Honda CR-V Owners Meet the Members

varmit · December 2001

QueenClio - You need to join the CR-V Information Xchange.

Try these links:

CR-V IX

gas cap

And here are some pics of my Dynamat installation.

interior panel removed.

plastic removed.

Dynamat installed.

atuzai · December 2001

Just bought 2002 LX yesterday, beautiful dark blue color. $18.7K include tax, tag. I am so happy to join you guys at CR-V club.

Now I have a question about keyless entry. Does anybody know 2002 model already had receiver installed or not? I heard all 2001 CR-V installed receiver and just need programming when got transmiter. The handa-accessories.com shows 2002 model need install receiver ourselves , is that correct?

Thanks!

rictom · December 2001

All: We're going to be looking at the 2002 crv and 2002 forester after the first of the year. Wondering if anyone here has done that comparison and if so, what were the pros/cons and what vehicle did you decide to go with. I've gone to most of the crv and subaru forums and read a lot already.
We need something small enough for the wife to handle, big enough to carry our 2 75lb+ dogs. We want all the usual stuff, reliablility, convenience, price, quality, safety etc.
I've already done some research at the car sites and am looking for real world experiences now.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks

varmit · December 2001

Rictom - Well... both are big enough to tote a pair of 75 lbs dogs. Both are reliable, dependable, convenient, safe, and easy enough to handle.

What sort of real life experiences are you looking for? Road trips, off-roading, hauling cargo, snow storms, gas mileage, maintenance...? Most of the folks out there own the first gen CR-Vs, so stories about the new ones have yet to be written.

acerockola · December 2001

My $0.02 worth:

We drove the Forrester first and were not impressed. I felt the braking was slow and my wife hated the 5 speed. Thought the gearshift was jippy; very small H pattern and loose feeling. I was particularly dissapointed in the outdated look of the interior: the window switches on the door are vintage 80's design (you have to pull up on the switch). The car just seemed like something from 15 years ago - it didn't look "newly" designed, as most do.

In contrast the 2002 CR-V is a VERY "newly-designed" looking. Functional, yet stylish controls. Tons of room! The 5-speed is peppy enough that I don't feel threatened (or ashamed) in driving it. Haven not driven the Automatic.

The only noticable thing lacking is backlighting on the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. I'm very surprised they left this out, as it is too dark at night to see which button is which. If used enough, memorization will overcome this problem.

We bought an EX after calling and looking around at the various Honda dealers in our area. It pays to shop: some wanted MSRP, some even wanted hundreds (or in one case thousands) OVER MSRP! I refuse to pay over MSRP. We did well and came in at $450 under MSRP.

Another consideration is that stupid "dealer processing fee". Talk about money for nothing ! Some were as high as $300! Ours was only $25. Again, phone them and ask, before you waste your time!

I think it's going to be a good vehicle; time will tell.

Ace

varmit · December 2001

Ace - If you're near Texas, Florida, or PA, we have a few CR-V meets being organized in the near future. Bring your new toy out for some fun!

rictom · December 2001

Varmit: I guess I'm looking for satisfied crv owners of 'older' crv's and whatever few 2002 owners that can help.

Ace: thanks for the info on your EX. Now that Christmas is over I'll be getting serious about test drives and pricing. What part of the country are you in?
Others have written about the open wheelwells and possibe visibility problem-right rear and the head rests, on the 2002 crv. Any opinion on that? I know you drove the 5 speed, I'm hoping the auto will have more zip than the 2001 we did drive. Why the EX over the LX?
Can I ask what the actual price was for your EX?
Thanks, any info and updates you can supply would be great.
Rick

varmit · December 2001

Rictom - Try the forum at this site. Everything you need to know about the old and new CR-V can be found there. You can read about all kinds of road trips, accessories, and a few fixes as well.

To address the things you've listed...

The visibility out the back of the new models isn't as good as the original CR-V, but it's still adequate. The center headrest would be a problem, but this is easily removed and can be stowed in any number of places. The well under the picnic table and pouches behind the front seats come are likely spots. I dunno where you can stow it in the Forester as there are no pouches or room under the cargo floor. I'm sure someone else could tell you, though.

I don't know if you read it, but Honda responded to concerns about the openings in the wheel wells. The response was to a letter concerning the Civic, which also has the same openings. They stated that the openings actually kept the engine compartment cleaner. They didn't say how and we are skeptical (better airflow, maybe?). No problems were found during their cold or dry weather testing. No one has reported any problems with either the Civic or the CR-V. It looks like much ado about nothing.

