Faults:

The only thing that has so far gone wrong with the car is that the sun visors often won't stay up. The other thing is that the interior light blew, but it cost $6 to get a replacement light.

General Comments:

So far I've really enjoyed my Honda CR-V. In my opinion it has excellent power, although it can be a little sluggish going up hill; a simple fix by shifting into 4th, or 3rd. It has plenty of "get-up-and-go" in it; it even left tire marks one time :P . Plenty of comfort in the car, climate control, radio and seating. Have taken it to the snow and also on a family holiday 200+km each way.

Whilst the CR-V may not be a true 4WD, it does the job damn well when need be. I've tackled several rough and muddy roads without any problems, however I wouldn't recommend taking it into muddy terrain. I have also taken it through a lake where the water was up to the headlights and the only problem it had was the clutch and brakes got a bit wet afterward. All it needed was some drying out.

The interior is pretty good in my opinion, ascetically pleasing to myself, although I question why Honda went with orange interior back lighting on the instruments. The chrome accents on the climate controls goes perfectly with the black backing throughout the vehicle.

In my Honda CR-V 1st gear is a little uneasy at times, although it didn't take long to adjust. Gears are smooth in transitioning.

The steering is the right combination of comfort and trust. The steering doesn't feel like you're steering a tractor from 1903, but it also doesn't feel like you're driving a go-kart at the local derby.

Overall I am extremely happy with the CR-V for a family SUV; plenty of cargo and passenger room for any situation you may encounter.

The only other thing I wish was that a tow-bar (trailer hitch) came factory standard, but hey you can't have your cake and eat it too. :P

Faults:

Left roof trim doesn't sit properly (think it just needs a couple of new clips?)

Both headlight globes blew, only 3 weeks apart. Just general wear & tear, I suspect.

Driver's sun-visor clip broke - bought a replacement on eBay. Thankfully, it has slowly loosened up over time, making it a little less likely to break again.

Left-tail light was cracked on purchase, allowing water to seep in. I bought a brand new one (which cost less than a salvaged one!) from the parts department at my local Honda dealer & replaced it myself, with very little difficulty (luckily, the water didn't get into the electrics beforehand!).

Spare wheel cover was scratched & in need of a respray. Already so when I bought the car, but unfortunately, I added to it, by reversing too quickly up my VERY steep driveway & clipping the bottom of the stairs leading up to our balcony! Whoops!

VERY squeaky clutch! I've learnt to put up with it (plus my music's usually loud enough to drown it out!).

Transmission was quite stiff to change gears with, when first purchased. Replacing the transmission fluid at a service fixed the problem straight away!

Sun-visors are very stiff to remove from their clips, when you wish to put them sideways. You need to be gentle, or you risk breaking the clips.

Would prefer the On/Off switch for the cruise control to be up on the steering wheel, instead of under the dashboard (keep hitting it with my knee, when getting in!)

General Comments:

This has been a reliable, comfortable, well-featured car & I plan on keeping it for as long as possible!

It simply ticks every box for me! First & foremost, it's a manual, which I greatly enjoy driving (except in traffic). In spite of its size, this car is surprisingly economical! I tend to refill the tank at around the 1/4 mark, & by then I'll have done anywhere from 120km to almost 500 in 2 weeks! Definitely beats the mileage/efficiency of my Mum's V6 Magna (especially considering I do at least 300km a week)! Despite the efficiency, I find the 2.4L is a reasonably powerful unit & can easily reach 110km/h! Granted, it can be a little sluggish going uphill, but going back into 3rd gear tends to help with that.

The interior is comfortable & very spacious. I wanted a car that I could fit my bike in, & with the front wheel removed, mine fits in the back of the Honda beautifully (the fact that the back seats not only fold flat, but lift right up out of the floor & rest vertically against the front seats is a big help!). Being 6'4", I like having a car that A) has room to move & B) I don't fall into, then have to heave myself up to get out of (as is the case with most low cars!). My only complaint is that finding new interior parts (sun visor clip is a good example) in the right colour can be a challenge (my CR-V has the tan brown interior, which is slightly less common than grey or black).

Although it's the base model, I find the car well-equipped with a CD player, excellent climate control, cruise control & steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

Overall, the car seems to be living up to Honda's reputation for reliability & comfort, so I'll be hanging on to it for a while yet!