2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

rockycow

Your owners manual contains info pertaining to breakin and oil changes. Basically, no jackrabbit starts and no hard braking for first 600 miles. Severe service oil changes are recommended at 5000 miles using 5/20 motor oil. I have a 99 Ody and 2002 CRV, took both right out of the dealership and drove 660 miles at highway speeds without using cruise but still pretty steady 75 to 80 mph.

gatorgreg

...however I don't think Michelin makes the LTX M/S tire in that size, and that's the tire I really wanted. Plus, I really like the look of the 225/70s so I can live with the speedo error. But the 225/65 would probably be a good choice for someone else.

muckyduck

Thanks for the info. I have the body side cladding on my EX - are you saying this has to be removed to get to the speakers?

geenee87

I am wondering how often people are changing the oil on their new cr-v's? One dealer recommended every 5000.

ateixeira

Those tires look great. They really fill up the wheel wells. Honda should make that size standard.

-juice

chaya

1. I read somewhere that the EX comes with tweeters, yet Honda lists the tweeter kit as an option for the EX. What gives?

2. Why 2-way speakers instead of 3-way? As much as sound is important to me, I don't want to invest in a separate sub-woofer if I don't have to.

thanks,
csj

matt479

I also live in California (Los Angeles). Is the $22,100 you paid the invoice price? Is that after tax and license? How much was tax? As tax is on the dealers invoice to Honda. So if you know the tax piece then divide it by 4% and you have the dealer's cost. The dealer I went to in Ventura had the invoice to me at $22,700-ish. I'd really appreciate some help on the cost as I'm about to get a CRV. What dealer did you go to, if you live in So-Cal?

davisdog

fyi...Here's a list of invoice and msrp for the

Cr-v LX 2WD
Automatic - Retail $18,800 | Invoice $17,371.12

Cr-v LX S-SRS 2WD
Automatic - Retail $19,050 | Invoice $17,601.72

Cr-v LX 4WD
Manual - Retail $19,200 | Invoice $17,740.08
Automatic - Retail $20,000 | Invoice $18,478.00

Cr-v LX S-SRS 4WD
Manual - Retail $19,450 | Invoice $17,970.68
Automatic - Retail $20,250 | Invoice $18,708.60

Cr-v EX
Manual - Retail $21,500 | Invoice $19,861.60
Automatic - Retail $22,300 | Invoice $20,599.52

Destination and Handling add $460 | Effective Date: 04.01.02

Also
1) The tax is based on the sales price to you..not the dealer invoice
2) The 4% calculation you show is not accurate. The dealer cost varies from company to company and model to model. Invoice also is not necessarily the dealer cost (their are other unadvertised incentives to individual dealers)
3) Either your Ventura dealer is trying to snow you or you have the words crossed on the invoice price...

ps...if you can get it for anywhere between $22100 and $22760 (MSRP) +tax, license, Registration...then that's probably a good deal

muckyduck

The EX does come with tweeters in the dash - the LX does not but has the space for them - this is the option Honda is talking abut.
The highs and mid levels are good IMO but the bass is lacking. Honda needs two things IMO - better cloth seat choices and speaker upgrades - since Honda makes everything a dealer installed option, I think they could do this - probably give dealers lot more money since many would want these - many people have dealer install leather already.

robmarch

2 way is tweeter + woofer, 3 way is tweeter + midrange + woofer. Normal 3way speakers generally don't have any more bass than their 2way counterparts, since the woofers are the same size.

I think the sound in the EX is very good. It's not big, boomy subwoofer bass, but it doesn't distort when you crank up the volume either. If you want boomy bass, you need a subwoofer anyway.

Take one of your favorite CD's on your test drive and spend some time in the parking lot adjusting the audio controls so that you can decide if you're satisfied or not. Then drive and check it out with road noise. You can always add the factory subwoofer if you would like more bass, or go aftermarket with something that will take up cargo space.

jonniedee98

No you have to pull the speakers to get to the hardware holding the bumperstrip and also to mount the side cladding - go look at the install mentioned eariler.

matt479

My bad. The 4% is the license in California. Got the tax and license %'s mixed up. Divide it by 4% and you have that dealer's cost (their invoice from Honda + SG&A). Difference between that an the sticker price is their markup to negotiate.

arkydog

After 6 months of searching and waiting, I successfully beat the hoggish prices on CR-V's out there. Thanks to this bulletin board, I found a dealer in Okla. who charges $316 above invoice for any CR-V you want. In my case, my new 4WD 5-spd LX netted out to $18,516 ($18,200 invoice) and my wait is about 6 weeks. I seem to recall seeing mention of a Calif. dealer with a similar program.

