Tincup - Thanks for the details. I know how the Rover system works, my suspicion about cargo capacity was based on how cumbersome it is. Any ideas?
Ricklund - A few owners swear by the Sylvania Cool Blues. Many of the bright whites that are on the market do a good job of focusing a bright white beam directly in front of the vehicle.
I myself purchased a more "standard" high powered halogen. The CR-V's lamps are designed to throw a good bit of light to the sides. I got the Sylvania Extra Vision 9004's based on the recommendation that they improved visibility up front and to the sides. There is a noticeable difference, but it doesn't compare with the true HIDs that are in my wife's TL.
I've never driven with the Cool Blue types, so I can't say how good or how limited they are.
People use the colored and "bright white" halogen bulbs to try and mimick the quality of HID lights. As varmit noted, they don't even come close in terms of intensity and color temperature.
Quite often, the coloring used by the bulbs to achieve the color (including white) acts as a filter and actually reduces light output.
However, there are certain brands out there that do employ designs that allow them to burn brighter than standard halogen bulbs. Examples of these are Sylvania Xtra Vision, Cool Blues (Xtra Visions with a blue tint), Hella Premiums and Philips Vision Plus. I've found that the Philips are the brightest stock wattage bulbs available.
will compete more for Lexus RX300 and Acuru MDX customers. Remember, Land Rover is positioned as a "premium" brand. From everything I've read it will be priced around $30K.
I too saw it at the NY Auto Show. Yes, it's sized like the Escape, etc., but I'm sure the US-spec Freelander's "amenities" will be more in keeping with the upscale Land Rover, than with the more mainstream Escape, CRV, etc., thereby commanding a premium price tag.
It may start at $26K, but I'd be very surprised if you find one on dealer's lots for that price. Even if they do start at $26K, that's way above where CRV or Forester prices begin.
Jeep advertises that the new Liberty starts around $18K. I haven't seen one under $22K.
It wouldn't surprise me if Honda moves the rear spare from the rear door to under the cargo floor. Door-mounted spares are usually a love'em/hate'em proposition. I know insurance companies hate'em because rear end collisions are much more costly to repair with vehicles that have door-mounted spares.
Honda, ever so conscious of their image, may opt not to have a door-mounted spare this go-round. Acura did away with the door mounted spare on their new MDX. Could the CRV be next?
The S model will only have three options, an upgraded stereo, sunroof , and cold climate pack. We have also announced on-line pre ordering, so interested parties will be able to order it just how they want. I agree that the CRV and Forester are less expensive.
Realistically, what do you expect as on-the-road prices to be? When someone walks into a Land Rover showroom, what kind of prices are they going to see?
I sat in a lot of SUVs at the L.A. auto show. The CR-V was, by far, the most roomy and comfortable. Honda really knows their ergonomics.
The Freelander was locked up, but I look forward to trying it on too. Tribute is the other ute I am cross-shopping.
The biggest problem I have with the CR-V is the back end, whick I think is super ugly and only makes the vehicle more girlie-looking than it otherwise would. (No guy wants to drive a girl car.)
The ugliness is mostly a function of the taillight design. I appreciate the functionality of mounting the lights up high, but there is a naked area where the taillights should be, and it really bugs (as they say in Cali.).
If they fix the taillight design and add a liftgate, without messing up the attractive front and sides, Honda will have a handsome ute.
That's hilarious. Like the Pepsi driver that drinks Coke. Kudos to you for your individuality.
Ankleroom: the car-based cute utes in this price range are pretty much all girly cars. Most RAV4, Foreseter, and CR-V owners are in fact female. Nothing wrong with that - females are actually far more practical than males when it comes to buying a car.
If you want the manly ride, stick with the XTerra or Liberty. Both have the tough image and the hardware to go with it, even if they're a little harder to live with (ride, price, gas mileage) than car-based models.
I'm not in the vehicle marketing end, but I would imagine most people will opt for the SE. That will go for around $29,000. I would imagine that the Freelanders will go for MSRP.
