USED Honda CR-V 4x4 (02 - 06)

My car

Why this appears in the 4X4 category and not with the Crossovers is beyond me. Off road it is completly usless.

I cover over 40000 miles per annum in the UK and abroad - so believe me I become intimately aware of all the good points and bad points of my vehicles. I have had this 56 reg vehicle for a year - taking it from 20k to 60k miles.

This is a family saloon car and not in the same class as other 4X4s or Crossovers. It is sloppy, sluggish, thirsty and not exactly reliable. The rear diff has a manufacturing problem that Honda know very well and has to have it's specialist oil changed regularly - at crazy prices if taken to a Honda dealer!

I had a Rav4 before this - and will certainly be returning to what was a much better, more reliable and cheaper to run vehicle very soon.

My car

I have a 2002 SE Sport which is my ninth Honda - that should tell you something in itself. I was looking for practicality with a dash of style and, in my opinion, the CR-V meets both criteria. It is still better looking than the majority of 4X4s and offers very good vision all round but can be tricky to place accurately when reversing - you always have more space left than you think! Aircon as standard is neither here nor there but the supremely comfortable seats and much above average stereo are things that i bless regularly. It has as much load area as many pick-ups when the seats are lowered or folded forward completely (handy and rare in this class). Running costs are reassuringly low with service intervals at 12500 miles (even the plugs are only changed every other service). MPG is class leading for a vehicle this size and I average 30+ in everyday use which involves a lot of country lanes. 35+ on a run is normal. Reliability is faultless - in 40,000 miles she has NEVER failed to start or given me a moments worry - I am now at 112,000 miles and still on the original clutch. Space inside is enormous, comfort guaranteed and roadholding surefooted even in snow and ice. Three friends of mine who had Discos have changed to CR-Vs for the better fuel consumption, nippier performance (they're not rocket ships but they accelerate hard and well thanks to the bulletproof iVTEC engine) and, above all, the fact that CR-Vs don't break down! Who needs 'real' 4WD anyway?

My car

This is my second CRV. I have had both for 3 years each and am just about to change it for an Audi A3;not because I don't like it but after 3 "trucks" I want a car again. As we have a farm, both these vehicles have done an awful lot of off road work - without any hassle unlike a Freeland which I had previously which often got stuck! No real complaints, never let me down, tyres every 25,000. I do about 24,000 miles a year. Best leg room in the back of all vehicles in this class. Very comfortable on long journeys and the 6th gear really seems to help fuel comsumption on long runs. I will be a little sad to see it go but the A3 is calling!

My car

I bought my 02 reg third hand from a main dealer (who supplied it new and bought and sold it subsequently every time) and have had it for nearly two years now.

Very happy with the ride, although I still look for a sixth gear when driving on the motorway. My family and I live in a very rural area and I needed a car that wouldn't get destroyed by the roads. The CRV fits the bill very well.

It is well behaved in the snow (which we need because our local roads don't get gritted) which I only appreciated when I drove my husband's saloon and nearly ended up in a ditch!

As a family we have driven it down to the south of France on two occasions and have been more than happy with the space and comfort it afforded, although the 'picnic table' in the boot is surplus to requirements as if you have a full load it can't be accessed.

Overall I've been extremely happy with this car and would recommend it to anyone thinking of buying one. The main dealer where I bought my car also service and MOT it and I have nothing but good to say about them.

My only beef is the small petrol tank which, as the car's a bit thirsty, seems to need filling up every five minutes!