Long-Term Test Update 1: 2013 Honda CR-V LX AWD

Review and photos by Jonathan Yarkony

After more than a month to get acclimated to the Honda CR-V long-term tester, I was fully geared up to give a comprehensive review of the vehicle’s interior, a mix of clever packaging and acceptable materials with sensible design.

But Mother Nature gave us a storm, and we had a chance to tackle the conditions that justify the very existence of these high-riding wagons we call crossovers. Seemingly overnight, we were treated to a couple feet of snow (sorry, I’m not a devotee of the weather channel, so I can’t actually give you an exact measure of snow), followed by a day of brilliant sunshine that demanded a tobogganing destination.

So we packed up the kids, my hockey gear and our sled, and headed to a hill close to grandma’s place. On the second street leading out of our neighbourhood, there it was: a block of knee-deep snow that would have you charging through it like a berserker if risking it with a 2WD car, especially if lacking winter tires. Me, I parked the CR-V in the middle of it, snapped a couple pics, then turned off traction control and gunned it. While not a fan of this engine note, it’s not entirely objectionable when paired with snow being flung out from all four corners as the winter tires so generously equipped by Honda Canada dug through the deep snow and found purchase on the asphalt to get me going. This was just too much fun.

2013 Honda CR-V LX AWD. Click image to enlarge

With all four wheels cutting through the snow, the fun didn’t last long – there was really only about a block of deep snow to wade through, then it was onto the well cleared sideroads and major thoroughfares. Here the CR-V becomes just an ordinary vehicle again, high enough to have a slight visibility advantage over cars, but at the expense of a bit of balance in the corners. Overall, though, the ride is entirely passable, very comfortable, and the steering direct and clear enough that you don’t feel like you are driving a video game simulation through a cloud server.

When we reached our tobogganing destination, we found that the parking lot had not been entirely cleared, so the geniuses that arrived first failed to use the entire parking lot and blocked access to half of it, forcing us to use all the dexterity, outward visibility and back-up camera to make a nifty three-point-turn and escape that parking hell. With light, easy steering, and a tight turning radius, we made quick work of it and headed to an alternate lot. Time and time again I have come to appreciate that the back-up camera is standard even with the base CR-V LX.