Revamped CR-V has wow factor
— -- The renaissance of the small SUV segment began with the 2006 Toyota RAV4, which went on sale last December. It brought more room, more power and more sophisticated safety gear to the segment.
Wow, what an improvement. If you didn't know better, you'd think you'd jumped into an Acura luxury model, so solid and upscale does the CR-V present itself.
PHOTOS/AUDIO:Honda CR-V with Healey's comments
But despite apparent similarities and the premium feel of the new CR-V, Honda and Acura insist that CR-V and the Acura RDX have nothing in common.
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Unlike rivals, Honda hasn't stuffed a third-row seat into the vehicle. CR-V product planner Christina Ra says enlarging the vehicle to accommodate a third row would have been a mistake because owners consider it the perfect size.
In fact, the new one's slightly smaller. That's partly because the spare tire is now under the cargo floor instead of hanging off the back door and because the styling's less upright, more swoopy. The result is about 2% less overall passenger space, but more cargo space.
Dimensions notwithstanding, CR-V does not feel small or tight. It seems roomy for its overall size.
Honda stayed with a four-cylinder engine, period. Rivals assign four-bangers to their base models, and put V-6 engines into nicer versions. Or offer only V-6s. Ra says a V-6 would have required CR-V to be bigger. She says the four's also lighter for better handling and is less expensive.
Fuel economy's not much better, though. CR-V's four-cylinder sacrifices a staggering 103 horsepower and 85 pounds-feet of torque to RAV4's optional V-6 in return for a measly 1 mile per gallon advantage on government tests.
(RAV4's four-cylinder, same size and power as CR-V, gets only slightly better mileage.)
The CR-V four is lively and fun, if a tad coarse-voiced. The five-speed automatic shifts crisply and is well-matched to the engine, keeping it revving where it needs to be for good pep or good mileage, depending on the driver's right foot. But it's tough not to pine for the Toyota V-6's additional power, at little sacrifice in mileage, when you're toting a load, driving in hilly terrain, passing on a two-lane or merging onto a brutally fast big road.
To keep you from feeling blue, CR-V probably needs 25% more power or 15% better fuel economy without increasing the price or decreasing the engine's smooth personality. You're an engine company, Honda. Prove it.