At the time I bought the Forester, the Freelander was not available. The Forester was, IMHO the best vehicle that met our needs at that time. It is very well thought of by everyone at Land Rover, it did very well in evaluations of possible competitors.
Ankleroom - It's a love/hate design. The CR-V was the first car I'd seen where the high mounted taillights didn't look completely goofy. The second was the newer LR Disco (here we go with Land Rovers again, ). So far I think the Focus hatch has the most stylish.
The spare tire design was an attempt to make the CR-V look more rugged. Most utes employ body cladding, roof racks, rub strips, and other accessory-looking elements. Take a look at the old Sidekick for an example. Honda opted not to go to that extreme and simply used the spare to give it the necessary "manliness" to look the part of a sport ute. Without it, the CR-V looks too "wagony" for the US market.
Style-wise, the MDX was designed to be completely different. They were going for a clean, unfettered design rather than the traditional SUV look. It was also designed recently. In recent years, the design of SUVs has been stretched farther from the original mold.
carguy - That image was passed around a few months ago. We're not sure where it came from, but it is definately a fabrication using photoshop or a similar program.
I just got to Glen Burnie for the CR-V meet. The trip was about 380 miles. I'm guessing we got about 27-29 mpg. I have to fill up the tank to be sure.
You may be right. One question though: Both in THAT picture and the artist's rendition that was passed around last week, there is something sticking out of the hood, driver's side. What is that?
That is a 'blindspot' mirror that is mounted on the quarter panel - standard on Japanese version models. Since the picture above is most likely a Japanese version that is actually the passenger side.
Some members over on the CRV-IX have acquired OEM-like versions here in the US that actually fit between the hood and quarter panel. Others have purchased the real deal in Taiwan / etc.
Here are better pics of the Japanse version showing this mirror:
Though only some of the content is in English - you should check out some of the other options on the Honda Japan link below that may or may not make their way to the US Market. Follow some of the links like Interior -> Seating Arrangement or Type Variation -> Fullmark to see some pretty cool stuff.
Went to my local dealer on Thur 5/31/01, and he showed me the first official info on the entire Honda line for 2002. The CRV will be available in all new colors, most of which appear to be Metallic. There will be basically 3 models- LX, LX with side air bags, and EX. There was no SE model listed, so I assume it has been discontinued. There will be two interior colors, a dark grey/charcoal and a beige/camel. The engine is rumored to be a V-Tec design estimated to produce approximately 166-175 HP. The CRV is supposed to be larger in all dimensions, but not dramatically larger. Believe it or not, in Japan, the CRV will be closer to the RX-300 than the RAV4. In the US, it will compete agaist the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute and will easily trounce the RAV4 and Santa Fe. Prices are expected to be only marginally higher than the current range, estimate $500 average higher.
If that info from your dealer is accurate, then the new CR-V should be the class-leader. I'm looking forward to its intro and will very much be tempted to trade in our current '97 CR-V.
Ok, well, now the information starts to leak out... First the "spy" photos last week, now the colors and good news on the moonroof...I predict we'll see a photo of the new CR-V by the middle of July at the latest. With an arrival of September, that would be plenty of time to build a huge consumer following. I would also wonder whether leather will be a new option on the EX as well.
As far as being the class leader, my question is this...Without a plant in the US, can Honda produce enough CR-V's to make the sales lead? Being the leader in quality is assured, but Jeep is planning to sell 250,000 (Yes, 250,000) Liberty's per year and Ford will be selling about 175,000 Escape's.
So, as most US CR-V's will be produced in the United Kingdom, is there the production capabilities to beat Ford and Jeep?
Hope this isn't a stupid question, but does anyone have any concerns about the quality of Hondas coming out of the UK? I think the current CRV's are built in Japan and as you all know the reliability is unsurpassed, is anyone worried that this will change when the CRV's are built in the UK ? I only ask because in doing some research, I've heard that the Subaru Foresters are more reliable than the US built Outbacks....