Although I am tickled that I made a good deal, I am curious about davisdog's mention and invoice figures for a S-SRS LX 5-spd. I never even heard of this option. What does it have that the regular LX 5-spd doesn't?

ateixeira

Side air bags, probably.

-juice

fern88

Hey Matt,

Davisdog is correct with the prices. I went to the Ventura people about 3 weeks ago and they told me that the car was coming in day after day and then that they were looking for a trade again and again. They promised me the car at 22,100 but they never got it in. I really didn't like them much. They were nice initially but then I could never get a hold of them because the whole sales team would be off for 3 days in a row. I had trouble talking to anyone regarding the status of the car coming in.

The invoice price on the EX is around 21,040....the MSRP is 22,740.....I paid 22,100(includes dest. and handling)plus tax+lic. I got mine from Santa Monica Honda because they were upfront with everything. They called me when they were unloading the CR-V from the truck, got there in half an hour.... saw it with 4 miles being unwrapped....told them what I wanted to pay.....hung out for about 25 minutes while they talked it over for a bit... then agreed on it. Got there at 4:15pm, left at 5:45pm with the car.

feel free to email me if you want more specifics on who helped me and things like that.

bhoughton

I believe that the property tax portion of the California registration and license fee is 2% not 4%. On top of this there is an additional flat $30 registration fee that does not depend on the value of the vehicle and a county/district fee which varies from county to county. Here is Los Angeles County the county/district portion is $8. All this is complicated by the fact that the 2% license fee is currently being reduced by 2/3. This makes the current license fee 0.67% of the vehicle's value. I'm not sure if this reduction (called the Vehicle License Fee Offset) applies to new vehicle purchases or only to renewals.

chaya

I already have the EX, and to me the sound is missing clarity - sounds muddy. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I listen to acoustic music like bluegrass, and I want to hear the mandolin separate from the guitar separate from the vocal, etc.

From what I've read here & elsewhere, buying new speakers should cure that because the audio unit itself is supposed to be ok.

csj

rockycow

If you are running 225/70/15 shouldn't the 2.5mph decrease in speedo reading just about compensate for Honda's speedo error?
rockycow

tomsr

The front end needs some pazaaz.The place where
optional fog lights go might be a good place to put driving lights.Why are they blank? For
$23000 you would think they could have done more than a black plastic cover.To make it look more rugged some large Hella offroad lights would
spice it up like a rally car.But where to mount them?

robmarch

Sorry, I thought you were a potential buyer. A speaker upgrade does sound like it would make sense for you. I can understand what you're saying about the midrange missing some clarity, especially for that type of music. I think this happens a lot when the tweeter and woofer are separated by a significant distance, as they are in the CRV. Most of the installs I've seen that are targeting sonic accuracy tend to place the tweeter in close proximity to the midrange and woofer, usually in the kick panels. Automakers like to put the tweeters up in the dash or in the pillars to maximize high frequency impact, and the mids/woofers in the doors, because they don't like to take up the space for a kick panel molded pod.

I'm not sure if the door speakers in the CRV are full range or just woofers. If they are full range, it may be possible to reduce some of the midrange mud by adjusting the EQ. Otherwise, you might look into a set of component speakers.

I still think this stock audio system is one of the best I've heard in a long time, especially for an open car like the CRV. In dash 6 disc changers are very nice, too.

Good luck with your midrange problem, let us know how you solve it!

tntitan

I am not an audiophile but I am a 70's rock and roller that likes to crank it up a little bit considering I am pushing 50. In my opinion the 6 CD changer is very nice and the sound is quite a bit above average for a stock stereo system (especially from Honda). This is my wife's car but if I drove it all the time I would have to first try an amplifier and rewiring the speakers before changing the speakers. Someone posted that the speakers were attached by clips and not bolted on. If you plan to keep the V for the long haul I believe that you really need to get some sort of well made mounting kit for new speakers (they would probably be much heavier than the originals) to prevent long range damage to the door panels.

robmarch

Normally it's the first thing I recommend. Factory speakers are generally not the highest quality, so nearly anything is an upgrade. This custom mounting bracket complicates things...

