Item: Used Honda CR-V 4x4 2002 - 2006
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Estate

Honda is a company that doesn’t like to follow the crowd. So, while it competes in most of the traditional sectors of the car market, in each case it does something a little bit different.

The Jazz, for example, might look like just another rival to Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Fiesta, but it’s actually much more practical than its rivals, with a flexible boot and Tardis-like interior.

The bigger Civic is also a practical choice, but it’s mainly distinguished by having eye-catching, love-it-or-hate-it styling, despite competing in a sector of the market that’s usually more conservative than a blue rosette.

And while it may not seem so radical now, Honda’s large SUV, the CR-V, was one of the first to forego any pretence of being an off-roader and instead focus on on-road driving dynamics.

HONDA

CR-V

It's one of the best 4x4s (except off-road). It's spacious and practical, too

Used Honda CR-V 4x4 2002 - 2006

The CR-V isn't the cheapest 4x4 to buy used, but at least there's a certain feeling of quality to justify the prices. Prices are close to the Land Rover Freelander, but cheaper than the Toyota RAV4.

For fuel economy, it's one of the best in its class. The 2.0-litre petrol engine returns 31mpg - considerably better than the 1.8-litre Freelander and only just behind the RAV4. The diesel manages 42.2mpg, well ahead of the Freelander and even beating the diesel RAV4.

Servicing costs also undercut its main rivals', but insurance does it no favours. It's in at least group 11, when the Land Rover and Toyota are generally a group lower across the range.

Average repair costs for the CR-V are quite cheap by class standards - a little less than for the RAV4, and much less the Freelander. Dealer labour rates are also good, but at independents they're quite expensive.

It's one of the best 4x4s (except off-road). It's spacious and practical, too

The CR-V has never been a particularly extensive range, and it was only in early 2005 that a second engine, the 2.2-litre diesel, joined the range. Until then, all you could have was a 2.0-litre petrol.

Mind you, even after that, the petrol remained the best buy. Sure, the diesel is more fuel-efficient and delivers much stronger pull at low revs, but its refinement is a real disappointment, especially given how good it is in the Accord - and, because the diesel costs more to buy, you'll need to do a lot of miles before it makes financial sense.

Likewise, you only have a limited choice of trims, but there's no need to spend more than on the basic SE. This has air-conditioning, all-round electric windows and good safety kit. Sport upgrades the air-conditioning to climate control and adds alloy wheels, while Executive adds leather upholstery and sat-nav, but they're not worth the extra expense.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all passengers</li> <li>Large boot with lots of clever storage solutions</li> <li>Good fuel economy and running costs</li> <li>All-round comfort</li> <li>High-quality interior finish</li></ul>

We define a large SUV as anything longer than 4.5 metres. These cars aren’t usually particularly cheap to buy or lease, so in return we expect a roomy cabin, a lengthy list of standard equipment and excellent cruising refinement. A few models in this class are two-wheel drive, but the vast majority have four-wheel drive for at least a modicum of off-road ability.

The Mazda CX-5 is firmly road-focused, but its 2.0-litre petrol engine is a strong, refined performer, making it looks good value for less than&nbsp;£25k. If you can stretch the budget a fair bit, the Audi Q5 provides a combination of comfort, driving prowess, quality and space that's hard to beat. Unlike some rivals, it can't be had with seven seats, though.

A more affordable, yet well-equipped alternative is the Peugeot 5008. It’s more than capable of coping with family life&nbsp;– and all versions have seven seats as standard.&nbsp;

Large SUV

This CR-V has been the subject of two recalls (one relating to possible damage to the sidewall of the tyres, and the other concerning the seat belt anchorage), but both affected only tiny numbers of cars.

There have also been reports of cars cutting out or losing power, with the exhaust gas recirculation valve to blame. Examine the service records, and if it hasn't been replaced, insist that it is.

Other than that, there have been glowing reviews all the way. The CR-V finished in the overall top 20 in recent JD Power surveys, with its mechanical reliability and build quality consistently rated as above average.

In that sense, it merely follows in the wheeltracks of other Hondas - the company ranked as top manufacturer in our 2005 Reliability Survey. Warranty Direct figures say the CR-V is one of the most reliable cars on its fleet, better even than the also-excellent RAV4, and streets ahead of the Freelander.

The CR-V is more a pumped-up estate than out-and-out off-roader. In fact, 4WD only kicks in when it's needed, so for the bulk of the time, you're driving a front-wheel-drive car.

In other words, and as Honda will admit, this is basically a road car with some (very limited) off-road ability. That means, with no awkward compromises to strike between its on- and off-road abilities, the car can concentrate on one thing - and so it does, to tremendous effect.

On Tarmac, the CR-V is a fine drive, with the emphasis on comfort. That does mean it's not quite as sharp as a Toyota RAV4, but there are no complaints about its smooth ride.

Also excellent is its cabin space - in fact, no other contemporary mid-sized 4x4 is bigger. It will happily double as a family car and, with sliding, split-folding rear seats, it even has something of an MPV's flexibility.

Used Honda CR-V 4x4 2002 - 2006 review

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What's the used Honda CR-V estate like?