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2008 Honda CR-V

2

Comments

  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Thank you all very much for your long and informative posts. I'm nowhere near the trading point, as my lease is not up for quite awhile, but too often I've been caught needing a vehicle and not having done my research and I am determined it's not gonna happen this time! By the way, I actually wouldn't be towing anything -- I was just using that as a comparison. I think I will look at the Rogue too. I'm planning to make it a point to look at pretty much everything that's in the size range / type I'm looking for.
    Karen
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    You're also in the van boards, right?

    Good for you for considering ALL options! :)
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Yep, that's me. Truth to tell, I'm an incorrigable car shopper, lol! :P seem to no more settle on a vehicle, than I'm out starting to look around again. My sister finds it utterly baffling; I have trouble convincing her that she needs to look more than one afternoon.

    Also, 8 years ago I went absolutey ga-ga over a vehicle I absolutely couldn't afford and against all sanity and reason bought it anyway, and it was almost my financial ruin. :cry: Sooo, long story short (too late) I'm making SURE I take my good old time and consider all options.

    Karen
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    I briefly test drove a CRV and really liked it, but my biggest issue is that it only comes in 4 cylinder. I may be wrong about this, but it seems like if you put anything much heavier than groceries in them they'd be helpless. I have had two 4 cylinder cars in my life and you could step on the gas and read a Russian novel before you felt any kind of response. This vehicle seemed a lot peppier, but it was just two people on a brief little test circuit, no big hills, obviously not carrying any significant weight. Of course the dealer was very enthusiastically telling me that I was quite mistaken and the little critter would all but tow a yacht. I suspect reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

    A CR-V with a manual will run 0-60 in 8 seconds, which is faster than Ford Escape with a V6, and many other SUV's with bigger engines.

    I don't drive auto, so can't comment on that.

    Also, I have always owned American cars, and have had pretty decent luck with them, but I'm not opposed to switching for the right thing. I know Hondas are supposed to be such wonderful trouble free vehicles, but is that really true, or was that true 15 years ago but no longer? I've heard it both ways.

    Chances are the CR-V you drove was more American than the Impala you are diving now. CR-V may have a foregn brand on it, but it is built in the US from US supplied parts, by US workers earning US wages.

    There are more foregn cars built in the US than "Domestics". Most "Domestics" are now coming from Canada or Mexico.
  • wstevecwstevec Member Posts: 126
    I have the exact same concern about the CR-V's power as well. I do a lot of Interstate highway driving and sometimes I need extra power to get on or get out of the way on some trucker coming up on my rear out of no where. As a result, I am going to be looking into the refreshed 2009 RAV4 Sport with a V6, 269hp which gets the same 26 mpg on the highway which the cylinder, 166 hp CR-V gets. The RAV 4 Sport get rid of that hideous spare off the back of the car which not only looks much better, but make it much easier to open. Toyota has a also freshened up the rest of RAV 4 as well, on the front end and moving the antenna from the front fender to roof.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    You'll also pay a LOT more for tires when you have to replace the run-flats that come with that Sport Appearance Package (you must get this package to get no spare tire hanging, and to get the run-flats; they go hand-in-hand).
  • turbododgeturbododge Member Posts: 10
    From what I have heard, the changed RAV4 still uses the swinging rear door and hasn't gone to a hatch, which is a bummer. The other issue is that with the no spare on the door, and no room inside, they put you onto run flat tires (like the Sienna 4wd) with no spare. This can get to be very spendy at replacement time or if you damage a wheel.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    From what I have heard, the changed RAV4 still uses the swinging rear door and hasn't gone to a hatch, which is a bummer.

