2002 Honda CR-V

Few vehicle makeovers have been as eagerly anticipated as that of the Honda CR-V. Having defined the compact sport utility segment with its debut in ‘97 and continually outsold the competition thereafter, the CR-V has been the rabbit. But as more and more compact SUVs poured into the market, the CR-Vs shortcomings became apparent. The most glaring was its sluggishness and overall lack of sophistication compared to the new kids on the block. Some updates along the way attempted to deal with those problems, but they never solved them. Although the CR-V remained a strong seller despite its drawbacks, there was clearly room for improvement. The Ford Escape seized that opportunity with horsepower and refinement, finally toppling the CR-V from the top of the class. But we knew Honda wasn’t going to take this lying down. They never do. I expected this second generation CR-V, the first total makeover since the vehicle’s introduction, would once again shove the original out front in measurable, remarkable ways.

Now that I’ve spent a week with a 2002 four-wheel-drive top-of-the-line EX model with four-wheel drive, I am both impressed and a little disappointed. Honda has done everything it needed to, as expected. But, just as the CR-V set the standard before, I expected this 2002 would also raise a new, much loftier standard. I’m not sure it does.

The Good News
This new CR-V is quicker, better looking, more fun to drive, roomier and more accommodating for passengers and cargo than the previous one without sacrificing fuel economy or running up the price.

I ask, what more do you want?

Well, maybe more than 8.1 inches of ground clearance and a real offroad attitude with a low gear. You won’t find either here. Just the usual around town, rainy day kind of four-wheel-drive and the ability to park on the lawn if necessary.

But there’s so much more to appreciate here. Although the CR-V doesn’t get a lot bigger outside (good news), inside has found almost 3 more inches of rear legroom and a slightly raised rear seat for better visibility. There are also larger front seats, 3.6 more inches of front shoulder room and just under 5 more cubic feet of cargo room. It now stores 72 cubic feet of stuff in the rear, which dwarfs the competition.

That cargo space is also much more accessible, thanks to a new rear door that makes sense (the old one was confounding). The rear glass now pops up independently, and the door still swings on a side hinge. Even better, the rear seat folds flat 60/40 with headrests in place. Miraculous.

But being functional has always been a CR-V strength; performance hasn’t. To fix that, the CR-V gets an all-new 2.3-lier 16-valve twin cam 4-cylinder engine producing 160 horses. That’s 14 more horses than the most recent boost and 34 more than the original engine.

As significant as the horsepower increase in this 4-cylinder is the torque increase: to 162 at 3600 rpm. More torque than horsepower, you might note. It gives this CR-V plenty of energy where the previous one had little. No longer do you have to razz the rpms to take off with the manual transmission, which is what the test vehicle had. You can even leave in second gear with a just a little juice.

The CR-Vs new muscle holds steady throughout the power demands, from an 8.4-second zero to 60 all the way to highway cruising. It’s much more confident darting around traffic and doesn’t feel strained at speed.

Handling and suspension improve, keeping the CR-V remarkably steady for one so chopped yet tall. That is apparent both around town and on the road. More sound deadening has been added, too, making it feel less hollow and thin than the previous one. It still doesn’t feel nearly as solid as the Ford Escape, however. But it carries a lot more stuff.

Front and side air bags are standard, as is anti-lock braking. The EX model comes loaded with power accessories, CD audio, power moonroof and other goodies. It’s nice.

The clever trick in this new CR-V is the handbrake mounted on the center dash, next to climate controls. It pulls towards you, kind of like a joystick. Although it gets the brake out of the way and makes it aesthetically pleasing, several people commented it looked too much like a handle and could cause an accident if inadvertently grabbed. Personally, I think that’s a stretch.

Oh, and yes, the pop-out picnic table is still part of the package.

The Bad News
Honda has improved the CR-V in many ways, building on the formula that made it so popular from its inception forward. But this new generation doesn’t knock me out the way Honda’s Odyssey minivan or Acura’s MDX did when they finally showed up.

Specifically, its exterior isn’t the exciting redesign I anticipated, the driving experience isn’t as dynamic as I’d hoped and the four-cylinder engine pales in comparison to 200-horse 6-cylinders like the Ford Escape’s.

I know the fuel economy and price are strong considerations here, but I am still let down that this CR-V doesn’t throw down a new gauntlet. I am disappointed it doesn’t feel like a much different vehicle than the previous one. But the point was to build on success, not reinvent it, I suppose.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 21 mpg city/25 highway with manual transmission

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $21,500;
Price as tested, $21,940

Is it worth it?
Even though this new CR-V may not be a trendsetter, I do think the improvements will keep its customers happy. Everything else aside, it is still a Honda, which speaks volumes about quality, durability and satisfaction to many people.

This new CR-V is true to all those principles, even if it’s not the fastest, sexiest, most rugged or the most all-around competent of mini sport utilities. It has the things most Cute-Ute buyers cherish, namely interior room, comfort, flexibility and performance tuned to running errands.

The CR-V commercials featuring outdoors-extreme types jumping into frigid winter lakes and flinging themselves off rock cliffs as the CR-V owners ponder “Is that suppose to be fun??” capture this vehicle perfectly. It is ultimate practicality and sensibility making fun of extremes, content to crank up the heater, relish the comforts and get on about the reasonable adventures of every day.

All things considered, that works.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.