As a varmint of considerable stature, I have to point out that the completely uncovered bottom of the engine bay is a preferable entrance compared to the wheel wells.
I agree about the lack of a dead pedal, though. I hope this is something that is remedied with the 5 speed, as I also missed having one.
I didn't notice a significant blind spot during either of my test drives, but the view out the rear is more restricted than the '01 model. The spare isn't a big problem, but the window is smaller to accommodate the one piece door.
My wife prefers to have a security system on the CR-V. I found HandA-accessories.com already has the 02' security system for $163.2 (list $228). They don't have the installation instruction for the 02' yet. I did look at the instruction for 01' (which the system list price is much more expensivet $399, HandA for $189.6). It is pretty straight forward, and much easier to do than non-OEM alarm. However, someone told me that installing the security system myself will void the warranty and the warranty of the parts associated with the security system. Anybody knows whether this is true or not? According to an earlier post, a dealer charges $ 489 for the security system. Ouch, thist is a bit tough to swallow. P.S. Thankseverybody's info on legroom
I agree with the poster who said to buy your own stick-on convex mirrors. I did this (after trying the $22+ Autobahn mirror); the convex stick-ons work very well, and cost me less than $3 for 2 of them. They are quicker and safer than looking over my shoulder.
My wife prefers to have a security system on the CR-V. I found HandA-accessories.com already has the 02' security system for $163.2 (list $228). They don't have the installation instruction for the 02' yet. I did look at the instruction for 01' (which the system list price is much more expensivet $399, HandA for $189.6). It is pretty straight forward, and much easier to do than non-OEM alarm. However, someone told me that installing the security system myself will void the warranty and the warranty of the parts associated with the security system. Anybody knows whether this is true or not? According to an earlier post, a dealer charges $ 489 for the security system. Ouch, thist is a bit tough to swallow. P.S. Thankseverybody's info on legroom
Just spoke to a local dealer and he confirmed the seatbelt recall, he said they can't sell or even test drive any of the 02's until this is taken care of....
Reminds me of the Ford stop-build for the Escapes. Hope that's not a trend.
Just got the CR 2002 Buying Guide and noticed the Odyssey and the new Civic are only rated "average" in reliability. The '99 Ody was troublesome, but they seemed to improve on it (a big concern for me since we're shopping it) after the first year. But the Civic has been a red-dot earner ever since I can remember! I can hardly believe it.
I'm sure Honda will bounce back. They at least seem to learn from their mistakes.
Visibility to the rear and sides is important when you are backing up, not just when changing lanes. The wider pillars reduce visibility a bit, I'm sure, but different heights and shapes may find this less or more of a problem. Definitely something to check out on a test drive, no matter what car you drive.
Wheel well - is there any serviceable item behind it, such as an oil filter or dipsticks for fluids? Maybe there is a reason they left it open.
Who knows the invoice #($)for 2002 CR-V EX auto? I could not find it anywhere. At some point Honda will fix seatbelts and start selling those things, so who knows the cost?
juice......maybe with the new, more compact front end (mac-struts/new steering rack etc.) there wasn't enough clearance to put in proper inner fenders (just a thought, as I have yet to see one up close & personal). seems to be affecting front leg room as well.
Australia/New Zealand.....not only do they get Nissan's excellent X-Trail, their CR-V's get (in addition to the 15x6" steel/205-70/15's) a wheel & tire upgrade...16x6.5" alloys/205-65-16's.
See European Honda site for the New Zealand review.
For the EX 4wd auto, msrp is 22,300 with destination charges of $440.
I have a 99 Odyssey about to go off of warranty. Any one know of a site to buy the HondaCare extended service contract at a discount?
I drove the 2002 CRV today, and was impressed with the pick-up around town and on the highway. Merging did not seem to be a problem. The auto shifted nicely, and on the highway not a lot of noise.
I guess that the dealer didn't know about the recall concerning the seat belts.
