2013 Honda CR-V VTi (4×4) Review
This is a car the brands you as a breeder, albeit more subtly than a people mover would. After all it is an SUV and that is kind of tough and cool. Since I am on the topic of breeding or family transport, the Honda CRV is a very spacious five-seater that is immensely practical. Rear legroom and luggage space is massive.
- Price
- practicality
- proven drivetrain & technology
- compatible with 91 RON fuel and E10
- brakes and tyres last a long time
- Sub-par build quality for a Japanese brand
- short and expensive service intervals
- terrible air conditioning performance
- stock battery is cheap and died young
- VTEC noise on cold start-up
The CRV is a solid choice as a family car with excellent engineering and a proven drivetrain. The five-speed auto is pleasant enough although dated and the 2.4 powerful enough even given its penchant for revs. The paddle-shifters are an amusing inclusion in a car like this; someone at Honda has a sense of humour… a sports car it is not. The 4x4 system is part-time only, and to be frank, rubbish compared to Subaru’s superb AWD system, however, for transporting the family around the ’burbs it is fine.
If space and practicality on a budget are top of your list the Honda is well worth a look. If you value driving dynamics and a more upmarket look and feel the Mazda CX-5 is a better choice. Other negatives are the Thai build quality is not nearly as good as those made in Japan – an Australian-built Camry has tighter panel gaps and better finishing. The other major issue with this car is that it has the worst air conditioning performance of any car I have owned… on a hot day you need to crank the fan to full and have recirculation on for 10+ minutes to drop the cabin temperature below something approaching the surface of Mercury.
So, there you have it, warts and all, the 2013 Honda CRV.