I drive a '99 with the 5 speed. Acceleration in the '02 with the automatic was slightly better, but not enough to write home about. However, when compared to the '99-'01 automatic, the new one is much better off the line and at speed. Shifts are smooth. There was no gear hunting. I had two tests drives and made sure to take some hills.

When I was shopping back in '98 and '99, I thought that the Forester had good acceleration and good handling. I liked a lot about it, but rejected it based on the cramped back seat, the poor seat materials, the ugly look, and the low seating. I also felt there was less elbow room, but that may be because I'm over 6'1". Which brings me to legroom and that was fine.

Some of my gripes have been changed since then. There are lots of new features available, the body colored bumpers and new grill improved the look, and the cloth seats have been changed. Technically, there is less cargo space (dropped 2 cu.ft. due to equipment incorporated into the roof), but that's certainly no biggie. They also removed the ability to adjust the seat backs in the rear seats. I've been told that this was to meet some future safety regulations, but, quite frankly, I think that's a load of horse pucky. I've never seen these new regs and I know quite a bit about safety standards. It also doesn't make sense since every other manufacturer is still using them. (This reminds me that I should ask the guys who gave me that info.) Certainly the midlife improvements were worth the minor setbacks. I don't want to make too big a deal about them and give you the wrong impression.

Anyway, that's my story. Hope it helps. If you want to hear more about the things I've done with my CR-V, post questions.

rictom · December 2001

Thanks for the site info. I had that site bookmarked but forgot about it. Checked it out and have to say I'm looking forward to driving the 2002 CRV after reading the review there and getting a chance to really see the differences between the 2001 and 2002. Sounds like I won't be disappointed. To be fair we still will check out the 2002 Forester. We just got back from Conneticut where we had the opportunity to drive my sister in laws 99 Forester. We did enjoy it. Good power, looked like plenty of room.
However, to be honest, we currently own an Ody and a Civic..so it might just come down to LX or EX...but we intend to be impartial! Really!

varmit · December 2001

The Forester is a great crossover vehicle. I enjoyed the extra torque and wouldn't mind the full-time AWD (though I don't reallt need it). It's also a very safe vehicle. The trouble is the new CR-v has addressd the differences in power and other shortcomings. I won't hold it against you if you end up buying the Soob.

Every person has a different use for their car, so there's no one model that fits all.

cslee6 · January 2002

I ordered a front tower brace for my 2001 CRV. The company charged my credit card but never sent the order. And it is impossible to get hold of him. Maybe he has caller id and for those he chooses to screw over he doesn't answer the phone. I've left messages, faxed, but still no answer, no confirmation, receipt, or UPS tracking #. The only time I talked to him was the day the charge posted to my account and he said that the order had shipped 'yesterday' and that I would get it in 3 days ground UPS. But it never came. I filed with the Better Busines Bureau and disputed with my credit card company. And according to some people on Hondasuv.com he (Jon Mandel aka Manb) has done this before. So do not do business with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bmengotto · January 2002

We are in the market for a 2002 CRV. I have asked my wife to wait until the middle of this year, or later. I have read that Honda has released the CRV 2002 in Canada with Color matching bumpers and door handles. Here in CA I have only seen black bumpers and door handles on all models. On some non-American car review sites I have also seen 2002 models with grey cloth interior. Right now in America they only have black or brown. If anyone can validate this information, then please do.

Thanks in advance.

B

varmit · January 2002

The Canadian market has different trim levels. They have ABS and AWD standard on all trim levels. They also have an option of leather seats and the EX model has painted bumpers much like the LE version from last year (up there the SE was called the LE).

There are only two color choices for the interior of the CR-V. One has grey cloth and charcoal plastics. The other uses beige cloth and tan/brown plastics.

scname · January 2002

Its really black, very very black. Only look grey in those photos.

Karen_S · March 2002

Last week, Edmunds rolled out new pricing pages. Along with this is a new "consumer ratings & reviews". This functionality lives in the "consumer opinions" area of the new vehicle detail page, and allows users to rate a vehicle on a number of different criteria (1 to 10 scale), as well as add his/her own free-form comments.

If you have some time, we would really appreciate Town Hall members writing a review of their current auto, or a favorite make/model. It takes approximately a week for your review to appear on that make/model.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Thanks!

KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs

fremolly · March 2002

Just purchased 2002 crv ex, with delivery hopefully in a week. I've been researching rustproofing online and with friends, but still not sure if it's worth the $600 dealer charge. Live in the snow belt, so lots of salt and sand. Have heard undercoating can cause rust problems..but all info is conflicting. The product the dealer uses for the rustproofing is Waxoyl over the undercoating. Also thinking about adding the side cladding. Any chance if this is applied incorrectly that vehicle could be damaged? Could water be trapped and increase risk of rust? Am I obsessed or what? My first honda, and I am in love already.

varmint · March 2002

Fremolly - Welcome to the forum.

Unfortunately, we don't have any long term experience with rust patterns on the CR-V. No one has had an '02 morel long enough for us to tell if the side cladding is going to be a rust problem. Generally, most modern cars do not have significant problems with rust.

I will say this. We've seen a few reports describing cladding that was not installed correctly. Make sure whoever does it, does it right.

canuck12 · April 2002

I have owned Hondas for over 30 years. Today I own three, a '93 Del Sol, 97 CR-V and my classic (unique in North America) 1972 Honda 1300 Coupe 7. See www.visualimpressions.ca/honda7 for a full review of this unique Honda car.

chuckk1 · April 2002

Hi everybody. I'm posted over on the big board, so I won't say much here, except that I'm completely won over to CR-V's. My wish list? Replace the damaged bumper fascia, upgrade speakers and add tweeters, add a roof rack, and a passenger side arm rest. Then hurry up and wear the Bridgestones down so I can buy quiter tires. Oh, don't forget the alarm system, the light bar, foglights..............yum yum...............but what's my complaint, with only 11K miles, huh?

crv139 · May 2002

this is my 4th honda product I had an 83 and 86
accord hatchback and an Acura Legend Now I have a V, I love it it is so much fun to drive. Honda makes a good vehicle and they last.

sophie333 · May 2002

Hello all. I just purchased a '99 clover green CRV/EX with 58,000 miles for 13,900 from a Honda dealership 3 weeks ago. Has pretty much all the toots w/sunroof as well. Did I totally pay too much? I've been looking at the mileage reports others of you are talking about, and didn't see any as high as mine. This was a one owner who commuted to work. I'd appreciate any perspective. (BTW, I haven't named her yet!)

varmint · May 2002

Mine is a '99 Silver EX with 61,000 miles on it. His name is Buster. Mostly used for commuting and hauling people, pets, and camping gear. So far no problems.

As for price, it really depends on the condition. The addition of an aftermarket sunroof will also drive up the price a bit. At this time, I think it's a bit too late to worry about whether or not you got a good deal. Just enjoy it!

joybell · February 2003

I am a Subaru owner that was shopping for a new Subaru. A couple of things happened that changed my mind about buying another Subie (dealership near me closed and model I want has to much plastic body cladding). I didn't really consider Honda at first because my brother (ex avid Honda owner) told me "Honda isn't what it used to be". Well, I thought this was because they are now not made in Japan anymore. But then I checked the CR-V and Edmunds say it is made in Japan! Surprise, surprise! So now, instead of a Forester, I am looking at one of these. First question: Is there a FWD model available? (I don't really need AWD, my present old Subie is a FWD). Second question: Is there any painted body cladding on the outside or is it all steel? The Forester has plastic cladding and that REALLY turned me off, mostly because I used to have a Subaru with this and the rust started very badly under it and the cladding fell off before I knew there was a problem! Third question: I didn't really want an SUV but a Wagon....will there be enough space in this to haul stuff like the kids' toboggan (to go sledding)?

beyaco · February 2003

Hi, there everyone. We are in the processing of purchasing a new CRV EX model. We live in snowy part of Canada. My greatest concern is safety. My wife, 5'in height will be the main driver and every now and then, she drives the kids to school. Any incident(s) of rollovers to any CRV owners? Thanks to whoever will respond to this question..

varmint · February 2003

Beyaco - Yes, there have been rollover's in CR-Vs. There have also been roll-overs in minivans, sedans, compacts, and wagons. Are you looking for personal stories or statistics on how many have happened?

The only roll-over measure we have is conducted by the NHTSA. They predict a vehicle's propensity for roll-over using a mathematical model. Unfortunately, this "test" does not take into account important things like suspension tuning. But it's the only data we have.