Does anyone have a good picture of the brackets?

daveghh

daveghh

Goto...

http://www.geocities.com/davekuhn77/CRV.html

cgphil1

If you live in Massachusetts or Southern New Hampshire, there is a good possibility that you are a member of a corporation, credit union or other entity that has access to Mass Buying Power, an organization that provides discounts on major consumer goods and services including automobiles. If you do not qualify through a group you can purchase a Family membership for $14.95 per year. Auto discount on the CRV might not be a lot but any discount is better than paying MSRP.
See link below to the website.
http://massbuy.com/

Clive

diploid

Wow dave, you guys love those SUVs!

atuzai

Daveghh, The Thule roof rack looks very nice. where did you get that? And how much you paid for it? Any increased wind noise after install it?

chaya

Well I tried what robmarch said & spent a lot of time playing with the EQ yesterday. The trouble is treble or bass is cranked up too much, it does start to distort, or it hurts my ears at least. The best interim solution was to use the fader to put most of the power to the front speakers - no one but my bike rides in the back.

But the sound I want is not there. So are there any advantages/disadvantages to 6 1/2" over 6x8or9" speakers? Which fit better in the CRV? Also I think I read somewhere that 2.5" is the best depth for CRVs - true?

One last thing - there finally is a benefit for being short. My bike does fit in the back, standing up, both wheels on, with room to spare!

csj

fern88

I noticed that the back window does not easily close. If i'm pushing down where the little handle is....... it many times does not close. I need to push down where the H logo is to get it to close.

anyone else having this problem?

theracoon

On my '99 EX I pull it down until it's about 6" from being closed, then let go and let the weight of the glass latch it.

I don't know if it would work the same on an '02 CR-V.

robmarch

In general, I've heard much better things about "round" speakers than odd sizes. I think most car audio enthusiasts would recommend 6.5's, or 5.25's if they don't fit. see post 7503 - looks like 6.5's all around according to gator greg

http://209.120.142.42/showthread.php?s=e896be09b4b2c52199106f19f0dd9ab1&threadid=15

I think most of the stock "high end" audio systems put the tweeter in without a crossover, which makes it tough to balance mids and highs. Aftermarket Components with crossovers should help you out here.

Good luck, keep us updated.

arkydog

I have had a Thule rack on my Suzuki mini-SUV for 9 years. It greatly increased wind noise (I always called it "singing"), but I hardly notice it any more. Am planning to move it over to my new CR-V when I get it. I, too, am interested in whether CR-V owners find the Thule rack particularly noisy.

kw_carman

Somewhere (was is here?) I saw a link for where one should go if they wanted to order Honda factory keyless entry to install themselves. If it was here, what was the address of the website?

freeber

I thought I saw a post somewhere that showed the actual TSB for the rocking seat issue. I never even bothered to ask if it had been covered when I picked mine up 2 weeks ago because it was in shipping from the factory. (I assumed my VIN was outside of the trouble zone)

Can somebody please point me to where I can find the detailed TSB info? (it had illustrations and everything about how they fix it....)

Thanks all!

protege_fan

Goto www.nhtsa.dot.gov and click on the Technical Service Bulletin link. Put in your car's info and voila!

daveghh

I installed the thule rack on the "02, then I drove on a highway going 75 mph and it was redicously loud, it was hard to talk! I was not happy.

Then I installed the fairing and it reduced the noise drastically, I barely notice a difference between the crv without and with the fairing.

