Honda CR-V Review
Published: 7th May 2007
Honda CR-V
Actually, the rake-adjustable steering column caused me a problem. When the steering wheel was in a comfortable driving position for me, I found that when I depressed the clutch pedal to change gear, I banged my knee on the column. While I’m on the subject of niggles; I’m about 5 feet 6 inches tall but have quite long arms. When I took advantage of the ‘command view’ driving position, the parking brake was just a little too far away for comfort. The same can be said of the console-mounted gear-shift, to the point that, initially I found myself waving vaguely at the two cubby holes at the base of the centre console instead of changing gear.
Moving on; in the £21,400, test car, said centre console and high-mounted gear lever had a ‘scratched’ aluminium surround, which brightened that dark, plain fascia. Within this area are the dual-zone air-conditioning controls and a single CD/radio for SE and ES models. The top-of-the-range, EX comes with a 6CD player together with a high-output audio system, complete with subwoofer. The EX also has DVD sat-nav with Bluetooth, hands-free telephone and rear parking sensors - a package that will add around £1,900 to the cost of the ES, on which it is an option.
Other EX standard features include; larger, 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, heated front seats and a panoramic sunroof with electrically-operated blinds. Choosing this model also opens up the options of cruise control, CMBS (more about this later), HID lights and the Active front light system. All this comes as a single package and therefore counts as one optional extra.
Moving through to the rear of the cabin, whereas the previous model had rear seats with a 60:40 split, the new car has a 40:20:40 arrangement offering the added flexibility of carrying two rear passengers and a long load. Alternatively, the seats have the ability to slide for and aft by 150mm, recline with the centre section doubling as an armrest with integrated cupholders.
Despite the shorter body, the boot size has increased and now has a capacity of 556-litres with the rear seats up and 955-litres to the window-line with them folded away. The cargo area also features a ‘Double Deck’ shelf, positioned some 330mm above the main floor, with space enough to accommodate a folded pushchair or a set of golf clubs. When not in use or required, this hinged shelf can be removed or simply dropped down onto the main floor.
Further storage can be found under the front passenger’s seat, in the 6.9-litre glovebox, a lidded tray above it and a 6.5-litre storage box between the front seats capable of holding up to 24 CDs, as well as various oddments trays, door bins and cupholders dotted about the Cabin.
/ 