2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

rsholland

from a styling standpoint. In fact, I like it a lot. I actually prefer the "2-tone" effect over the monochromatic versions (of many SUVs and SUV wannabes). It breaks up the vehicle visually, and creates a feeling of the vehicle to be "less tall." I think it adds visual interest.

Bob

scname

Am I the only one who still like chrome bumper, trim around here ? They don't scratch either, real easy to clean.

rsholland

You're the only one...

Bob

ateixeira

Chrome is harder to clean, needs polishing, and eventually it'll get pitted.

Save it for the Navigators and Escalades.

-juice

varmit

The only part of the cladding that offends me is the strips along side the front grill. On the Escape, these are supposed to mimic bumper bullets, but because they are integrated plastic they look like weird bumps. On the CR-V, they just look dumb. There's not even a faux connection to any functional hardware.

We haven't seen a spy pic of an SE model, but the drawings first posted a while back (not the new looney tunes versions) did have painted bumpers much like the current scheme. Which, by the way, I like very much. It leaves the lower portion bare for resistance to scratches, but it has a more classy integrated look with the rest of the car. IMHO.

diploid

The cargo area looks huge. The rear, from the sketches, shows that the spare tire *is* integrated into the tailgate. Length of spare tire cover equals that of the bumper length, which means no Suzuki Vitara-like crash test results.

But the spy pics posted before shows that the spare tire is not located in such a way.

Also, with the addition of D pillars, the inside sketch shows that visibility is still good. But that's just the sketch...gotta wait until the real deal comes out.

In the meantime, I think the "surprise" is in the engine rumors...

artdecho

i couldn't have said it better myself, varmit! and btw, the japanese teaser pix don't show any black cladding beside the grille, so maybe the se version IS body colour.(or maybe just the jdm version). anyway, i guess we'll find in a couple of days.

estevef1

Waiting til 09.01 but from the preliminary spec sheet from that collegehilldshonda site:
1) ABS is only available in the EX model
2) No traction control available
3) No VSA available
4) No side-curtain airbag system available

I know safety doesn't sell that well here but I hope they make these available...

Steve

varmit

Has Honda used curtain-style airbags on any models? The side bags that are supposed to be in the CR-V are seat mounted like those used in the Acuras.

diploid

One of the major complaints with the new Chrysler minivans is that they don't compare with the Ford and Honda minivans in the crash test ratings (both received 5 stars).

Gray body cladding- I've never seen Subaru Foresters with gray body claddings. But then again most of the Foresters I see are the newer ones (I can tell by the brighter tail lights).

I think Honda is taking the Jeep Liberty approach. Unlike the Forester, where all models have the light gray cladding (which I think looks better than the dark gray ones on the CR-V), the Libertys have body colored matching bumpers for the top of the line models.

Chrome bumpers- ugghhh! I have more than once driven behind several late model Ford/Chevy pickups with chrome bumpers at night and the reflection of my headlights coming off from their bumpers is visually distracting and dangerous. I thought it was rather puzzling that they could still do that since some were already rusted pretty badly.

vonnyvonce

Forester L has gray cladding. S series has the painted cladding. I'm with those who think form follows function. Painted cladding and/or bumper skins is a bit of an oxymoron. The purpose of cladding/bumpers is to take some abuse and NOT show it. I like the cladding on the V and on the Esacpe also for that matter. Lends a bit of ruggedness to the vehicles.

estevef1

I prefer the dark/light grey cladding...as long as it's not some ugly grey-BROWN one the folks at Mazda put on the Tribute: one of the many factors I took that vehicle off my list.

I don't believe any Honda has side curtain airbags..at least not any in the US. I'm really hoping for VSA as that is such a benefit to all drivers in all driving conditions.

Steve

varmit

I'm all for a little cladding where it makes sense, but tacking it on to make the car/truck look more rugged is just tacky. Personally, I prefer the dark grey cladding to the lighter shades. When they start messing with metallic tones, it gets ugly.

gkoff

Your picture of the door with Dynamat Extreme looks just like what I did with same material. I also did inside of outer door panel with extra material. Put some under speaker and it enhances sound significantly.