The fender liner is no big deal. Easier access to install that Jackson Racing supercharger. ;-)
Honda is pretty secretive about invoice prices, they seem to be the last to get published. But right now it does not matter much, given you'll pay close to MSRP.
about the blind spot, i have never heard of looking backwards, all i know is that you are supposed to glance over, but not back. the way i was taught to drive is that out of every 10 seconds to look to the right and left mirrors 2 seconds each and one second in the rear view mirror. that way you are always informed about the surroundings and in case you have to make an emergency maneuver you will not be waisting your time looking into mirrors and glancing over, and just slide into the next lane. i have to say that it has saved me numerous times, when suddenly the lane i am in stops or the person infront of me hits the one infront of him, and i have to quicky get out of the way. once i got out of my lane, because of the guy who slammed on his brakes infront of me, only to see the semi, that was behind me slam into him. but have i ever looked back -- NEVER.
i had a qoute for honda care 7 years/100 000 miles coverage for $700, but someone here mentioned that they had same coverage for $500, and they would not respond to my request as to where they got it.
Practicing situational awareness is an excellent idea when driving along. But when you back up, you have to look back, right? Mirrors only give you limited perspective when you are reversing.
Try this for extended warranties: get a quote from One Source, who is an Edmunds.com partner. Then ask Honda if they'll match it. At a minimum you'll have a reference price to work with.
I actually like it, I was planning on buying the eternal blue so I could get the grey interior, but when I test drove the green one with the tan interior, I liked it a lot. So now I'm also going to get the red one...
I very rarely look back when backing up. I use mirrors almost exclusively. Maybe this comes from a total of 15 years driving full-size vans with limited rearward visibility, plus having a problem back.
OK ladies and gents, here is a snippet from an email from John Page of markroberts.com: "my selling price on a 2002 crv ex, automatic , is $21,356.00 , plus $49.50 documentary"
Under the assumption that they are selling for 316 over invoice, that would put invoice + dest = 21040. I forgot what dest is.
I'm sitting on the fence right now concerning the CR-V. I want a chance to "stomp" on it at 60 mph as recommended (Thanks, btw).
Regarding the seat being too high - there is a control for the seat height. Had the same thing happen to me. Maybe your salesman did not want to sell you the car :-)
tatu1: so (blue/gray) + (green/tan) = (red/tan)? ;-)
JRS/C: nope, but I have considered one for my Miata. They are $3500 or so, pricey but the very best quality and completely removable if you have to get rid of the vehicle for any reason.
For a CR-V, figure 205hp for about $26 grand with an EX 5 speed. That's a power to weight ratio you don't need to figure to like!
I got a response to my email from a dealer in Vancouver, B.C., in which he wrote that while Honda does prohibit the sale of Odysseys to US residents, the sale of the CR-V to a US resident is not prohibited at all by Honda. I didn't ask whether or not the warranty would be honored, though, which is why I asked that here.
Hi! I just bought a 2002 crv lx 5 speed which I will get in Dec. Should I go with the dealer installed roof rack or buy a yakima or thule or something like that and put it on myself? thanks for your thoughts! jeff
I flew into Tulsa this morning to pick up a 2002 CR-V from Mark Roberts Motors. Travel and pickup at the airport went smoothly and when I got to Mark Roberts the sliver CR-V was prepped and ready to go, parked right in front of the dealership.
That's when the bad news came. To make a long story short, yesterday Honda had sent out a stop sales/delivery order on all 2002 CR-Vs and they could not let me take the car. The E-mail from Honda, which they only received that morning after I left, referred to a potential seat belt problem.
To Mark Roberts credit they were very responsive and brought all their managers to talk to me, but I was 700 miles from home and no car. They offered to rent a car to get me home but I did not want to drive 700 miles and still not have the car. They also offered to fly me home and asked what else they could do to make things right.
Fortunately, I had the remaining half of the frequent flyer ticket I used to get there and got a reservation on the next flight out.
We prepared all the paperwork for the sale and they are going to ship the car to my home when Honda starts releasing CR-Vs again. No telling when that will be though.
In the long run, if they release the car relatively soon I will be better off having the car shipped and saved myself the long drive in the new car. I have the temporary tags, owners manual, two sets of the key for the car and everything, but no car.
Does anyone know anything about this seat belt problem and the stop sales order? They did not have any more information.
Thanks for the info. I hope this seat belt issue is going to be resolved soon. I ordered a silver 02' CR-V from Mark Roberts too. I will have to wait for the 2nd allotment which is supposed to be in late Dec if this seat belt thing does not drag on. Sounds like Mart Roberts is really trying to make things right. That is good news. Yeah, if you get your car soon, it will be better saving a 700-mile trip. It is funny that a local dealer called me this afternoon and offered me to test drive the new CR-V this evening. Doesn't this apply to dealers nationwide?
