Faults:

Tire wear.

Cabin noise.

Seat belt retraction.

General Comments:

This is the most poorly engineered Honda I know of. The other day, I thought I would check the condition of the tires, and was shocked that the tread was almost down to the wear indicators, at 24000 km!! Most of my driving consists of the egg between the gas pedal and foot style to maximize mileage. I don't blame the tires, because I strongly suspect that the AWD is unsynchronized between the front and rear.

That is not the only problem with this car, but was the final straw that prompted me to write this review.

The rear passenger windows, when down and over 50 kmph, cause the cabin to set up a reverberation that can be painful to your eardrums. If you own one, try it yourself.

The rear left seat belt sometimes will not spool out, requiring that you play with it to get it working again. This in all fairness is something Honda could probably correct under warranty, but reflects poorly on their quality control.

If you drive on rough roads, or even paved roads where the aggregate is exposed somewhat, be prepared for a lot of cabin noise.

Lastly, fuel mileage is less than impressive at 8 to 10 litres per 100km, this is based on the driving technique mentioned above.

In summary, for the price, a very poor choice in an AWD, thank god this is a lease because I refuse to eat the cost of new tires at under 30,000 km. Honda has a stellar reputation for quality and refinement, but this model does not deserve a Honda nameplate.

Faults:

Side airbags failed to deploy in a side impact accident.

General Comments:

This is my son's car. He purchased this to learn to drive with. The car, while advertised as a 4WD, is actually FWD with AWD capabilities. Per the dealer is approx. 85% FWD.

The car is very noisy and underpowered. We live in a very hilly area, and if going 65 with the cruise control on, the car will downshift to 3rd while going up hills. Engine seems peppy and rev's freely, but bogs down easily when the hills appear.

Car is rated 20 city/ 26 highway. On the most recent trip, we averaged less than 22 mpg. As a comparison, my wife's Magnum R/T AWD with the Hemi gets better mileage.

Car is fairly roomy for it's size, seats are OK for short trips, would not want to go cross country in it. Seats fold easily and there is ample room in the back. Visibility is par for cars made with the thick pillars.

Headlights are not very bright by today's standard. For the price of the car, foglights should be standard ($500 option).

My son discovered the hard way ($$) that he really does not like this car. As soon as we get the collision damage fixed, he will be trading it for a RWD car, possibly like his mother's or maybe a Charger.

Gas mileage is not everything. Being comfortable behind the wheel is.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car and I don't expect anything to go wrong with it. I have owned three Honda's before that were excellent cars, but stupidly purchased a Mercedes (what a dog). I traded it for my CR-V.

General Comments:

I looked at a Toyota RAV-4 6 cyl. but Toyota has become arrogant and has refused to change the hinged side of the rear door and has a cheesy looking radio antenna among other things. Honda does not make a CR-V 6 cyl. but after test driving the CR-V 4 cyl. I was sold on it.

Plenty of power unless you plan on towing a mid or large camper.

As with all Honda's the seating is more than ample and comfortable. I elected to get the power drivers side seat which is heated. I am 6'3" and weigh 280 and have plenty of leg/hip/shoulder room.

If you intend to do minor engine repairs, etc. yourself after the warranty expires you will love the roominess of the engine compartment.