    They do.

    image
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    I have briefly looked at the RAV4 V6 and it's an awesome drive. The thing is like a little pocket rocket. My biggest issue is the darn rear door/ spare tire thing. I really dislike that, and I probably dislike it to the point that I won't buy one. If they got rid of that design and made a hatch that just pops upward they'd have the perfect small SUV.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "As a result, I am going to be looking into the refreshed 2009 RAV4 Sport with a V6, 269hp which gets the same 26 mpg on the highway which the cylinder, 166 hp CR-V gets. "

    The CR-V will get better MPG at the same speeds, check the "Real World MPG" forums for CR-V compared with RAV4.

    It is not a big deal; get the one that drives the way you like!
  • wstevecwstevec Member Posts: 126
    Not that I am trying to push the RAV 4, but for 2009 in the Sport Edition V6 4wd they get rid of the spare in the back which sucks (my wife has one and its heavy to open and sometimes closes on you). Personally, I am going to look at that and the new Toyota Venza which looks a little too much like a Ford Edge but might be worth a look.
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Hmmm - well that might prompt me to take a closer look. (At the Rav 4). I've also not heard of this new Venza - I will keep my eyes out for it. Thank you for the tips. :)
    Karen
  • awt3awt3 Member Posts: 1
    I bought the basic CRV. My husband and I just put >1000 miles in less than 3 days: 6 hours on day 1; 3hours on day 2; and 9 hours on day 3. The car handled beautifully: acceleration was not problem; cruise control at >75mph was no problem. Travelling over mountain passes, hanging onto curves, twists & turns was amazing -- a dream come true.

    The problem is the seats are incredibly uncomfortable! Not the back, not the head rest; the seat itself -- it was/is worse than riding on a motorcycle all day.

    Has anyone else experienced this? The dealer said this is the first they have ever heard of it. We are thinking it is a fundamental design flaw. Everything is wonderful. Neither my husband nor I experienced any difficulty until we were 3 1/2 hours into our trip.
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    I only took one on a short test drive, so no thoughts. But, pretty much any vehicle that ends up on my short list I'll take on as long of test drive as they'll let me, and I'l have my sister riding in it. She's incredibly sensitive, so if the seats have the slightest hint of being uncomfortable,she'll tell me within 15 minutes! She's like the princess and the pea, lol!
  • crvexl2008crvexl2008 Member Posts: 15
    Follow the link and correct me if I am wrong but the same CR-V gets an average of 34.5MPG combined City & Highway in England! I guess thats because the steering wheel is on the Right hand side! In fact all of the same cars, trucks, and SUV's you buy in the US have almost the same counterpart in the EU and get substantially better fuel economy. I always thought it was all rigged! I wish my CR-V averaged 34.5 combined MPG's! http://www.carpages.co.uk/guide/honda/honda-cr-v-2.0i-vtec-ex.asp
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Perhaps if you switched to Imperial gallons, you could get that 34.5. :D

    It's funny that the Imperial gallon is no longer legal to use in the UK for trade purposes, but they can use it for advertising mpg figures.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Follow the link and correct me if I am wrong but the same CR-V gets an average of 34.5MPG combined City & Highway in England! "

    Lets see. IIRC the English model uses the 2.0 liter engine. Also, that is IMPERIAL gallons, which are larger than US Gallons.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    FYI: 1 Imperial gallon = 1.2 U.S. gallon

    To convert from miles per imperial gallon to miles per U.S. gallon multiply by 1/1.2 = 5/6 so 34.5 miles per imperial gallon translates to 28.75 miles per U.S. gallon.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Then there's this post that says the rating system is too different to compare:

    nippononly, "What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?" #8053, 15 Sep 2008 9:33 pm
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Oh, definitely! But the unit conversion is a good place to start. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Aren't you glad you asked, crvexl2008? :)
  • crvexl2008crvexl2008 Member Posts: 15
    I am glad I posted! The 28+ MPG's combined even if it is in Imperial Gallons still blows away the US version by 5+ MPG's. Thankyou but I am still not sure they were using Imperial but I will check the site out or contact a rep in the UK to get the correct info. Thanks for the responses!
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "The 28+ MPG's combined even if it is in Imperial Gallons still blows away the US version by 5+ MPG's. "

    The spec page clearly states it is a 2.0L engine. That is almost 1/2 liter smaller than the American engine, which probably accounts for the MPG difference.

