Honda CR-V (1997 - 2001) 2.0i ES 5d (AC) Owner Review

2.0i ES 5d (AC)
Honda Civic CR-V 1997-

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In their own words

At the time the original CRV I can easily see being a true competitor in the small suv market and even today as long as you don't mind the retro 90's styling and poor fuel economy it should serve you well providing you can buy a well looked after example. The 4wd system is ok but without decent all terrain tyres its almost useless at getting you out of tricky situations. Lots of space inside for 5 adults easy + luggage (also picnic table boot floor is really cool). Supremely comfy on long trips the car soaks up the ruts and broken british roads nicely without losing composure. Its not slow for an SUV either 0-60 in 10 seconds but your fuel needle will drop in real time as your speedo climbs so its better to take it easy. Best fuel economy can be found at about 65mph any higher you really notice it. Admittedly the engine is a dinosaur at this point and with stricter emmissions regulations being rolled out it won't be long before its forced off the road as this car uses coal for fuel and melts ice caps for fun according to the green people amongst us. However the engine as long as its maintained is indestructable. Sad to see it go, glad I owned one but I would not buy another for economic reasons only.

How reliable do you find the car?

Not an unreliable car at all but at 20 years old it was getting on a bit and had been neglected by its previous owners resulting in costly repairs that needed doing as it had not been regularly serviced. Overall I had spent 700 on the car and 1200 on repairs. Then little things started to stop working Front and rear washers, both front window motors (expensive to fix), rear speakers, headlight washers came off, headrests no longer locked into place, digital clock stopped working, bonnet cable snapped. By the end I was glad it was gone.
  • How they rated it

  • Reliability: 2 out of 5 2.0
  • Meets Expectations: 3 out of 5 3.0
  • Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 2.0
  • Alex doesn't recommend this car

About their car

  • Fuel type Petrol
  • When purchased November 2019
  • Condition when bought Used
  • Current Mileage 123,000 miles
  • Average MPG 28 mpg