My assistant, Ria Manglapus, normally drives city-suburban routes in testing vehicles. I usually cruise highways. But circumstances required us to switch roles in our evaluation of the 2007 Honda Civic CR-V EX-L — another station wagon masquerading as a sport-utility model.
Ria had a round-trip journey of about 380 miles from Arlington to Norfolk, with sons Bori and Q in tow. The Manglapus trio often picks up other family members and friends when they travel. The CR-V, available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, has comfortable seating for five.
My time in the CR-V was scheduled for local shopping trips with my wife, Mary Anne. That meant city-suburban commuting and many shopping-center parking lots. (Driving through those lots is substantially more dangerous than highway driving. People are so anxious to park their cars and shop they are willing to risk crashing to complete their mission.)
At the end of our 10 days in the CR-V EX-L, Ria and I compared notes. Our conclusion: The front-wheel-drive version of the CR-V is a smart choice for the highway. And unlike real sport-utility vehicles, it isn’t stupid for the city.
Ria averaged 29 miles per gallon in the CR-V in her highway runs. She also saved money at the pump, because the CR-V uses regular unleaded gasoline. That’s smart.
I averaged 21 mpg in the CR-V in city driving — not great, but not bad either, especially considering that I spent much of that time wasting gasoline idling in traffic jams. But the best part of city life in the CR-V was parking. It was a cinch — easy in, easy out. It often fit into spots that proved too small for mid- and full-size sport-utility vehicles.
Of course, fuel economy and parking ease aren’t the only factors marking a car or truck as worthy. There are matters of safety, road manners and fun to consider. We pay attention to those things. But this column is more concerned about how cars and trucks blend into a real world of limits — household budgets, neighborhood streets with pedestrians and bicycle lanes, highways with speed limits, cities with limited parking space, and suburbs with two-car garages and homeowners’ associations.
We are not Car and Driver or Road and Track magazines. We are not terribly interested in how a vehicle performs at the racetrack, because most of our audience seldom, if ever, drives on race tracks. Our “car enthusiasts” are people who buy and operate cars and trucks with their own money. Period.
Thus, when we look at a vehicle such as the CR-V, we view it from a more inclusive definition of “performance.” For example, if it is a family vehicle, can it comfortably accommodate a family on a long road trip? Ria’s drive proved that the tested CR-V EX-L can do that and more.
“It pampers you,” Ria wrote in her notes. The EX-L is the most luxurious version of the of the CR-V line, which also includes the base LX and the mid-level EX.
Leather-covered seats, onboard navigation with voice recognition, a rearview camera, XM Satellite Radio, and a sunglass holder with a “conversation mirror” — a nifty device that helps parents keep an eye on children in the back seats — are all standard on the CR-V EX-L.
Normally, it takes about three hours to drive from Arlington to Norfolk. But Ria ran into heavy Easter traffic. “It took five-and-a-half hours,” she wrote. “The traffic was unbearable.” But being in the well-crafted cabin of the CR-V eased her tension, she wrote. “It was so comfortable the boys fell asleep — even without pillows.”
And Ria experienced something on the highway that I discovered in the city: Although it is a wagon with a relatively small, 166-horsepower, in-line four-cylinder engine, the CR-V is fast and agile. “It had enough power to weave in and out of traffic and get ahead safely,” she wrote.
In the city, the CR-V moved with the finesse of a smaller, tighter vehicle. Is there any fun in driving a wagon/crossover utility model? In the CR-V, the answer is an unqualified “Yes.”
We like the CR-V. We like all of the luxury touches in the EX-L version. But our real-world assessment is that the less expensive but well-equipped EX model makes more sense for the pocketbooks of most families.
It comes down to how much you are able and willing to spend. But in any format — LX, EX, or EX-L, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive — the CR-V is a winner. Nuts & Bolts 2007 Honda Civic CR-V EX-L
Complaints: The CR-V is an excellent wagon. But Honda needs to reconsider its pricing strategy for this model line. The reason is Hyundai. For example, the comparable front-wheel-drive Hyundai Santa Fe Limited has seating for seven and comes with a 242-horsepower V-6 engine, standard electronic stability control and a base price of $26,145. The front-wheel-drive CR-V EX-L has a smaller engine, seating for five people, and a base price of $26,800. The CR-V is smart. But considering its substantially lower price and substantially better warranty, the Hyundai Santa Fe seems smarter.
Ride, acceleration and handling: The CR-V is excellent in all three categories on the highway and in the city. It moves in and out of traffic easily, safely. It is wonderfully maneuverable on heavily traveled city streets. It inspires confident driving in any environment.
Head-turning quotient: The Hyundai Santa Fe is borderline ugly. The Honda CR-V is strikingly handsome. If looks count for something, the CR-V is worth the extra money.
