considered lacking.
-juice
Thanks
Top speed can be affected by a number of things. Gearing and engine rpm being the most significant. You can have an engine with lots of power, but, if it runs out of transmission, you're out of luck. Aerodynamics would be the next. A brick isn't going to fly as fast as a baseball even if they are "thrown" with the same amount of power. Acura recently upped the top speed of the NSX by giving it an aerodynamic facelift.
That said, I think that 110 mph is plenty fast for an SUV. IIRC, the actual number is 106 or 108. Don't try it at home, kids.
I've never seen a review with either the 6.6" or 8" measurement of ground clearance for the CR-V that you mentioned, but then again, I don't subscribe to the Cuckoo Times. The lowest I've ever seen was 6.5" in the recent CR comparo of 2nd gen 'V v. Liberty v. Freelander v. XL-7 v. VUE which according to CR the 'V won "easily". In the same comparo, CR says the ground clearance for the Jeep and Land Rover are also 6.5", while the Saturn and Suzuki are both listed at 5.5". Thus, they obviously have a unique testing arrangement. Rightly or wrongly, ground clearance is almost always measured from the rear diff and most reviews I've seen list both the 1st and 2nd gen CR-V's at 8.1" (Automobile, Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Truck Trend). Therefore the CR-V meets my own personal criteria, unlike, for example, the Highlander (maybe they should have called it the Lowlander instead
For those of you wondering why I'm being so nice to nimrod/mikey/raymond,etc..., it's cuz someone posted under my name at CR-VIX in addition to posting an anonymous death wish towards me. When the administrator over there temporarily revealed the IP addresses, nimrod/mikey/raymond, etc... was the loser who did it.
ateixeira, you're right, the 8" of ground clearance is an arbitrary number. However, I did not pick it to specifically include the CR-V. I picked it to specifically include the MDX which has a ground clearance of 8.0"
GREETINGS FROM SUNNY MIAMI
BTW, it's not taken at the rear diffy. I've actually measured mine and the Forester is nearly 10" off the ground at the diffy. The front cross member under the boxer engine is 3 inches lower.
CR probably measures the minimum clearance before you begin to scrape bottom, so it's a useful figure. I think the Camry has like 3.8" because the exhaust dips under the rear suspension.
But I can live with your 8" standard since I have bigger tires that put mine in the acceptable range. ;-)
-juice
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
The most common is to measure from the ground to the lowest point on the drivetrain (diff) or the body supports (frame). Most off-roaders do not count the "hanging" mechanicals like the muffler piping, since you can break that and still drive away. (Not that I recommend it.)
CR takes a rather silly approach and measures to the lowest point on the axles. In layman's terms, this would be the "joint" where the suspension meets the wheels. I call this silly, because that joint will move up and down with the tire. When you roll a wheel over a bump, the joint will be lifted up with it. It's like a dog chasing his own tail. The only time this measurement might matter is if you were driving through deep ruts.
However, the single lowest point isn't the only measure. There is also the height of the sills for example. If you roll over a rock and bottom out on the panel under your door, you're bummin'. In this situation, it doesn't matter how low to the ground your differential is.
That said, ground clearance is only one measure of a vehicle's ability. The example Gator mentions is a good one. The Freelander is a very capable vehicle despite its low clearance. The old RAV4 was better than the CR-V, in part because it's short wheelbase gives it a decent breakover angle. So a lack of clearance can be overcome by other design elements.
The old CR-V may be a better offroader than the new version. The old model has better clearance (even though they have the same 8.1" to the diff) and better slightly approach/departure angles. However, the '02 design has more low end torque.
-juice
Will share my exprience here when I get home Sunday. Wish me luck!
As far as road noise goes, the CR-V can't possibly be noisier than a totally non-tricked out Cherokee Sport. So whatever it is, it'll be better.
Nine more days, but who's counting?
csj
Also....
Has anyone installed the side steps on the 2002 crv?
I saw a green one with the side step in the showroom and it looked awesome! I cannot remember how low it goes though, does it decrease the clearence of the vehicle much???
Anyone have any pictures? I have seen the ones at collegehills.com and handa-accessores.com and I would like to see a different angle.
bike racks: can't you just take the spare tire off completely and use a regular old bike rack? (assuming you are going some place where you know you can get help easily). I really don't want to spend $150 on a good spare-tire rack.
accessories: how much of that stuff is really useful? Like a cargo net - does stuff fall out if you don't have one?
csj
Please check it out...
Have fun!!!
Trilliumsteve, as others have already said the 1st and 2nd gen 'Vs both come with size 205/70-15 tires, so I'm guessing all the various covers will interchange from one gen to the other. There is a silver 2nd gen 'V in my area running around with a 1st gen silver SE hard spare tire cover and it looks VERY nice IMO. I suppose the owners may have gotten the plain 1st gen hard cover, painted it satin silver and added the stickers, but it looked like an actual SE cover to me.
odds009: Thanks for that picture, it looks awesome, I really think the black looks really sharp especially with the side step. I have a silver lx with an in dash 6 disc player, tinted windows, foglights and soon to be thule rack once it comes out next week. Your picture didn't work when I loaded up the page, but I got it to work by right clicking on it, copying it (the X around the box icon, which is supposed to be your picture), then I pasted it into word.
http://members.cox.net/jquant/Side%20of%20SideStep.JPG
How do I post a small pic on this site?
img src="URL"
Then surround the whole thing with angle brackets like these < >