You can get Dynamat material for hood liner. I did but was still not satisfied. So I went to J C Whitney site and got similar material from them. I actually layered over top of Dynamat hood liner material, so I actually have two layers. I used excess to put on as much of engine firwall and sidewall of engine compartment as I could.

The only place left to do is behind dashboard, but I don't have the guts to take it apart. I have a stone chip in window, so when I get it replaced, I may try sticking some material in cowl area.

Any other thoughts?

varmit

I have more pics. I plan on doing a full writeup for the CR-V IX, but here is a "teaser".

For the remaining doors (front passenger and both rear) I only covered the body panels. You should be able to see the silver Dynamat through the holes in the door. This was much more effective than doing the inner panels as shown in the first pic. I also covered the foot wells up front and under the floor mats. I wasn't able to get up under the dash (too much work, too little know how).

I was aiming at reducing road noise and was successful to a point. I really need to do something with the wheel wells to quell it completely. If you want a completely quiet CR-V, this is not the way to go. I would recommend that you address engine noise first. Now that the road noise has been reduced, the sound of the engine is clear as day. :-)

I think I may spring for a hood liner. I may do the sides of the engine bay and the firewall eventually. Before I spend money on that, I'm going to look into using felt or other cheap materials to add an additional layer in the pilars and line the entire roof. That should help reduce wind noise.

carguy62

Honda also uses seat mounted side airbags...not just Acura.

ateixeira

Subaru's cladding is kind of a slate color, dark grey to black. I hate the Volvo XC's, which is either blue or brown. Have you seen those? IMHO ugly as sin.

Audi puts a faux metal skid plate on its allroad quattro.

varmit: I hope you don't get squeeks when you put all those panels back in place. Make sure to replace any broken pins or clips.

-juice

Spyponder

Man, pulling all those door panels, etc. off would make me nervous. I wish the CR-V didn't have as much road noise as it does, but I'm not sure I dislike it enough to start taking my car apart like that for what seems to be only a small reduction in noise!

kmh

I'll have to disagree about the road noise... I believe the 'V is pretty darn good about keeping the road noise to - ahem - a dull roar. IMHO, it's the engine noise when it revs that's real invasive into the passenger compartment. I really hope Honda will address this with their next generation model.

theracoon

I think you'll be disappointed, as Honda is known for building engines that love to rev high...thus causing more engine sounds.

JM2C

crvenvy

One thing I love about Hondas is the high revving engines and road noise. I'm currently driving a 91 Civic Si and I love the feel. I think with all that noise if gives you some micro control of the car, after a couple monthes or so you just know what your car is doing. In two weeks I will be trading in my Civic for a CRV and am looking forward to the revving engine.

varmit

Taking the plastic door panels off was easy. All that required was a #2 phillips head screwdriver. There are some plastic pegs that anchor the plastic panel at the base of the door. These were a bit tough, but a good tug was all it took. Nothing was damaged and everything went back together as solid as it was to begin with.

The tough part was dealing with the plastic that covered the electricals.



The plastic was actually easy to remove, but it was held on with some of the nastiest stuff I've ever worked with. It was kinda like glue mixed with grease. I must have looked like a Norman Rockwell illustration by the time I was done. I had it on my hands, my arms, my jeans, in my hair,... The stuff was so sticky, it got everywhere.

I peeled the plastic away, but half of the goo stayed stuck to the doors. I had to work around it. I'd be reaching into the interior of the door panel to press the Dynamat against the sheetmetal and I'd accidentally place my free hand on the stuff. When I pulled my hand away, a long string of goo would stretch out between me and the door surface. It'd break and land all over some tool I was using or snap back against the door (creating a new sticky spot). I still wake up at night...

Verdict: It was expensive ($250) and the results are average. There is a substantial decrease in road noise, but most folks would be better served if they attacked the engine bay. I don't mind the engine sound, so I went about things differently.

I purchased abut 36 sq.ft. and managed to cover the foot wells, the bottom half of the firewall under the dash, a double layer on the driver's door and single layers on the remaining three doors. I also have a bit between the front seats.

For the average buyer, this is what I would suggest.