Body style/layout: The Honda CR-V is a front-engine, compact wagon/crossover utility vehicle designed primarily for driving on paved and other improved roads. People who want a genuine SUV capable of driving in the rough should shop elsewhere. The CR-V has four doors and a rear lift-gate. It is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. There are three trim levels — base LX, mid EX, and upscale EX-L.
Engine/transmission: All Honda CR-V models come with a standard 2.4-liter, 16-valve, in-line, four-cylinder engine that develops 166 horsepower at 5,800 revolutions per minute and 161 foot-pounds of torque at 4,200 rpm. The engine is linked to a five-speed automatic transmission.
Capacities: There is seating for five in the CR-V. Cargo capacity with the rear seats up is 35.7 cubic feet; with rear seats folded, it’s 73 cubic feet. Maximum payload, the weight of what can be safely carried onboard, is 1,127 pounds. The front-wheel-drive CR-V can be equipped to tow a trailer weighing 1,500 pounds. The fuel tank holds 15.3 gallons of recommended regular unleaded gasoline.
Mileage: Ria averaged 29 miles per gallon in highway driving. I average 21 mpg in the city.
Safety: Standard equipment includes side air bags for front-seat occupants, side curtain air bags with rollover sensor, antilock braking system, electronic stability control, traction control, and rigid body construction.
Price: Base price of the 2007 Honda CR-V EX-L with front-wheel drive and onboard navigation with voice recognition and rearview camera is $26,800. Dealer’s invoice price on that model is $24,914. Price as tested is $27,935, including a destination charge of $595. Dealer’s price as tested is $25,509. Prices sourced from Honda and http://www.edmunds.com.
Purse-strings note: The Honda CR-V is an excellent wagon/crossover utility vehicle surrounded by very tough competition, including the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-7, Pontiac Torrent, Toyota RAV-4 and Saturn Vue. You’d be wise to invest some time in comparison shopping.
Nuts & Bolts 2007 Honda Civic CR-V EX-L
Complaints: The CR-V is an excellent wagon. But Honda needs to reconsider its pricing strategy for this model line. The reason is Hyundai. For example, the comparable front-wheel-drive Hyundai Santa Fe Limited has seating for seven and comes with a 242-horsepower V-6 engine, standard electronic stability control and a base price of $26,145. The front-wheel-drive CR-V EX-L has a smaller engine, seating for five people, and a base price of $26,800. The CR-V is smart. But considering its substantially lower price and substantially better warranty, the Hyundai Santa Fe seems smarter.
Ride, acceleration and handling: The CR-V is excellent in all three categories on the highway and in the city. It moves in and out of traffic easily, safely. It is wonderfully maneuverable on heavily traveled city streets. It inspires confident driving in any environment.
Head-turning quotient: The Hyundai Santa Fe is borderline ugly. The Honda CR-V is strikingly handsome. If looks count for something, the CR-V is worth the extra money.
Body style/layout: The Honda CR-V is a front-engine, compact wagon/crossover utility vehicle designed primarily for driving on paved and other improved roads. People who want a genuine SUV capable of driving in the rough should shop elsewhere. The CR-V has four doors and a rear lift-gate. It is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. There are three trim levels — base LX, mid EX, and upscale EX-L.
Engine/transmission: All Honda CR-V models come with a standard 2.4-liter, 16-valve, in-line, four-cylinder engine that develops 166 horsepower at 5,800 revolutions per minute and 161 foot-pounds of torque at 4,200 rpm. The engine is linked to a five-speed automatic transmission.
Capacities: There is seating for five in the CR-V. Cargo capacity with the rear seats up is 35.7 cubic feet; with rear seats folded, it’s 73 cubic feet. Maximum payload, the weight of what can be safely carried onboard, is 1,127 pounds. The front-wheel-drive CR-V can be equipped to tow a trailer weighing 1,500 pounds. The fuel tank holds 15.3 gallons of recommended regular unleaded gasoline.
Mileage: Ria averaged 29 miles per gallon in highway driving. I average 21 mpg in the city.
Safety: Standard equipment includes side air bags for front-seat occupants, side curtain air bags with rollover sensor, antilock braking system, electronic stability control, traction control, and rigid body construction.
Price: Base price of the 2007 Honda CR-V EX-L with front-wheel drive and onboard navigation with voice recognition and rearview camera is $26,800. Dealer’s invoice price on that model is $24,914. Price as tested is $27,935, including a destination charge of $595. Dealer’s price as tested is $25,509. Prices sourced from Honda and http://www.edmunds.com.
Purse-strings note: The Honda CR-V is an excellent wagon/crossover utility vehicle surrounded by very tough competition, including the Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-7, Pontiac Torrent, Toyota RAV-4 and Saturn Vue. You’d be wise to invest some time in comparison shopping.
