Dave Moore.
THE first CR-Vs stole something of a march on the RAV-4 when they arrived in New Zealand. For while the Toyota – in three-door form – preceded the Honda; we had to wait for the more practical fivedoor, during which time in came the CR-V and it quickly went to the top of the SUV market and remained there for some years.
It did the same in Australia – after the lucky country saw how well it went over here – and in the US and Europe. In Britain, it was only outsold by the Land Rover Freelander.
The first generation CR-Vs were powered by two-litre twin cam 16-valve injected engines also used by the Integra model which along with the Civic of the time also supplied much of the platform and underpinnings.
The car had been something of a backroom project for young Honda engineers and it was never really intended for production at all, never mind export.
However, visiting journalists were so tickled by the first CR-V test mules that Honda was persuaded to build and export the car, New Zealand being the first country after Japan to take the car.
The vast majority of the cars were column-shift four-speed automatics and these were much more practical than the fairly rare floor-shift fivespeed manuals as it left room for a walk-though facility to the second row of seats allowing access to children without having to leave the car.
Thus the CR-V became a family favourite, and this was all reinforced by a luggage floor that doubled up as a large picnic table with foldaway legs, an extra power outlet in the rear and storage pockets and slots all over the cabin.
Meanwhile, the space between the seats could be bridged by a fold-up table and with dull, easy to clean velour trim in most models and plain but well designed and wipe-friendly plastics, the cabin at the time was the most sensible and familyoriented on the market, regardless of segment. Five full-sized adults find the spacious cabin more than capable of accommodating them and while the engine can get a bit raucous at high revs, it’s flexible and reliable and has no problem covering big distances without fuss.
STRENGTHS
Totally reliable and with no mechanical or safety recalls for the model in Europe, Japan and the US, the CR-V is a rare bird indeed, and it won so many JD Power dependability and ownership surveys during the late 90s it isn’t funny.
All CR-Vs had twin airbags, air conditioning and ABS when not many cars had all three. There is no ESP, however, though the car did well in crash tests at the time.
The car also drives well on the road, with a good view ahead, sur- prising sure-footedness and excellent brakes. Many senior journalists before driving the car predicted that its four-wheel-drive set-up, which kicks in only when the so called ‘‘doublepump’’ system detects a few degrees of front wheels slippage could get people into trouble on ski roads.
This never happened, of course and the CR-V went on to gain a reputation for reliability, ease of driving and friendly on and off-road manners. Make no mistake, this is no Jeep-challenging off-roader, but it’s more than capable of taking you fishing and picnicking.
BEST TO BUY
The top-spec models cost up to 20 per cent more than the base car with power sunroofs, smart alloy wheels and even leather trim thrown into the package and with prices on the used market closing up considerably, such cars are worth a punt. However, given a choice of a lowrent NZ New model with a service history and a used Import with all the fruit and no paperwork, we’d take the former. Also the leather does harden up and crack after a decade or so of family use, so choose carefully. In 1999, a slight upgrade to the engine delivered a little more pep and torque and much more refinement and better economy, so opting for that date or newer would be sensible.
WATCH FOR
Front-drive models which came in as used imports, all NZ-new CR-Vs were all-wheel-drive. Some imports had a black plastic bag with a pump that Apart from some wear from suspension bushes and brake discs, the CRV weak point checklist is pretty empty. Enquiries did reveal that some airport runway CR-Vs suffered from worn drive shafts through the tight square manoeuvres they were put through. However, we haven’t come across any with similar problems in normal circumstances.
YOU’LL HAVE TO LIVE WITH
It has a reputation for downright common sense, which is not a fashionable trait in New Zealand. We love them for being one of the first of all the family lifestyle vehicles that now dominate our roads.
WHAT TO PAY
CR-Vs take high mileages with ease and hold their prices better than any affordable car from their era and segment, which means you’ll have to shell out at least $5500 for a good one with history.
We even came across a 1999 car with just under 100,000km clocked up for $10,150. They take big mileage and a 1996 CR-V was up for $4500 with just under $250,000km travelled. Our pick was a 1997 for $5500 with 133,000km clocked up.
WHAT DO THEY COST TO RUN?
Do remember that fuel use wasn’t a strong point and the CR-V will use more gas than a similarly engined sedan, at 8L/100km combined, which is not as much as a five-door RAV4 or Freelander.
BUTWAIT . . .
If you have sufficient budget, opt for the slightly larger 2.4-litre second generation CR-V, but only the later models with the newer five-speed automatic. Alternative cars are the equally trustworthy RAV4, but it will miss out on the neat family touches and space of the Honda, which we think is one of the very best cars of the 90s.