Are you a current Michigan-based car shopper? A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/2 for details.
My 2002 CR-V plays nothing but home-burned CD's. There are lots of variables involved when burning. You just have to hit the correct formula. I'm having trouble, currently, burning DVD's, and those coasters are expensive!
I agree that MP3's won't play in the CV-R. But the music CD's that I have burned, and that do play in the CR-V, will not play in my older Sony 5-disc house stereo system player. They will, however, play in my Toshiba DVD player, and so will my MP3 CD's. Now, if only I can figure out a way to burn DVD movies which will play in the Toshiba, I'll be happy!
Just get my new 03 EX. Thank you ALL on this board for your posts! You helped me a lot to make my choice. My wife love EX too. I choose black color. For accessories I got: 1. Fog lights, 2. Leather seats - black, 3. Heated seats. Dealer throw me a set of floor mats, cargo tray and cargo net as a gift - very practical things! I am planning to order on-line: roof rack, front flaps, interior trim kit and plastic spare cover. Love my 03 EX looks and utility. Especially I like: gear lever, park brake, passage between front seats and 6 CD changer. This vehicle is well thought off. No wonder that most owners(according to this board) are men. I bet that many women owners were influenced by their husbands too. "Practical women" may challenge me if I am wrong :-) . I have three questions for the veterans of this board: 1. How do you protect your spare tire? Chain with a lock or wheel locks? 2. What kind of antitheft device ( 'Club' or 'Shoe') is considered 'good' ? Or immobilizer is enough for most practical purposes? 3. During brake-in period can I drive long distances (like more than 100 miles)? Why it is recommended to change (vary) your speed when driving on highway during brake-in? Why I may not use cruise control? It controls you speed but not rev's. Again, thank you ALL.
Since buying our '03 LX I have been following the CR-V discussions and debates. A major point of discussion being CR-V vs Liberty vs Escape etc. Each vehicle seemingly fills a specific need for the people that buy them. I am curious as to what other CR-V owners were looking for and how well their CR-V has met expectations...thanks.
R & R.....Reliability and Resale value. I just didn't think anything out there compared to the Honda. So far I have 77K miles on my '99 CRV and no unexpected repairs, and also never had to take it in for any warranty work whatsoever.
How accurate are the EPA figures for the 5spd CR-V? I've rarely found them reliable on any vehicle I've owned.
Example ( EPA in () ): 1997 Civic auto (28/35) - 25 around town, did hit 40 once on the highway 1999 Ford Contour V6 5spd (20/29) - 19 around town, never broke 28 on the highway 2001 Accord 5spd (26/32) - 22 around town, 31 max on the highway
I'm heavy with the throttle so I'm always below the estimates...but the amount I'm below by varies a bit. I've also driven with a Yakima roof rack on all my cars.
I think the CR-V 5spd is 21/25. The highway estimate is pretty low relative to what I am used to. I guess the high engine rpms and the above average drag coefficient hurts highway mileage? I don't want to buy one and find I'm getting 17-18 around town and 22-23 on the highway. The same 2.4L gets 27/33 in the Accord (which is not an SUV of course).
I've owned a previous generation 5-speed CRV and currently a 2002 Auto CRV. I've gotten between 21.5 and 25.5 MPG on every tankful regardless of where its driven, and I check every tank. The wind resistance keeps you from getting the high numbers on the highway, but overall its very efficient. I can't imagine getting under 20 MPG with it anywhere. Those figures include the previous CRV as well.
tayk/bgabell... narrowed our choices down to the V and a Buick Rondy.. Loved the luxury of the Buick but the price and anemic engine sent us to the V. A friend actually bought the Rondy that we looked at. This past weekend we both went on a road trip of about 450 miles over two high mountain passes (+9,000 ft). V pulled both like a champ and averaged 29.5 mpg for the trip. He got a shade over 20. V was extremely comfortable for 4 adults and luggage. It is fun to drive and we like it more every day. For once in my life, I made the right choice. Getting around 22/24 in urban driving.
Past experiences with Honda Safety MPG Price Semi-eco-friendly Driver comfort Back seat comfort Low insurance premium Walk through Easy to configure interior Ride
Kizhe - During break in you can drive long distances. My first trip was at least 300 miles. The reason for varying the RPM is to excercise the full range of the engine. Driving at a consistent rpm rate reinforces the engine to do one thing. The heat is constant, vibration is constant, and probably a host of other factors.
