Used car review: Honda CR-V 2012-2015

The CR-V was a favourite with families, just don’t ask it to go off-road.

Honda’s CR-V was popular with families. Pic: Supplied.

HONDA’S CR-V has been part of Australia’s SUV landscape for more than 20 years, and has forged a reputation as one of the most practical and dependable soft-roaders on our market.

The fifth-generation CR-V arrived in July this year, meaning fourth-generation models, launched in late 2012, are swelling the used car classifieds as loyal owners look to upgrade.

These Thai-built five-seat CR-Vs are renowned for their family-friendly space with excellent rear legroom and sizeable boot, plus a reasonable claim for ride and handling being truly car-like.

Don’t expect much off-road ability though, even with all-wheel-drive.

The CR-V was built for the city, not the outback. Pic: Supplied.

If we look at these fourth-gen CR-Vs from their November 2012 introduction through to mid-2015 there are hundreds on the used market, a reminder that these were, for a time, Australia’s best-selling petrol mid-size SUVs.

Two petrol and one diesel engine were available (all four-cylinders), transmission was a six-speed manual or five-speed auto, and you chose between front or all-wheel drive.

A trawl through the classifieds reveals all-wheel drive, petrols and automatics were the popular picks, and they’ve held their value well.

CR-Vs of this vintage start at about $17,000 for a manual front-drive, while all-paw and more powerful versions can be had from about the mid-$20K mark.

Towing capacity is average for all at 1500kg, with only diesel manual versions rated at a higher 2000kg.

Towing capacity is average at 1500kg. Pic: Supplied.

The entry-level VTi came with a rather gutless 114kW 2.0-litre engine and front-wheel drive. Goodies included 17-inch alloys, cruise control, rear camera, Bluetooth and USB connectivity.

This spec was mirrored in the base all-wheel drive VTi that used a meatier 140kW 2.4-litre petrol engine and came only with an auto gearbox.

The VTi-S AWD version added rain sensing wipers, fog lights, dual-zone climate control, leather steering wheel, satnav and rear parking sensors. Top dog VTi-L brought headlights that followed the road while cornering, electric sunroof, leather cabin, smart key with push-button start and electric heated seats.

In June 2013 you could option the top spec VTi-L with Honda’s ADAS tech, bringing more active safety gear such as auto emergency braking, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.

Active driving aids were optional. Pic: Supplied.

November 2013 heralded the introduction of a 110kW 2.2-litre diesel engine, with a chunky 350Nm of torque. These AWD diesels towed more (with manual gearbox) and improved fuel economy from 8.7L/100km down to 5.8L.

The hefty price premium for these high-spec diesels — the DTi-S and DTi-L — meant not many were sold, so examples are scarce on the used market.

You’ll find some front-drive and AWD CR-V Plus+ cars up for sale — these launched in July 2014 and had desirable extras such as 18-inch alloys, parking sensors and auto headlights.

The big changes came in December 2014 when the CR-V Series II landed, bringing a facelift with LED daytime running lights, sportier bumpers and piano black finish inside. And recognising many buyers wanted to power only two wheels but to fit more toys, the VTi-S and VTi-L grades were offered across the range.

An upgrade to the range was made in 2014. Pic: Supplied.

The CR-V is certainly the choice for small families on the school run rather than dirt track adventurers. Engines are smooth if hardly thrilling but, for those seeking a composed and comfy ride with impressive space ,the mid-size Honda holds the aces.

Bonuses are an abundance of storage bins and bottle holders, plus an easy one-touch folding set-up for dropping the rear seats to expand cargo room from 556L to 1648L.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

The only recall these CR-Vs have had are 2014-15 models fitted with Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking. A fix was needed to remedy rare instances of unnecessary emergency braking.

Common complaints are not being able to match Honda’s quoted fuel efficiency figures. The touchscreen in models so fitted is reportedly clunky and frustrating and many owners regard the smaller petrol engine as sluggish.

Reports of mechanical problems seem isolated at this early stage in their life, so as we’d expect of a Honda, reliability looks excellent. Most owners report a lot of love for their CR-Vs, in particular due to the excellent cabin space.

Despite coming with AWD, these Hondas are not proper off-roaders. There are so many examples on the used market that you can afford to be fussy and target those that have had an easier town life.

Avoid models that show signs of off-road use. Pic: Supplied.

IAIN SAYS 3.5 stars

Comfortable, spacious and so far very reliable, the CR-V ticks key boxes for families. Aim for an AWD version with the perkier 2.4-litre engine or, if you travel longer distances or need to tow, seek out one of the rare diesel models.

OWNERS SAY

Rob Smead: I bought a demo CR-V Diesel in 2014 and have done 30,000km. It’s still under the extended warranty. I had battery problems after 2 1/2 years but the dealer said it was OK and would not replace it. My independent mechanic recommended a new battery as we were facing the start of winter. Otherwise the vehicle is great, returning good fuel economy and it’s great on slippery surfaces.

Glenn Harrison: Our CR-V is our fourth Honda — we are fans of the quality and driving experience that the make provides — and it has just turned over 200,000km. It never let us down (although we got bogged in a creek once, do not trust the all-wheel drive). It has had no major mechanical issues and apart from a little looseness in the front end it still drives as new. Parts and consumables can be a little expensive but we have had very few issues and plan to replace it with another one soon.

Steve Quodling: I have a 2014 VTi, which is a great car overall, giving the best of both worlds. I love dropping down a gear or two going up hills. Am suprised more people don’t mention that when critiquing the AWD. My biggest frustration is definitely the front window rattle when it’s down a couple of centimetres — sadly, I’ve been told it can’t be fixed. Am not a fan of constantly variable transmissions so I probably won’t upgrade.

AT A GLANCE

HONDA CR-V 2012-15

PRICE NEW $27,490-$45,790

SAFETY 5 stars

ENGINES 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 114kW/190Nm;
2.4-litre 4-cyl, 140kW/222Nm;
2.2-litre four-cyl turbo diesel, 110kW/4

TRANSMISSION
6-speed man, 5-speed auto; FWD/AWD

THIRST 5.8L-8.7L/100km

EXPERTS SAY

With front-wheel drive variants for the first time, the fourth-generation CR-V improved packaging on its debut here at the end of 2012, with diesel options in the following June. Honda sold about 29,000 examples of this series, about two-thirds of them AWD.

The base-grade VTi accounts for about a quarter of used listings, slightly more than the petrol flagship VTi-L. Manuals and diesels are hard to find.

The used value for a 2012 VTi manual front-driver ($27,490 new) is $17,350 in good condition having travelled about 75,000km. A VTi-L of the same year ($42,290 new) is about $26,800. Retained values for 2014 examples are respectively $19,850 and $30,400 (new prices unchanged since 2012).

Retained value of the 2012 CR-V is about lineball with the Mazda CX-5 of the same year, slightly ahead of the Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester and significantly better than the Nissan X-Trail and Holden Captiva. For late 2014 models, all competitors apart from the Captiva held or improved retained values compared to the CR-V.