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Ken Gratton19 May 2014
REVIEW

Honda CR-V Diesel 2014 Review

A likeable family package, the diesel CR-V lacks spark however

Honda CR-V DTi-L (Diesel)
Road Test

Diesel-engined mid-sized SUVs remain a rarity in this country. Most medium SUV buyers are looking for something small outside, big (enough) inside, comfortable, safe and cost-effective. But reduced running costs don't necessarily offset the higher purchase price of a diesel SUV. Honda's CR-V diesel is no different in that regard. Since the petrol CR-V is already quite accomplished, can the diesel CR-V deliver the buyer more on top of the extra it costs?

The CR-V DTi-L tested adds around $3000 to the purchase price of its petrol equivalent – and the difference in running costs for users driving average distances in a year would work out around $600. So the diesel CR-V has to offer something of monetary value beyond fuel economy alone to be a serious purchasing consideration, unless the owner plans to keep it longer than five years or expects to travel huge distances in the course of an average year.

While it's more expensive than the petrol CR-V VTi-L, the diesel CR-V tested matches up pretty well against the similarly-spec'ed Mazda CX-5 reviewed previously. The CR-V, which is not as powerful as the Mazda, finished the week using slightly less fuel (8.8 versus 9.0L/100km) – and that without the Mazda's i-Stop system. The Honda also spent less time in commuter traffic, it should be noted.

The CR-V had that typical cold-start diesel clatter, although it was more subdued than we've experienced in the past, driving Subaru's diesel Forester for instance. Once warmed up, however, the diesel four-cylinder was fairly refined at open-road speeds, without so much as a hint of labouring at any time. Honda's powerplant proved to be largely free of turbo lag and could be relied on to provide immediate performance when required. It would rev to 5000rpm also and worked well with the five-speed automatic fitted. Between the engine's torque and the gearing, the CR-V DTi-L never felt like it lacked a sixth gear in its transmission.

During a very inclement week in Melbourne the CR-V's roadholding was up to the job, not least of all due to the Michelin tyres fitted. There were a couple of occasions when a wheel at the front spun briefly before the 'Real Time 4WD' system intervened. The tyres were noisy at times – which was surprising from Michelins. They roared over coarse-chip bitumen and could be heard thumping over potholes and bumps.

In corners the CR-V showed a reluctance to turn in initially, but the steering provided respectable feedback through the wheel. I would rate the CX-5 ahead of the CR-V for its lively handling and direct steering ratio.

Ride in the CR-V was acceptable over secondary-level bumps, but that was once again a function of the Michelins fitted. On country roads the CR-V was less compliant, more controlled, but no worse than many SUVs in the same mould.

The principal virtue of the CR-V was its roomy interior and packaging. Adults could take their place in the rear seat without contorting or bending to fit. The hip point was spot-on, front or rear, and there was room under the front seats to allow rear-seat occupants to spread out. Headroom in the rear posed no problem either.

The CR-V's luggage compartment was more than adequate – and especially considering the full-size (alloy) spare under the floor and the drivetrain and suspension components located at the rear.

Levers to unlatch the seats were pioneered by Mazda, as I recall. The CR-V featured them also, but they weren't quite as effective. In Mazdas the rear seats flop forward and fold flat; in the CR-V the seat base unlatched and folded forward, while the squab unlatched also but had to be manually pulled down flat from the side of the car. Even then the seat folded didn't quite present a flat-floored loading space. It's probably close enough for most owners, however.

Front seats were comfortable and provide an extensive range of power adjustment. There were two position memory buttons on the door capping near the mirror switchgear. It took a little while to find them there, because the power adjustment switches were where you might expect them, down on the side of the seat base.

While major instruments and controls were properly located and easy to use, the satellite navigation did present the occasional challenge. In fact, an owner of a CR-V working here at motoring.com.au has gone on record using the acronym for the Swan Hill Institute of Technology as a sobriquet for the satellite navigation system. He's right, too.

The map graphics were difficult to interpret at times, with the screen rotating around the car icon making orientation from the driver's seat difficult. The colours used on-screen contrast, but weren't restful on the eyes. And try as I might, I could not make the voice prompts work. There was a volume setting for them in the infotainment system settings menu, but even cranked up to 100 per cent there was not so much as a dicky bird to keep the driver informed. Even in suburbs close to home I took the wrong road at least twice before stumbling across a road I recalled – after giving up on the satnav and blazing my own trail.

The CR-V's parking sensors were quirky too. Pedestrians triggered the sensors if they crossed the road too close to the front of the CR-V. That's not unusual in itself, but the accompanying audible alarm was loud and incessant.

On the plus side, the CR-V's bi-xenon headlights with high-beam assist were well received. The intelligent high-beam function generally worked well, only occasionally being caught out by approaching cars on a sweeping bend.

Dash layout and instrument design was consistent with Honda's usual style. It was somewhat removed from the design conventions of other manufacturers and didn't strike me as especially stylish. That said, everything was easy enough to read and operate, other than the items already mentioned.

While the CR-V proved mostly comfortable and user-friendly for the passengers, the climate control system set to 21 degrees left us feeling hypothermic on rainy-but-mild days. It was colder in the car than outside, until such time as I cranked up the heat to around 30 degrees. Nice to know that it should cope with an Aussie summer at least.

After a week in our care, the CR-V had scored some goals with family members who rode in it, on the strength of its innate comfort and practicality. But I can't help thinking the diesel didn't really offer more than a petrol CR-V would have, lower fuel consumption aside.

2014 Honda CR-V DTi-L pricing and specifications:
Price: $45,915 (including on-road costs and metallic paint)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 110kW/350Nm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 175g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

What we liked: Not so much:
>> Decent turn of performance >> Oddly proportioned looks
>> Spacious inside >> Satellite navigation system
>> Safe, 'family car' dynamics >> Climate control chills
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Written byKen Gratton
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