Consider the legs of a marathon runner vs a power lifter. Two different sets of legs both tuned for maximum efficiency in specific areas. During the break-in period for your car, you want to develop "decathalon legs" for your CR-V.
Taykinitezy - I bought mine before there were many players in the market. I considered the RAV4, Forester, and Xterra most seriously. The Kia and Suzukis were never really in the running.
In the end, it was the combination of utility and economy that won me over. The CR-V offered enough space for buddies in the back seat, while still being able to carry our camping gear. Yet, I didn't have to stop at every gas station on the way up north. It offered enough ground clearance to get through the deep snow I sometimes have to deal with and I found the features both interesting and useful. The CR-V has character that fits me better.
I was once told and it makes sense,that varying speeds during critical breakin periods is to allow the even distribution of lubricants on bearing surfaces.Centrifugal force causes oil to be thrown away from the center of it's rotating mass,so if a constant speed is held then some areas may not get adequate oil for optimum wear patterns.Anyhow I just passed 20k miles and had my V serviced for only $25 and they actually checked the brakes and air cleaner then reported a small leak in the valve cover gasket.So a dealer charge of $160 is out of line for 45 minutes work.I would be interested to know what kind of miles people have racked up,100k,200k?
I am looking into buying a used Silver 2000 CRV LX with about 66,300 miles. According to price estimates on various websites, the $10,500 price is well below the retail value of the car, making this a very good deal. Should I be concerned, however, about the mileage being higher than the average 3 year old car? I welcome any CRV owners to give an opinion on this.
SShhheeeewwweeee...thats a lot of miles. For what its worth, the 99 thru 01 models are virtually identical. If you bite on this one (and I wouldn't, due to the mileage) make sure the 60K service has been done. Also, if no timing belt replacement, that will be due in a year or less, and will cost upwards of $600. The values on edmunds, kbb, nada all tend to overvalue and under penalize high mileage cars. According to the experts that post on these sites, the penalty for high mileage is about double what edmunds gives. Drop over to real world trade-in values and ask Terry to give you a price.
I put over 25k miles a year on all of my cars. the high miles are nearly all highway, which is the least taxing type. If the price is right, and the services are up to date, I'd consider it.
I have about 78K on my '99 model. Other than worn carpets and a few paint chips, there are few signs of wear. I know of about 6 CR-Vs with about 200K on them and few problems.
If we were talking about a vehicle with a shady history or a brand new model with high mileage, I'd be suspicious. But the 1st gen CR-V has a proven track record.
Anyone have any experience with removing the roof trim (garnish) on a 02/03 CR-V? We are traveling to FL on the autotrain, and if we can remove the roof trim (note - no roof RACK installed) we can then ship the V at the automobile rate and save ourselves $400.
Thought it was going to be a simple process of removing the bolts holding it down, but there apparently is something else that holds the black trim to the roof. Anybody know what?
I bet it's glued down with some sort of epoxy or other sealant, else rain would create water leaks. Personally, I'd leave them on there and pay the higher rate. If you end up with a leak you'll regret it for years to come.
is it a matter of the vehicle height? what about compressing the springs temporarily? Is this a one time thing, or something you will need to do more than once?
Thanks to everyone for all the very helpful information on this website. It encouraged me to buy last week a 1999 CR-V EX with 73,000k. Having driven a 1987 Plymouth Chrysler minivan with perhaps 15 years of its life being an absolute lemon, I think any vehicle would feel great. However, I am so happy with my CR-V (so far, at any rate!). One question I do have is that the more I look at it face on, the more I wonder whether there should be some kind of protective "plate" behind the front bumper. I can see the light coloured metal pieces (radiator? - sorry, I am not all that car literate!) and it all looks completely open. Should there not be something standard that protects all this from small rocks, gravel and the inevitable snow we get in Canada? I've seen the metal grilles that some people have installed but that isn't what I mean. I know I can ask my dealer but I wondered what anyone here might have to say about this. Would appreciate any thoughts and suggestions!
The CRV is classed as a truck and as such does not have to meet any standards of protection.Don't ask me why such a lame hole in the vehicle code exist?I was worried about a rock damaging my A/C condensor so I built a shield for it.Heaven forbid if I ever run into anybody even at 1 mph. If anything is wrong with the CRV it is the COSTS saving they did to build it.The big question is how much more would we pay for real bumpers?