So I recommend the rack to anyone only if you are willing to put the fairing on. The ride is still quiet and I have the full use of my roof now. Before you install the rack you might want to email me for any pointers, I ran into a minor flaw with the thule screws they sent me. It is an easy fix, if you are forwarned.

freeber

Yeah, I did that already. That only gives me a TSB# with the general subject. I know my seat rocks, so that doesn't give me anything new really. I _KNOW_ I saw somebody post the actual TSB, but I can't find it again....

protege_fan

Oh, sorry bout that then. Not sure where you can get full TSB details...shouldn't the dealer have that information, or at least be able to access it?

freeber

But sometimes you get a stubborn dealer who denies any problem as posted by many others, so I want papers to walk in with. I found it by the way...

http://www.control-click.com/crv2002/seat_fix.tif

Thanks everyone!

varmint

Freeber - You have to request the information from the NHTSA. They do not provide it on their website. It's probably just as easy to go to the dealer.

freeber

I saw that you could order the info, but I'm too cheap to pay for something I can find free. The link I posted gave the first page of the TSB, so that's enough for me.

Well, Grover (big hint) just turned 600 miles and I'm torn on what to do. Most of my family says after 500 miles dump the oil and the filter for fresh stuff and then get into the regular cycle of maintenance. Any thoughts?

If I do the oil change I'll likely talk to the dealer and see if I can make some new friends in the shop and get the seat issue addressed.

Thanks again.

luv2motor

Whats up with Honda dealers pumping up tire pressures all the time? Something's going on here. Not only did I find tire lbs. to be abnormally high on my new CR-V when first picked up, but I'm finding that others have seen this also. I can't believe that the prep guys are all forgetting to lower the pressure after they get them off the carriers, especially after the Firestone fiasco. I had a '99 Passport. When I picked it up new, the tires were inflated to 36 psi.not the recommended 26 psi. I would lower them to the proper rate, and then I would take it in for oil changes and stuff, and up goes the pressure again. I don't notice it until I get the car home and check them before we set out for trips.
Now the dealer is doing the same thing to the "V".
Any comments?
Are they trying help gas milage with over inflating?

protege_fan

The dealer that sold my parent's their CR-V gave them some story about break-in oil and not having their first change until 6000 km (first scheduled change). Not sure if I believe in break-in oil, but that's what they were told.

That said, IMO, I don't think there's a need to change too early. People used to have to because of metal filings from the machining process. But from what I've heard, the process is so much better now, so that's a non-issue.

chaya

Both my dealer and another dealer's website say that if you do normal driving, you don't need an oil change for 10k miles. If you do a lot of stop and go or short trips, then do it at 5k miles.

Why spend money you don't have to? Wasn't the car expensive enought? If you have some money left over, I'll be happy to send you my address ...

csj

rockycow

http://www.hondanews.com/

click on recall notice for 5/23

rxisbest

I just installed a roof rack on my '02 CRV. The installation was pretty straight forward. Now, however, I'm noticing a whistling noise coming from it when I go between 30 MPH and 45 MPH. Has anyone else experienced this? Any thoughts on how to stop it? Thanks!

microholic

Hey Arkydog,
I live in OK and am looking for a good deal on a CRV. Who is the dealer who will sell for the price you mentioned in post 7617? Please E-mail me at johndferguson@yahoo.com if anyone knows.

TIA!

arkydog

The website is www.markroberts.com. They list their current inventory, prices, and contact numbers. Location is apparently about 45 mi. from Tulsa.

Don't know how happy I will be once my car is delivered (I'm hoping I can avoid some of the dealer problems I've been reading here on this bulletin board). So far, I'm really pleased with my savings at this dealer, after choking on the greedy ones out there. Happy Honda hunting!

fern88

So today I decided to check the pressure on my tires. They were at around 30 psi but my tire gauge reader seemed funky so I decided to go buy a new one. I drove to kmart but the ones they had were really cheap. I walked back to my CR-V and I see that my front driver side tire is flat. There was a bunch of glass around that area that I didn't see in the dark Had to change and put the spare tire. 4 days and 340 miles into my CR-V and I have me first flat. All round tire day.

tomsr

Fixing things before they break!How dare they.
Ignition switches are critical.Just kidding.
Interesting that Honda would worry about 5 year old cars (1997) whereas when FORD had a problem
it took legal action to get them to do something.
The bigger question is why can't all manufactures
build cars as good as Honda,Toyota.
TIRE PRESSURE:I have increased my tire presure
as an experiment to see if gas mileage improves
currently 20 with lots of stoplights in 10 miles.
Most cars use 30psi as the norm.Still think the shifter belongs on the floor but my CRV is a great place to take a lunchtime nap.