Driving Impressions

There’s one irrefutable fact that anyone test driving a 2007 Honda CR-V will quickly notice: This rig feels sluggish off the line. Those 166 horses are acceptable, actually more than sufficient for around town or highway cruises, but they’re late to gain steam when spurred and are hindered by a transmission that often fails to drop down a sufficient number of gears to put the engine into the meat of the rev range. The tranny is designed to learn and adapt to the driver’s style, but a more direct and effective approach would be to add a sport or manual shift mode that affords the master behind the wheel more control over how high the tachometer needle climbs and when it moves, especially since the five-speed manual with an old-fashioned clutch pedal has been scrapped. To its credit, the 2.4-liter four-banger remains relatively composed at high revs, offering Honda’s typical level of lofty refinement, and the transmission wasn’t shy about shifting, a point appreciated even if there were frequent hunts for the appropriate gear. However, in terms of overall performance, several competitors look to have the CR-V beat before it even hits the street.

If this all sounds extremely negative, it shouldn’t – many of these minor gripes could be eradicated with a slight injection of power, yet that would jeopardize the CR-V’s estimated 28-30 mpg highway rating. For the record, our drive from the city of Vancouver up to Whistler, British Columbia in an EX-L 4WD yielded fuel economy in the low 20s, whereas the mostly downhill return run, courtesy of an LX 2WD model, averaged closer to 31 mpg. Those are fairly accurate figures since steady traffic limited us to reasonable speeds.

However, opportunities are meant to be made, so when spots opened between slower motorists and tight corners availed themselves, we took advantage. High-speed cornering may be a bit beyond the 2007 Honda CR-V’s reach, yet tossing it gently into a sweeper is a worry-free endeavor, aided no doubt by the 17-inch rubber and nicely-weighted, communicative steering. The wider track and lower center of gravity help give the CR-V a more stable, hunkered-down feel, and the updated suspension does a commendable job of controlling body roll, if not altogether removing it, while also providing a comfortable ride unaffected by bumps in the road.

Suggested improvements number only a few, and considering we drove the 2007 CR-V a few months before its official launch, it’s possible these few minor wrinkles may be ironed out before this redesigned SUV lands in your town. Besides adding more power and tweaking the transmission’s shift points, we’d like brakes that are equally effective yet easier to modulate, a bit more road feel added to the steering, and tires that remain quiet and maintain traction better during hard cornering. No, the CR-V isn’t intended to be a pavement-carving rally car, but we’re talking about a wish list here – might as well go for the gold.