Get a hood liner as described by Gkoff. Buy some Dynamat or similar material and apply it to the sides of the engine bay and as much of the firewall as you can. The firewall will be tricky. Next do the front doors. Then get up under the dash as far as you can (also a tough job). There is already sound dampening material under the floor mats. Don't waste the stuff covering that. Instead, use whatever you have left to cover the space between the two front seats.

varmit

I forgot to mention. While engine noise still dominates the amount of sound coming in, the Dynamat has improved the quality of sound coming from the stock speakers.

drew_

Sounds like a similar insulation goo that MB uses as well. Black, extremely sticky and soft. I had to use a chemical glass stripper with some abrasive ingredients to get rid of it. The 3M black or yellow weatherstripping glue is supposed to be a good alternative.

I would think that the cargo area is one place to attack as well, since that's where the road noise echos.


Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accesories message boards

swsms

Here is a link to a pic of the '02 CR-V: http://thehollywoodextra.com/CRV/crv.html

I hope this not the official pic!

beatfarmer

Sorry for the delay but I was away for two weeks and busy for two more. The above pic is a bad photoshop job. It isn't close to official.

sept. 1st.

diploid

odman

Hi Everyone, this is my first post here, even though I've been watching the forum for months.

Those interested in seeing the first photos and review of the CR-V should check out the Canadian newspaper, www.nationalpost.com. Unfortunately the National Post makes it hard to link directly to their articles. Go to the left sidebar and see the box called "special reports". Click on Driver's Edge and the CR-V review will be the 3rd item.

The styling is evolutionary (Hollywood Extra was right, even though a lot of their stuff looks like doctored crap). Styling is subjective of course, but seeing the black cladding creep up the nose gives the car an ungainly appearance, as do the thick black rails that go across the drip edges.

The article says that torque goes up to 162 ft-lbs, but doesn't mention hp changes. 0-60 times are supposedly 3-seconds faster. Handling is better, even with the change to MacStruts. I'm really happy to see that the rear seat has a fore-aft adjustment (I'm 6'5", so people behind me get squished). All SUVs and Minivans should have this feature.

There's a shot of the center console, showing the integrated parking brake lever built into the left edge of the console (rather than the floor). No word on whether the picnic table survives

Looks like it should hold its own, and provide enough reasons not to buy an Escape.

Happy motoring, eh!

slugline

For those of you who don't want to do all that clicking:

http://www.nationalpost.com/specialreports/story1.html?f=/stories/20010831/677362.html

Very interesting. . . .

By the way, in case anyone is wondering, I'm not THAT Vince.

odman

Thanks for posting the direct link. Obviously I'm a novice with this kind of stuff.

scname

3 seconds faster, that's going to beat Escape Tribute. 64.5 db beats Toyota Highlander and just about everybody else.

kmh

This isn't the first Honda I've owned, I also had an Acura Integra and I know what a sweet sound a Honda engine can make when revving. My 'V's engine sounds more strained than strong. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Besides, this is all a moot point since the next gen 'V appears to quell the complaints of noise and harshness plus performance...

suvshopper4

From the National Post article, above, by David Booth: "After literally inventing the sport-cute category with the 1997 introduction of its CR-V..."

Is this true?

beatfarmer

If they print it in the paper, it must be true.

Most people would credit the RAV as the first cute ute, but then they don't have to think of a nifty line to fill in space for an article.

ateixeira

I agree with the cladding around the front grille being ugly. It should stop under the headlights. But at least it would be less noticeable with a dark color (green, blue, or black).

I wonder how many valets will figure out that hand brake! Looks neat, but the overall look is still "minivan".

RAV4 came first, though. The author said the CR-V was, maybe it was that way in Canada.

162 lb-ft is a hefty improvement. That's what my Forester has, and it comes in handy when you're in deep sand or towing a loaded trailer, for sure. It's way more than we expected, too.

A 3 second improvement, though? Maybe over the original autos that were hovering around 12s. Knock 3 seconds off the quickest times on the former manual tranny CR-V and it would outrun an S2000!

The rear seat fore/aft adjustment would be a big plus, too. Right now I think passenger room gets a priority over cargo (vs. the opposite on my Forester), but the adjustment would allow it to be more flexible.

Also, an LX with ABS would be a welcome change. Why save safty features for the rich? I hope that's not Canada-only.

