Honda CRV

Updated on October 06, 2008
K.N. asks from Round Lake, IL
26 answers

We are currently debating selling our minivan for a new car/suv. My husband and I can't seem to agree on what we want to buy. Does anyone drive a Honda CRV and can tell me what they think of it good and bad.
Thanks,
K.

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thanks so much for everyone's insight. We are NOT planning on having any more kids, so I don't think the smaller size will be too big of a deal. I don't like the feel of my minivan, I find it to drive like a bus. We got it 13 months ago when my husbands mom died and so far we have spent over $2,200 getting things fixed. It's a 2005. I also drive 100 miles a day with my two kids, going to work and dropping one at preschool and the other at my moms.(Yes we are trying to sell our house and move closer to work)And I feel like my van is really unreliable. We have a car we both love, but need something between the size of the car and the van. I'll keep you all posted on our decision.
Thanks,
K.

Featured Answers

T.B.

answers from Chicago on

I love my CR-V. Just wanted to mention I get about 22-25 mpg in it, depending on the season and traffic.

Hope that helps,
T.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.J.

answers from Chicago on

I just traded in my CRV for a minivan - we are having number 3 and needed more space. I was VERY SAD to let go of my CRV - I LOVED it - it was a great car, never had a single problem with it - I miss it!!! :-)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I have a brand new 2008 CRV and I LOVE IT! Besides the Toyota Corolla I had, it's the best car I've owned. I can't think of anything I don't like about it. It's a great car, it's awesome on gas, it's just perfect. I bought mine at Honda of Joliet. Went thru Oren Ferguson - GREAT SALES PERSON! I highly recommend this car.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from Peoria on

My best friend has a CRV and loves it. She has had very little maintainance problems with Honda. It is a bit small if you are looking for the room of a van or bigger SUV, though. It is certainly do-able if you don't need lots of space. It really drives like a car, not a big monster, too.

A.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.M.

answers from Tulsa on

Hi K.,

We just got a new CRV a couple of weeks ago and love it - we got it fully-loaded - we have no regrets-- only wish it came with a stronger engine (they only come with V6) --for city driving a V6 isn't a problem. One thing we did have to do was shop around BIG TIME. Good LUCK!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.H.

answers from Chicago on

My cleaning lady just got stuck in a flood intersection from those big rains 2 weeks ago in the Honda suv. Water poured in the bottom of her doors and filled the vechicle. If not for 2 teens passing by, she would have drowned. I'de say to get a Chevy. May be a little bit more in gas but they're higher up and more sturdy in case of accident.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Chicago on

My mom has an 02 and they are much rooomier than the new models. I thought that this was the car I wanted because my husband and i both drive and love hondas, but it was much smaller inside than i thought. The 08 pilots were actually the same price as the 09 crvs because the new pilot came out. good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.D.

answers from Chicago on

I LOVE my CRV. Mine is a 98 with over 120000 miles on it. It works wonderfully with my 2 kids and the dogs. I've never really had to put any money into it outside the normal oil changes, tires and brake jobs as needed.

However as others have said, if you are taking other people with you, there isn't a lot of space for that. My husband drives a pilot and that has the extra row of seats which can fold down and give you that back space when you need it. I don't feel as comfortable driving the pilot as the crv (of course I've been driving the crv for 10 years).

My parents just got an Odessey early this year and they LOVE it. It's nice because all 6 of us and fit in it and go out together with room in the back to store stuff still (even the big stroller and a large ice chest). I feel like the Odessey is more comfortable to drive than the pilot.

As much as I love my CRV, we may have to go to the Odessey when my car eventually dies. My daughter is getting to the age of needing to be driven all over the place and I'm sure we'll be driving friends soon too. The crv isn't big enough for that.

Good Luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

O.M.

answers from Chicago on

just wanted to say - 3 car seats do fit in the back of the CRV -I have a 2004. No room for much else, but I have a graco booster for my 4 year old and two graco buckets for my soon to arrive twins. We were thinking we'd have to get a minivan but aren't quite ready to do it - were surprised that all three fit, so I wanted to mention it in case you ever have to make that work.

