Long-Term Test Update 2: 2013 Honda CR-V LX AWD

Review by Jeff Wilson, photos by Jonathan Yarkony

Photo Gallery:
2013 Honda CR-V

It’s easy to write about vehicles rich in character, or at least those rich in character flaws. But when a vehicle is wholly unremarkable – even in the best possible way, mind you – it can add a whole new element of challenge coming up with something noteworthy to say.

Our CR-V long-term vehicle continues on reliably doing exactly what buyers of such a vehicle intend for it to do. It’s unassuming inside and out, yet efficient with space and fuel. It’s comfortable without being lavish; spacious without being unwieldy and well built without being expensive.

It’s also virtually anonymous in traffic due in part to the frequency one encounters CR-Vs in the wild, but also because the styling is less dramatic, and let’s be honest, less handsome than most of its competitors. In typical Honda fashion, the CR-V simply goes about its business without complaint, day in and day out.

2013 Honda CR-V. Click image to enlarge

I prefer my Sport Utility Vehicles to come with a heavy helping of utility and in basic LX trim, that’s just what this little rig does. The interior is far from extravagant, but it is highly practical. As Senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony pointed out in the last report, the cubbies, compartments and caverns scattered around the interior will swallow up a ton of stuff. The mouse-fur seats are reasonably comfortable – especially with the addition of the fold-down armrest – but not fancy, although the standard seat heaters are a thoughtful touch. Controls too, are sensibly laid out requiring little time to figure out where everything is and how it works.

The quality of all the materials is of a high grade and is bound to wear well despite heavy family use of kids climbing in and out and all the family necessities tossed in and out of the back cargo area.

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.

2013 Honda CR-V. Click image to enlarge

Mini-Road Trip, by Jonathan Yarkony

Before handing off the reins to Jeff, we took the CR-V for a short road trip from the GTA out to Picton, Ontario, in Prince Edward County. It’s a little over 200 km each way, and we saw a very efficient 7.5 L/100 km on this almost exclusively highway drive.

Not only was it efficient, it was comfortable. There is a bit of wind noise, and the winter tires are also a touch louder than I’d like, but our road trips are spent talking with the family and singing time, and it was quiet enough that we didn’t need to struggle over the noise.

The ‘mouse-fur’ seats, as Jeff called them, are excellent even on a non-stop two hour drive, and the comfort-oriented suspension make this an excellent cruiser, and the large cargo area was still underwhelmed even when filled with portable crib, stroller and weekend supplies for our family of four, so packing was as easy as tossing in our gear, no thought or planning required.

On the return leg, we luckily spotted (aided by the excellent forward visibility) a serious jam on the 401 before committing to the onramp, so we continued on an Ontario side-road adventure. At this point, I was starting to wish for a trade-off of some of the practicality and efficiency for something that has the capacity to entertain and thrill, or at least stay a little more stable when taking on a twisty road. Between the soft, 17-inch winter tires and comfort-oriented suspension, the body roll quickly curbed any fun I attempted.

2013 Honda CR-V. Click image to enlarge

Pricing: 2013 Honda CR-V LX AWD
Base Price (LX AWD): $28,140
Options: none
Freight & PDI: $1,640
A/C Tax: $100
Total: $29,880

Competitors
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Escape
GMC Terrain
Hyundai Tucson
Kia Sportage
Mazda CX-5
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Crash test results
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)