Check out http://www.j-cars.net/news.htm they have a color picture of the new CRV in yellow. Scroll down. It looks much better than the current CRV. Looks more sporty and larger. Any comments?
I'm waiting for a normal picture of the 2002. Not the crazily angled snapshot of some souped up, bright yellow rendition of what may become the new CR-V. Those pictures should be forthcoming very soon, I hope.
We're a family of 4 requiring 2 carseats, and 1 large dog. Am thinking seriously of purchasing a 2000 CRV but wondering if there is enough room in it and if there are any complaints about this vehicle?? How reliable & comfortable is it? Also concerned about safety. Any input would be appreciated. thanks !!
Tincup - We met in Glen Burnie because that was where the fella who organized the meet is from. MD is also close enough that southern New Englanders can make it along with folks from Virginia and other pints south. The local Honda dealer there was willing to spend the morning with us and allowed us to use their facilities to hold the meet. They also volunteered a number of gifts to be used as door prizes for the attendees and had one of their service guys hold a seminar on CR-V maintenance.
Most of our other meets are at places like Pismo Beach, The Rincon Trail, Mullet Lake Nat. Park, the Allegheny Nat. Forest, etc... This one is more of a social event with a picnic and road rally.
We also met with a Honda Rep who works down there in Zone 6. He was a great guy, but had to be tight-lipped about the '02 CR-V. He didn't have anything new to say, except that it will be about the same size, will have a V-TEC engine of some sort, and will have "beefier" styling to attract more male buyers. It is currently scheduled to be released on September 15th. He used the same pic that I posted the other week as an example. The guy who found and scanned it was on hand at the meet, so we got a kick out of it.
That pic of the yellow CR-V is a current model with custom paint and a body kit. You can buy one if you like it. It's also about 3 years old.
The SE model will most likely go awat for a little while. Honda brings out SE packages when a model is getting long in the tooth. This helps them to compete with the new competition without having to completely redesign the car. When the new CR-V is a few years old, they will probably bring it back.
The UK plant (Swindon) is poised to produce CR-Vs for Europe and the US. The Honda Rep at the meet said that both Japanese and UK plants will supply CR-Vs to the US. The Swindon plant is supposed to supply them for the East coast while the West coast continues to get theirs from Japan. I'd be skeptical of the quality o CR-Vs produced in the Swindon plant, but since the CR-V has been the most reliable car on market, I don't think that even bad production practices will make it a lemon.
Honda is releasing a hybrid gas/electric Civic in the next year or so. If it sells well here in the states, they will consider introducing a similar powertrain in the CR-V. This has been in the news for some time and was repeated by the Rep at the CR-V meet.
Have new leather seats in my ride along with a bunch of other goodies. I'll post pics when I have more time.
I understand, and I had a suspicion that was why you were in Glen Burnie. I checked out the CRV at Brown's Honda, they were quite nice to deal with. I used to work up the street at the Ford Dealer there, which is why I was wondering about the meet being there. I knew it lacked the scenic attractions of the other sites you talked about.
Hey Hon, whay rr eu sayin that Glen Burnie lacks them senic 'tractions? Whay ders Ann's Dari Queen jus downy road, best footlongs in Mary Land. (done in my best Balmernese)
I had to miss the meet due to family obligations, and I live in Parkville. So close and yet so far.
I hope Allan pick a nice scenic local for the fall. Maybe a meet along skyline drive for the foliage.
Kpatten, I have two kids in carseats and no dog. You might want to go bigger if you need to carry the kids, their stuff (stroller), and the dog. I can fit a double stroller in the back and still have room for more, but I don't know how well a big dog would do back there.
I have to tell most of you, that this message board has been more than informative. I really do appreciate all the information posted. I'm currently in 'buying mode' and I'm looking for a smaller SUV. My wife and I have two young girls and need more room than our current cars. We love Honda cars because of the quality and reliability.
We have been shopping and have test drove practically everything in the small SUV class, but all seem to fall short in one area or the other. I'm anxious to learn more about the 2002 CRV. I'm hoping for more horsepower/torque as well as a bit more room and better color selections. My questions to everyone are, what will the price be for the 2002 CRV's? In September, how hard will it be to obtain one? AND will there be dealer mark-up if there is a production shortage as has been discussed?