    If we had a smaller engine here, we would get similar MPG.
  • brichterbrichter Member Posts: 1
    I have had my EXL CRV for 2 weeks now and pretty much like it. The road noise is high, thinking of new tires recommended by consumer reports. Do NOT like the fact that there is no sunvisor extension for the side, VERY annoying and such a simple thing! Have to remember to turn on the headlights. And the rear license plate is banging in the wind, hoping when I get permanent plates it will solve the problem. Otherwise OK.
  • quebecinnquebecinn Member Posts: 2
    I just purchased a 2008 CRV-LX. I'm 5' 7" and after driving my new car for about 10 minutes I had to stop and remove the headrest. My head was tilted forward because of the angle of the headrest (leaning too much forward). My chin almost touched my chest. Very uncomfortable. Poorly designed headrest. I now have turned it around. Unfortunately, It won't lock in that position and doesn't offer protection for my neck.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Did you test drive the vehicle before buying it?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    If you haven't already tried it, I find that tilting the seat backward helps a lot.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • lcromerlcromer Member Posts: 1
    I bought the car in July 2008. Last week with about 3800 miles on, the oil life began to blink and after a trip of 300 miles it went to -245 miles. At the same time, the odometer changed from around 3800 to 8300 miles! Has anyone experienced this before? Is there a way that the car has a computer chip that the dealer can read to see the odometer reading change?
  • ttrattttratt Member Posts: 2
    I hope that you have better luck with your new 2008 crv then I have had. From things I have read on-line, it sounds to me like I got a 2007 model by mistake because many of the compliants from 07 seem to be found with this car. Six weeks after purchasing the car in March it begin to fail to start when you turned the key over- on noise on sound - DEAD! But all it takes to get it started (at this point) is to put it back in the start position and try again - starts right up! About 4 times it has made a loud hissing noice before starting. But the most change was when I was driving down the road one day and the hazard lights just started and stopped all by themselves. After taking it to the dealer several times.After my husband stepped into the picture,they suddenly found what they said was the problem d in Sept.- the gauge control modular- which they changed but no one could tell me what it did or why it would solve the problem. Finally ( Jan. 6) I got in touch with a women at Honda whol was willing to take the time and find out that this part controlled the speed gauge, rpm, gas etc. gauge - what did this have to do with a starting problem? Yes, the starting problem still exist and my phone calls/request from the dealer and Honda have been poorly ignored. After almost 10 months of this, we have had it! We are currently looking into our states lemon laws, because this car is a giant lemon! I bought this car based on the Honda name, a mistake I will never make again. We purchased a toyota 2 years ago and all that we have done is change the oil. I also agree with many of the other postings - the carpet quality is poor! I loved this car when I drove it off the lot, now I would like to push it off of a cliff!!!!!
  • sapper268sapper268 Member Posts: 1
    My 08 CRV gave about 28MPG on the highway last year. Now that I have almost 19500 miles the mileage has improved a lot. Last weeks trip to DC from CT gave me an indicated mileage of 32 MPG on the way down, 33 on the way back (except the last 60 miles where my son drove and brought it down to 29 ;-(). I find that the best mileage is around 65MPG and the cruise control helps.

