Honda CR-V 2017 Review

Clearly Honda’s CR-V has long been a popular car for family buyers, but for growing families it had its limitations – space being the biggie.

Now offered with five or seven-seat capacity, the matured fifth-generation CR-V SUV has fresh appeal.

The five-model line-up offers the choice of front or all-wheel drive, matched exclusively to a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and continuously variable transmission.

Our latest addition to the long-term garage at motoring.com.au is the only seven-seat CR-V model – the two-wheel-drive VTi-L grade.

Priced from $38,990, this CR-V has the potential to undercut the larger seven-seat SUV offerings.

Family Matters
A long-term test period allows our team to focus on different elements of the CR-V, depending on our own needs and wants. With a young family, and frequent hangers-on, I’m keen to test out the CR-V’s space, flexibility and ease of use.

Children can be awkward and unforgiving, and frazzled parents want everything made simple for them – including getting in and out of the car, packing gear and negotiating who sits where (particularly important when seven-seaters are involved). And, let’s be honest, there are seven-seaters and then there are occasional seven-seaters…

Is the CR-V’s third row is a realistic solution for growing families or somewhere you’d reluctantly seat passengers six and seven for shorter trips only?

Turns out the CR-V’s third row of seating is quite comfortable, with more than acceptable space – but there’s no avoiding the fact you’re positioned well close to the tail of the vehicle, the worst position for a rear impact accident. Like most mid-sizers attempting a third row of seating – it’s ambitious.

To be frank, I find accessing the CR-V’s third-row is a chore. The tumble function is especially heavy. I can only just manage the smallest section of the 60:40 split and I struggle to budge the larger section. If it was my everyday drive, I wouldn’t bother and I’d simply tell the children to just vault over the second row… less than ideal, but we’re talking real life levels of patience here.

On the other hand, the CR-V’s larger dimensions are evident in the second row - space is excellent - and comfortable reclining seats offer good room for three passengers. A centre arm-rest, in-door storage, seat-back pockets, air vents, and two USB ports are welcome features and a nod to the needs of the intended market.

Then there’s the question of child seats. The CR-V has two ISOFIX positions and can anchor up to five child seats thanks to screw in tether bolts in the rear floor. However the anchor positioning is awkward… at best. And, with seven occupants on board, the roof-mounted tether points further impinge on third row space.

Storage Wins
A medium-size SUV capable of concealing a medium-size handbag is good news. On that score, the CR-V’s centre console offers a removable shelf which reveals a deep, lidded compartment – inspired thinking right there. Nobody wants a handbag taking space in their footwell, trust me.

Two well-positioned cup holders and generous oddment storage locations are further, easy wins for the CR-V.

With seven seats in play, the cargo space is limited to 150L, but this grows to 472L and 967L as we fold the third and second rows flat. It’s a little down on the previous generation CR-V, but does the job. An adjustable base gives you the option to conceal goods beneath floor level, or to create a flat base for loading larger items. I’m left wanting for decent bag hooks however.

As expected
Where space and functionality are concerned, the CR-V is satisfactory, as expected – it’s a mid-size SUV after all. Lobbing seven-seats in the CR-V – finally – certainly broadens the appeal of Honda’s mid-sizer, however where family needs are concerned, shortcomings remain.

On the other hand, as our long-term test team will no doubt reveal, the CR-V is about much more than just the family load.

Long-Term Tests
motoring.com.au aims to make your choice of vehicles easier. Our editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews, as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend even longer with a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, the servicing, and generally use and live with the car as an owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers a deeper insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and the nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nit-pick – just like real owners do.