I have both a '99 CR-V EX Auto and a '98 Dodge Grand Caravan (2.3L V6) and I would say that they rank about the same for all around driving conditions - between +/- 24 MPG. As for long distance trips at 70+ MPH, I think the Caravan actually gets better MPG, due to better aerodynamics / etc.
When going on family trips, like to Southern Cali, or up to the Lake Tahoe area, the wife's generally required to give me a good reason to take the Caravan over the 'V' (ie. excessive luggage for the 3 females in the family).
I am hoping for lower drag coef, Non column shifter, EX sunroof and a $500 or so price increase. VTEC news quotes those prices and options. The rumored new 2.4 VTEC should provide decent power. Temple VTEC source claims this will power the 2003 Accord. 160HP with 165 torque. I had a 2000 CRV which really was not quite all there. Build quality was excellent and I sold it for $700 less than I paid. INKY
I like the idea of the 2.4 litre motor. Now if they can lower the power and torque to max at maybe 1500 instead of the higher rpm, it would be more useful. I would take even a 20 hp cut if they could fatten it up down lower and keep it linear.
Who cares about the shifter. If it is an auto, why not have it up out of the way? Heck, I learned on a "three on the tree" on a plumber's van, now those stink!
I would also like to see a low range gear, limited slip rear end, and one of those semi auto shifters would be neat like Porsche, Hyundai Santa Fe, and some Chrysler products have.
Also, please throw on some bigger tires. Maybe start with 235/75R15 and have optional 30X9.50R15 or 31X10.50R15
And please add a towing package and cold weather/heavy duty package.
Then, I'll take a test drive. I love Honda quality.
Drove an old F150 with that. Used the SAG method to determine which gear I was in.
160/165 sounds good for a 2.4. Should add a lot of oomph.
I wouldn't hold my breath for low range, but a granny gear 1st could see the light of day (they had this in the old Civic 4wd wagon). Not likely though. LSD would be nice.
Kpatten - You might want to take a look at the Toyota Highlander. The CR-V is capable of handling that load, but it would be a tight fit. You wouldn't want to deal with that every day.
Digger - With production coming from both England and Japan, there shouldn't be too big a problem with supply meeting demand. However, you should expect to pay a premium on any new car if you are going to buy in the first year.
Inky - You may get one of your wishes. Many of the Civic-based cars are getting a dash mounted automatic, instead of a column shifter. Here's an example from the Stream.
Beatfarmer - 1st gear for the 5 speed isn't quite a creeper, but it's close. Last year a fella named Pb posted a comparison of the Grand Vitara's low gears rpm range and compared it with the CR-V's 5 speed. First gear in the CR-V fell directly between low 1 and low 2 for the GV.
Lady - That pic that I posted earlier shows an integrated spare, but it's just a spy pic. This is a nice design, but making it fit may mean using a donut.
Which brings me to my next concern. I see a lot of wishes here, but everybody wants the CR-V to stay about the same price. Dream on. Honda's tend to be more expensive than their competition and when the CR-V first came out, it was no exception. Shane Lawson (the fella who posted about his disappointing trade in value) and I have been exchanging ideas through e-mail. His contacts are telling him that the STARTING price for the next CR-V will be about $23K. Shane has bought and traded about half a dozen Hondas and Acuras in the past few years, so his dealer might be more liberal with info sharing.
Larger tires would be a good possibility since Honda is trying for that "beefier" look that the Rep was telling us about. This means less acceleration off the line, but with extra torque, it should be able to overcome it. An LX model with 15" tires and the upgraded i-VTEC engine should be pretty darn quick.
Even as a station wagon, most of the American buying public wants low rpm torque more than anything else. Why do you think V engines are popular? This applies doubly to SUV's, which are called upon to haul gear up mountainsides (hillsides), and tow things.