-juice

varmit

No, Honda did not invent the sport ute category. Suzuki has been bulding them for years and even the RAV4 was available in most places before the CR-V. The RAV4 made the buggies a bit more popular because they were reliable, fun, and fairly functional. The CR-V stole the limelight when they added a good deal more function to the mix. Then, when sales took off for the CR-V, it made a big splash.

Odman - Love the review. Thanks.

varmit

Juice - Canadian CR-Vs have always been available with ABS on all trim levels. They also had an SE like trim level called the LE sooner than we did.

Love the parking brake. Odd that they didn't mention window switches.

ateixeira

Suzuki was a trucklet, though. The car-based models were resurrected by the Outback in 1995, and then taken a step further by the RAV4 in 1996.

But you could go back much further. Subaru was first with 4WD on a raised car platform in 1974:



Then came AMC with the Eagle, a few years later. People commonly mistake the Eagle for the first crossover, but Subaru beat them to it.

-juice

varmit

While the deFinitions of "mini" and "SUV" are clear as mud, I don't think anyone would try to squeeze any of those vehicles under the label.

It's true that crossovers have been around for a while (back in the 1930's they were racing a small car with 4WD), but that doesn't necessarily make them a mini-ute.

kens

Wow, that article is the most comprehensive yet. I'm not sure if I like the way the CR-V looks in the photograph. It may be just the angle, but the roundness reminds me a little of the Ford Explorer.

If true, I think the new CR-V engine will be better suited for the task for an SUV. Torque is not only upped to a healthy 162ft-lbs, but there seems to be more available down low. That'll definetly help cut down on cabin noise.

Did anyone notice that the column mounted shifter is still there?

Ken

rsholland

I wonder if that's been increased? BTW, it looks like I was wrong about the 5-speed automatic, and there's no word (or rumors) about the manuals yet.

Bob

ateixeira

It's kind of funny, but looking back, that black tape was covering some of the uglier features.

Bob - did you get the latest Autoweek yet? I'm not at home. There may be some more info in there. The web site links to the sister publication Automotive News article we've seen.

-juice

rsholland

The mail hasn't arrived yet today.

Bob

diploid

I would never expect to see any article about the new CR-V so early...

If you want to talk compact SUV, the Jeeps were the first ones, no doubt about it. But for 4-door models, it would be the Suzuki Samurai.

diploid

The pic from the article makes the CR-V look as big as a Santa Fe.

So what is this "surprise" that the Honda web site was talking about...???

tatu1

If $30,000 Canadian is $19,404, that seems kinda cheap....what are they complaining about ?

ateixeira

Wait, Samurai had 2 doors, right? I think the Cherokee was the first 4 door mini SUV.

The styling of that 1974 wagon may not fit the bill, but the hardware is closer to a traditional SUV than the CR-V is. It even had a low range!

Santa Fe isn't that big, it just looks that way. Optical illusion?

-juice

diploid

The long wheelbase SJ series of the Suzuki Samurai had 4-doors, but it was "rare" (sort of like Dodge Durangos that were actually sold with V-6 engines).

I'm pretty sure it eventually morphed into the Suzuki Sidekick, but I really have no factual data backing that up.

The Santa Fe is actually that big. It's closer in size to a Lexus RX300 than any other mini uts.
Some automobile sources even list it as a midsized SUV, instead of a mini.

inky

I have been following this discussion for some time and know you will find 02 near MSRP initially. There is one dealer that will price $316 over invoice from the get go (except Odyssey, S S2000). I have a 02 Odyssey on order there and bought my 99 Odyssey there. Dealer is located in OK ( www.autoinvoice.com ) has full details. I do not work for dealer. I just buy lots of cars. Call Mr. JOhn Page 1-800-375-less if interested and tell John that Inky referred you. I do not know if they are ordering yet but allocation may have begun by now. A credit card $500 deposit is required. That used to bother me but 100's of out of state people have done it and succeeded. They even pick you up at the airport. FYI or just disregard this message. I just remember the MSRP pricing that entire first year of CRV. This price policy is on Accord, CRV, Passport, Civic as far as I know.
INKY

rsholland

I just got it.

Bob