Hi, tomsr, thank you for answering my message so quickly. I think perhaps my main question is why my CR-V seems to be different behind the front bumper compared to photos that I have seen of other CR-Vs. I guess the obvious thing would be to go to the nearest parking lot, get out and look closely at the front of any CR-Vs parked there. Mine just looks so unfinished, or as if something has fallen off from behind the front bumper. A solid bumper would have made more sense but then that would have changed the look of the vehicle. Oh, to be car literate, like you obviously are! Not as stressful as computers, though, so I can be thankful for that!
I'd do the peeking underneath at a dealer, just so you don't startle the other owner. :-)
My Miata is like that, too, gaping open grille. Aftermarket vendors make a small fortune selling custom grilles that mount behind the opening. Many owners custom-make their own, you can use mesh aluminum.
Hi, ateixeira, Thanks for your feedback. Actually, your suggestion about not startling other owners by getting down, examining their front bumper area is probably a good one! Wouldn't have a clue as to how to go about making my own mesh grille. Does it do any/much damage to the radiator(?) when small rocks, snow, etc. go through the open bumper? Yes, I know that is probably a silly question. I don't know that much about cars, though I know much more than I did before doing hundreds of hours of research before buying my CR-V. I noticed that you are into computers. Any chance that you can explain the blue screen I got a couple of weeks ago that had a full screen of white writing on it, talking about Physical Memory Dump Completed? It happened two mornings in a row and I haven't daren't turn off my machine since then!
Usually those kind of error messages will mention a file name - often a .sys file. Once you figure that out, try a net search on google.com or similar and see what comes up. Could be anything from a corrupt file to bad memory. Then Juice and everyone may be able to narrow it down more.
Or it may work fine now - "sleep engineering" works wonders sometimes!
Luvmycrv - For what it's worth, I have a '99 with 78K miles on it and never had a problem with rocks, snow, or other debris causing damage to the parts behind the bumper. Without seeing it, I cannot say for certain if your's is missing any parts, but there is a normal opening down there.
I wouldn't worry about the "hole". I owned a 1986 Pontiac Fiero and it had a wide opening in the front bumper cover for air to enter. After 168,000 miles and many, many, many rocks, I never had a problem with the radiator. That was about the only thing that I didn't have a problem with though.
Hi, again. I really appreciated all the car and computer help from all of you. Thanks for taking the time! I guess I feel more reassured that the "exposed parts" behind the bumper are OK and won't come to any harm. I can always mention it when I have to go for a first oil change at the dealer's. As for my computer - yes, I had a feeling that it must be the Blue Screen of Death! I had been using my e-mail the previous evening. Hadn't installed any new hardware or software, though I did see a pop-up message announcing that there was a new version of Windows Messenger available (which I did not get). No doubt Bill Gates knew how to fix HIS problem, but not me! I will type out the information I found - perhaps it can be deleted afterwards so that I'm not "wasting" space on this Forum. "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. IRQL-NOT-LESS-OR-EQUAL. If this is the 1st time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. (I phoned Dell at this point and was told to unplug, press in hard drive button for 10 seconds and then monitor button for 10 seconds. Plug back in and restart. It was fine till I turned it on next morning. Same thing happened and I did the same. All OK but I didn't dare turn it off again, so I use Stand By). If this screen appears again - check to make sure any new hardware or software (none) is properly installed. If problem continues, disable and remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Start-up Options and then select Safe Mode". Didn't do all this - I need a professional person if it is necessary to do that kind of stuff! Technical Information: ***STOP:0X0000000A (0X0000000B0, 0X00000002, 0X00000000, 0X804EA7AB). Beginning dump of physical memory. Physical memory dump completed. Contact your system administrator." Sent an error message to Microsoft and reply said: "Files included in error report: c:\windows\minidump\mini051503-01.dmp c:\DOCUME~1\ANNEEL~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER1.tmp.dir00\sysdata.xml. It said error was likely caused by SymEvent. I tried Syamantec website but got stuck on it. I did search Windows website for Stop 0x0000000A error but it was too confusing for me, as I am only semi-computer-literate! Apologies for such a long message!
