COMPACT SUV WILL APPEAL TO WIDE RANGE OF DRIVERS
For 2020, Honda has refreshed the CR-V with a new front and rear bumpers, grille and headlights. Inside, there’s a new centre console that offers more flexible storage space and better access to USB ports. Across the range, from base LX 2-WD to top-of-the-line Black Edition, the CR-V is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre in-line four-cylinder engine that pushes 190 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission. Apart from the two-wheel-drive LX 2-WD, all models include Honda’s Real Time all-wheeldrive system for more assured footing.
Calgary driver Carolin Adie spent a week with a 2020 CR-V Sport, a relatively well-equipped trim that adds 19-inch alloy wheels, a power liftgate with programmable height adjustment, and a one-touch power moonroof with tilt function. Adie’s tester was finished in Honda’s $300 optional Radiant Red Metallic paint, and all in, including freight and PDI, the CR-V cost just over $37,000 before taxes.
Adie usually drives a 14-yearold Acura TSX. She’ll be shopping this year for a compact SUV.
“It’s just me,” Adie said of her driving needs. “I have no animals and no kids, but I’ve begun training for an Iron Man marathon and would really like to have something that I can just put my bike into without hanging it off a bike rack on the back of my car.”
When she first got into the CR-V she was surprised at the overall ride height. But she found the Honda easy to get into after about a day, and had the 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and the tilting and telescoping leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel where she needed them to be.
“It felt like home, and I was totally comfortable. I’m fivefoot-five and it fit me nicely,” she said. “One little criticism I had, though, was the shifter just seemed out of place.”
The chunky-looking lever is located centrally and almost in the middle of the dash.
Overall fit and finish felt high-quality, she said, and there was nothing sub-par about any of the materials used in the CR-V’S construction.
“The touch screen was all new to me, but it wasn’t complicated at all once you figured it out,” Adie said.
While driving, Adie tried using the Econ mode button.
“I thought I’d see a significant difference in performance between Normal and Econ, but it drove pretty much the same,” she said. “The engine start/stop feature is something you have to get used to, but if it helps with fuel economy and emissions, why not? You could switch it off, but I left it on.
“I saw gas mileage of about 8.2 L/100 km during my week.”
Overall performance of the 1.5-L turbocharged engine was rated good, but Adie felt it could have offered just a little more pep. That said, it provided good torque, and she never felt the CR-V was underpowered.
“The continuously variable transmission was really smooth, and it worked well with the engine,” she said. “The all-wheel drive system was excellent, and that’s something I’ll be looking for in my next vehicle. It felt very stable and secure on the ice and snow.”
Adie says the CR-V had a fantastically tight turning radius, and it handled parking-lot situations with aplomb. The overall ride was comfortable, she says, and even when cruising along the road in windy driving conditions, the noise level in the cabin was acceptable.
Adie figures the CR-V best suits a single driver, a couple or a family of four and said it’s very versatile with plenty of easily accessible cargo space.
Handing back the keys, Adie says she’s eager to see what the rest of the competition looks like, but she’d definitely recommend the CR-V.