    Calculated mileage is a bit worse 29.4 on the way down and 28.3 on the way back.
  • kevman3kevman3 Member Posts: 30
    27K on '08 EX-L. Drivin from NJ to NYC every day, getting about 27 MPG in the warmer weather, 25 in the winter. Car has never had 1 problem. Duelers are starting to wear down, but looks like I should get 40K out of them. 9000 miles on Mobil1 synthetic, OLM says 30% left. Great car so far.
  • rattleandrollrattleandroll Member Posts: 4
    Searched into this thread and have had quite a similar experience with vibration as many others have had with their CR-Vs (including arizgeorge1) and just wanted to share my experience. I have a 2007 CR-V LX with steel wheels and bought it new in Dec 06. First time I went on the highway I thought I had a flat - the vibration was that bad. Dealers checked it out multiple times and tried balancing and replacing a wheel - no dice. Ultimately we swapped the OEM Duelers out for the OEM Continentals at 8K miles on the vehicle (regional service manager wouldn't approve Michelin's - only original issue OEM tires). Problem seemed somewhat improved but not perfect. There was still an underlying vibration that got worse and worse as time went on and depended on road conditions. One highway trip last year (24K vehicle miles or so), I thought the median cup holder between the front seats was going to snap off from the vibration. A dealer on that trip said - "recommend better tires". Little did I know that the tires were becoming progressively more "chopped" as I drove it. Recently, the dealer noticed the chopped tires and said I needed new tires (now almost 35K miles on vehicle) and that it was my fault for not making them rotate the tires more often. I was nervous about investing in tires (not sure it would fix the problem) and strongly considered just cutting my losses and buying a new vehicle; but, after searching and not finding cars in stock that I wanted and the chopped tires becoming almost undriveable, I bought Michelin Latitude Touring tires today. The vibration is as little as it's ever been now but still there somewhat when going over 60 mph. I'll probably rotate the tires every 3000-5000 miles with each oil change to try to minimize the risk of chopping these tires. I see a different car in my future in the next few years.
  • cinglemomcinglemom Member Posts: 49
    There is just something about the CRV and the tire shaking at certain speeds. I have a 2008 which came with Dueller tires. Those tires lasted 30k miles and did not give me good traction from day one. I rotated my tires every time I got an oil change. I noticed that anything over 70mph I would feel some shaking with my steering wheel. It got worst over time. I purchased Kumho Road Venture APT KL51 and these tires make the shaking limited. These tires are also quiet and much smoother than the stock tires. Seems like Honda needs to look into why their CRV's are having this problem. Other than that I love the CRV that I'm in. Best of luck to you.
  • rattleandrollrattleandroll Member Posts: 4
    Sounds like your 2008 CR-V vibration problem was quite a bit less pronounced than my 2007's - I had vibration at much lower speeds. I traded in my 2000 Accord with 85K miles on the original OEM Michelins. Sure Honda just made a business decision to putting cheaper OEM tires on their CR-V line - which appears to need quality tires the most. Best of luck to you also.
  • kevman3kevman3 Member Posts: 30
    My 08 EX-L has been great from day 1. Getting 27MPG on parkway, plenty of room for kids sports equipment, big back seat, doors open very wide, great commuter car into NYC every day. Duelers are wearing out with 31k on them, but no shimmy problems ever. They should make 40K.
  • gkg452gkg452 Member Posts: 4
    For anyone planning to purchase a Honda CRV, please be aware that this vehicle may have a very annoying vibration problem at highway speeds (80-110 km/h). Honda is aware of this problem and has a name for it – “harmonic tingle”. My dealer has acknowledged that my vehicle (08 CRV EX AWD) and others from their lot that they have recently tested, both new and used, have this vibration to one degree or another. The dealer has tried rebalancing tires and replacing the wheels and rims but to no avail. They have been in touch with the Honda Tech Line and performed three suggested operations including neutralizing both the engine mounts and the suspension and removing the 4 wheel drive driveshaft - all to no avail. Honda suggested to the dealer that even these operations may not completely cure the problem.

    At the invitation of the dealer, I personally test drove an identical, but brand new 09 model with approx 20 kms. This new vehicle exhibited the same "tingle". The dealer has conceded defeat on this one and advised me to contact Honda Customer Relations to complain about the problem.

    Honda Canada’s response is that this is a condition inherent in this vehicle but that it is performing within spec and claims that it has no defect. End of discussion. No fix is available. I tried to elevate this to the next up the chain of command within Honda but was told that there was nowhere to elevate it. So it would appear that we are at an impasse on this. I have written to the company and am awaiting a written response.

