2013 Honda CR-V LX 2.4 from North America

Summary:

We like this car and expect to keep it for many years to come

Faults:

Recall item on the parking brake, and some fit and finish problems originally.

General Comments:

The vehicle does everything well... no surprises at all.

Some wind noise on the highway, but we always feel as though it will do what we need it to do.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th October, 2015

2013 Honda CR-V LX 2.4 from North America

Summary:

It does everything very well

Faults:

We have had some problems with the recalled park brake. The sound is apparent when first braking and we took it into the dealer. They fixed it and it worked fine for a while, but then began making noises again.

Otherwise a great car.

General Comments:

We love it because it does everything real well. There are no surprises and we don't worry about it breaking down or needing lots of work done.

The only noticeable problem I have is a slight hesitation upon accelerating when in econ mode.

Otherwise a great running car that is easy to live with.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th July, 2015

2013 Honda CR-V EX-L 2.4 from North America

Summary:

It really has met all the needs we bought it for. Reliable, great utility, fuel efficient in a CUV

Faults:

Nothing - BUT, I just had it in for service yesterday and asked them to check for a leak from a spot in the driveway, and they said I had a transmission fluid leak. The service is next week under warranty!

General Comments:

I agree pretty much with the other few reviews on the 2013. The car has been great overall. It's my wife's and our primary car; she drives everyday around town for her job in the school district, and we travel from NJ to Myrtle Beach, SC about 6 times a year, often with a lot of luggage/car carrier etc. In the real world we've gotten up to 29 MPG on the long trip with 3 people and luggage. Loaded up to the gills, about 21.

The car is comfortable on the 10 hour trip from the driver/passenger seat. Takes a lot of "stuff". The EX-L is close to all the features of our prior RDX, giving up the power passenger seat and memory on the driver's side and the Homelink for the garage. 55 horsepower and SH "Super Handling", BUT my lease payment is about 40% less and I save every month on fuel, not needing premium for the turbo. So, it was a desired tradeoff for the financials and worth it!

Shopping around we got the EX-L at one dealer for the exact same monthly payment and deal to the EX only at another ($2000 difference). Dealers have room, but you have to find the right one.

Performance - Yes, it's a little lacking in performance, but I drive a sports car and came from the RDX. It's a little more upright and narrow from the wheel base, so it doesn't handle as well, you have to slow on turns. Merge power is adequate and the 5 speed does rev to provide torque; not sure a CVT would do that. I passed on the Subaru Crosstrek and Forester for that (it got better after the breaking in miles). Also, performed great in the NJ winter in medium to high snow and all season standard tires.

My wife loves it! I would look for a little more power/torque and handling to have it all, but it truly does the job for much less than others.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd October, 2014

5th Oct 2014, 02:56

Nice review :)

Looks like performance got a boost this year (Direct Injection & CVT) -

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suvs/2015_honda_cr_v_touring_first_test/

0-60 MPH 8.5 seconds, QUARTER MILE 16.7 seconds @ 86.0 mph.

2013 Honda CR-V SE 2.0 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Relaxed cruiser

Faults:

Nothing, other than the clock strangely seems to lose time at random. To be fixed under warranty.

General Comments:

I like a higher driving position, so recently decided to change my 2013 Hyundai i30 for this nearly-new CRV. Haven't had it long, but test-drove extensively before buying this one; also tried the older model, but the latest model is better all round, in my view. I don't see any UK reviews of the petrol auto on this site, so I hope this is of some use.

I'm still in the honeymoon period and we'll see how it goes over time, but I really like it!

Let's deal with the performance first: This is NOT a quick car! If you are a hoon/journo/rep or similar, you will NOT like it! If you are 'older' and like a peaceful journey, you will. Having said that, it'll hold a motorway cruise with ease.

Using the 'econ' button (and I leave it on) affects the throttle response (and climate control, I believe) to the extent that if you've set the cruise control at say, 55mph, then enter/exit a roundabout, then press the 'resume' button, the car will VERY gently accelerate back to 55. You wonder if it'll ever get there and I wouldn't recommend if you're in a line of traffic; better to throttle it up to 55 or you'll annoy people behind you! However, for empty roads and if you're really after maximum economy, it can be done.

