Fuel economy 25-28 mpg. Comfort and interior space. Ample power for a 4 cyl.

Totally unreliable air conditioner which is very expensive to replace. Cheap tires. Road noise. Cheap looking interior.

We have been satisfied with the crv until recently when the A/C compressor failed. Car is 2,000 mi over warrnaty, hoping Honda will cover this. I am very disappointed to see that several people have had this problem and Honda has not put out a recall. This is a pricey repair every 40,000 miles or so. Based on this expense, the cheap OE tires which wore out at 30k, and the awd system which is no better than front wheel drive, I would not purchase this vehile again.

good room for it's class
quick
easy to maneuver
nice storage
picnic table?

costly repairs already adding up.
not sure if this one will hold it's value.
A/C sucks!

I have read the reviews for this car too late. I just bought this car a month ago used from p.p., and I have already dumped a load of $ into this thing. I dropped it off today to the dealer to find out why; 1. the A/C is practically killing the motor while it decides if it is even going to work, 2. the check engine light came on today, and 3. the air bag sensor light is constantly on (recall item). Noisy (when your at a relatively decent speed and when the back windows are down it's nearly deafening harmonics! Cheap center console, CD player doesn't work. I do like the quickness of it when AC not on, and the gas is what was expected. it does have decent head room and back seat for kids. I can fit three surfers with shortboards with the back split seat folded down. If I had this to do over, I would not buy this car, and would not recommend it.

Decent snow traction

The whole vehicle

I am disappointed with this vehicle. I have owned Hondas in the past, both car and motorcycle, and this one stinks. Lots of road noise. Horrible fuel economy, I might as well have bought a full size SUV. Roof rack is slowly disintegrating. AC compressor died at 77,000. Harsh ride. I've owned pickups and suburbans, this thing rides rough. Center console flops around so much its almost unusable. SRS light keeps coming on. AC robs the engine of about half its horsepower making it very pokey. There are much better choices out there.

Good fuel economy
Great sound system
Lots of room
Honda reliability

Lots of road noise
Transmission geared too low
Weak a|c
Goofy rear door
No floor consule

Chose to purchase one in the 99 - 01 vintage to have the advantage of the 140hp engine. Also chose the 5spd manual since the automatic is somewhat sluggish performance.

This vehicle handles very well and is pretty darn good on fuel, though the gas tank is small. The interior is very roomy although the rear passenger seating is somewhat limited if the front occupants are long legged. I'm 6'4 and impressed with the headroom. Perfer to have a floor consule than the silly flip down tray and arm rests on the front seats.

The rear door is a bit goofy , not because of opening to the right , but you have to open the rear glass before opening the door. I also own a Rav4 , even though the door swings open to the right it is a larger opening and the glass doesn't need to be opened first. I understand the newer model CRV this has changed.

The road and engine noise is loud , could use more dampening material on the floor and firewall. Took a while to get used to the unusual power window and lock switch placements.

The battery is a compact size and not very commonly available. The transmission is geared low , when in 5th gear you find yourself wanting to shift to next gear. At highway speeds ( 100 kph - 60 mph )the engine revs at 3200 rpm which really increases the engine noise inside the cabin. The tires are common size which makes them available and affordable.

All and all this is a great vehicle and looking forward to lots of dependable use.

Good ride, low price.

Not reliable. Too many repairs.

We selected this car because of the good ride & gas mileage and the low price for the features offered. However, the repairs and maintenance have been incredible expensive. The tires were worn within months and had to be replaced. Many repairs have followed with the latest a $1,400 compressor replacement.

Looks great!
Smooth ride
Very roomy and comfortable seating
Heated leather seats!
Takes regular gas, not like other SUVs

Gas mileage could be better, only been seeing around 20-23 mpg (hgwy)
Would have liked a 6 cylinder engine option
Tires could have been a bit better, cheap touring model OE

I want to start off saying that I love my CRV. I am a young professional that loves the outdoors. I've taken my CRV thru snow storms and rough country roads with no problems. I have some minor issues with it, but overall I couldn't be happier. The SE model was new for 2005 and I really appreciated this new model level. The leather, heated seats and "exclusive" body color (Pewter) were a great selling point for me. The mileage could be better, but when you get to use regular gas instead of premium, you save so much at the pump. I would have liked to see a CRV with a 6 cylinder engine for towing and increased acceleration on the highway, but the suped-up V-TEC does the job adequately.
I've taken my CRV on many miles of road trips and this car shines on long trips, as compared to my girlfriend’s Jetta. The seating position is great and limits fatigue and driving pains. The CRV’s engine is very quiet and requires minimal maintenance. If you’re looking for a nice, semi-luxury, small SUV, that won’t break the bank, this is your winner!