Has anybody installed one of these rearview mirrors the CRV? And if you did, where did you buy it and who installed it? Will a Honda dealership install it? TIA
luvmycrv - Looking up SymEvent - it does seem to cause some crashes, depending on the version of SymEvent and your operating system. It looks like Symantec has an updated (as of Jan this yr) Symevent install you can try... http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/files/symevnt/symevnt.html
Ha, ha, my title sounds a little like the title for some very cheap Science Fiction movie! My thanks again for the help offered.
Steve: thanks - I looked up sysdata.xml but felt that I could very easily make more mess of my computer if I tried following their points. I guess I don't HAVE to understand the reasons to try their suggestions but I really don't think I know enough to know if I am making the situation worse.
quaffapint: thanks - I do have an "out-of-date" Norton Antivirus but it is all up-to-date, if that makes sense. Only bought my computer one year ago. Tried the Symantec website again just now and this time managed to get as far as being able to leave an online message for help. Maybe they will tell me to install the SymEvent install that you mentioned. Meanwhile, I simply put my machine on Stand By each night and it works just fine.
As for the exposed radiator behind the front bumper, I got the chance to examine a parked CR-V this afternoon and it looks just like mine, which was a relief. Looks so unfinished but I can live with that, knowing that I have reliabilty, good fuel economy and so on. Thanks again, everyone!
Hi, kwh, Not much help but on www.collegehillshonda.com, it says for the 2004 CR-V: Little or no changes for 2004. No color changes. Redesign in 2007". In the Google Search listing for the above website, it says "2004 Honda CR-V Rumors - 3rd year of the production cycle may offer a few new colors and a possible model with leather interior. Redesign in 2007". Sounds like you are out of luck if you are hoping for a change of color!
We are thinking of purchasing a CRV but are concerned about the possiblity of rollover. Has anybody who has purchased a CRV experienced any problems in this area. A new teenage driver will be driving this car. Also, has anybody compared the CRV with the Forrester about this issue? Has anybody had a sulphur smell with either car? (I heard the Toyotas are having trouble with a rotten egg smell). Any info would be a great help! Thanks!
I too am in the CRV vs. Forrester dilemma. I drove the CRV last year. Quiet, generally "Not bad", but it felt a bit "tippy" although I never really pushed it. Tons of room in the CRV, including the walk-thru (well, a walk-thru for 4 year-olds).
I took a demo Forrester XS with 7,000kms on it out yesterday in a terrific rainstorm in Toronto. I had heard of the sulphur smell and thought I detected a faint whiff of it, but it vanished after I turned on the A/C. It handles very, very well in the wet. Tons of grip, no hesitation, lots of power to merge onto the freeway in monsoon conditions that would have my current baby Acura (1.6 EL) standing in a puddle behind. Very impressed. It turned about 3100 rpm in steady 75 mph driving in the rain, and never went above 4,000rpm, although road/traffic conditions only allowed me to briefly touch 85mph. During the drive I found an vacant industrial parking lot and did a series of high speed, tight circles. The only tipping caution is here, in that where most cars would lose grip and have you in a spin before a tip could occur (and no, I could NOT spin it without using the handbrake) the Forrester's grip and torque could *potentially* roll you over if you were really, really silly about things. In the Subaru's favor, and tendency to roll disappeared immediatly upon taking my foot off the gas.
As a side note, the Subaru's rear seatbelt pretensioners work well in stop tests, as my daughter will attest to. :-) Overall, the Subaru felt as if it was "more fun" than the CRV, but I have to take a more recent CRV for a drive to compare. Also, I have to peek into an Element, but my local Honda dealer sells them as fast as they come in.
The new 4 banger produces 160 usable horses and is very smooth,also used in the Accord.Now Acura has a new 2.4 liter that produces 200 hp.Is it the same engine? If so can a CRV engine be made to produce 200 hp?
Comments
-juice
My 2002 CR-V plays nothing but home-burned CD's. There are lots of variables involved when burning. You just have to hit the correct formula.
I'm having trouble, currently, burning DVD's, and those coasters are expensive!
Good luck!
-juice
Now, if only I can figure out a way to burn DVD movies which will play in the Toshiba, I'll be happy!
Here's a place to start: How to sell your car.
tidester, host
You helped me a lot to make my choice. My wife love EX too.
I choose black color. For accessories I got:
1. Fog lights,
2. Leather seats - black,
3. Heated seats.
Dealer throw me a set of floor mats, cargo tray and cargo net as a gift - very practical things!
