With off-road rides Honda CR-V has nothing to do with it. The Japanese SUV is a long-distance glider, not a mud burrow. This is already shown by the lavish safety equipment with which the all-wheel drive in the third model generation (2006 to 2012) outshines most of its contemporaries.
Body and interior: With a length of 4,57 meters, the Honda is one of the rather bulky compact SUVs. The massive appearance is mitigated by the emphatically dynamic and elegant design - the CR-V shows on the outside that it does not want to be an off-roader. The design is not good for the clarity of the body. The Honda offers plenty of space for luggage (524 - 1.532 liters) and passengers (5). A sliding rear seat allows the optimal compromise between legroom and load volume to be found. The cockpit is quite conventional in comparison to other Honda models and accordingly easy to see through. A special feature is the gear knob, which is almost at the steering wheel height and is well at hand. There are also good seats and an overall careful processing.
Engines: There were two petrol and two diesel engines for the German market over the entire construction period. From the start of 2006, a four-cylinder gasoline engine with 110 kW / 150 PS was available, which was optionally available with a six-speed manual transmission or a less efficient five-speed automatic. The four-cylinder diesel offered as an alternative initially came with 103 kW / 140 PS, 2009 was replaced by a modified version with 110 kW / 150 PS, which was optionally available with five-speed automatic transmission. The 2009 liter petrol engine (2,4 kW / 122 PS) offered from 166 with its high consumption is more of an exotic. None of the engines offers sporty performance, but the cultured diesels with their massive torque fit the CR-V much better than the petrol engines and also consume less fuel. Common to all model variants is the automatically activated all-wheel drive, which is not intended for off-road use, but rather for trailer operation and slippery surfaces. The trailer load is on average with 1.600 to 2.000 kilograms.
Equipment and safety: Six airbags, air conditioning, CD radio, alloy wheels, roof rails ... the CR-V already offered new car buyers a lot of money in their basic equipment. For a surcharge, luxury was also available, such as a two-zone automatic climate control, leather poster, reversing camera, xenon light and a panoramic roof. Honda was really far ahead of the competition with its emergency brake assistant CMBS. Today the technology is widespread, at that time you had to buy luxury models such as a Mercedes S-Class for comparable. It is questionable whether the technology can be found in many used vehicles today, since it was only available in a package with additional security assistants for sumptuous 3.000 euros.
Quality: "All-round carefree SUV" is what the current TÜV report calls the Honda CR-V. Even weaknesses typical of SUVs, such as increased suspension and brake wear, only occur occasionally during the main inspection. The inspectors record relatively frequent defects in the steering with a lack of maintenance instead of a lack of quality. Problems with clogged soot filters and occasional complaints about gearbox damage are also known. All in all, the TÜV waves through older vehicles above average.
Conclusion: If you are looking for a spacious SUV and do not want to go off-road, the Honda CR-V is at a good address. If you also value reliability rather than performance and prestige, you can hardly avoid the great Japanese. Almost 7.000 euros should at least be invested.