Otherwise, the auto gearbox changes but you don't notice it, the drivetrain is smooth and the car is quiet on a cruise. Probably noisier if you boot it, but I don't drive like that. According to the onboard computer, the economy has seen 37.7 MPG best so far, but I haven't done any long motorway trips yet. And of course, how accurate is the computer? (More accurate than the clock, I hope - the only fault I can find so far!). But even if it's a few MPG out, that's still pretty good for this engine/box, I think.

Handling: In my non-professional opinion, I'd say it's a bit sloppy. Does it bother me? Absolutely not! Light steering and a relaxed driving style suits me fine.

The ride on the 17" SE wheels is better than the 18" SR and EX models, which is one reason I bought it. In truth, it's not magic carpet - I'd say it's no better than the i30 - but the general serenity in the cabin, plus the thick, soft seats, make the ride quality SEEM more relaxed. It'll still thump/jolt through pot holes, though, and you can hear/feel joints in the road - so try before you buy!

Honda claim this car is 3dB quieter than the old one. Having driven both, it probably is - an impression helped by a less 'agricultural' feel in general. Refinement is certainly very impressive on a cruise (at any legal speed). Road noise is a huge improvement over the i30. Yes, you CAN hear the difference in road surface when it changes, but it's not intrusive.

Build quality: Generally faultless - very pleased! All I could criticise is the quality of some dash plastics. I managed to put a slight scratch on the section above the glove box, just with a fingernail. Hope to be able to polish this out, but will have to be careful with this in future. Not really in keeping with a £27k car, to be honest. Other plastics are soft-ish touch on dash/doors, with padded cloth on the armrests etc.

Although the seats are a little short in the squab (no worse than many others, though), they have proved comfortable for me. The cloth is comfortable but hard to hoover - perhaps I need a better hoover! The front centre armrest isn't an improvement over the individual folding armrest if you actually want to use it as an armrest while steering - it's a bit too low - but it is usable otherwise. Pity we don't get the American seats, which retain the individual armrests. If you're used to the old car (which had them), you may be disappointed with this.

Space: Great except for oddment space. The glove box is OK for gloves, but not much else. The centre box under the armrest and the door pockets aren't huge. Depends how much junk you carry, I suppose! There is however, plenty of space where the spacesaver wheel goes, and the general boot/cabin space should prove enough for anyone in the market for a car this size. The neat rear seat folding mechanism is useful, too.

I have to say that this is the first secondhand car I've bought in 20 years, but it doesn't disappoint at all. It's an ex-Honda-owned car sourced by my local Honda dealer (great service) and I'm so far very confident it'll be as good as a new car. We'll see...!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th July, 2014

9th Jul 2014, 12:14

Quick update:

The clock seems to have worked itself out! Hasn't gone wrong for a week - let's hope that's the end of it.

Didn't mention the heating/ventilation. Dual zone climate control works well re cooling; we'll see what the heating side's like in a couple of months!

Noticed a slight intermittent rattle, which we haven't so far tracked down, other than it's in the cabin somewhere. No doubt it'll be something simple and easily cured, but it's ironic that my Hyundai i30 had no rattles/squeaks etc!

Am doing an economy check by 'brim-to-brim' and working it out over the next few weeks, so it'll be interesting to see how accurate the computer is.

Cheers - Peter.

2013 Honda CR-V VTI 2.0L from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

I like :)

Faults:

None, it's just 2500km old.

General Comments:

I bought this 2WD 2.0L CRV. Engine output is adequate. Not a car for the hoon. I'm a middle aged man with a small family, and this car suits me well. I just love everything about this car. Fuel efficient, huge interior, comes with all the current electronics.

This CRV looks masculine, which I really like. A wagon for the blokes, unlike previous models made for the soccer mums.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th January, 2013