2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

bshel · April 2004

1. armrests on Automatics/none on manual trans.
4. several owners have had 0 problems installing various types of fogs, but I don't know the skill level needed. I had dealer install my side steps.
6.nothing falling apart
7. yes, quite good.
9. no probl
10. none whatsoever

No problems so far.

kizhe · April 2004

There are no armrests on manual trans. by obvious reason.

stevedebi · April 2004

The spare tire does not interfere with visibility at all when mounted on the rear door.

I had a small plastic piece fall off the left rear interior door. Still need to get it replaced under warranty; it is glued on and they ordered the part.

bshel · April 2004

Many folks have installed the armrests on the mt's, but it does not come standard. They are an easy DIY. No problem shifting with them, they are small armrests.

I see a few folks installing the storage armrest for the driver's side as a DIY. Small amount of time to install, and gives more support on long trips.

northwest1 · April 2004

varmint, where are you getting your 2005 info from? I checked the hondapreview site and saw no mention of side air curtains. I'm in the market for a new CRV, but would for sure wait for the 05 model if it meant getting SAC. Anybody know of a situation where SACs were engineered into a model after initial introduction, as opposed to being part of a wholesale redesign (which is normally how I have seen SACs introduced). I bought an Integra in 1993 where the salesman claimed that it did not need a driver airbag because the car was so well designed (of course, I knew it was in year 5 of the design cycle and it was likely not worth the effort for Acura to reverse engineer the feature into the car. They just blew it off until the 1994 redesign came out)...I am wondering if it is even possible/economical to reverse engineer side air curtains into the current generation CRV. Of course, with the new Legacy/Outback about to hit the market, Honda may feel some pressure to up the safety ante. I am crossing my fingers!!

bshel · April 2004

information from vtec.net - rumors and news

dondada · April 2004

Wrt #4 I was given an estimate of $614 to install the step bar by one dealer. I saved $300 by purchasing it and doing it myself.Nothing hard. Parts came with clear and complete direction.

mariacherie · April 2004

I asked about the sunroof thing because the salesperson I test drove with asked me a good 8-10 times if the sunroof was closed. It got rather annoying seeing as though I had opened and closed it 4 times for him to see it. lol So I became a bit concerned thinking maybe he knows something I don't know as far as the moonroofs not always closing completely plus a couple of people who've had problems with sitting water falling into the car after opening the sunroof.

BTW, I don't think that all 4 wheels being in a place would be an issue...think I got that part covered LOL. I'm just asking the questions that I forgot to check for while I was there. hahaha

Thanks for the responses guys. Take care everyone.

mariacherie · April 2004

Ok thanks..my husband installed his steps on his truck. It took him a while because the instructions for whatever reason tells you to put the bars on a certain way, but after calling their Customer Service for the place he purchased from, they told him that he should put them on BACKWARDS instead of according to the directions and they fit without any problems then...weird right!

stevedebi · April 2004

My 2003 has been through a lot of rain with no leaks. Also no wind noise from the sun roof - unless it is open, of course!

isellhondas · April 2004

If you have standing water sitting on top of your moonroof, OF COURSE, it will drip into the car if you open it!!

kizhe · April 2004

To tell you the truth, I rarely use the sunroof.
I mostly use it during very hot weather: i get in the car and immediately open sunroof to purge hot air. I bet, I can do very well without it.
During hot weather I use a/c anyway.

stevedebi · April 2004

Well, I probably wouldn't have paid extra for it ... except that getting the EX is the only way to get EBD and ABS, both of which I wanted. So I got the sunroof, as well as the tinted glass, CD changer, 4WD, etc.

kyfdx · May 2004

Having had a '98 that didn't offer a sunroof, and now an '02 that has one.. It really opens up the interior. With the sunroof shade open, it feels much "airier". One of the best changes (other than the horsepower) from GenI to GenII.

regards,
kyfdx

suvtime · May 2004

I am in the market for a compact SUV and have looked at the CR-V,Escape and Rav-4 and am starting to lean toward the Honda. I have read many times on this forum about how great the styling is on the Rav4 but to me it looks by far the worst of the three. Seems very stubby and the roof line a bit too doamed for my taste. Overall it would just be too small anyway. Sorry, I don't mean to offend any Rav-4 owners out there. It just goes to show how subjective styling can be.

I actually like the styling of the Escape the best especially now that the 2005's have moved the position of the gear shifter to the floor, not to mention it's the only one not to hang the spare off the rear of the vehicle. But I can't get over the fact that it's a Ford as Ford has burned me in the past (96 Taurus - brutal car).I know some people like scape2 swear by their Escapes and I believe him that he's had "40,000 trouble free miles" but I think many Ford owners (like me) do not fair as well. While I'm sure there are people out there who have had troublesome Honda's and Toyota's and every other car manufacturer you could mention, Ford still scares me from a reliability stand point.