I am planning to order on-line: roof rack, front flaps, interior trim kit and plastic spare cover.
Love my 03 EX looks and utility. Especially I like: gear lever, park brake, passage between front seats and 6 CD changer. This vehicle is well thought off. No wonder that most owners(according to this board) are men. I bet that many women owners were influenced by their husbands too.
"Practical women" may challenge me if I am wrong :-) .
I have three questions for the veterans of this board:
1. How do you protect your spare tire? Chain with a lock or wheel locks?
2. What kind of antitheft device ( 'Club' or 'Shoe') is considered 'good' ? Or immobilizer is enough for most practical purposes?
3. During brake-in period can I drive long distances (like more than 100 miles)?
Why it is recommended to change (vary) your speed when driving on highway during
brake-in? Why I may not use cruise control? It controls you speed but not rev's.
Again, thank you ALL.
kizhe.
Example ( EPA in () ):
1997 Civic auto (28/35) - 25 around town, did hit 40 once on the highway
1999 Ford Contour V6 5spd (20/29) - 19 around town, never broke 28 on the highway
2001 Accord 5spd (26/32) - 22 around town, 31 max on the highway
I'm heavy with the throttle so I'm always below the estimates...but the amount I'm below by varies a bit. I've also driven with a Yakima roof rack on all my cars.
I think the CR-V 5spd is 21/25. The highway estimate is pretty low relative to what I am used to. I guess the high engine rpms and the above average drag coefficient hurts highway mileage? I don't want to buy one and find I'm getting 17-18 around town and 22-23 on the highway. The same 2.4L gets 27/33 in the Accord (which is not an SUV of course).
Regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Past experiences with Honda
Safety
MPG
Price
Semi-eco-friendly
Driver comfort
Back seat comfort
Low insurance premium
Walk through
Easy to configure interior
Ride
-juice
Consider the legs of a marathon runner vs a power lifter. Two different sets of legs both tuned for maximum efficiency in specific areas. During the break-in period for your car, you want to develop "decathalon legs" for your CR-V.
In the end, it was the combination of utility and economy that won me over. The CR-V offered enough space for buddies in the back seat, while still being able to carry our camping gear. Yet, I didn't have to stop at every gas station on the way up north. It offered enough ground clearance to get through the deep snow I sometimes have to deal with and I found the features both interesting and useful. The CR-V has character that fits me better.
the even distribution of lubricants on bearing surfaces.Centrifugal force causes oil to be thrown
away from the center of it's rotating mass,so if a constant speed is held then some areas may not get adequate oil for optimum wear patterns.Anyhow
I just passed 20k miles and had my V serviced for
only $25 and they actually checked the brakes and air cleaner then reported a small leak in the valve cover gasket.So a dealer charge of $160 is
out of line for 45 minutes work.I would be interested to know what kind of miles people have
racked up,100k,200k?
20K is too early for that even on the 1st gen CRV.
According to the experts that post on these sites, the penalty for high mileage is about double what edmunds gives. Drop over to real world trade-in values and ask Terry to give you a price.
regards,
kyfdx
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
If we were talking about a vehicle with a shady history or a brand new model with high mileage, I'd be suspicious. But the 1st gen CR-V has a proven track record.
I thought the gaskets and any oil drip would be part of it.
greetings from sunny Miami.
Thought it was going to be a simple process of removing the bolts holding it down, but there apparently is something else that holds the black trim to the roof. Anybody know what?
-juice
-juice
Remove 4 covers on each side on top of rails.
Remove 2 10mm bolts on each side and 1 phillips screw on each side on very front of rails.
Remove both tail lights. Remove 2 small circle covers on inside by tail lights to access bolts.
Remove 2 8mm bolts for tail lights.
Remove push clip for rail
Pull toward, then remove rails.
Once tail lights are off, rails should slide backwards off the clips. They are there for decoration only - no bolts, clips, etc go thru roof.
We do also plan to let the air out of the tires a bit too. 65" is the maximum, but I'd feel better if we could get the height down to 64".
-juice
have to meet any standards of protection.Don't ask me why such a lame hole in the vehicle code
exist?I was worried about a rock damaging my A/C
condensor so I built a shield for it.Heaven
forbid if I ever run into anybody even at 1 mph.
