Mileage: 4,781 miles
Real-world economy: 35.2mpg
Taking my grandchildren on holiday for a week in Devon was always going to require a practical car with a large boot. So the Honda CR-V joined the Auto Express fleet just in time!
After completing the judging for The Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year 2016 awards at Millbrook, Beds, I took a well deserved break. Coming with me to the lovely Caravan Club site of Hillhead in Dartmouth in South Devon were five-year-old Evie and 20-month-old Oscar.
The children wanted to bring practically every toy they own, but after some careful negotiation we loaded the CR-V with the essentials, including Evie’s bike and Oscar’s buggy, buckets and spades, plus our luggage for a traditional British summer holiday. Thankfully, the CR-V has a 589-litre boot, which is one of the largest in its class.
Honda has also been very ingenious with the CR-V’s ‘magic’ rear seats. Simply flip a handle in the boot or tug the strap at the seatbase, and the headrests, seatbacks and squab all cleverly fold in one motion, leaving a flat load bay. We didn’t need the extra space for our holiday, but it will come in handy for those all-important trips to the local tip.
South Devon is famous for its narrow, winding lanes, and although the CR-V isn’t the most entertaining car to drive on these roads, it coped well. Plus, the SUV’s raised ride height was a bonus when it came to seeing over high hedges and checking for oncoming traffic. The high seats also let Evie and Oscar see the rolling countryside go past.
As well as a big boot, the CR-V boasts a good amount of storage space, so keeping all their bits and bobs to hand was easy. There’s no transmission tunnel between the back seats, and the flat foot space in the rear is ideal for stowing extra luggage. It also means five adults can sit in the rear in comfort, negating the usual squabble over who’s sitting in the middle.
The seats are comfortable, too, while both the driver and passengers get good head and legroom. Yet once on the road, the CR-V’s ride never really settles and always feels slightly fidgety – which is tiring on long journeys.
Our car features Honda’s new nine-speed automatic box, and while the shifts are smooth, there’s a slight lag when pulling away, which doesn’t instil confidence. The recent updates have given the CR-V a grown-up look, but the interior doesn’t live up to the expectations of the exterior. There are lots of fiddly buttons, and the infotainment system doesn’t work as well as some of its rivals’.
But our range-topping EX model isn’t left wanting for kit, with a panoramic glass roof and power tailgate as standard. There are heated seats, too, just in time for winter.
- On fleet since: August 2015
- Price new: £34,120
- Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 158bhp
- CO2/tax: 139g/km/£130
- Options: Metallic paint (£550)
- Insurance group/quote: Group: 25 Quote: £562
- Mileage/mpg: 4,781/35.2mpg
- Any problems?: None so far