Faults:

Developed a whine when the wheel was on or close to lock while parking, but all it needed was to replace rear diff oil.

The padding in the front passenger seat back makes a creaking noise whenever the passenger moves.

Drivers' seatbelt clip makes a creaking noise also.

General Comments:

We take it to the snow every year and its performance is fantastic. There is a little more wind and tyre roar than we would like on the highway, but otherwise is absolutely comfortable.

Driving up and down the challenging mountain pass shows the on demand 4WD system works very effectively on ice. Its also very fun around the sharp bends where increasing throttle input actually tightens its line when the rear wheels gain a little traction.

Around town the engine gives good performance and does like to be revved. It's a smooth idler at the lights too.

Everything works perfectly and without effort.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong. We had the radiator fan replaced because it rattled a bit, but the replacement part rattles the same.

General Comments:

Ultra reliable vehicle both from personal experience and as sited in auto surveys where it features near the top of the pile for all vehicles.

Our CRV is a manual, with the original 2 litre motor, but it has plenty of power. You can rev it out in the gears and it even makes a sporty exhaust burble at high revs. It tows a tandem trailer with a load quite adequately.

Fuel economy is good for the size and weight with about 27 - 30 mpg empirial.

Loads of interior room.

Excellent gearbox although I do not love the high first gear which means you needs to rev the motor and slip the clutch on take off, especially off road.

Our CRV goes off road just fine. Better than out Mazda Bravo 4 WD with locking rear diff. It cannot chug up rocky hills, but it can go most places we want on our farm without any handicap from its hydraulically controlled 4WD.

It has excess engine and tyre noise, although this depends on the tyres you have fitted. Ours are the originals.

It does not handle like a Prelude or BMW and wanders in the breeze if you load it up.

Rear vision is obstructed by head rests and spare tyres.

The drive train pulsates as you acelerate out of corners particularly up inclines and I have noticed that my daughters 2001 CRV does it a bit too.

We are very pleased with the Honda and would hate to return to the truck like SUV we had before.