If anything is wrong with the CRV it is the COSTS
saving they did to build it.The big question is how much more would we pay for real bumpers?
My Miata is like that, too, gaping open grille. Aftermarket vendors make a small fortune selling custom grilles that mount behind the opening. Many owners custom-make their own, you can use mesh aluminum.
-juice
Thanks for your feedback. Actually, your suggestion about not startling other owners by getting down, examining their front bumper area is probably a good one! Wouldn't have a clue as to how to go about making my own mesh grille. Does it do any/much damage to the radiator(?) when small rocks, snow, etc. go through the open bumper? Yes, I know that is probably a silly question. I don't know that much about cars, though I know much more than I did before doing hundreds of hours of research before buying my CR-V. I noticed that you are into computers. Any chance that you can explain the blue screen I got a couple of weeks ago that had a full screen of white writing on it, talking about Physical Memory Dump Completed? It happened two mornings in a row and I haven't daren't turn off my machine since then!
Or it may work fine now - "sleep engineering" works wonders sometimes!
Steve, Host
You may have to reinstall your Windows OS - it's a major major pain! Find a good computer techie in your area to have a look at it.
tidester, host
People here have not reported radiators failing at any significant rate, so it's probably OK even though it may look odd.
-juice
"Files included in error report: c:\windows\minidump\mini051503-01.dmp
c:\DOCUME~1\ANNEEL~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER1.tmp.dir00\sysdata.xml. It said error was likely caused by SymEvent. I tried Syamantec website but got stuck on it. I did search Windows website for Stop 0x0000000A error but it was too confusing for me, as I am only semi-computer-literate! Apologies for such a long message!
You don't have to understand the reasons to try their suggestions. Good luck!
Steve, Host
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/files/symevnt/symevnt.html
Just a thought...
My thanks again for the help offered.
Steve: thanks - I looked up sysdata.xml but felt that I could very easily make more mess of my computer if I tried following their points. I guess I don't HAVE to understand the reasons to try their suggestions but I really don't think I know enough to know if I am making the situation worse.
quaffapint: thanks - I do have an "out-of-date" Norton Antivirus but it is all up-to-date, if that makes sense. Only bought my computer one year ago. Tried the Symantec website again just now and this time managed to get as far as being able to leave an online message for help. Maybe they will tell me to install the SymEvent install that you mentioned. Meanwhile, I simply put my machine on Stand By each night and it works just fine.
As for the exposed radiator behind the front bumper, I got the chance to examine a parked CR-V this afternoon and it looks just like mine, which was a relief. Looks so unfinished but I can live with that, knowing that I have reliabilty, good fuel economy and so on. Thanks again, everyone!
Not much help but on www.collegehillshonda.com, it says for the 2004 CR-V:
Little or no changes for 2004. No color changes. Redesign in 2007".
In the Google Search listing for the above website, it says "2004 Honda CR-V Rumors - 3rd year of the production cycle may offer a few new colors and a possible model with leather interior. Redesign in 2007". Sounds like you are out of luck if you are hoping for a change of color!
I took a demo Forrester XS with 7,000kms on it out yesterday in a terrific rainstorm in Toronto. I had heard of the sulphur smell and thought I detected a faint whiff of it, but it vanished after I turned on the A/C. It handles very, very well in the wet. Tons of grip, no hesitation, lots of power to merge onto the freeway in monsoon conditions that would have my current baby Acura (1.6 EL) standing in a puddle behind. Very impressed. It turned about 3100 rpm in steady 75 mph driving in the rain, and never went above 4,000rpm, although road/traffic conditions only allowed me to briefly touch 85mph. During the drive I found an vacant industrial parking lot and did a series of high speed, tight circles. The only tipping caution is here, in that where most cars would lose grip and have you in a spin before a tip could occur (and no, I could NOT spin it without using the handbrake) the Forrester's grip and torque could *potentially* roll you over if you were really, really silly about things. In the Subaru's favor, and tendency to roll disappeared immediatly upon taking my foot off the gas.
As a side note, the Subaru's rear seatbelt pretensioners work well in stop tests, as my daughter will attest to. :-) Overall, the Subaru felt as if it was "more fun" than the CRV, but I have to take a more recent CRV for a drive to compare. Also, I have to peek into an Element, but my local Honda dealer sells them as fast as they come in.
I will watch this board for other comments.