    I have subsequently run across many discussions on this forum and others about vibration problems others have had over the years with this problem. I sure wish I had known about this prior to making the purchase because I would not be driving this vehicle today. Perhaps someone will be forewarned and benefit from my experience.
  • jessie168jessie168 Member Posts: 1
    hello,

    I read your post regarding "Beware of CR-V Vibration problems - Honda Canada's response". I would like to know if you have received any update from Honda. I just bought a 2009 CRV EXL with navigation from Sisley Honda in Toronto about 10 days ago, we have driven about 200km on local roads and today we went on highway 80-90km/h and felt the "vibration". we will take the car in for a check hopefully tomorrow. But after reading the postings I feel hopeless. We would appreciate very much if you can keep me posted on this.

    thanks so much,
  • gkg452gkg452 Member Posts: 4
    Honda Canada sent a tech to my dealer to see the problem for himself. He spent over 3 hours trying different things such as reballancing the wheels, re-torquing the rear door hinges, re-ballancing the suspension, etc. After doing all these adjustments, he admitted that the problem may never completely disappear but that hopefully there might be some improvement. Well, after taking the vehicle home I discovered that there really was no appreciable improvement however one thing that this guy passed along to the service manager was that the cause may also be something called "flat-spotting" of the tires. Sure enough, I did my own testing and found that early on in any trip (15-20 minutes or so) I detect a worse vibration than later on in the same trip. I park my CRV in my garage and during the summer months, rarely use it unless it is to go golfing in the morning. Well the drive to the course takes 15 minutes but then it sits in the sun for 4-5 hours. On the trip home (over the same highway) the vibration is always gone. So I figure that maybe the tech is on to something. Are the tires the problem? Well, the service manager claims that they no longer use rayon in the manufacturing of tires and this may be the cause of flat-spotting. I do not know if that fact is correct or not. It would be interesting to have this claim run by a tire expert.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    Flat-Spot on tire - try add extra 3 to 5 psi to the tire standard psi to see if this will help the flat-spot / vibration.
  • gkg452gkg452 Member Posts: 4
    Yes, my service manager suggested that so I increased the pressure by 2 psi but that has had no noticeable affect. I will try another 2-3 pounds.
  • peacheypeachey Member Posts: 12
    I purchased a new 2007 Honda CR-V EX in April 2007 and began to experience a noticeable body vibration at highway speeds of 58-62 mph in April 2009 at 27,000 miles subsequent to installation of new Cooper CS4 Touring tires. Balancing and road force did not correct and the Coopers were replaced with Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires with no improvement again after balancing and road force. Since then, I have had the vehicle into Buckeye Honda [Lancaster, Ohio] where it was purchased several times to address this vibration to no avail. Supposedly the driveshaft assembly and all four brake rotors were replaced pursuant to the advice of the Honda tech line. The tires were again rebalanced. I test drove a 2009 CR-V with a Honda technician and the body vibration was even worse in this new vehicle which was confirmed by the tech. Now, the Buckeye service manager stated that I will have to "live with it" and advised that the Honda area service representative agrees with his statement [although I am not "allowed" to contact her personally as my request for her name and telephone number was denied]. Buckeye is advocating trading the 2007 CR-V for a 2010 model "at dealer cost." The body vibration, now evident in the rattling of the front passenger seat, dashboard and cupholder, is worsening and is now noticeable at speeds ot 45-70mph. I commute 80 miles daily of mostly highway driving and am skeptical regarding claims that there are no safety issues in driving this vehicle. This is very disconcerting as I previously owed a 2002 CR-V [also purchased and serviced exclusively at Buckeye Honda], a superior vehicle; and traded it for the 2007 expecting the same quality from a Honda product. After spending thousands of dollars at Buckeye Honda, I am disappointed that customer satisfaction and continued patronage apparently mean nothing.

