Arriving at my favourite pizza place the other day for take-out, a friend of mine approached wanting to discuss the 2009 Honda CR-V I was driving. He is the owner of a previous generation, somewhat boxier styled, 2006 CR-V. Commenting on the interior and overall body shape, most of which he approved of, it struck me how knowledgeable and loyal to the brand Honda owners are in general.

 

The Honda CR-V is globally the largest and most widely distributed vehicle Honda makes. In other words, the CR-V is a critical vehicle for Honda and sales to date for the restyled model launched in 2007 have been brisk. With this in mind, we thought it the perfect vehicle for our next three month long term test drive.
     
Honda is known for producing well engineered vehicles and the 2009 CR-V is certainly no exception. The CR-V is available in six different trim levels; LX 2WD, LX, EX 2WD, EX 4WD, EX-L and EX-L Navi.

A company with the reputation for being conservative when it comes to exterior appearance and the 2009 Honda CR-V tends to follow this track as well. That said, seeing the vehicle side-by-side with the current generation Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Escape, the CR-V is the best looking compact SUV in the bunch.  

 

 

Under the hood resides a familiar 2.4-litre, DOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine that now delivers 166 hp @ 5800 rpm and 161 lbs.-ft of torque @ 4200 rpm. This represents a 10 horsepower improvement over my friend’s 2006 model, while torque remains virtually unchanged.

Powerful is a word I use carefully when describing a 4-cylinder engine, but in this case it suits perfectly.

Punch it and the Honda CR-V surges ahead, continuing to pull hard as speed exceeds triple digits. In most cases, noise is an issue with smaller engines, especially under hard acceleration. But the engineers have done a superb job of isolating the passenger cabin, keeping outside distractions to a minimum.

 

 

A five passenger compact SUV, the 2009 Honda CR-V features unit-body construction with independent MacPherson Strut front and Multi-Link rear suspension. Transmission choices are simple; automatic. Equipped with a 5-speed unit, Grade Logic Control adjusts for variances in vehicle angle and elevation.

Though few are likely to explore the limits of its off-road capabilities, real time all-wheel drive is standard on the top-line EX-L model; optional on both LX and EX. Standard wheel size is 17” with 225/65R17 all-season tires. 

Brakes are four-wheel disc with four-wheel ABS, EBD, (electronic brakeforce distribution) and Brake Assist. Traction Control and Tire Pressure Monitoring are included as well.

 

 

 
On the road, the 2009 Honda CR-V drives very much like the Honda Accord sedan.

Shorter in both length and height and featuring a condensed wheelbase when compared to the previous generation CR-V, width is slightly increased as is the front and rear track. A 5 per cent lower center of gravity further improves driving dynamics.

The result is a car-like ride on all but the most uneven road surfaces. Lower skid plates add a rugged flare to the bottom half of the vehicle, but the overall look is that of a civilized SUV for the “cool moms and dads” of the world.

Speaking of cool, the new CR-V provides one of the smartest rear seat configurations available in a 5-passenger vehicle.

The 60/40 split, fold and tumble rear seats are comfortable, spacious and slide forward and backward for increased rear seat room. Place a child seat in the back and the option of sliding the rear seat forward makes a whole lot of sense. The rear seatbacks also feature a 40/20/40 split design for center pass-through of long items.

The spare tire is hidden beneath the vehicle and a light-weight top-hinged rear tailgate replaces the side-hinged design of the previous generation CR-V. Rear doors open to almost 90° and the step-in height is reduced a significant 33 mm making access to the back seat simple.

 

 

The rear trunk offers a dual-deck cargo shelf allowing for two levels of storage. This provides the perfect solution for storing a folded stroller underneath, while placing up to 9 kg of smaller items on the top shelf.

Passenger cabin amenities have improved and now include a tilt/telescope steering wheel, wider front seats and an instrument panel center-mounted shifter. Overall materials have been upgraded and safety features include side curtain airbags and front side airbags.

Audio sound quality is significantly enhanced as well. The base system now provides 160 watts of power, while the top line EX-L Navi offers an eardrum-blowing 270 watt, seven speaker audio extravaganza.

As a company, Honda continues to soar to greater heights by offering consumers well designed quality vehicles at fair market prices. Watch for a full update on how it performs over the next few months.

 

 

Model Range: Honda CR-V   
Wheelbase: 2,620 mm
Overall length: 4,518 mm
Engine: 2.4-litre, DOHC 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed Automatic
Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion
Brakes: Four-wheel disc, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist
Fuel Economy, city/highway:
FWD: 10.2/7.3 L/100 km
4WD: 10.7/7.8 L/100 km
Air Bags: 2 (front), 2 (front side) 2 side curtain
Warranty: 3 years, 60,000 km basic complete vehicle
Competitors: Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4
MSRP: $27,790- $37,090