This time last year there was a lot of discussion on the MDX board about Canadian vehciles, and warranties. The consensus was that US dealers would not honor a Canadian warranty. Probably not a problem if you live in Detroit or Buffalo, but otherwise potentially a serious problem.
Several people said that they saved enough to purchase a third-party warranty and still come out ahead by buying Canadian.
Never did buy the MDX. While I gave it some serious thought, just couldn't bring myself to spend $35k or $40k on a vehcile. My first house wasn't much more than that, though it wasn't quite as fast.
Hi--Was holding out for the new V, drove one two days ago. Was impressed, but did not like a few things and went back to the lot yesterday to look at it again and compare it to the '01. It was dark decided to go today. Can't sell the '02's, don't know when they can and I am now considering the '01. Please feel free to give me any advice you want. 1.) I was not that impressed with the changes, I didn't like the dash.(I'm wierd ) 2.) The "power" increase is not that important--girl thing! 3.) I have a buyer waiting for my accord.
Here's my questions--they have a '01 SE - Silver, leather--price is $21,500--1.9%-3.9% financing. What do the experts here think? Is that a good deal. It has about $1600 in extra's. (tweeters, front mud flaps, skid plate, roof rack, arm rest/pass, cargo mat, upgraded audio)
Thanks for all your comments, both pro's and con's -- I love reading others thoughts! Maureen
Thanks everyone for the reply and suggestions. Tribute is out of the question. I read almost all messages at the Yahoo clubs, the twins got a hundred problems besides those 5 recalls. Extended warranty can not make this a safe dependable car. Poor quality is built into every part in the twins.
I had the whole afternoon free , so went playing with cars. Test drove a Highlander. Powerful engine but brake pedal is soft like a sponge,no road feel at all. Steering and handling feels numb.
Drove a Liberty, feels more powerful than newV even though magazine tests are slower. Wind noise pronuounced at hiway speed. A little tipsy around corners. Very tall seats. Feel like a quality built but ruled out for poor gas milage.
Went to Gillman Honda in Rosenberg. You all already know no test drive allowed. they got 3 LX, white red and mohavi. The Mohavi was in the shop getting claddings installed. Nice color. NewV is parked next to an 01 and a Passport. NewV is huge compared to 01, longer and much bulkier in all areas. Almost Passport sized. I think 01 is cuter and better proportioned.
Also went to Russel Smith near the dome. They got green, white and black LX. One silver EX already sold. MSRP only. Roof crossbars are $800. They think it will be a week before recall can be rsolved.
The Toyota dealer had about 15 customer, Jeep/Chrysler 6 customers when I went there. Neither Honda dealder had a single customer beside me. The incentives must be hurting Honda.
Am watching Goldfinger while I type, James Bond is driving a beautiful roadster.
That is about the most amazing story I've heard about customer service from a dealer. Mark Roberts Honda sure do have their act together - I'm glad you're rewarding them with your purchase. Are they performing a recall on the seat belt? I think it's a resonsible act that Honda is performing to stop sales before the defects get in the hands of customers. I hope they fix your CR-V soon and get it out to you.
I agree with you - Honda may lose the #1 status in compacts temporarily, but financially they will remain stable. OTOH, Ford has deep pockets and can absorb some losses. Both companies must do what they can given their unique financial circumstances.
Honda is just too small as a car company (totally different as an engine manufacturer, though).
They can't afford losses from 0% APR like Ford or GM, or even Chrysler. And for their sake, I hope they don't resort to such tactics. Both Nissan and Honda have already announced that they've cut back on their car sales goals.
It would be a shame to see this car brand go away.
Fasterthanthau - Actually Ford's pockets are not so deep. A few years ago they had over $26 billion in cash reserves. Nasser brought that total down to under $3 billion. With quality unimproved in recent years (even GM is making better cars) and the truck market being taken out from under them, Ford has a lot of work to do.
Maureenk - I would stick it out for the '02. IMHO, the improvements in safety, emissions, and comfort are worth the wait and the difference in price.
Emissions: Is this even a factor in people's car buying decision? Maybe a tree hugging sqirrels. I'm very green myself(I bot one of the first electric lawn mower in 1990 from Black and Decker.Still use it) but buying a car because its LEV, SLEV or ULEV ?