I doubt a lot of CR-V owners tow. Maybe more would if the capacities were higher. Even then, only a small percentage would.
I agree about the bigger tires. Make 235/60HR16s optional, at least.
I hate those dash-mounted tranny levers, but I guess if you still want the pass-through, it's either that or the column shifter.
If you buy a CR-V and want to know where it was made, just look at the first character of the VIN. J means Japan, 1 USA, 2 Canada, 3 Mexico. Not sure what UK is, but if it's not J it probably came from there.
I bet more people would be interested in CRV if it had some towing capacity. Just think how many have to go to something else for this very reason. Many families have boats and campers nowadays.
LadyK - I'm still hoping for a (larger) variant of the i-VTEC 2.0 that we've talked about in the past. Its got a good flat torque curve, an LEV rating, good potential gas mileage, and a small light weight block. The 2.4L version that is being rumored sounds very promising, so do the 160-165 peak figures that VTEC.net has posted. I just hope that the CR-V doesn't get any heavier than it already is.
Squatch - You didn't just imply that the CR-V is an "SUV" did you?
Towing is not a factor in this class. Honda could've built the CR-V with a towing rating of one single pound and still maintained dominance in the market. As it stands, the CR-V has the lowest rating in the class and yet it held 35% of the market for a number of years.
Sounds like everyone wants the next CRV like a Suzuki with Honda badge on it. More power, 3000 pound tow capability. Nimble handling, quiet, smooth ride. Priced about same. About same size and all that. Why not buy a Suzuki?
Comments
Ricklund - A few owners swear by the Sylvania Cool Blues. Many of the bright whites that are on the market do a good job of focusing a bright white beam directly in front of the vehicle.
I myself purchased a more "standard" high powered halogen. The CR-V's lamps are designed to throw a good bit of light to the sides. I got the Sylvania Extra Vision 9004's based on the recommendation that they improved visibility up front and to the sides. There is a noticeable difference, but it doesn't compare with the true HIDs that are in my wife's TL.
I've never driven with the Cool Blue types, so I can't say how good or how limited they are.
Quite often, the coloring used by the bulbs to achieve the color (including white) acts as a filter and actually reduces light output.
However, there are certain brands out there that do employ designs that allow them to burn brighter than standard halogen bulbs. Examples of these are Sylvania Xtra Vision, Cool Blues (Xtra Visions with a blue tint), Hella Premiums and Philips Vision Plus. I've found that the Philips are the brightest stock wattage bulbs available.
Ken
I too saw it at the NY Auto Show. Yes, it's sized like the Escape, etc., but I'm sure the US-spec Freelander's "amenities" will be more in keeping with the upscale Land Rover, than with the more mainstream Escape, CRV, etc., thereby commanding a premium price tag.
Bob
Jeep advertises that the new Liberty starts around $18K. I haven't seen one under $22K.
Bob
Honda, ever so conscious of their image, may opt not to have a door-mounted spare this go-round. Acura did away with the door mounted spare on their new MDX. Could the CRV be next?
Bob
Bob
Realistically, what do you expect as on-the-road prices to be? When someone walks into a Land Rover showroom, what kind of prices are they going to see?
Bob
The Freelander was locked up, but I look forward to trying it on too. Tribute is the other ute I am cross-shopping.
The biggest problem I have with the CR-V is the back end, whick I think is super ugly and only makes the vehicle more girlie-looking than it otherwise would. (No guy wants to drive a girl car.)
The ugliness is mostly a function of the taillight design. I appreciate the functionality of mounting the lights up high, but there is a naked area where the taillights should be, and it really bugs (as they say in Cali.).
If they fix the taillight design and add a liftgate, without messing up the attractive front and sides, Honda will have a handsome ute.
Ankleroom: the car-based cute utes in this price range are pretty much all girly cars. Most RAV4, Foreseter, and CR-V owners are in fact female. Nothing wrong with that - females are actually far more practical than males when it comes to buying a car.
If you want the manly ride, stick with the XTerra or Liberty. Both have the tough image and the hardware to go with it, even if they're a little harder to live with (ride, price, gas mileage) than car-based models.
