Earlier in the week, we returned the keys to our Honda CR-V Sport AWD, bidding it goodbye after 4-weeks behind the wheel and more 2,500kms covered between the Tarmac Life team!
During this period, we put the car through traffic filled commutes, motorway driving, twisty roads and much more, there was even a house move thrown in there for good measure. But our underlining criteria was this, does the CR-V still satisfy the needs for a family in today’s day and age.
One of the key points behind CR-V’s longstanding success over the years has been in its design. It looks good enough to catch the eye in the right colours but for the most part, it is simply inoffensive. Yes, the lines are modern, it has LED lighting, alloy wheels etc but it doesn’t bother with gloss black trims, frivolous chrome bits and all, it just gets the job done. Something that has always been a strong point of the CR-V through its generation.
A top tip, choose the ‘Ignite Red Metallic’ or ‘Canyon River Blue Metallic’ shades if you want to be noticed, otherwise, Lunar Silver (pictured) serves the purpose of an urban chameleon just fine.
Besides, an iconic nameplate like this has to show continuity between generations with each one being an improvement on the last but not a departure. Cover the badge and you can still associate the tall rear taillights, window layout and general silhouette as being that of a CR-V, it has a sense of familiarity to it which extends into the interior.
Stepping inside the CR-V proves that whatever your definition of practicality is, the CR-V has something for everyone. As someone who is always in the driver’s seat, I found the unit to be very comfortable, with all the important buttons being within reach and the sound system decent too. Credit to Honda on the tech front as the system, like the car, has a no-nonsense attitude to its job. It is easy to use and well laid out, without needing a frenzy of sub-menus and animations.
My passengers, whether front or rear, enjoyed the array of storage cubbies available and my Father in particular, liked the room that rear passengers were offered. This came in handy when we hosted our Australian family, they too were impressed with the CR-V when it was at capacity with both people and luggage. General consensus was that this car was designed with family in mind, as also evidenced by the device charging options on offer.
The 589L boot needs a special mention here as I did two airport pickup/drops during my stint with the car while Harry employed it to move house and it did superbly during both!
While Honda have been generous with the cabin and boot’s displacement, the story is not the same under the bonnet. A 1.5L VTEC Turbo power unit drives this CR-V, rather smoothly for the most part with 140 kW and 240 Nm available on tap. However, the narrative changes when you load the car up and head for the hills. In that scenario, the CVT gearbox keeps the revs high and you do feel like the engine is under duress. Getting off the line at traffic lights too seems like a struggle but once on the move, the powerplant does fine.
The above is reflected in its efficiency figures, rather evidently. When tootling around town and in traffic, I averaged 8.2L/100km in ECO mode but on a longer motorway trip to Hamilton and back, that figure was down to 6.7L/100km so it certainly can prove to be efficient when needed.
Just like the AWD system which also comes to life when there is less grip on offer. Driving through some particularly wet twisty roads, I noticed the system kept pace with my cornering, making sure that I had plenty of traction to go around, handling was rather impressive in this scenario too.
Interestingly, it was only during the driving component of my review that I noticed the CR-V’s downsides. For one, the ‘Automatic High-Beam Support System’ is overly eager to turn on when the luminescence is reduced, leading to me having to take manual control on a few occasions. Secondly, the car lacks a blind spot indicator as standard which is pretty much a given on cars as a whole these days and could be trouble for those drivers that have become far too reliant on technological driving aids. It’s available as a $1,000 optional extra which is strange given that this car carries a fairly comprehensive version of Honda Sensing‘s safety suite!
The Verdict
At $53,000, the CR-V Sport AWD offers plenty for most. I found its biggest strong point to be in cabin space whether it was the front, rear or boot, there was plenty of room to go around. Yes, it’s great value too at this price but the model range offers a unique conundrum.
The CR-V Sport can be had with an AWD powertrain and 5-seats while the Sport 7 is 2WD only and seats 7 but the e:HEV RS seats 5 and is 2WD too! $14,000 being the gulf between the entry model and the range topper. Meaning that if you, like me, have little need for 7-seats or AWD, the RS is your only choice.
That aside, its wide appeal, family friendly nature, creature comforts, efficiency and spaciousness on offer should make this CR-V another home run for Honda.
2024 Honda CR-V Sport AWD: 4/5
Thanks for reading! For more Honda news and reviews, visit Tarmac Life.
Words and photos by Matthew D’Souza. Car courtesy of Honda New Zealand and Honda Store Newmarket.
