The CR-V is more a pumped-up estate than out-and-out off-roader. In fact, 4WD only kicks in when it’s needed, so for the bulk of the time, you’re driving a front-wheel-drive car.
In other words, and as Honda will admit, this is basically a road car with some (very limited) off-road ability. That means, with no awkward compromises to strike between its on- and off-road abilities, the car can concentrate on one thing – and so it does, to tremendous effect.
On Tarmac, the CR-V is a fine drive, with the emphasis on comfort. That does mean it’s not quite as sharp as a Toyota RAV4, but there are no complaints about its smooth ride.
Also excellent is its cabin space – in fact, no other contemporary mid-sized 4×4 is bigger. It will happily double as a family car and, with sliding, split-folding rear seats, it even has something of an MPV’s flexibility.
On the inside
Here’s where the Honda excels. Not because it’s exciting, but because the general fit and finish on the interior is excellent. There’s plenty of soft-touch plastic and all the major touch points have a level of quality that shames some premium brands. Pull door handles, or wiggle switches, and there’s no play in any of them – the CR-V feels like it will last for a millenia, or at the very least for a few years’ use by your hordes of children.
The boot is huge, there are clever handles that allow you to fold the rear seats from either the side doors or from the boot itself, and there’s plenty of room in the rear bench. Honda has also been clever with the interior packaging – by pushing the front seats outwards, it’s found enough space for decent cupholders. Boring, but necessary.
Credit to : Top Gear and What Car.com
