1997 Honda CR-V LX review from North America

Absolutely, positively, nuthin. You do the prescribed maintenance in the manual (my dealer had a very good service program), and any vehicle will treat you good.

I complained about a brake rotor shimmy right after I got it, but the problem seemed to take care of itself. I didn't notice it anymore after the first 3,000 miles.

Great Sport-Ute. 4x4 was excellent in the winter. I was still going through snow when other 4x4's weren't. I did not have one problem with this vehicle (except for the buying experience - see below) during the 40,000+ miles I owned it. It pays to change your oil every 3,000 miles, folks, even though your owners manual says you can do it less frequently.

Engine could use a boost. You had to be careful when you passed someone.

Had some problems with swirl marks in the paint. Probably too many automatic car washes and not enough hand-wax jobs.

Seating on the inside is spartan. I thought it was very comfortable, but I like still seats. If you're looking for plush, don't look here. The driver's seat has a unique way to adjust the lumbar in the back. It worked for me, but I could see how it wouldn't work for everyone.

Excellent rear seating. You would think that this "small" of a Sport Ute would have a miniscule back seat, but I was very amazed at the size and space they gave back seat drivers :-)

This was my 6th Honda (prior: 85 Accord, 87 CRX, 89 CRX [awesome 70+ MPG, still have it], 92 Accord, 95 Accord.) If you take care of them, they'll take care of you. The most problems I had with my Hondas are brakes (they seem to eat them), and CV joints. Oh yeah, pay attention to the warnings about timing belts. When I had my last one changed, the mechanic said I probably would have broken it the next day if I hadn't have changed it.

Although I don't own this vehicle anymore due to a growing family. I purchased a Toyota Sienna mini-van... tried for an Honda mini-van but the dealer just laughed and said I'd have to wait a year :-(

About the only thing bad was the dealership I bought it from. When I bought it, they were very popular and scarce. While in the process of negotiating the price, they accepted my offer. They called back later and refused it. Now I can't blame them because no paperwork was signed... just an agreement over the phone (which I gave out my credit card number to "seal" the deal), but hey folks, a deal's a deal. I sent a letter to Honda the next day describing the whole experience. Guess what? The same day they got it, I had a phonecall from the dealership and my brand spankin' new CR-V in my driveway that evening. Moral of the story: A deal's a deal.