That said, the CR-V scores a 3 star rating. This is not so good compared with most cars (1 and 2 stars), but better than many other SUVs (4 and 5 stars). Most other vehicles in the CR-V's class score 3 stars.

beyaco · February 2003

Thanks, Vermint for the answer. If there were incidents of rollovers in CRV, I wonder if CRV owners had given enough "feedbacks" to the (Honda) company to "update" or better the quality of their CRV's?
Thanks again for the reply..

slugline · February 2003

Actually, that rating of 3 is very typical for anything in the SUV class. Many minivans (which people don't think of as rollover-prone) score the same on that scale. This is not really much of a "quality" issue, because small SUVs, by definition, will have a higher center of gravity; this is a characteristic of this vehicle class.

Large passenger cars are the most resistant to rollover; if this a large concern for you then this is the class of vehicle to look at. For SUVs the most rollover-resistant vehicles were the Aztek and MDX with four stars each. You can review these ratings yourself at http://www.nhtsa.gov.

Your best protection against rollovers (or any other accidents) is to buckle up and drive safely.

stever · January 2004

Nice to see your name up in lights at the top of the page!

Steve, Host
(Just passing through; see you in CR-V in SUVs)

kyfdx · January 2004

I thought that was supposed to be "King Varmint"?

varmint · January 2004

I couldn't decide between "King Varmint" and "Supreme Ruler of All Things Related to CR-Vs". So, the hosts just put "varmint" up there. I guess they just don't understand the strain these kinds of decisions put on us poor leaders.

Thanks Steve

Karen_S · February 2004

I had thought of the title "Grand Exalted CR-V Poobah of the Millennium", but not sure if you can hold out for another 996 years. ;-)

kyfdx · February 2004

King Varmint has a '99 CRV, so I think he already qualifies from the last milennium.

duck25 · February 2004

Hi,
I am the owner of a 97 CRV in Alabama with 104K miles and will be moving to California in a couple of weeks. Can anyone out there tell me what to expect in the way of the SMOG checks in CA? Will I need any additional equipment to meet standards? Costs for checkups?

Thanks,
Duck25

drivebyroads · March 2004

I just moved from Southern California back to Florida, where I came from originally. I also worried about the smog checks there. I found that no extra equipment was needed for any of my cars, which the oldest was an '88 GMC. The best way to get the smog test done is to go to a SMOG CHECK ONLY business. The tests take less than 30 minutes and cost around $35. They check the lights, warning lamps at start-up, and the emissions at idle and while driving. If you go to a garage, they can fail the car to get repair business. But the "smog check only" places do nothing but test the cars.

Karen_S · March 2004

Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey

bshel · March 2004

Hi all,
owner of a new Chianti Red EX V with MT. Love it so far! The negotiations were a challenge but is is done. It is operating very well in the PA snow this week. Have insight on to breaking it in? Am I supposed to keep it under a certain rpm for a time? need education here. Thanks!

varmint · March 2004

With modern engines break-in isn't as big a deal as it has been in the past. The thing to avoid is keeping the engine at a constant RPM for long periods of time. Avoid using cruise control and vary your speed a bit. That's all.

bshel · March 2004

How long should I avoid using the cruise control? I am planning a few weekend getaways.

thanks!

varmint · March 2004

Maybe the first 1,000 miles. There are many folks who suggest longer and more strict break-in schedules, but I think they're being a bit too cautious.

p.s. Congrats on your new ride.

bshel · March 2004

Curious if anyone knows what demographic the V was designed for. I have seen some posts that many women are driving this vehicle (1st and 2nd generation). I have noticed some older folks driving it as well as families, etc.

bshel · March 2004

directed to everyone

varmint · March 2004

25 mpg

5 speed '99 EX

stevedebi · March 2004

21 Town / 26 Highway

kyfdx · March 2004

22-23 MPG when driving with wanton disregard for gas prices.

24-25 MPG if I try really hard to keep my highway speed down.

theracoon · March 2004

24/25 mpg around town (which includes some highway)
28/29 mpg highway

2-3 mpg less during the winter.

kyfdx · March 2004

What color? Doesn't that make all the difference??

kizhe · March 2004

mostly highway (80%), speed 55-65, tires 34 psi.
and no 'rabbit starts' :-).
27/29 mpg.

varmint · March 2004

Kyfdx - Color correlates to speed, not mpg. Let's not confuse these scientific principles by getting them mixed up.

dondada · March 2004

20-21 MPG: City
24-26 MPG: Highway

slugline · March 2004

21-23 in daily Houston commuting
24-25 in highway driving 70 mph or above
25-27 in highway driving below 70 mph
...so this is another example where TIME IS MONEY.

Honda CR-V Owners Meet the Members

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