Maureen, just remember one thing, if you buy the '01 you are buying a used car. Maybe not now but if you sell in 4-5 years your car is 5-6 years old and you lose a good bit of money. Of course Honda holds value pretty well, but they not only need to give you that $500.00 factory incentive but also the low financing rate for it to be worthwhile.
My local Atlanta Honda dealer has been trying to push an '01 on me but I did that once before and especially with a change in body type etc you will take a hit on the back end.
Scname - Take a look at how well the Toyota Prius is selling. There's already a line at the door for the upcoming Civic hybrid. High gas mileage and low emissions may not be at the top of everyone's list, but it's not just for tree huggers anymore.
Do you tend to keep your car for a long time? If so, the depreciation factor may not be as big an issue. Do you get a good price for your used Accord? Do you think selling your used car is really a hassle? Do you prefer the 02' new styling or the 01'? These are some of the issues you need to think about too.
This is from the perspective of an '00 owner dropping by Goodson Honda West (Houston) . . . The only '02 CR-V on the lot was a white 2WD LX. I was there for only ten minutes or so and didn't drive it, but these were my impressions:
The front end looked worse in person than in the pictures. There's way too much going on for my aesthetic tastes. . . .
However, I love everything from the rear doors to the back: Liftover height is dropped four inches, cargo floor is flatter . . . love the redesigned tailgate and brake lights from both the aesthetic and functional perspectives . . . love how the rear seats fold and tumble with not much effort . . . love the new location of the tire jack in a compartment in the side wall of the cargo area -- in the event of a flat, it's much easier to access when you have a load in the back.
Sitting in the driver's seat gave me mixed feelings . . . the parking brake placement is genius (no ergonomic issues here -- I guess not everyone has the same knees) . . . but the auto tranny shifter was a little too far away . . . the storage spots above the glove box are great, but I REALLY wish the storage area nearest the stereo was big enough for CDs! (BTW my SO's Toyota ECHO is an example of an A+ effort on convenient storage in the front.) . . . I love the improved center table, the sunglasses holder that recesses into the ceiling, and the coin bin has to be at least twice as large as mine! But the tan fabric interior does nothing for me. . . .
For anyone trying to decide between '01 and '02 -- I say just buy the car you like better. Prices should still be close enough that the financial stuff doesn't matter if you end up with a vehicle with annoying quirks you hate. End of story.
I understand that the Japanese equivalent of the U.S. prime lending rate is, for all practical purposes, 0% so I don't see them losing very much with their 0% promo.
Egads who could have ever come up with that scenerio? Early recalls are bumps in the road and very Escape like. No. Just a bump. I hope Honda and not the dealers have to make things right for people who are inconvenienced. I am glad Mark Roberts lived up to the high expectations. Shipping your car for you was very generous of them especially if Honda Inc really does not help. you get a brand new car delivered. Honda will not allow this to go on too long. INKY
OK - want to confirm pricing @ Mark Roberts. For '02 CRV EX, selling price is $21,356 (incl. dest. fee?) + $49.50 doc fee? Was this your total cost - i.e., no surprises, etc.? (Other than the recall/700 miles from home surprise, that is ) My dealer in NC is MSRP only & since I'm originally from OK wouldn't mind a trip home to visit family & pick up a new car if I decide to go with the '02! Thanks for info.
Too bad the US didn't get the Japanese version of the CRV -- it doesn't break up the front lines of the nose of the car with cladding half-way up the front grill. (Maybe some Pontiac Aztec designer went to work for Honda & suggested that "chopped up" look? And raised roof rails -- well, there's that "Subaru thing" again!) Hey - somebody had to say it!
You pay $21405.5 (invoice $20600 + dest $440 + $316 + doc fee $49.5) for a 02' EX AT.You have a put a $500 deposit. I ordered my Silver EX on Nov 2. I have to wait for the 2nd allotment for a Silver and it is expected to come late Dec if this recall issue doesn't drag on. If you can use to trip to visit home at OK, I say go for it. The guys here mentioned John Page, when I called I talked to Adrian (he is the fleet manager). He is very friendly and up-front. And the way they treat geoleomax, I am impress.