-juice
Bob
The spare tire design was an attempt to make the CR-V look more rugged. Most utes employ body cladding, roof racks, rub strips, and other accessory-looking elements. Take a look at the old Sidekick for an example. Honda opted not to go to that extreme and simply used the spare to give it the necessary "manliness" to look the part of a sport ute. Without it, the CR-V looks too "wagony" for the US market.
Style-wise, the MDX was designed to be completely different. They were going for a clean, unfettered design rather than the traditional SUV look. It was also designed recently. In recent years, the design of SUVs has been stretched farther from the original mold.
http://www.hondapl.org/archiwum/archiwum0301.html
Varmit and Ken, I invite you to post your experiences of your aftermarket bulbs in this topic as well.
Thanks,
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
I just got to Glen Burnie for the CR-V meet. The trip was about 380 miles. I'm guessing we got about 27-29 mpg. I have to fill up the tank to be sure.
Some members over on the CRV-IX have acquired OEM-like versions here in the US that actually fit between the hood and quarter panel. Others have purchased the real deal in Taiwan / etc.
Here are better pics of the Japanse version showing this mirror:
http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/cr_v/image/top_image.jpg http://www.honda.co.jp/CR-V/image/typevariation/type_crv_f_a.jpg
http://www.honda.co.jp/CR-V/
As far as being the class leader, my question is this...Without a plant in the US, can Honda produce enough CR-V's to make the sales lead? Being the leader in quality is assured, but Jeep is planning to sell 250,000 (Yes, 250,000) Liberty's per year and Ford will be selling about 175,000 Escape's.
So, as most US CR-V's will be produced in the United Kingdom, is there the production capabilities to beat Ford and Jeep?
Tincup - We met in Glen Burnie because that was where the fella who organized the meet is from. MD is also close enough that southern New Englanders can make it along with folks from Virginia and other pints south. The local Honda dealer there was willing to spend the morning with us and allowed us to use their facilities to hold the meet. They also volunteered a number of gifts to be used as door prizes for the attendees and had one of their service guys hold a seminar on CR-V maintenance.
Most of our other meets are at places like Pismo Beach, The Rincon Trail, Mullet Lake Nat. Park, the Allegheny Nat. Forest, etc... This one is more of a social event with a picnic and road rally.
We also met with a Honda Rep who works down there in Zone 6. He was a great guy, but had to be tight-lipped about the '02 CR-V. He didn't have anything new to say, except that it will be about the same size, will have a V-TEC engine of some sort, and will have "beefier" styling to attract more male buyers. It is currently scheduled to be released on September 15th. He used the same pic that I posted the other week as an example. The guy who found and scanned it was on hand at the meet, so we got a kick out of it.
That pic of the yellow CR-V is a current model with custom paint and a body kit. You can buy one if you like it. It's also about 3 years old.
The SE model will most likely go awat for a little while. Honda brings out SE packages when a model is getting long in the tooth. This helps them to compete with the new competition without having to completely redesign the car. When the new CR-V is a few years old, they will probably bring it back.
The UK plant (Swindon) is poised to produce CR-Vs for Europe and the US. The Honda Rep at the meet said that both Japanese and UK plants will supply CR-Vs to the US. The Swindon plant is supposed to supply them for the East coast while the West coast continues to get theirs from Japan. I'd be skeptical of the quality o CR-Vs produced in the Swindon plant, but since the CR-V has been the most reliable car on market, I don't think that even bad production practices will make it a lemon.
Honda is releasing a hybrid gas/electric Civic in the next year or so. If it sells well here in the states, they will consider introducing a similar powertrain in the CR-V. This has been in the news for some time and was repeated by the Rep at the CR-V meet.
Have new leather seats in my ride along with a bunch of other goodies. I'll post pics when I have more time.
I had to miss the meet due to family obligations, and I live in Parkville. So close and yet so far.
I hope Allan pick a nice scenic local for the fall. Maybe a meet along skyline drive for the foliage.
