Honda CR-V: A Good Value for the Money

When my mom found she needed a new car, she asked me to come along and help her get a good deal. In the process, I found several cars that were good values for my own family. One of the vehicles I test drove was a Honda CR-V.

The Honda CR-V is a vehicle that bridges the gap between SUV and car. It sits higher than a car, but not quite high enough to be comfortable called an SUV. The style of the car is a type that some people will love and others will hate. There does not seem to be a lot of middle ground. I think the look is interesting. The back is somewhat boxy, and sits higher than the front. The front of the car comes to a point in the middle, right by the bumper.

The interior style is better suited to younger drivers. The handles for the door are large industrial looking handles, and the seat styling has a modern feel. It seats five, and unlike most vehicles that claim to seat five people, this one actually feels roomy enough to accomplish it. If the center seat is not needed, it can be folded down and there is an armrest and a built-in cup holder. There is ample legroom in the front and back, which is vital for my 6'2" husband. It's also enough legroom to ensure I will not be kicked in the back by my children.

There is a very large cargo area, but for more space, the seats can be folded up. While they do not fit into the floor like some other vehicles, they do fold flat against the front seats. I would prefer that they fold into the floor or remove completely, but I have to admit that when they are folded against the front seats, there is enough room to haul almost anything. I do a lot of home improvement, and I am also a landlord, and being able to transport large loads is essential.

The Honda CR-V has a 4 cylinder engine. This is the main thing I didn't like. It didn't have as much "get up and go" as the Honda Accord did, and I chalk this up to the engine being the same number of cylinders, but trying to carry a bigger vehicle. It has a 15.3 gallon fuel tank, and gets 23 miles per gallon in the city, and 30 on the highway. For such a large vehicle, these are pretty good figures.

Some of the features that came with this model include a front seat console that folds down to the passenger side so that it is out of the way. There are two glove compartments. One is normal, and the other is a small glove compartment, which has unusual styling. It slides open, rather than having a latch. The one I drove had a place to plug in your MP3 player, so that your Ipod tunes can play over the car stereo. There is a sunglass holder which flips down, but in this same area is a "munchkin mirror" which lets you see what the kids are doing in the backseat. Every door has a cup holder built into it, down near the floor, but still within reach. This vehicle has a lot of cup holders throughout, and this is very handy for my family. The Honda CR-V features six airbags, which help keep your family safe. The seats are available in three colors, and two choices of cloth or one type of leather. The exterior comes in one of eight colors. There is also a cigarette lighter plug in the cargo space, for tailgate parties. One of the most unique features is a "Maintenence Minder". This vehicle tells you when it needs the oil changed.

This vehicle appeals to me because of the room and the young, hip feel. I also feel that the size would be a benefit for driving on snow compared to my current car. I am a bit concerned about the ability of this car to "get up and go", but I think that after only a short amount of driving, I would be able to adjust my driving habits to suit this vehicle. The dealership was asking approximately $21,000 for a 2007 Honda CR-V, which I feel is a perfectly reasonable price, and I consider this a bargain for the number of features that came with it.