It's good to hear Honda will be releasing a SE version of the CR-V and will upgrading the current version in order to keep pace with the competition from Toyota,Ford,Subaru, etc.

I have a few questions for current CR-V owners

1. Have read a few posts where people complain their CR-V shakes or vibrates while the brakes are on and the truck is in gear. For example waiting at a red light. Is this a commom problem?

2. Several posts make reference to the CR-V as being a bit "girlie". Granted it's no Hummer but is that really how this vehicle is viewed? It wouldn't stop me from buying if I really liked at any rate, but was just wondering.

3. Varmint, I notice you didn't include any mention of a boost in hp for the 2005's.Have they decided against it? That would be great if they included VSA next year, as I didn't think would until the next complete redesign. It sounds like a little more sound deadening material would be in order too since this truck is constantly being slammed for being too noisy.

4. To any tall people out there. Do the front seats move far enough back for someone over 6'3"?

Sorry for the long post and thank you to anyone who cares to respond

bshel · May 2004

1. I have manual trans - haven't had that vibration problem. Maybe in the auto trans.
2. I don't think it is girlie. I thought the Rav was more cutsie. I have seen older folks, families and singles driving this vehicle. Mods certainly can make it more tough.
4. I am not as tall as you, but a friend is. He does say he wishes it had a little more leg room, but fits ok in all other regards.

Good luck!

jamesz · May 2004

Just got a 2004 ex to replace my 1997. I'm only 6-1 and I find the leg room a bit of an issue, especially on the passenger side. Driving is ok, but I wish the seat was a little deeper to support the length of my thigh. The passenger side feels short, in my 97 I could stretch my legs out straight. No way on the 04.

Still like the car. Leg room ratings aren't any better for the bmw x3 and other cars I compared it to.

Does anyone know if there is any way to increase the leg room? Can the seat rails be moved back, or is there any other fix?

James

stevedebi · May 2004

I am 6', and I find that my best seating position is to raise the seat all the way up. There is no way you can stretch out your legs - the seats are not designed for that - you have to sit upright. I have no trouble, but I suggest a lengthly test drive.

RE:Girly. If one needs a car to be masculine, that person is in trouble anyway.

inkie · May 2004

In 02 when the new generation was introduced a few do it yourselfers added rails and were successful in moving the seat back a number of inches. One person even had a blueprint of the project. I was interested at the time but as I drove the CRV it became more comfortable for me so I never followed up in getting the retrofit.
I cannot remember if it was this site or honda crv. org you can search both forums and try and find the post.But it can be done.

suvtime, at 6'-3'' you may have a problem,as stevedebi recommends test drive it for an hour or so and make up your mind. Also to make it less "girlie" you can always add a gunrack! LOL

kizhe · May 2004

1.My CR-V does NOT shake or vibrate while the brakes .
2. IMO it does not look 'girly'. RAV4 - does.
   I agree with stevedebi : "don't worry,
    be happy" - it's masculine enough.
3. IMO CR-V's engine have enough power and not
   very noisy. Wheels IMO is a bit noisy.
4. I am 6.2. My front seats moved not to the
   end - got some more room. Agree, passenger
   seat need more leg room. Lots of leg room in
   the back though.
5. SUVTIME: it is NOT good TIME for SUV : gas is
   getting too expensive :-).

varmint · May 2004

Suvtime - Yeah, there was no mention of a boost in power. I'm a bit surprized. That is the kind of thing that Honda is apt to do, but it's not like the CR-V needed it.

ateixeira · May 2004

If that's accurate, those represent substantial upgrades. Impressive.

16" rims have been on the cheaper Element, so not sure why that decision took so long. They should be made standard, not just on the EX.

SAC would be good, right now I think only Toyota will have them standard. Ford and Saturn offer them as options. Subaru makes head/chest protection standard, but only for front seat passengers (though it still has IIHS' best score in side impacts).

VSA even better. If so that means both axles could be managed by the traction control, effectively doubling the number of tires that would get at least some power (4 vs. 2 currently).

5EAT is good, that'll help mileage and quite down revs on the highway, I bet.

Improved AWD, hmm. SH-AWD? At this price point, I doubt it, but that would be impressive.

These are major updates, the 2005 should see a surge in sales if that's the case.

