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21/04/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Those who continue to berate 4WD buyers as being environmental vandals are getting further and further out of touch with reality. Because many of today's 4WDs, more commonly called SUVs to differentiate them from the old-style 4WDs, are more on-road station wagons than off-road workers.
 Car makers have adapted their vehicles to the demands of the person who wants the extra interior room, higher driving position and overall versatility of a 4WD. Indeed, the latest generation of SUVs has gone past the adapting stage, and are now designing new-generation SUVs from the ground up.
A perfect example is the latest Honda CR-V. This is a stylish, low-riding wagon that really stands out from the squarer shapes of the past.
The CR-V's rear end gives the appearance of being low set and sleek, but that’s an optical illusion and the tail is quite tall with a good luggage area inside. However, the boot floor is relatively high as the spare wheel is now stored under the floor rather than on the rear door as in all previous Honda CR-Vs.
The spare is a full-sized unit in deference to those who might like to explore the great Australian outback. Suburban users aren't offered a space-saver option to give them more boot depth.
Interior space is good as Honda has long been an advocate of flat-floor bodies. The front seats are large and comfortable, though a little more lateral support would have been appreciated. The gear lever is on a slightly extended console in the lower area of the dash to facilitate movement from the front seats to the rear.
 Because the CR-V's floor is level throughout the cabin there's good foot space in all seats. Thus adults can be carried in the centre-rear position without sitting splay-legged over a centre tunnel. However, this is a mid-sized vehicle and not overly wide so the back seat’s better left to the kids for longer trips.
There's good stowage space inside the cabin, with plenty of places for wallets, sunglasses, mobile phones and all the other bits and pieces that make life easier.
Placing the spare wheel under the floor lowers the centre of gravity of the CR-V for improved balance and handling in a vehicle that’s aimed primarily at on-road use. The ride height is 20 mm lower than that of the previous model, yet clever design means the centre of gravity has been pulled down by a significant 35 mm.
On sealed roads we found the third-generation Honda CR-V to have handling characteristics roughly midway between those of a car and a conventional 4WD. Handling is safe and predictable, though bad bumps on the road can knock the Honda a bit off line at times. Ride comfort is good and wind noise generally well isolated. There's a fair bit of road/tyre noise when driving on coarse-chip bitumen, but it’s no worse than on many imported cars.
 Gravel roads saw the CR-V retain good stability and easy handling. The CR-V four-wheel drive system provides excellent traction. But ground clearance will now be the limitation if you want to go exploring; at 185 mm it’s about halfway between that of a passenger car and an off-road 4WD. So be wary of tackling anything but the most modest of fire trails and the like in your off-road adventures.
Power for the latest Honda CR-V comes from a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine mated to either a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. Surprisingly, the automatic doesn’t have a tiptronic-type facility, but it operates well enough in its standard format.
The full Honda CR-V range, with prices (excluding on-road costs) is:
CR-V: $31,990 (manual), $33,990 (automatic)
CR-V Sport: $37,490 (manual), $39,490 (automatic)
CR-V Luxury: $39,990 (manual), $41,990 (automatic)
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