2009 Honda CR-V Road Test

Table of Contents
2009 Honda CR-V Review
2009 Honda CR-V Prices
2009 Honda CR-V Competition
2010 Honda CR-V Review
2009 Honda CR-V Car Quote

Driving the Honda CR-V
Nimble and surefooted in anything the road throws at it, the CR-V drives remarkably like a tall car – a sporty and composed tall car. The smooth engine is willing but feels taxed when you want quick acceleration for freeway merging or passing. It can seem downright underpowered if you ask it to move a CR-V full of passengers and luggage with any verve. Annoyingly, the transmission responds to such demands by shifting a lot in an effort to extract every molecule of power.

CR-V’s AWD system does a fine job as an all-weather on-road safeguard, automatically distributing power to the rear tires when sensors detect the fronts are losing traction. In more challenging conditions, it falls short of some other compact-SUV AWD systems, including those in the RAV-4 and Rouge, because it can’t be set to maintain a 50-50 front-rear power distribution.

Riding in the Honda CR-V
All CR-V models share a basic suspension setting and the same-size wheels and tires, so there’s no discernable difference in ride quality. That’s a good thing. This compact SUV strikes a great balance between firm control and jolt-free absorbency, even on rough or wavy roads.

Generous room, comfortable seating, and top-notch materials and workmanship highlight the CR-V’s interior.
Use the engine to its fullest and it lets you know its working hard with a snarl that’s not unpleasant but can infringe on conversation. Same for tire noise on certain coarse surfaces.

No mid-priced compact SUV has a more inviting interior. The Honda CR-V cabin mixes padded surfaces, complementing colors, nicely grained panels, and modern shapes to create a pleasantly sophisticated ambience.

The front seats do an exceptional job of being at once comfortable and cosseting. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable, and the steering wheel tilts and telescopes. For 2008, the top-line EX-L model addressed a couple of convenience deficits by introducing a power driver’s seat and dual-zone automatic climate controls – both CR-V firsts.

Head room is abundant, and rear passengers are hardly shortchanged, getting generous leg and foot space and a seat with a comfortably contoured cushion and a reclining backrest.

The CR-V’s cargo versatility is helped by folding rear seatbacks divided into three sections. The rear seat also flips forward.
With typical Honda packaging efficiency, the CR-V has lots of cargo space behind the rear seat. It splits that seat into handy 40/20/40 sections and allows it to flip-and-fold to create a flat load floor. Bins and nooks do a good job with small-items storage, but only the EX-L version gets a traditional front center console; LX and EX make do with a less useful folding shelf.

Honda CR-V dashboard and controls
The air of easy sophistication continues in a dashboard that’s inviting to use and entertaining to the eye. Gauges are large and unobstructed, climate and audio controls big and conveniently placed. The gear lever mounts at the base of the instrument panel, where it falls easily to hand and frees up floor space. All levers, buttons, and switches move with a precision worthy of a luxury car.

Easy to use and pleasing to look at describes the CR-V’s dashboard. Note the unusual but convenient placement of the gearshift lever.
Honda CR-V fuel economy
CR-V’s relatively light weight and modest power pay off in good fuel economy for an SUV. Expect a mix of city, suburban, and highway travel to net an average of about 23 mpg over the long haul. There shouldn’t be much difference between two- and all-wheel-drive versions. CR-V uses regular-grade fuel.

Honda CR-V safety
Every CR-V includes in its base price all the important safety features, including antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist technology that automatically applies maximum braking power in emergency stops. Also standard is an antiskid system that applies individual brakes to keep the CR-V on course in turns.

Torso-protecting airbags are mounted in the front seats, and head-protecting curtain side airbags cover both seating rows. The curtain bags deploy in side collisions or when sensors detect an impending rollover. Rollovers are a leading cause of fatalities in SUV crashes.

In government tests, the CR-V scores five stars on a five-star scale for protection of the driver and front and rear passengers in both frontal and side impacts. In government assessments of rollover resistance, the CR-V rates four stars on the five-star scale, a score that puts it among the best compact SUVs in that test.

Honda CR-V quality and reliability
Honda is the gold standard for mid-priced brands in terms of reliability and customer contentment with the vehicle, though dealer sales and service rate no more than average. This is according to surveys by J.D. Power and Associates, the leading consumer-satisfaction ratings firm.

CR-V buyers surveyed tend to be extremely pleased with their SUV, giving it highest or next-to-highest marks for mechanical and build quality and quality of accessories. They also rate it above average for comfort and design; the lowest rating – average – is in “performance.”