2.2 i-DTEC EX 4WD

An incredibly competent, practical piece of precision engineering

I like to spend as little as possible on cars and as such buy older ones which makes me very careful what I buy. After a little searching, I decided on a Honda CR-V 2.2 iDTEC EX. Purchase with 105k miles, it now has 126k miles and still runs like new. Everything still works.

The car was bought mainly for trips to France and the Scottish highlands where large distances would be covered with luggage. Here the is where the CR-V really excels. The large boot (589L) is well shaped and the floor height is perfect to make loading and unloading easy. The rear seats offer generous legroom. I love the refinement of the car, it really feels well engineered both in terms of how it feels every day but also feels like it could run for years and years. The engine is so smooth with few vibrations entering the cabin and is very quiet returning 45mpg. Wind and road noise is also minimal. The ride quality is excellent at soaking up imperfections - the car just glides along in silence with an effortless surge when you press the accelerator. Being the top spec EX, I sit on very comfortable, electrically adjustable, heated leather seats. The stereo system has excellent sound quality. The rear packing camera is very useful and front and rear parking sensors do help with parking. The panoramic roof is very nice letting in lots of light. The sat nav is very clear. The headlights are bi-HID and are very clear with active cornering lights lighting up the path before you actually get there. The keyless entry which I thought would be a gimmick is actually very useful. Get out and touch the door handle and the car locks, push again and the mirrors fold in. Its the little useful touches that make living with it a joy. The electric boot lid is also a nice touch.

I cant believe how cheap these cars are used, for just £6k-£8k! I cant think of a better all rounder when considering cost to buy, running costs, reliability, practicality and specification. German marques will no doubt be more expensive (and less reliable), Land Rover definitely less reliable, maybe a Toyota Rav4 or Kia or Hyundai but I still dont think they offer the depth of quality and engineering that CR-V delivers. A truly sensational all rounder, would highly recommend.

The very downsides I find are overly light steering and a little body roll in corners. Thats it.

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