Kpatten, I have two kids in carseats and no dog. You might want to go bigger if you need to carry the kids, their stuff (stroller), and the dog. I can fit a double stroller in the back and still have room for more, but I don't know how well a big dog would do back there.
We have been shopping and have test drove practically everything in the small SUV class, but all seem to fall short in one area or the other. I'm anxious to learn more about the 2002 CRV. I'm hoping for more horsepower/torque as well as a bit more room and better color selections. My questions to everyone are, what will the price be for the 2002 CRV's? In September, how hard will it be to obtain one? AND will there be dealer mark-up if there is a production shortage as has been discussed?
Thanks!
When going on family trips, like to Southern Cali, or up to the Lake Tahoe area, the wife's generally required to give me a good reason to take the Caravan over the 'V' (ie. excessive luggage for the 3 females in the family).
INKY
Who cares about the shifter. If it is an auto, why not have it up out of the way? Heck, I learned on a "three on the tree" on a plumber's van, now those stink!
I would also like to see a low range gear, limited slip rear end, and one of those semi auto shifters would be neat like Porsche, Hyundai Santa Fe, and some Chrysler products have.
Also, please throw on some bigger tires. Maybe start with 235/75R15 and have optional 30X9.50R15 or 31X10.50R15
And please add a towing package and cold weather/heavy duty package.
Then, I'll take a test drive. I love Honda quality.
160/165 sounds good for a 2.4. Should add a lot of oomph.
I wouldn't hold my breath for low range, but a granny gear 1st could see the light of day (they had this in the old Civic 4wd wagon). Not likely though.
LSD would be nice.
Digger - With production coming from both England and Japan, there shouldn't be too big a problem with supply meeting demand. However, you should expect to pay a premium on any new car if you are going to buy in the first year.
Inky - You may get one of your wishes. Many of the Civic-based cars are getting a dash mounted automatic, instead of a column shifter. Here's an example from the Stream.
Beatfarmer - 1st gear for the 5 speed isn't quite a creeper, but it's close. Last year a fella named Pb posted a comparison of the Grand Vitara's low gears rpm range and compared it with the CR-V's 5 speed. First gear in the CR-V fell directly between low 1 and low 2 for the GV.
Which brings me to my next concern. I see a lot of wishes here, but everybody wants the CR-V to stay about the same price. Dream on. Honda's tend to be more expensive than their competition and when the CR-V first came out, it was no exception. Shane Lawson (the fella who posted about his disappointing trade in value) and I have been exchanging ideas through e-mail. His contacts are telling him that the STARTING price for the next CR-V will be about $23K. Shane has bought and traded about half a dozen Hondas and Acuras in the past few years, so his dealer might be more liberal with info sharing.
Larger tires would be a good possibility since Honda is trying for that "beefier" look that the Rep was telling us about. This means less acceleration off the line, but with extra torque, it should be able to overcome it. An LX model with 15" tires and the upgraded i-VTEC engine should be pretty darn quick.
Even as a station wagon, most of the American buying public wants low rpm torque more than anything else. Why do you think V engines are popular? This applies doubly to SUV's, which are called upon to haul gear up mountainsides (hillsides), and tow things.
I agree about the bigger tires. Make 235/60HR16s optional, at least.
I hate those dash-mounted tranny levers, but I guess if you still want the pass-through, it's either that or the column shifter.
If you buy a CR-V and want to know where it was made, just look at the first character of the VIN. J means Japan, 1 USA, 2 Canada, 3 Mexico. Not sure what UK is, but if it's not J it probably came from there.
-juice
I bet more people would be interested in CRV if it had some towing capacity. Just think how many have to go to something else for this very reason. Many families have boats and campers nowadays.
Squatch - You didn't just imply that the CR-V is an "SUV" did you?
Towing is not a factor in this class. Honda could've built the CR-V with a towing rating of one single pound and still maintained dominance in the market. As it stands, the CR-V has the lowest rating in the class and yet it held 35% of the market for a number of years.