-juice

jimmyt · May 2004

My wife and I purchased a CRV about a week ago. Like many others, we did extensive research via Consumer Reports, the Internet, etc. We really love this vehicle. We have owned wagons and minivans before. We have a trip coming up this weekend and plan to take the CRV on the trip.
So far, we have averaged about 27 miles per gallon. What surprises me is the fact that with the seats forward, you can place lots of cargo in the CRV- even more than I could put in the minivan with the seats in. Also, for a 4 cylinder, the car has plenty of pep while loaded. We live in the mountainous part of West Virginia, so we have to travel over huge hills. It does what it was designed to without breaking you up at the gas pump.

ateixeira · May 2004

Congrats jimmy!

-juice

tomk17 · May 2004

There's always some good tire talk here so here are my questions. 1. Has anyone used 215/70/15 tires vs the std 205/70/15 size? My rationale for doing this is A) slightly larger footprint (0.39 inches) and

slightly taller tire to fill the wheel well (overall height increases by .55 inches). The increased height should not cause a significant speedo variation (at 65 mph speedo will read 66.36 mph). In case you think I'm a real dweeb calculating this stuff, it's all from a great tool at http//www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/brochure/info/tmpInfoTire- Math.jsp. My other question is could I still temporarily run the original size spare tire in the event of a flat based on the tire circumference difference? I know there is some margin built into the 4wd system this diff could look like slippage and cause 4wd to engage. Buying a 5th tire is not a good option, I don't do 5 tire rotation but I do run separate snows of the stock size.

kyfdx · May 2004

Actually, you have your speedo numbers backwards.. At an actual speed of 66.36 MPH, your speedo will read 65 MPH. With a taller tire, you will be going faster than what the speedometer reads.

I would not want to run a smaller spare tire on the 4wd CRV.

regards,
kyfdx

ateixeira · May 2004

I have a 20mm section width variation from my stock tires to my spare. Unfortunately, I've never used them so I have no experience to share.

This is on a Subaru Forester. Both axles have an open differential (as does the CR-V) which IMO can absord such a small difference. They can do a U-turn, right? Most donut spares are off by more than what you propose.

Keep a few things in mind - spares are not meant for long-term use, just temporary use. Also, the tires might be worn, while the spare is brand new. So you'll have a slight variation no matter what, unless you're in a 5-tire rotation pattern.

Finally, pump up the pressure on the spare a bit. I bet most people never even bother to check the pressure on their spare tire.

Having said all that, what I recommend is going with a 16" rim. A Plus One would be 215/60R16, almost identical diameter, so you could use the spare without worry. Plus the tires available in that size are *much* better (H vs. S rated).

I actually started with the same size tire as you, 205/70R15, and went to 225/60R16, 10mm wider and 6mm taller in radius than a Plus One. I like it, it's 20mm wider, looks beefier, and provided good floatation on sand at the beach, i.e. didn't sink in.

-juice

kyfdx · May 2004

I agree... that much difference in the spare won't matter much.. Assuming you only use it to get home (20 miles or less).

The only problem with the plus one is looks. It looks fine on a Forester, (isn't that the new stock size?), but I think it won't look so well on a CRV with that big fender gap. I agree that going to a slightly bigger plus one will help with that, though... One on-line Honda dealer suggests 235/60-16, though that will put the speedo/odo really out of whack.

regards,
kyfdx

kyfdx · May 2004

225/60-16 is the stock Honda Odyssey size. If you found a set of used Odyssey wheels/tires they would bolt right on, with no mods.

princeofpunjab · May 2004

I just bought a CRV a week ago and notice a slight vibration of the steering wheel while standing at the red lights. Is this normal for CR-Vs or should I get it checked out?

ateixeira · May 2004

kyfdx: up until 2003 you could get 15" or 16" rims on a Forester. After that 16" became standard.

I started with 15" and when I went to replace the tires, I found nothing that impressed me. So much so that I decided to go with 16" rims and tires.

235/60R16 would look good.

If the 2005 CR-V EX does get 16" rims, I wonder if they'll use the Plus One size of 215/60R16, or go taller. They could use a 65 series. That would actually increase ground clearance.

-juice

varmint · May 2004

If you use an off-size spare, the RT4WD system will overheat and shut itself down. I know a fellah who found out the hard way that not all 215's are created equal. Anyway, his rear diff over-heated repeatedly until they found out the manufacturer's "dirty little secret". So far, it seems there was no permanent damage.

Again, not recommended, but it may be possible.

kyfdx · May 2004

I think they have to be taller, if they go to 16". At the current ride height, that overly large gap will look even larger. That is my best guess, for whatever thats worth.

regards,
kyfdx

ateixeira · May 2004

varmint: does RT4WD measure and compare the rotation of both axles? Or does it measure wheel speed using the ABS sensors?

That might affect where you could put the spare.

Honda has 3 channel ABS, so only one of the two rear wheels has an ABS sensor. So you could put the spare on the one that didn't.