Another plus - the CRV is build on a Civic chassis, so although it does feel roomier and like a bigger car, it is no harder to find parking than for a Civic.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.C.

answers from Bloomington on

I love my CRV! In fact I love Hondas in general. They just last and last and the gas mileage is pretty good in comparison to a lot of cars. We only have one 10 month old child, but we're planning on a second sometime and don't plan on changing cars. Ours has a roof rack which was handy when we went on vacation, but for everyday there's plenty of room.

P.M.

answers from Chicago on

HI K.,
We have had a CRV for 2 years now and we like it. Only thing is, with 2 car seats in back (we have a 2 year old and a 6 month old), we can only squeeze in one other adult back there if my husband and I are both in the car. Plus if you are packing a double stroller or two strollers, there isn't much room in the trunk. So we eventually are going to buy a minivan of some sort. It does pretty well on gas - not sure if you are in the city or not. We are in the burbs and have taken road trips and it's comfortable and again isn't bad on gas.
I hope this helps some...

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.F.

answers from Chicago on

I have a Honda Pilot & I currently have 2 car seats front-facing. It is spacious, I wish it had more room though. When the kids were rear-facing, wow, it was a tight fit for our legs in the front because the Honda's front seats are a bad design with the tilting of the headrest. I barely fit my double stroller in the back. Since I only have 2 kids right now, it's working fine. Hard to get in the middle seat though when 2 car seats are on each end. Since you have 2 kids, I'm sure the Honda CRV would work fine. Not sure how much trunk space though. I love the design of a mini-van, but my husband is not a 'mini-van' guy. My sister has a CRV & no kids & loves it. She like the 'small versions' of SUV's. I wish I had more helpful info, but I do know that with the bigger SUV honda makes, the pilot, I already feel cramped with 2 kids & not enough room for everything. Best of luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Chicago on

I have a 2007 CRv and it is awesome. My 12 year old and I drove to Washington DC this summer and it was great. It has so much room and is very comfortable for long drives.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Chicago on

Hi K....

You already have lots of good opinions but here's mine:
We looked a lot and wanted safety, decent price and gas mileage and something that handled the winters.
We bought our CR-V in Jan 08 and have been very happy. I am 5' 10" and fit comfortably in the back with our Britax Marathon in the middle. We live in the city and get about 22 miles to the gallon. It got me around fine in the snow and parking on unplowed streets.
The downside is that you do not get the bigger engine in these cars which makes them a little less zippy (probably better in the long run for me!). Also not too many things come standard which makes you spend more if you need those things. (Like a compass for instance)
Overall good car no complaints and so far it has lived up to its reputation.

Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Chicago on

Hi, K.. I LOVE my CR-V. We have the 2006 version. We have a 4.5 month old son and it's so easy to get his infant carrier in and out. There is tons of room on the inside and in the trunk area. The stroller fits easily into the back and there is still tons of room for lots of other things. And even though it's large on the inside it doesn't feel like I'm driving a bus (which is how I felt when we test drove the Pilot). Good luck! Happy shopping!

K.P.

answers from Decatur on

We just got rid of our Honda CRV after many loyal and wonderful years! It may be hard to adjust to less interior room than your minivan (nothing has interior room like a minivan), but the CRV is wonderful for so many other reasons. It drives great, very safe, and the Honda name is very reputable. We traded our CRV in at 200,000 miles and got $6000 for it at trade in. In other words, the resale value is much better than most other vehicles.

We traded for a Honda Pilot, which we also really love. I cannot attest to its loyalty yet though, we have only had it a few weeks. Honda Pilot and Toyota Santa Fe, along with the Honda CRV, all get the best gas mileage we could find in SUV's.

Good luck to you!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.K.

answers from Chicago on

i have a 2004 cr-v and i love it. not only does it have awesome stuff, the new ones are even better. the card table in the back, if they still have it is such a help to us. some of the things i requested that they didnt make yet in 04 were recently added. I LOVE IT! it is practicle, gets good gas, and the safety, which was one of the main reasons why i got it have proven awesome. i was rear ended while stopped on the interstate by someone that was going about 40. i did not suffer any physical injuries, but there was 8000 damage to the cr-v. the bumpers roll in absorbing impact. just something to keep in mind with little ones. I LOVE MY CR-V

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.O.