Slugline - We differ on the view of the front. I thought that the sharper nose of the '02 CR-V looked a little goofy in pics, but, when I say it in person, it looked better to me. I like the chrome line across the top of the grill. It adds a nice accent to the front end and helps make up for the silly bumper plastic on the sides of the grill.
Yeah, varmit, the bumper plastic on the sides of the grille are silly. As a bonus to Honda, the bumper and grille surround become one piece on the '02 as opposed to two separate pieces on the '01.
The main thing that offends my aesthetics is the abrupt transitions between the small grille and huge headlights. I think Toyota did a better job with the front end of the new RAV4 -- the visual line from the top of the grille to the top of the headlights is much smoother. What I really would have loved to see is something resembling the MDX -- a less abrupt transition from grille to headlights, a convex hood and that single line of chrome through the center of the badge. That single line looks classy to me, while the chrome line and outer grille on the '02 CR-V are excessive.
Fortunately, if I owned one, I probably wouldn't need to be staring at the front end that much.
Thanks, varmit. Even with a 2nd plant pumping them out, some capacity will be taken up by the new SUV so I doubt the lines will get shorter any time soon.
I'm also a little concerned that the Odyssey is only rated "average" in reliability, and that the 99 was a reliability risk, according to CR. I'll wait to see if the 5 speed tranny turns out to be better than the early ones (wife's car is fixed now, $700 later).
If the market tanks next year, and inventory piles up in dealerships, with Odysseys at invoice (doubtful), my interest would suddenly perk up!
Bummer, George. You're being a good sport about it.
Maureen: Accords are very easy to sell. I'd wait for the new one even if you lose the buyer.
0% will create hangover for those manufacturers next year, when the incentives are gone and prices seem a lot higher.
What's funny is that only 25-30% of buyers end up getting 0% loans, perhaps because they do not qualify?
I went to a dealership in South Florida the other day to test drive the new CR-V. I'm interested in the EX but test drove the LX since the EX already had deposit on it and couldn't test drive. I currently have a 94 EX Accord and previously had two other Accords. I liked the new CR-V, seemed to have adequate power and pick-up. Silver color is sharp but interior is very dark - almost black. I have a German Shepherd and am worried about dog fur showing on such a dark interior. The other interior color which Honda calls "saddle cloth" has too much of a brown tone for my liking. Wish it were more neutral. The CR-V rides well. I did not notice excessive interior noise. I miss the left foot rest that I have in my Accord. Rear view was obstructed by middle headrest in back seat so I had to remove to clear rear view. Plenty of cargo space. I am 5'3" and didn't have trouble seeing over hood after I elevated front seat. Overall, I was impressed but just not crazy about choice for interior colors. Everyone seems to love their CR-V's - I wonder if I will have trouble making transition from Accord to CR-V. The dealer MSRP was $22,740 (includes $440 destination) Sales rep told me they were not going to take much off, if any, from the MSRP. The new color, mojave mist metallic listed in new CR-V brochure is misleading because it appears to be a neutral color but seeing it at car show, it looks very bronzy. Waiting to see it in actual daylight since car show had artificial lighting which may have altered the appearance. The dealer did not have any Mojave Mist metallic.
Looking forward to reading additional comments from others who have test driven the CR-V. Sounds like we're going to have a slight wait while they fix the seatbelt problem. Hope this is not indicative of any other problems with the newly designed CR-V!
[quote]What's funny is that only 25-30% of buyers end up getting 0% loans, perhaps because they do not qualify?[quote]
Perhaps it's b/c most of the 0% rates are only for 24 month financing terms. That places the monthly payments on the high end for most people. I know when I was at a Canadian Mazda dealership, they said that the rate went to 1.8% for a 36 month term, and 2.9 for a 48/60 month term. Those numbers are still good for a longer term, and I'm sure people will forego the 0% for a lower monthly payment...
folks, I would really appreciate some sharpshooting hagglers to offer me some basic advice perhaps in some easy to read steps, ie 1, 2, 3...
I Have a 97 Honda Accord LX of which the lease ran out and I am planning on picking up another honda...either an Accord LX sedan, Civic LX sedan or the CRV LX sedan 2002 models....Now my only question to you all is this....can someone either give me good guidelines on either deciding to make an outright purchase by financing or decide to lease?.....My objectives are simple.... I want to really put 0 money down, have the car for about 3 or 4 years before worrying about another one. One common mistake I think I have made in the past when negogiating deals for my other cars, I told my Honda rep up front that i wanted to lease and these were the monthly payments I needed to make or could afford....alot of people told me that is NOT the way to start off negogiations when deciding on a car....Can anyone comment?...or simply give me good price targets that i should use as guidelines for the above mentioned cars?