Of course you might have to change two tires.

-juice

stevedebi · May 2004

Actually, you could run the spare even if it were a different size. The Rt4WD might kick in, but would automatically shut down if it over heated. So it would be ok to get you however far you need to get the original tires repaired.

theracoon · May 2004

does RT4WD measure and compare the rotation of both axles?

The rotation of each axle drives a hydraulic pump in the rear differential. When the pressure output from the two pumps is suffiently different, the clutch plates in the rear differential engage, providing power to the rear axle.

There is an over temp relief valve, but do you really want to be overheating the rear differential repeatedly? If so, you'd probably want to change the fluid in the rear differential more frequently.

JM2C

ateixeira · May 2004

Good point, but that's only an issue if you ever get a flat. I haven't had one in years, though my wife apparently seeks out every nail in the road. In fact she probably picks them all up and that's why I never get one! LOL

-juice

jamesz · May 2004

Also got one last week. I noticed that both the cr-v we tested and the one we bought both vibrate when stopped at the light. So, not sure if it's a worry, but it is common.

icvci · May 2004

Well, it does have an engine in it so, it will vibrate some. And it is a $22,800 Honda 4 cylinder not a $60,000 BMW 10 so, lets be realistic.

Some vibration is normal. Are you comparing the vibration to other 4 cylinder vehicles within the class? Forester, Escape, RAV4...

kizhe · May 2004

"I know a fellah who found out the hard way that not all 215's are created equal. "
Did you mean that one of the stock 215's had different diameter?
Or that fellah put on the same axle 215's of different brands?
Actually, due to the "education", varmit provided us in FAQ (about RT4WD ), I started to do 5 tire rotation from start every 5K. Except of more even wear, it would increase life of set of tires by 1/5, and after they will worn out, I would be free to buy new set of 5 tires of any brand I like.
IMO 5 tire rotation is a typical "do it yourself job". It takes about 45 minutes.

suvtime · May 2004

Princeofpunjab & jamesz

I have read several posts on other forums where people complain about a vibration in the steering wheel while waiting at a red light. It seems like some people have no such problem but certainly you two arent the only ones to notice it. I would check with the dealer and have him check if the idle is set properly.

Icvci I have a 98 4 cylinder Camry that has absolutely no vibration issue while waiting at red lights. Ill have to wait until I win the lottery until I can compare it to a $60,000 BMW. LOL

ateixeira · May 2004

Maybe cicadas flew in through the opening in the wheel well and are resting on the steering column. ;-)

-juice

kyfdx · May 2004

I am in cicada central.... They should be coming up here in about a week. 17 years, but it still seems like yesterday. A really amazing phenomenon.

regards,
kyfdx

kizhe · May 2004

suvtime: According to your description, I would blame power steering - not uneven engine idle.
Again, my CR-V do not have that problem. Sometimes I got uneven engine idle, when engine is cold. But this "unevenness" is rather negligible, - rpm meter is showing a small variation of rpm's around 1000. When engine is hot - it is very smooth. My guess - nothing to worry - other cars behave much worse.

surfbabe1977 · May 2004

We have a 2003 CRV EX Auto and a 2002 CRV EX Auto and neither have ever suffered a vibration, not at a stop light, not ever. (Knock on wood! :-)

llofgren · May 2004

Just got an '04 LX, AWD, auto. I am amazed at the mileage: 25.4 mpg overall after a little over 1000 miles. Driving is gentle accleration and about 60 to 70% Highway, trying to keep speed under 70, especially in the 60 to 65 mph range. Very low turning rpm there.......

kyfdx · May 2004

25 MPG is pretty easy to achieve on the CRV, if you keep it under 65MPH. I did a little test about two months ago.. "curbing my enthusiam", so to speak, and raised my MPG from the 22 range up over 25 on the first tank.

If you can keep it down under 60 MPH, the sky is the limit.. I found that the gentler driving around town had a much less positive effect than the lower speeds on the highway. IOW, aerodynamics are your most limiting factor in achieving high MPG with the CRV.

regards,
kyfdx

llofgren · May 2004

Can you folks with manual trannys post your mileage experience?
Hmmm.....I will have to try the sub 60 mph and see what effect it gets.

bshel · May 2004

21-22 for city - 26-27 hwy on my MT EX. I tend to drive betx 75-80 mph hwy.

theracoon · May 2004

I have a '99 EX manual. I get 24-25 MPG around town, 28-29 MPG highway at 65 MPH (winter numbers are 2-3 MPG less, due to the winter blend fuel used here in the midwest). Best ever was 31 MPG averaging about 60 through a long stretch of highway construction. I'm a very conservative driver.

2001 - 2006 Honda CR-Vs

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