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

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!

My car

Purchased my current CR-V,in August 2006 from Honda main dealer in Bristol who had first registered it a year previously.

Car was immediately driven, by me, to the other end of the country and is now domiciled in the Outer Hebrides.

It has done 36,000 miles in the last two years with only minor problems.

(1) Ingress of water to the driver footwell, was fixed without charge but was annoying at the time.

(2) Headlight on "warning buzzer" failed last month, and was replaced by dealer during annual service.

(3) Brake pads appear to last only around a year, and average life of tyres is circa 17000 miles.

Vehicle is driven, mainly on single track roads,involving lots of dodging in and out of passing places which may well be the root cause of the brake pads failing earlier than one might expect.

Whilst not intentionally driven off road it often travels on less than perfect surfaces and copes well with the various lumps and bumps.

Also tows a boat trailer and generally performs as a utility vehicle without argument

Mainly because of the Credit Crunch and rapidly falling residuals I will likely keep this vehicle for the next few years, provided it continues to give reliable service, as trips to the local dealer involve ferry journeys and at least one overnight stay and are not appreciated outside of regular service intervals.

Would I buy another one,probably yes.