Comments
I agree about the lack of a dead pedal, though. I hope this is something that is remedied with the 5 speed, as I also missed having one.
I didn't notice a significant blind spot during either of my test drives, but the view out the rear is more restricted than the '01 model. The spare isn't a big problem, but the window is smaller to accommodate the one piece door.
P.S. Thankseverybody's info on legroom
P.S. Thankseverybody's info on legroom
Just got the CR 2002 Buying Guide and noticed the Odyssey and the new Civic are only rated "average" in reliability. The '99 Ody was troublesome, but they seemed to improve on it (a big concern for me since we're shopping it) after the first year. But the Civic has been a red-dot earner ever since I can remember! I can hardly believe it.
I'm sure Honda will bounce back. They at least seem to learn from their mistakes.
Visibility to the rear and sides is important when you are backing up, not just when changing lanes. The wider pillars reduce visibility a bit, I'm sure, but different heights and shapes may find this less or more of a problem. Definitely something to check out on a test drive, no matter what car you drive.
Wheel well - is there any serviceable item behind it, such as an oil filter or dipsticks for fluids? Maybe there is a reason they left it open.
-juice
Australia/New Zealand.....not only do they get Nissan's excellent X-Trail, their CR-V's get (in addition to the 15x6" steel/205-70/15's) a wheel & tire upgrade...16x6.5" alloys/205-65-16's.
See European Honda site for the New Zealand review.
http://www.europeanhonda.demon.nl/index.htm
I have a 99 Odyssey about to go off of warranty. Any one know of a site to buy the HondaCare extended service contract at a discount?
I drove the 2002 CRV today, and was impressed with the pick-up around town and on the highway. Merging did not seem to be a problem. The auto shifted nicely, and on the highway not a lot of noise.
I guess that the dealer didn't know about the recall concerning the seat belts.
Honda is pretty secretive about invoice prices, they seem to be the last to get published. But right now it does not matter much, given you'll pay close to MSRP.
-juice
I think it is hideous, but I may end up getting it anyway since I want the Chianti Red Pearl exterior.
Try this for extended warranties: get a quote from One Source, who is an Edmunds.com partner. Then ask Honda if they'll match it. At a minimum you'll have a reference price to work with.
-juice
Hondaist - For invoice price, check my post #3664. I understand that most dealers don't want to share that infomation.
"my selling price on a 2002 crv ex, automatic , is $21,356.00 , plus $49.50 documentary"
Under the assumption that they are selling for 316 over invoice, that would put invoice + dest = 21040. I forgot what dest is.
I'm sitting on the fence right now concerning the CR-V. I want a chance to "stomp" on it at 60 mph as recommended (Thanks, btw).
Regarding the seat being too high - there is a control for the seat height. Had the same thing happen to me. Maybe your salesman did not want to sell you the car :-)
Wonder how the seat fits him?
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
JRS/C: nope, but I have considered one for my Miata. They are $3500 or so, pricey but the very best quality and completely removable if you have to get rid of the vehicle for any reason.
For a CR-V, figure 205hp for about $26 grand with an EX 5 speed. That's a power to weight ratio you don't need to figure to like!
-juice
thanks for your thoughts!
jeff
That's when the bad news came. To make a long story short, yesterday Honda had sent out a stop sales/delivery order on all 2002 CR-Vs and they could not let me take the car. The E-mail from Honda, which they only received that morning after I left, referred to a potential seat belt problem.
To Mark Roberts credit they were very responsive and brought all their managers to talk to me, but I was 700 miles from home and no car. They offered to rent a car to get me home but I did not want to drive 700 miles and still not have the car. They also offered to fly me home and asked what else they could do to make things right.
Fortunately, I had the remaining half of the frequent flyer ticket I used to get there and got a reservation on the next flight out.
We prepared all the paperwork for the sale and they are going to ship the car to my home when Honda starts releasing CR-Vs again. No telling when that will be though.