    From the previous post by gkg452, it appears Honda is not willing to address this issue substantiated by the response from Buckeye Honda.
  • dtstofdtstof Member Posts: 61
    I have a 2007 and am 5'7'' with a 30' inseam. I have tried every possible way to see if my headrest even touches my head in a normal driving position. It doesn't. I tried pushing my back as close to the seat back and the back in the most straight up position, and it does not hit my head unless I lean my head back. I am inches away. By raising the headrest, I get even more clearance. By tilting the seat back, I get more clearance. As it has been said before, you are not supposed to be sitting with your head touching the headrest. The safety feature in these headrests is the tilt foward function. I wonder if the ones with the problem, are in that position??? I don't know how this feature works mechanically. :confuse:
  • sr146260211sr146260211 Member Posts: 55
    " I test drove a 2009 CR-V with a Honda technician and the body vibration was even worse in this new vehicle which was confirmed by the tech"

    Bought a 2010, test drove just today after reading your post from 0 mph all the way up to 68 mph on our highway and did not notice any vibration. If this was wide spread, me thinks this complaint would be very lengthy like the 2002 thru 2006 air compressor issue on this forum.
  • gkg452gkg452 Member Posts: 4
    With the number of similar problems being experienced by many CR-V owners across several model years, why is it that Honda persists in manufacturing vehicles without correcting the problem? The Honda tech who worked on mine admitted to the service manager that mine was minor in severity compared to others that he has come across. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the vibration seems to lessen considerably the longer the drive. However, even then there is still rattling going on in the dash area including the glove box door and also in the cup holder unit.

    I too worry about long term wear and tear and in my last letter to Honda Canada, I expressed my concern with safety but have not heard back from them on this.

    Interesting to hear about the dealer's proposal to trade up to a 2010 model. Your observation of similar problems with the 09 model mirrors my experience with a new 09 as well. I wonder if the 2010 model has the same problem?
  • lzclzc Member Posts: 483
    I recall some comments soon after the 2007 model was released about the car running rough at idle. And some people find that the CR-V's short wheelbase delivers a choppy ride on less than smooth freeways.

    But, Honda sells far too many CR-Vs for the roster of unhappy buyers to be anything other than fairly small.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    subsequent to installation of new Cooper CS4 Touring tires. Balancing and road force did not correct and the Coopers were replaced with Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires with no improvement again after balancing and road force.

    Aren't both sets of tires directional?

    Sometimes, improper installation of directional tires results in vibrations. I would check if all 4 tires are rotating in the proper direction. It should be indicated on the sidewall with an arrow.
  • peacheypeachey Member Posts: 12
    I checked with the tire dealer from whom the tires were purchased. Neither the Cooper CS4 Touring or Michelin Latitude Tour HP are directional tires.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
  • ylrebmikakaylrebmikaka Member Posts: 1
    2009 Honda CRV

    Can you put an after market Blue Tooth Integrated/Radio System, in the vehicle without problems?

    Can you put an after market Remote Start, in the vehicle without problems?

    Any suggestions on the Blue Tooth Technology for the CRV?
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    2009 Honda CRV

    Can you put an after market Blue Tooth Integrated/Radio System, in the vehicle without problems?

    Can you put an after market Remote Start, in the vehicle without problems?

    Any suggestions on the Blue Tooth Technology for the CRV?


    I have Pioneer AVIC 700 BT with: AM/FM/Sat/HD/CD/SD/DIVX/XVID/MP3/WMA/AUX/BlueTooth/GPS/VoiceRecognition.... I had to get a PAX translator to integrate the steering wheel controls, and XM receiver to enable SAT radio. So, yes it can be done.

    There are aftermarket remote starting systems. Just make sure you pick one that does not require you to leave your spare key in the car.

    All aftermarket remote starters defeat the immobilizer chip either by requireing spare key to be in the vehicle, or by generating the code to mimic the key presence.
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