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Test drove Rav-4, Highlander & Pathfinder. CRV was best for the money!

Good power.
Great interior.
Looks nice.
Honda reliability.

Mileage not so great.
Poor exterior fit and finish (as compared to previous Honda models).
Horrible Bridgestone tires. Can't wait to switch to Michelins.
Wollowy steering and suspension - less precise than previous models.
Would not buy again unless they improved on these points. This is a Honda afterall and I paid $35,000 CDN.

Let me start by saying I am a big Honda fan. I have owned:
- a Civic
- four Acura Integras
- an Acura EL (Canada only)
- three CRV's (a 1999, 2000 and now a 2005)
So, my opinion comes from having owned many Honda's - this is definitely not a comparison between different brands.
I find the 2005 CRV to be of considerbaly less quality than the earlier models. examples: hood latch is weak to the point where my hood actually flaps at highways speed. It's been fixed twice. The OEM Bridgestone tires are pathetic for noise and grip. The allow for quite a bit of slip caused scrumbling and scuffing of the tires. It sounds like the car is moaning.
The VSA doesn't seem to enhance the traction in Winter. I actually prefer to have it off.
The overall exterior quality (paint, fit, finish, etc) is lower that previous models.
The CRV itself feels wollowy, less precise in steering, as compared to previous years.
The interior is superior though. Fit, finish and design is vastly beyond the older models. The leather interior is beautiful. Wish the sun roof was a one touch operation though.
The CRV used to feel like driving a car - precise, crisp, point and go handling. I know find myself driving the 2005 with less confidence in the corners and never sure where the car is on the road - there's more play in the steering. Mileage sucks too - it has gone down but Honda claims to provide the same as the 149 HP engine. I'm not surprised it's worse since the displacement has increased from 2 to 2.4 liters but I wish Honda would post the actual mileage. However, power across the rev bandwidth has improved - you can rely on it to take on hills and passing without problem.
The 5 speed auto tranny helps. Increased torque also helps with carrying heavier loads too.

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1986 Honda Civic
1989 Acura Integra
1992 Acura Integra
1995 Acura Integra
1997 Acura EL
1999 Honda CRV
2000 Honda EX
2005 Honda EX-L

dependable, roomy

road noise

I have 110k and major problems. The only bad thing about is road noise. Power is adequate but it is not going to climb steep grades at 70 mph without down shifting. Very roomy. Good visiblity. Utility table has been a helpful for picnicing of camping. 28 mph highway 20 city.

The SE had leather seats and lovely gold paint. Handling in snow, gas mileage 23 mpg in town. Crash safety and reliability

Not much power, took forever to shift going up hill from a stop. Stock CD player skipped over bumpy roads

This was a great SUV. I miss it now. I totalled it 2 weeks ago. I was broadsided on the passenger side by a Grand Cherokee going close to 60 mph. I walked away with a couple bruises. A great testimonial to the safety of this car. It was great in the snow. I drove through a blizzard in 03 and was virtually the only car on the road with 8-9 inches of unplowed snow over packed snow and never slid once. Room for 5. With back seats down, tremendous cargo capacity. I bought this used in 02, put on 60K in 3 years and only had regular maintance: oil, tires 1x, brakes 1x. Don't like the new body style after 01 so I replaced this SUV with the Element. Verdict is still out on whether I made the right decision. Either way, Hondas are the way to go...

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Chevy blazer 2WD, Chevy Astro van AWD. Taurus Wagon, Dodge Colt Wagon

Handling Roomy Stereo (not stock) Gas Mileage on the highway

Gas mileage in the city (severe stop and go traffic)

I started out looking at the CRVs and then decided to look at other small SUVs, I never shoulf have strayed. I ended up back at the Honda dealership after two very stressful months and I couldn't be happier. I love this car! Although I have heard that the power of the CRV has a little to be desired - I bought a standard, so I have the ability to control the power somewhat and have not been dissapointed. It rides very smoothly and parks easily. Drving in bumper-to-bumper traffic everyday, I feel very safe in this vehicle, the handling and the breaks are wonderful. I am very happy with this car and would reccommend the CRV to anyone.

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Honda Civic