In the long run, if they release the car relatively soon I will be better off having the car shipped and saved myself the long drive in the new car. I have the temporary tags, owners manual, two sets of the key for the car and everything, but no car.
Does anyone know anything about this seat belt problem and the stop sales order? They did not have any more information.
It is funny that a local dealer called me this afternoon and offered me to test drive the new CR-V this evening. Doesn't this apply to dealers nationwide?
This time last year there was a lot of discussion on the MDX board about Canadian vehciles, and warranties. The consensus was that US dealers would not honor a Canadian warranty. Probably not a problem if you live in Detroit or Buffalo, but otherwise potentially a serious problem.
Several people said that they saved enough to purchase a third-party warranty and still come out ahead by buying Canadian.
Never did buy the MDX. While I gave it some serious thought, just couldn't bring myself to spend $35k or $40k on a vehcile. My first house wasn't much more than that, though it wasn't quite as fast.
Here's my questions--they have a '01 SE - Silver, leather--price is $21,500--1.9%-3.9% financing.
What do the experts here think? Is that a good deal. It has about $1600 in extra's. (tweeters, front mud flaps, skid plate, roof rack, arm rest/pass, cargo mat, upgraded audio)
Thanks for all your comments, both pro's and con's -- I love reading others thoughts! Maureen
I had the whole afternoon free , so went playing with cars. Test drove a Highlander. Powerful engine but brake pedal is soft like a sponge,no road feel at all. Steering and handling feels numb.
Drove a Liberty, feels more powerful than newV even though magazine tests are slower. Wind noise pronuounced at hiway speed. A little tipsy around corners. Very tall seats. Feel like a quality built but ruled out for poor gas milage.
Went to Gillman Honda in Rosenberg. You all already know no test drive allowed. they got 3 LX, white red and mohavi. The Mohavi was in the shop getting claddings installed. Nice color. NewV is parked next to an 01 and a Passport. NewV is huge compared to 01, longer and much bulkier in all areas. Almost Passport sized. I think 01 is cuter and better proportioned.
Also went to Russel Smith near the dome. They got green, white and black LX. One silver EX already sold. MSRP only. Roof crossbars are $800. They think it will be a week before recall can be rsolved.
The Toyota dealer had about 15 customer, Jeep/Chrysler 6 customers when I went there. Neither Honda dealder had a single customer beside me. The incentives must be hurting Honda.
Am watching Goldfinger while I type, James Bond is driving a beautiful roadster.
Even with sedan-hatchback-wagon variants (and a lower price), the Focus was never able to keep pace with the Civic.
But that 0% APR is going to hurt in the long run.
That is about the most amazing story I've heard about customer service from a dealer. Mark Roberts Honda sure do have their act together - I'm glad you're rewarding them with your purchase. Are they performing a recall on the seat belt? I think it's a resonsible act that Honda is performing to stop sales before the defects get in the hands of customers. I hope they fix your CR-V soon and get it out to you.
Best of luck to you.
They can't afford losses from 0% APR like Ford or GM, or even Chrysler. And for their sake, I hope they don't resort to such tactics. Both Nissan and Honda have already announced that they've cut back on their car sales goals.
It would be a shame to see this car brand go away.
Maureenk - I would stick it out for the '02. IMHO, the improvements in safety, emissions, and comfort are worth the wait and the difference in price.
Emissions: Is this even a factor in people's car buying decision? Maybe a tree hugging sqirrels. I'm very green myself(I bot one of the first electric lawn mower in 1990 from Black and Decker.Still use it) but buying a car because its LEV, SLEV or ULEV ?
My local Atlanta Honda dealer has been trying to push an '01 on me but I did that once before and especially with a change in body type etc you will take a hit on the back end.
Good luck-Ronald
The front end looked worse in person than in the pictures. There's way too much going on for my aesthetic tastes. . . .
However, I love everything from the rear doors to the back:
Liftover height is dropped four inches, cargo floor is flatter . . . love the redesigned tailgate and brake lights from both the aesthetic and functional perspectives . . . love how the rear seats fold and tumble with not much effort . . . love the new location of the tire jack in a compartment in the side wall of the cargo area -- in the event of a flat, it's much easier to access when you have a load in the back.
