The fact that the little Honda is unlikely to be a contender in the stoplight grand prix also does not bother me; after all, this is a utility vehicle. The CR-V has ample power to motivate itself through traffic at a pace that is bound to be perfectly acceptable for daily chores and commuting. In fact, I never bothered to turn the Econ button off, aiming instead to try to save a few extra cents on fuel as I did the typical Greater Toronto Area traffic slog. Without driving around in any particular hurry and saddled with sticky snow tires, the CR-V managed a 9.4 L/100 km consumption average with me behind the wheel.
 2013 Honda CR-V. Click image to enlarge |
It’s upon reflecting on my particularly busy week living with the CR-V that I realize just how brightly it shines by drawing no attention to itself. For the first two days of its stay with me it served as a mini ‘grip truck’ for a video shoot at Toronto’s tony Granite Club. When shuttling several cumbersome lighting kits, tripods, C-stands and other odds and ends, I appreciated the capacious cargo area, but adored the ease with which the flip-and-fold rear seats to do their thing with the pull of a single strap. Clever folks, those Honda engineers.
The next day, the CR-V served as an everyman’s limousine shuttling a group of nominees dressed in our finest duds to the Canadian Screen Awards gala. In parking within the miniscule confines of a typical Toronto parking stall it occurred to me just how space efficient the CR-V is. Taking up a smaller footprint than a mid-size family sedan, the passenger and/or cargo capacity is surprisingly generous, even with six-foot-plus passengers sitting one in front of the other.
Each 2013 CR-V comes equipped with a back-up camera system further aiding the task of parking. Truthfully though, the screen is relatively small and tucked back far enough in the dash that its helpfulness is somewhat limited. Besides, it’s not like it’s a large vehicle anyway, making me question the necessity of this feature. Instead I would much prefer Honda put other little features like auto headlights and a three-flash signal function as standard fare in the CR-V.
 2013 Honda CR-V. Click image to enlarge |
I had been looking forward to putting Honda’s 4WD system to the test in the snow, but alas the storm that produced several inches of the white stuff for much of Southern Ontario provided only a small bit of slush at my home near the Tropics of Niagara. Still, this was enough of a test to show the CR-V’s system maintains good control in the sloppy stuff and puts the power to the ground seamlessly, especially through its snow tires.
The brakes are a bit grabby, and when combined with the elevated SUV driving position, the CR-V does hobbyhorse a bit with some pronounced nose-dive. The softer suspension setup does mean a more compliant ride, however, a trait more important to most owners than corner-carving handling to be sure. Despite the tall stature of the CR-V, it is less susceptible to crosswinds than expected even during gusty weather. Together with decent sound suppression and its stable on-road tracking, the CR-V again goes on inconspicuously about its business.
Curiously, the only hiccup encountered with the CR-V during our travels together involved a Bluetooth function that selectively decided with whom I should and should not be able to speak while driving. Using the buttons on the steering wheel to answer a call, the system would occasionally – but not always – disallow the caller to hear me or be heard. Before I finger wag too vigorously, I will admit that it’s possible my iPhone could be the cantankerous party, though I’ve not had that challenge previously with other cars.
Our Honda CR-V is likely to continue to be a challenging long-term car for the Autos.ca team simply because there’s so little to report. Check back next time when we remind you again of the CR-V’s continued reliability, practicality and quiet competence in performing all the mundane real-life tasks it endures.
