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The best-selling compact crossover vehicle, the Honda CR-V, comes back for 2010 with some "refinements and upgrades," the automaker says, including new features, more power and improved fuel economy.
One of the vehicles that created the crossover segment, the CR-V was introduced for 1997 – in answer to Toyota’s rollout a year earlier of the similar RAV4.Both were among the first wave of compact car-based utility vehicles, although not the first. Subaru came out with the Legacy Outback Wagon in 1995, which some contend was the first modern crossover utility vehicle.Whoever gets the credit, the CR-V remains one of the most-popular models the genre has produced, and they’re on the road everywhere. They’re quite resilient vehicles, too. We have a 1997 model in our family and it’s still going strong at nearly 13 years old.For 2010, the CR-V gets a new front fascia, hood, grille and bumper, and a new rear bumper.Ten-spoke alloy wheels are now standard on the CR-V EX and EX-L models, replacing the 2009 model’s seven-spoke wheels.Inside, some new technology is available, including a Bluetooth hands-free telephone link on models that have the navigation system.Also new are such convenience features as automatic headlights and wider center armrests, standard on all models, Honda says. The center armrests are an inch wider for both the driver and front passenger.The 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine now cranks out 180 horsepower, which is up 14 from the 2009 CR-V. Yet fuel economy has been slightly increased – up one mpg in both city and highway driving for all models.New EPA ratings are 21 city/28 highway on front-wheel-drive models, and 21/27 on those with Honda’s Real Time 4WD system.The CR-V can seat up to five people rather comfortably, and there is a roomy 35.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats.No third seat is offered, however, which puts the CR-V at a competitive disadvantage to the comparably sized RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander, both of which are available with seven-passenger seating.The CR-V keeps the same exterior dimensions as before, with a 177.9 overall length and a 103.1-inch wheelbase.Passenger volume remains at 103.8 cubic feet, which, when combined with the cargo space, gives the vehicle more space than the typical large sedan, Honda says.Prices for 2010 range from $21,545 (plus $710 freight) for the base LX two-wheel-drive model to $29,745 for the EX-L model with navigation (the "L" stands for leather), which is the most fully equipped version. Honda does not have a separate list of options for its vehicles the way most other automakers do.The vehicle gets new seat fabrics, interior door handles, steering-wheel trim, and gear shifter, as well as darker brown carpet in models with the ivory interior.EX-L models with or without the navigation system now come with a USB connection for direct access to music from iPods, iPhones and other MP3 players.
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