Sitting in the driver's seat gave me mixed feelings . . . the parking brake placement is genius (no ergonomic issues here -- I guess not everyone has the same knees) . . . but the auto tranny shifter was a little too far away . . . the storage spots above the glove box are great, but I REALLY wish the storage area nearest the stereo was big enough for CDs! (BTW my SO's Toyota ECHO is an example of an A+ effort on convenient storage in the front.) . . . I love the improved center table, the sunglasses holder that recesses into the ceiling, and the coin bin has to be at least twice as large as mine! But the tan fabric interior does nothing for me. . . .
For anyone trying to decide between '01 and '02 -- I say just buy the car you like better. Prices should still be close enough that the financial stuff doesn't matter if you end up with a vehicle with annoying quirks you hate. End of story.
tidester
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SUVs
INKY
Too bad the US didn't get the Japanese version of the CRV -- it doesn't break up the front lines of the nose of the car with cladding half-way up the front grill. (Maybe some Pontiac Aztec designer went to work for Honda & suggested that "chopped up" look? And raised roof rails -- well, there's that "Subaru thing" again!) Hey - somebody had to say it!
http://www.vtec.net/news/items/899.html
Slugline - We differ on the view of the front. I thought that the sharper nose of the '02 CR-V looked a little goofy in pics, but, when I say it in person, it looked better to me. I like the chrome line across the top of the grill. It adds a nice accent to the front end and helps make up for the silly bumper plastic on the sides of the grill.
The main thing that offends my aesthetics is the abrupt transitions between the small grille and huge headlights. I think Toyota did a better job with the front end of the new RAV4 -- the visual line from the top of the grille to the top of the headlights is much smoother. What I really would have loved to see is something resembling the MDX -- a less abrupt transition from grille to headlights, a convex hood and that single line of chrome through the center of the badge. That single line looks classy to me, while the chrome line and outer grille on the '02 CR-V are excessive.
Fortunately, if I owned one, I probably wouldn't need to be staring at the front end that much.
I'm also a little concerned that the Odyssey is only rated "average" in reliability, and that the 99 was a reliability risk, according to CR. I'll wait to see if the 5 speed tranny turns out to be better than the early ones (wife's car is fixed now, $700 later).
If the market tanks next year, and inventory piles up in dealerships, with Odysseys at invoice (doubtful), my interest would suddenly perk up!
Bummer, George. You're being a good sport about it.
Maureen: Accords are very easy to sell. I'd wait for the new one even if you lose the buyer.
0% will create hangover for those manufacturers next year, when the incentives are gone and prices seem a lot higher.
What's funny is that only 25-30% of buyers end up getting 0% loans, perhaps because they do not qualify?
-juice
The new color, mojave mist metallic listed in new CR-V brochure is misleading because it appears to be a neutral color but seeing it at car show, it looks very bronzy. Waiting to see it in actual daylight since car show had artificial lighting which may have altered the appearance. The dealer did not have any Mojave Mist metallic.
Looking forward to reading additional comments from others who have test driven the CR-V. Sounds like we're going to have a slight wait while they fix the seatbelt problem. Hope this is not indicative of any other problems with the newly designed CR-V!
Perhaps it's b/c most of the 0% rates are only for 24 month financing terms. That places the monthly payments on the high end for most people. I know when I was at a Canadian Mazda dealership, they said that the rate went to 1.8% for a 36 month term, and 2.9 for a 48/60 month term. Those numbers are still good for a longer term, and I'm sure people will forego the 0% for a lower monthly payment...
Mark
Also, the 0% is in lieu of rebates.
2001 CR-V and Foresters both do have low rate financing for longer terms, just not 0%.
-juice
I Have a 97 Honda Accord LX of which the lease ran out and I am planning on picking up another honda...either an Accord LX sedan, Civic LX sedan or the CRV LX sedan 2002 models....Now my only question to you all is this....can someone either give me good guidelines on either deciding to make an outright purchase by financing or decide to lease?.....My objectives are simple.... I want to really put 0 money down, have the car for about 3 or 4 years before worrying about another one. One common mistake I think I have made in the past when negogiating deals for my other cars, I told my Honda rep up front that i wanted to lease and these were the monthly payments I needed to make or could afford....alot of people told me that is NOT the way to start off negogiations when deciding on a car....Can anyone comment?...or simply give me good price targets that i should use as guidelines for the above mentioned cars?
thanks alot!
www.honda.com
then follow the Honda Finance links
Steve
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