New CR-V owner in Washington D.C.

[AmyEXL]

Hi everyone;
My name is Amy, and I am a new CR-V owner in Washington D.C. I went with an AWD EX-L w/ the navigational system, black exterior, and black leather interior. I just traded in my Land Rover & I'm looking forward to having a mid-sized SUV as opposed to the full-sized off-roader; the CR-V's size will provide a nice change of pace for city driving & for parking in low-ceiling garages.
One thing I am curious about: How have fellow CR-V owners found the car's durability when it comes to inept parallel parkers in the city? I'm wondering how long it will take before my bumpers are torn to shreds...
Thanks for the welcome & feedback!

[cr-vtec]

you're gonna love that crv. And parallel parking will be a breeze since you got that back up camera to help. As far as durability, you won't be disappointed. When you get the chance, take a picture of that new ex-l.

[AmyEXL]

Hey -

Thanks for the vote of confidence on the parallel parking; however, parallel parking has always been one of my strengths, and I am ultimately concerned about the other guy!

Truly, even if ineptitude doesn't do my bumpers in, pervasive indifference certainly will; so many drivers in cities everywhere (including the District) see nothing wrong with plowing another car's bumper - or even parking their car in such a way that it presses up against the car in front of or behind them. Private parking comes at a very high premium in the city, so most of us are left to street parking. Of course, I assume some inherent risk by parking a new car on public streets... I just hope the CR-V bumpers are resilient!!

[AmyEXL]

Here she is:


992

[jrobinsonii]

Congrats on the new V. My fiancee and I just purchased one about two weeks ago. We're in Columbia, MD, not too far north of DC. We got a 2008 EX 4WD, glacier blue metallic. Just installed the roof rack last night. Probably one of the easiest car installations I've ever done!

[perfchris]

How much did you pay for it, before sales tax ?

Here she is:


992

[AmyEXL]

We negotiated $350 above invoice.

[tuxcrv]

I agree with the previous poster about the back up camera aid. I used it once and it improved space management so much.

[AmyEXL]

Yes, I am sure the camera will be a big help! I just have to get used to looking in so many places at once -- mirrors, windows, and now on-screen camera!! :)

[Honda 367]

Congratulations! I hope other drivers will not bump into your new CR-V when they are parking. If you have to park in the streets, I hope you keep plenty of space in front of you and back of you. I know how it is when I used to live in NYC. Between alternate street parking and no parking anytime signs on the street, finding space was a challenge which I do not miss now.

I am not sure if some kind of brush-guard would give you a bit of protection. You might even consider towing hitch that protrudes just a bit to keep other vehicles at bay. Anyway, good luck to you and park safely!

[AmyEXL]

Thanks for the well-wishes. My husband & I took the CR-V out tonight for a joyride; I don't think I've taken a joyride since I was 16! We drove down by the river & around some winding residential roads - we had so much fun! I can't believe how quiet it is even with the sunroof open! I love it! :D

[T Mac]

Amy - congrats and welcome. Glad to have you here and we hope to see you on the forum often. :)

[tiger04crv]

Just wanted to welcome you to the site...That is a nice color :)

I used to visit family in the NE section of D.C. It is a great town!

[GoGreen]

Enjoy the new V!
I took delivery of mine 6 weeks ago and I am still so enamored with it.

It is the nicest vehicle I have ever owned.
The best part is I get to be part of this forum.
You will meet lots of nice people here, who have years of knowledge to answer just about any question you have.

Have fun and welcome to the club!

[Black Pearl]

Thanks for the well-wishes. My husband & I took the CR-V out tonight for a joyride; I don't think I've taken a joyride since I was 16! We drove down by the river & around some winding residential roads - we had so much fun! I can't believe how quiet it is even with the sunroof open! I love it! :D

Ah, nothing like a new CR-V to spark the romance. I wonder if it will work with a year old one? (Today is our V's first anniversary.) I am going to take Dame Black Pearl for a joy ride in the Black Pearl this afternoon and find out. In honor of the day I shall request the Dame wear her black pearl pendant (see the avatar) that was in the upper glove compartment when I brought the Pearl home.

(It was a bit of bribery bling. Dame Black Pearl at the time was Dame Vincent Van Go (99 Plymouth Voyager) and her Ladyship did not take kindly to me trading in her beloved Vincent. It wasn't until last winter when the cars all around us careening about on ice and we were driving as though it was an August afternoon that she warmed up to the Black Pearl. Her beloved Vincent was horrible in the snow.)

Photo Below: Bribery Bling In The Black Pearl's Upper Glove Compartment

[AmyEXL]

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone! What a friendly forum. I'm not much of an internet forum/ blog/ etc. girl, but this has been a warm introduction.

The CR-V has been fantastic in the city, and I am so glad I bought it. Its gas mileage in the District has been running around 17MPG, but the highway mileage is the boon... I'm getting 28MPG! My previous car - a 2003 Land Rover Discovery, which I sold before I got the CR-V - was getting 8MPG in the city, and 10 on the highway! Yikes! Not only that, but the Land Rover cost me around $110 per fill, whereas the CR-V is only $45 a pop.

The CR-V has been handling very nicely, and fits in all of the city garages - a luxury I'm not used to having. The black leather interior is very comfortable and easy to keep clean, and I love the lumbar support in the driver's seat. The car is luxurious, spacious, quick on the up-take, and a comfortable and responsive drive; the transition from the Land Rover has been much more seamless than I expected.

The navigation system, too, has been a real turn-on; it works consistently and dependably, even in the city. I had a Garmin in my Land Rover, which was great, but an integrated navi with volume control is really handy. The interface on the screen is very easy to negotiate, and I love the voice-activated control system. The back-up camera has taken some getting used to; the bubble lens distortion is certainly a variation on clean mirror reflection. Nonetheless, it also has proven to be worth its weight in gold; it already saved a the life of a very small leash-less dog who was hiding behind my car! My only complaint is that that Blue Tooth compatibility is absent, but other than that - very high scores for technical assets.

I just got her washed today; she's sparkling and I am completely in love with her! Simply a wonderful car.