2008 Honda CR-V LX 2.2 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Nice car let down by poor manufacture

Faults:

Clutch failed. Not in itself a negative, but the garage had to cut an engine mount off during replacement and then found Honda had none in the country and they were not expected for THREE MONTHS. He had to buy one from a breaker in Lithuania.

Instrument console failed. Honda wanted over £1100 for a new one. I got one from a breaker for a tenth of that.

Power steering has now started "stuttering" and it looks like there is a slight fluid leak. Easy enough to top up, except Honda use a proprietary fluid and use of a general purpose one may damage the pump/seals. Unfortunately I discovered this on a Saturday afternoon and the local Honda dealer is shut at the weekend.

General Comments:

It's comfortable and well equipped and, for a decent sized SUV, fairly economical.

Performance and handling are decent too.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd July, 2018

22nd Jul 2018, 20:09

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with your 2008 Honda CR-V. We have had our 2008 CR-V LX since new and has given us very few problems. There was a recall on the window lifts and the air bags, but fixed under warranty. Other than oil changes, filter and tires, we haven't done a lot to it.

Is it a great vehicle, no it isn't. It's far from perfect. But as a point A to point B people mover it does its job.

I also recommend the 2.4 engine in it. It's a simple and direct engine, not a lot to it. It does have a somewhat loud oil pump at start up, but the dealer says this is normal and doesn't seem to effect the SUV. I also recommend buying this vehicle new and not used. Buy on sale when they close out the old model for the new model coming onto the lots. Also get the base CR-V with the 2.4 engine and not the upgraded one with the unproven turbo 1.5 engine.

23rd Jul 2018, 19:06

Change your garage as there is NO need to "cut off" an engine mount to change the clutch on an '08 CR-V. That is why you found it so difficult to get a replacement - they simply do not fail, and there is no reason for anyone to cut one off. I can't believe your garage was actually incompetent enough to do that!

2008 Honda CR-V LX 2.4 from North America

Summary:

Do not buy this car

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.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th October, 2010

15th Sep 2011, 09:23

A couple of small problems, and you say that the car is poorly engineered? Have you not a comment about its general reliability?

Tyres: these cars usually take the softer snow-and-mud tyres. They will wear out more quickly than normal road tyres. Why don't you check the type of tyre that you have?

Fuel efficiency: I drive both town and country (in Japan), and for 15 years have averaged more than 10km per litre (say around 9 litres per 100km). However, I understand that the CRV destined for other countries may be de-tuned or have extra "pollution gear". All the same, what do you really expect from a 2 litre engine, a Prius-level 3.5 litres per 100km?

Rear window reverberation: I have owned 23 cars, and all of them had rear window reverberation. It is not just Honda!

Seat belt: Not really a big engineering problem is it?! But in many cases you just need to pull slowly because of the acceleration lock.

Road noise: I drive on gravel roads every day. The car is not noisy in my view, I have no trouble with conversation. In contrast, my friend's Mitsubishi is astonishingly noisy on gravel, so I would say in comparison the Honda is adequately quiet.

Of the 23 cars I have owned, the CRV is the absolute best in reliability. It has not had a single problem in 15 years related to its original engineering, though I had a drive shaft replaced due to stone damage; hardly Honda's fault. Honda checks and services the car every 6 months.

Overall, I am surprised that the reviewer would so strongly give a negative view of the car's quality over a few minor issues.

In reply to 15th Sep 2011, 09:23

26th Jan 2015, 17:51

I was very angry with this review, thank you for replying.