Honda CR-V wagon looks like a SUV but behaves like a sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Spend seven days scooting around town in the typical sport-utility wagon and you too may conclude from the experience that you've spent a week struggling to push a cumbersome truck around in traffic.
The wagon stands tall and looks tough, traits which make a SUV so popular, but behind the intimidating facade its core consists to the chassis of a pickup which conveys all of the unwieldy handling traits of a truck. If you want to venture off pavement through the bush, the truckish attitude of a sport-ute can be an asset, yet if you drive primarily on city streets it becomes a chore.
By contrast, a week of driving around town in the CR-V, Honda's compact four-door sport-utility wagon, turns into a no-hassle experience when contending with traffic because of this vehicle's easy-driving characteristics, which seem more like a car than a truck.
What sets the CR-V apart from most of the other SUVs traces to its underpinnings, which come from a conventional sedan rather than a truck. Honda's small wagon uses a platform borrowed from the Japanese version of the compact-class Civic, with a wheelbase of 103.2 inches.
A car-like steel unibody forms a rigid structure which varies from the body-on-frame construction of trucks and wagons with inherent squeaks and rattles, and many of the vehicle's mechanical systems -- such as a controllable double wishbone suspension and the precise rack and pinion steering -- also show up on products in Honda's car line.
Still, the CR-V stands tall and looks rugged, like a sport-ute should, and it has protective cladding applied to the lower body like other SUVs. Boxy wagon lines have been softened by carving curves on transitional corners, with B pillars blackened to de-emphasize the four-door format.
Concepts for Honda's wagon originated in the Japanese market, where smaller vehicles work better than bigger ones on Japan's crowded streets and consumers prefer to outfit a smaller package with bigger perks for comfort and luxury.
The car-like cabin of this wagon provides space for five people in a layout with twin front bucket seats separated by a console and followed by a bench that's best for two riders but functional for three. In styling and tone, the interior looks like it was lifted directly from one of Honda's sedans, and there are all of the amenities for comfort and convenience aboard that you might find on a Honda Civic or Accord.
At the back, a novel two-piece gate allows access to the rear storage bay by opening in two ways. The top glass, hinged at the top, swings up for quick entry for items like groceries, while the lower metal door with side hinge swings out of the way to the side for loading larger objects.
The name explains it: Comfortable Runabout Vehicle, which Honda abbreviates as CR-V.
When the first CR-V came ashore in North America in 1997, it consisted of a single edition in a front-wheel-drive format powered by a modest four-cylinder engine coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission.
This year, Honda will produce more than 100,000 units of the CR-V, as equipped with either a standard front-wheel-drive format or an optional automatic four-wheel-drive version divided into two additional trim designations.
These current issues draw from the same 2.0-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine, but the plant has gained 20 points of power due to an increase in the compression ratio plus revised tuning for intake and exhaust systems.
Output rises to 146 hp, which improves launch timing from a stop-light start. It feels lively now at lower speeds on city streets but can still exert muscle at higher speed on the highway for confidence when passing another vehicle.
The four-speed automatic transmission behaves like a smooth Civic shifter and stocks a "grade logic" shift point governor which selects third and fourth gear settings after measuring such variables as throttle position, road speed and rates of acceleration and deceleration.
The two four-wheel-drive editions of CR-V also offer the option of a manual five-speed shifter.
Honda's intelligent four-wheel-drive system automatically splits engine torque between front and rear wheels to maintain constant traction on pavement. For a driver, the operation becomes a no-brainer because the system is always engaged.
Under normal dry road conditions, this mechanism directs the engine's power to both front wheels, so the CR-V behaves like a front-wheel-drive car with sticky front tires pulling the vehicle through a curve. When pavement become slippery, however, such as during a puddle-producing rain storm or when coated with snow or ice, an on-board hydraulic system may automatically redistribute the torque from front to rear wheels if wheel sensors detect that the front tires are turning at a faster rate than the rear ones.
The system also enables the CR-V to venture off-pavement with traction confidence, and a ground clearance of eight inches allows it to clear trail debris. Note, though, that the absence of protective undercarriage plates and a lockable differential with low-gear range signify that CR-V's 4x4 intent is directed at improving traction on pavement rather than crawling over off-road obstacles.
With automatic 4-wheeling, the car-like ride quality and power controls for all functions, the CR-V performs driving tasks nice and easy -- much like any Honda car.
Wheels stand at outside corners of the CR-V's structure to set up its broad and stable stance. Then attach fully independent A-arm double wishbone suspension elements and the result becomes that car-like Honda ride quality.
Honda's variable power assistance for the rack and pinion steering device means the CR-V will turn easily with even a light touch to the wheel. It's also quick to cut so you can toss the wagon around a corner or squeeze it into a narrow parking spot without difficulty.
Interior improvements for the 1999 editions include new fabric upholstery on seats, an armrest added for the front passenger seat, illuminated power window switches, a cupholder molded into each rear door, and a transmission overdrive switch applied to the column-mounted shifter.
Front buckets provide high backs and look and feel like seats of a plush minivan. The rear seatback splits and folds flat to expand cargo space in the rear storage section. With rear seatback raised, the storage section contains about 30 cubic feet of space, and there's a waterproof recess concealed below the floor level. The lid of this hidden section may be removed and, with fold-up legs deployed, used as a miniature picnic table.
Entry point for the CR-V comes with a 2WD LX edition, which in the Honda manner piles on convenience gear.
1999 HONDA CR-V WAGON
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| 1999 HONDA CRV VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact 4-door SUV |
| Model Options: |
Compact 4-door SUV |
| Wheelbase: |
103.2 inches |
| Overall Length: |
177.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.0-L I4
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| Transmission: |
LX 2WD: Auto/4
LX 4WD: Manual/5, Auto/4
EX 4WD: Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
2WD (front), 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum
EX: ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
22/25 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 19,380 to $ 21,280 |
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