HONDA CR-V 2017

Body, cabin and cargo space

The body of the 2017 Honda CR-V is more aerodynamic, thanks among other things to a rear spoiler and active shutters that close off the grille at highway speed. Dimensions are slightly increased for 2017 (3 cm more length, 4 cm more width, height and wheelbase). Access is very easy to all seats thanks to the wide door openings and low sill; seats are hip-level for a person of average height, so you just slide right in.

The cabin is more spacious even though the outgoing CR-V was one of the roomiest compact SUVs on the market. Head, leg and foot room are amply sufficient to accommodate four adults at a time, with the middle seat actually usable thanks to a nearly flat floor.

The driving position is pleasantly high, without being high-perched. However, the telescoping steering wheel could use a bit more range. EX trim and up have a power driver’s seat, preferable because it provides access to adjustable lumbar support as well as seat-cushion angle, which in LX trim is too horizontal. For many drivers, the seat cushion in all models is too short for proper thigh support. The seats are judiciously padded, with adequate side support for normal driving.

The rear bench is firm and low, with little side support. There are cup holders on the centre armrest, and air vents behind the console are standard. Only EX-L and Touring models with leather get rear outboard seat heaters.

This is a very versatile vehicle. The cargo hold gains volume even though it was already roomier than average for the segment because of its low lift-over. New this year, the 60/40-split and reclining seatbacks fold completely flat in one step. You no longer have to flip the cushion; it lowers automatically with a pull of a lever on either side of the trunk. Also new, the floor can be lowered to increase load height.

Finish and convenience

Finish is improved for the 2017 Honda CR-V with soft-touch materials on the dash and door panels, contrasting stitching on the dash and seats, and better faux-bois trim.

The gauge panel takes its cue from the new Civic. The digital speedometer is very easy to read, but the small bar graphics for the gas and temperature gauges need more attention. The trip computer passes too slowly from one mode to another, and you still have to poke through the steering wheel to reach the trip meter, which is not desirable when the vehicle is moving.

The main controls are logical and easily accessible, including the gearshift lever, still placed high on the console, and the button for the new electric parking brake. The automatic climate control interface is now incorporated into the infotainment system. Despite physical controls for the main functions, you have to go to the centre display screen to select air flow direction, an extra step that could have been avoided simply by replacing the “climate” button by a “mode” button.

Using the touch screen is still frustrating and creates a lot of distraction. Honda has improved the logic of its system since it first appeared, but it is still slower and more complex than average. The re-introduction of a volume knob is a step in the right direction, but not enough to redress the situation. As in most recent Honda products, the wheel-mounted controls are helpful though they, too, require a period of adaptation. Improved voice recognition and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also compensate to some extent.

Numerous convenience features include wiper de-icer, dual-zone climate control, keyless ignition, remote start, capless fuel filler and two standard USB ports (plus two charging ports in back, starting on EX trim). Oddly, Honda does not provide variable intermittent wipers on most of its entry-level models, including the CR-V LX.

The front seat heaters are rapid, with three well-modulated intensities. The steering-wheel heater is efficient but offered only on the two top-trim models. A panoramic moonroof is exclusive to the Canadian Touring model. The many storage spaces are roomy and well designed, especially the bin under the centre armrest. Controls are well illuminated at night.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with brake-force distribution and brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill hold assist
• Front airbags
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Front seatbelt pretensioners
• Five head restraints (adjustable, front and rear outboard seats; retractable, rear middle seat)
• Tire pressure monitor
• Backup camera
• Blind-spot camera on passenger side (standard, EX and EX-L; non-available, LX and Touring)
• Blind-spot and rear-cross-traffic monitoring (standard, Touring; non-available, other trims)
• Frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with automatic lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control (standard, all models except LX FWD)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 5 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 4 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Visibility

Visibility to the front and sides is good notably thanks to the narrowed A-pillars. It is poor towards the rear because of the height of the rear window, which is typical of all SUVs. The backup camera compensates somewhat.

The door mirrors are well sized and have traditional blind-spot warning flashers only on Touring models. EX and EX-L models still use the Honda LaneWatch monitoring system that displays a camera view of the passenger-side blind zone on the centre screen. This always seems less efficient than mirror warning lights. It does not cover the driver’s side, where the blind zone is the worst, and the driver has to look at the dash display while changing lanes. Just as they did in the United States, Honda should replace this device with conventional blind-spot monitors across the Canadian line-up.

Headlights: The LED headlights (Touring model) received an Acceptable (3/4) rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in spite of a lack of straight-line high-beam intensity. The halogen projector headlights on the other models received a Marginal rating (2/4) because of insufficient lighting in turns. All models have an automatic on-off function; automatic high-beam function is standard on all but the LX FWD.

Engine and transmission

Buyers of the entry-level 2017 Honda CR-V LX in the United States must make do with a revised version of the outgoing 2.4-litre engine. Not in Canada; all Honda CR-Vs sold on our side of the border are equipped with a variant of the 1.5-litre direct injection turbocharged four-cylinder introduced in the 2016 Civic.

Much more advanced and modern than the 2.4-litre, this engine is also more powerful. Several internal modifications, including a higher maximum turbo boost pressure, increase power to 190 hp and torque to 179 pound-feet—more than for the Civic—without requiring premium gasoline.

The results are convincing. This very smooth engine accelerates in linear fashion without running out of steam near the red zone like most small turbo engines do. Turbo response is immediate, and the engine seemed smoother and quieter than in the Civic.

The continuously variable transmission (CVT) paired to this engine reacts without delay to a touch of the accelerator, which makes it one of the most efficient on the market. Either Honda has eliminated the low-speed hesitation that afflicted the outgoing CR-V, or we were unable to detect it in our test vehicle.

Despite its impeccable performance, the transmission continues to blur the feeling of power; a traditional fixed-gear automatic provides a more engaging experience. A manual mode might have mitigated this disappointment, but as usual, Honda does not offer one.

The arrival of the new engine, along with the improved aerodynamics, should yield a 7-percent decrease in consumption, according to Natural Resources Canada. In reality, our test recorded an average of 9 L/100 km, or 0.5 L/100 km higher than for the last 2015 model we tested. However,
our test two years ago was conducted at the end of spring, on secondary roads that dictated a lower average test speed.

Ride and handling

As in other trending vehicles, the CR-V’s new platform uses a greater proportion of very high or ultra high strength hot-stamped steel. The resulting, increased rigidity allows for slightly more compliant suspensions, without adverse effect on handling. The engineers also created a quicker, more direct steering system programmed to compensate for the straight-line steering effort required on a sloping road.

As a result, road holding at highway speed is more stable and assured than ever. Very little corrective steering input is required on the highway, and the vehicle is predictable and incisive in curves. The steering stays too light and uncommunicative to be called sporty, but handling easily qualifies as neutral, for a sport-utility vehicle.

Since 2015, with the outgoing model, the trade-off for good handling was a slightly stiffer ride. With the redesign, the ride is still firm, but with better isolation from road defects than before. The new version also does a better job of filtering out road noise thanks to improved soundproofing, eliminating a weakness recurrent to the CR-V since its beginnings.

Braking is impressively responsive, with no pedal dead zone, thanks notably to a new electric brake booster. The driving assist systems function relatively transparently, but they are easily disturbed by deteriorating road conditions, something that is common to all such systems.

Inspection

The following observations were noted:

• The engine hood is insulated, but supported by a simple metal strut
• The wiper fluid reservoir is on the passenger side, the safest for an emergency roadside fill-up
• A compact spare tire is standard