answers from Champaign on

We bought a CRV in anticipation of the birth of our daughter this past February and we love it. It is very easy to fit 2 car seats in the back and the latch system works great. There is a good deal of leg room in the backseat. For the back/trunk area, you have the option of getting a divider which will give you more space. When we travel, we put our suitcases, etc underneath and the stroller on top of the divider and it works very well (this may only be an option on the EX model). We bought the CRV because we didn't want a mini-van. My average gas mileage is 26-27 miles (the CRV is a 4 wheel drive). Hope this helps!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.N.

answers from Chicago on

Dear Krisit,

My husband and I just bought a 2008 Honda CR-V EXL with navigation on Monday. I'd been eyeing them for a long time, and my husband (who is a car person) had been saying "Ew, I don't want one" for a long time. We test drove and he fell in love with it. It doesn't have a V6 or V8 like the Pilot or his Chevy work van, but it's got a great pickup, is very zippy and is compact so it feels very comfortable (not like a huge boat of a car). My husband LOVES the leather interiors and the navigation, and insists on driving whenever we go anywhere. It also has a rearview camera that pops up on the navigation screen whenever the car is in reverse.

I was the one who really had to be sold on the car - even though I'd been eyeing them I was madly in love with my Honda Accord EXL. But it's true - I really love this car now. It is SO much easier to get my son in and out of the carseat in the s.u.v. than in the car. It's really a great car in my opinion - very quick and compact. It's friendly for me, who wants a more kid-friendly vehicle but DOESN'T want a minivan.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.O.

answers from Champaign on

Sounds like the CRV has lots of good qualities. I was hoping for a bit more information as to why you are considering selling your minivan. What's the age? What don't you like about it? What isn't working for your lifestyle? What do you see in the CRV that looks like it will fulfill those needs/wants?

My main concern is seat number. It sounds like the CRV has five seats. As a mom of two (7, 3), I find myself transporting friends for playdates, girl scouts, soccer, etc. We currently have an 8 seater Sienna and I was able to easily take five girls to scouts last Friday.

I have two friends who prefer driving minivans, they liked the maneuvering better and all the kids options. One was comparing it to a Ford SUV, the other a Mistubishi. They both felt the minivan is a more "family friendly" vehicle. Both SUVs in their case had a third row that was tight (same as the Pilot) and they preferred the space in the minivan. If the age of your minivan is different from the CRV you are looking at, I would consider test driving a minivan of the same age.

These situations/advice may not apply to your situation, but as I stated, I don't know why you are looking to switch and what you are looking for in a new car. Best of luck!

B.K.

answers from Chicago on

I know they are a little more pricey, but check out the Honda Pilots too. My daughter has a CRV and loves it. And I have a Pilot and love it. The Pilots have a third row in the back and they seat a total of 8 -- even better than a mini-van. But the third row isn't good for carseats. It's kind of tight back there. But little kids in boosters fit back there fine.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.H.

answers from Chicago on

Absolutely love my Honda CRV. My car is a 1999 and has 130,000 miles on it and still drives like a dream. Have never had an ounce of problems with it. Best purchase I ever made. I will drive it until it can drive no more.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.

answers from Chicago on

I love my CRV! I have two kids-one in an infant seat, and one in a booster(little slimmer than the rest?). The only thing is that if anyone wants to sit in back with the two car seats, they really have to squeeze. More room in a minivan, but I do love my CRV. Tough call. With another child I will have to get a mini.

Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.M.

answers from Chicago on

I LOVE my CRV! Love it!!

I love the roominess and feel and look of it. I also love all of the safety features.

The ONLY thing I would say negatively is that there is no way that 3 car seats would fit in the back. So, if you are planning on having any more children, plan the next vehicle around that time!

Other than that, no complaints at all. We have 2 children and are thinking about a 3rd, and we will be getting a Pilot next.

Happy Car Hunting!!
B.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.M.

answers from Chicago on

I do it's the best, roomy, comfortable, easy driving me and my kids love our Honda CRV...happy hunting

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.

answers from Chicago on

I love my CRV. We got it 3 years ago before we had our second son. There's enough room for the 2 carseats in the back and the trunk space holds all of our stuff when we go on vacation. I can't think of anything I don't like about it. Let me know if you have any specific questions, but I'd highly recommend it!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions