What came in second when you bought your CRV?

[jbarco]

"When you were shopping for a vehicle prior to buying your CRV, what vehicle came in second, and what convinced you to buy the CRV over this vehicle"?

It was an easy decision for me to buy the CRV. My previous vehicle was a 2004 Honda Element EX. It's "still in the family" so to speak. I gave it to my youngest daughter Megan when her old Chevy Cavalier died on her out on the interstate one day. She's working third shift in a hospital ER in a bad section of town and needed a reliable vehicle.

I originally planned on buying another Element but reconsidered because I frequently provide transportation to my 75yo mother and sister who has MS. It's difficult for them to get into the back seat area of the Element, so I decided to look at the CRV.

I went to Wilde Honda in Waukesha and they gave me a super-good deal last October on an end of the model year 2005 CRV SE.

I'm a longtime Honda lover who has owned nine Honda vehicles in my lifetime.

JB

[TheCrvster]

For me there was no second. I was always a GM or Ford guy:( and after many disappointing trips to the service and worse yet....resale! I decided a Ridgeline in May 05. WOW! what a concept, one minor cosmetic service visit, great mileage... I'm a Honda convert! We bought a Pilot & CR-V to round out & balance the household:D
I may consider Acura someday when I'm old & gray, but till then GO HONDA!

[beckey76]

I test drove the Liberty and Rendesvous but the CR-V drove more like a car. The Liberty felt like a mack truck and the rendesvous felt "tippy" when taking corners. They weren't really second but I did test drive them to rule them out.

[bush555]

The Ford Escape was a strong contender (I still drive 'em as rentals from time to time), but a bad series of recalls the year prior made it an also-ran. Was trading a F-150 that had a menu of recurring problems, and the idea of another service-intensive Ford in my driveway made me skittish.

The Escape Hybrid has had me intrigued (as have hybrids in general), but I'll want to see what new offerings Honda may unfurl before making that jump...

http://www.crvownersclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon12.gif

[medfest]

The Toyata Rav4 was my initial choice(by a whisker over the CR-V) despite exterior styling that I still don't care for and my general adversion to buying any vehicle the first year it is produced.However dealing with Toyota's sales team and tactics slid me right over to Honda.I saved over 3000 dollars buying an EX instead of a base Rav4,thanks to a below invoice price from the local dealer and it was easily the best new car buying experience I've ever had.Of course buying a '90 Prelude and getting 11 trouble free years out of it were a factor as well.

[Alpine]

Second choice would have probably been a Mazda Tribute. We had also considered a Holden Astra. Real glad we found the CRV in the color we wanted!

[pioneerman]

I didn't have "second" per se. The list was simple. 4 cyclinder, 4 door, 4 wheel drive... and reliable. That pretty much narrowed it down to the CRV and the RAV4. I ended up in the CRV.

[j-raj]

both Forrester & RAV4 was considered... the CRV won. :D

[inno]

Actually, my first choice is RAV4 but endup in CRV:rolleyes: because of the roomy interior.

[Mikeybc]

I never shopped, this is the 8th honda our familly bought since 1987, i just needed a small 4WD and the CRV fit the bill perfectly. Didnt need to look further.

[Dragonfly]

The CR-V is my spouse's, and she did the initial shopping. The situation was a bit critical, since the A/C was gone in our 94 Nissan Quest (146,000 miles). In the very beginning, we were leaning towards used vehicles.

We drove several Chrysler Pacificas, but she decided it was just too long and I didn't like the mushy suspension and the boat-like handling. She had the hots for an Escape Hybrid and I was enamored of the Honda Element. I did the math and showed her the Hybrid would take years to pay for itself and she flat out told me she would NOT be seen in a fugly car like the Element.

Finally it came down to a used CR-V and a used RAV4. Our insurance would have been slightly less on the CR-V and our resale value slightly higher. So we went shopping for CR-Vs. What we found was, we could get a NEW CR-V for about a grand more than a two year old one so we managed to pick one out and bargain 3 grand less than sticker and drove it home two hours later. That was a couple of weeks ago and, so far, no second thoughts.

[j-raj]

did you pick that ^ up at Curry Honda?

That's where I got mine!

[Dragonfly]

did you pick that ^ up at Curry Honda?

That's where I got mine!

Nope. Carey Paul.

[j-raj]

Nope. Carey Paul.
oh, ok. cool.

[shyharpist]

For me it was either a MINI Cooper or the cr-v. Since my harp fits in the CR-V and not the MINI, also the CR-V had the price range I could afford and the height I wanted, it was a hands-down choice... the CR-V. It is my first car purchase and I absolutely love it!

[RavenG4]

Well Really for me there were Several "second" Choice options. A couple of them got removed from the list because of the Fiancee. Her things were No Manual trans. So that eliminated the WRX I wanted (no I was NOT buying a WRX in Auto, That's just an injustice). And no Station Wagon So that Eliminated the outback I wanted. She also said no leather seats but I got my way on that with my 07.

Also on the list were Jeep Liberty, Ford escape Hybrid, Ford Escape, Saturn Vue both Gas and the Hybrid, Rav4, Mazda Tribute, Hyundai, there were a few other I just couldn't remember.

I went with the CR-V because I liked the styling of the 07's and also because of Hondas Know for reliability. Compared to the above choices of SUV's The honda was probably the most reliable. 4 days into driving my new CRV and no regrets.

[hamsammich]

I considered the Element, but it seemed a little too spartan for my needs, and a touch too gimmicky. Also the xB, but there's not enough "trunk" for "junk." :D Also the RAV, but it looked like it cost more comparably equipped and I prefer Honda's "no factory options/everything you see is standard" way of doing things which makes it much easier to shop.

[blindside]

i wanted the acura RDX but with about $9000 more over the price of the crv.. i had to let go

[jst4kix]

There's something else to consider??????????????

[GrumpyIII]

Our 2nd choice, my 1st, Toyota Highlander. My wife liked the honda better, and the right deal on the crv came up first.

[smig]

Nissan X-Trail

[2hondas]

Subaru Legacy Outback, too cramped and too expensive, but oooh those seats!

[tayjenn]

Actually my first choice was a Nissan Murano....but the price was way too high...coulnd't justify spending that much on a car....saw the new CRV and likes how it was similaly designed and it was affordable...even with all the bells and whistles.

[connermt]

My 2nd choice (which was my first choice for a while) was the Mazda 5. I loved the sporty look & the options for the price (Zenon lights, leather, spoiler sunroof all for @ $23K), but the material quality wasn't as good as the honda, plus it was smaller & I was wanting something a little bigger, so...

[hectory]

2nd choice was the mazda CX7. We were replacing our 2006 cr-v (loved it, got hit from behind so wanted to replace car). We wanted to see what else was out there. We test drove liberty, compass, rav-4, cx7 and even a ridgeline. CR-V won because of quality of ride, quality of materials and the peace of mind of a reliable car (it would have been our first mazda and with our first child to be born we didn't want to be testing), so went for the old good known. We would have bought the Ridgeline but the price is waaay over the V, at least here in Mexico

[Black Pearl]

Our next car was going to be an Ody, without much thought process, but when our Voyager minivan started showing some signs of decline then some thought was applied to the problem. Gas prices were shooting beyond $3.00 and Odys aren't cheap. So I re-evaluated. What do I really want? We are empty nesters now so we don't really need the size of an Ody. We still have some tuition to pay, so we are not rolling in cash. I wanted to sit high. I wanted some comfort. I wanted easy cargo space (pulling the seats out of the Voyager was not easy). I wanted a Honda. I wanted good gas mileage. The ideal vehicle would be the imagined comfort & space of an Ody, with the height of a Ridgeline, with the gas mileage & price of a Fit. Needless to say we compromised on everything except the big H.

I started on the Internet. Looked at the price and gas mileage of an Ody and immediately decided it is time for a Fit. Then I thought about spending the next decade with my butt 6" off the pavement, headlights directly in my eyes, and the difficulty of getting in and out of it. Notions of the Fit lasted maybe two and half minutes--although it is a neat car. So let's get real, an Ody is too much and a Fit won't fit. So what is in between? Both my wife and I have long admired Elements for being so ugly they are cool. So that was a contender, and what is this CR-V? Oh the little SUV that has the weird Volvo tail lights. The side and rear views were Ok but what in the world did they do to the front with that ridiculous lower grill?

Off to the Consumer Reports web site. Rav 4 V6 had the highest rating at 83, Rav 4 (4 cyl) was next at 77, then the CR-V at 74. Next were the Subarus and a whole mess of stuff and the poor old Element was way down at 57. So I added RAV-4 and a Forester to the list.

Time to check them out. My wife wanted to keep the Voyager forever, no matter what, so I was alone on this mission. First dealer had a CR-V in the showroom but I couldn't find an Element. Too early in the process to ask to sit in one, so I sat in a black CR-V EX-L. A shaft of light emanated from the heavens, shined through the moon roof, and made blue circles around the speedometer and tach and choirs of angels began to sing. A huge voice said "This is the one. Buy it in black with black cloth seats." Then I said "Yeah but what about that stupid grill?" The huge voice replied "Get out and look at it." Hmmm. Seen in 3 dimensions, that grill ain't so bad. In fact looking at it in any direction except straight on, it almost looks cool--well kind of. No wait it is cool. Reminiscent of a Cord sort of--not that I ever actually seen a Cord or wanted a Cord, or thought much about Cords one way or another--but if I can use it to justify this dumb looking grill--what the hell. So then I sat in it again. More angels more heavenly light--but no big voice. Ok so car shopping is done, it is a black CR-V with black cloth seats.

Wait a minute you have to check the competition. Sat in a Rav 4, nothing, but pain in my legs flopped up against the console and some stupid thing on the door. Dash board looked like something out of 50's science fiction movie. Didn't like the plastic look on the back end. Sat in a Forester. Nothing, just didn't like it, too plain. Sat in an Element, the angels kind of mumbled, but didn't like comfort or the rear door configuration. Although very very cool. Sat in another CR-V, black with black, and this overwhelming sense of THIS IS THE ONE returned. Car shopping was over--time to convince the wife.

[SmoothRide]

To be honest, I was in the market for a Toyota Highlander (called Kluger in Japan & Australia) But for some unknown reason, they stopped producing them this March. So since I heard a lot about the Camry, I test drove it. Definitely, something funny about the transmission. At that point, I was open minded with a slight preference for a SUV. Was on my way, to look at the Accord when by chance came across the CR-V ( in Japan, the Accord and the CR-V are sold at different dealerships). I made the right decision. The CR-V is definitely, a superior product than my first choice (although you could argue one is a small SUV and the other a mid-size one). I guess, my second choice would have been a CX-7. It's got the nice exterior, turbo and 244 horses. But that thing eats premium gas!

[Psyman42]

had was thinkin of Mazda 3 hatchback but after this past winter I wanted a 4WD car to help drive through snow n for snowboardin....looked at Rav4 and escape. Chose CRV cuz of spare wheel inside, rear door opened vertically, Honda name n reliability, n inside lookin alot better.

[CRVPiggy]

My last vehicle was a Toyota Tacoma Xtra Cab, but I just a vehicle that I could carry more than one passenger in, and that had easier storage space (for groceries, etc.). For the longest time I thought that I wanted at RAV 4, and I was finally able to convince my husband to sell the truck, so we started looking at RAV4s. Trying to be open minded, I decided to test drive as many of the smaller SUVs that I could to make sure that I really got what I wanted (RAV 4, CRV, Tribute, Escape, etc.) The first one I drove was 96 RAV 4, and I was actually disappointed. Even though it had a lot of windows and I felt like I was sitting in a bubble, the visibility wasn't that great, and the body style wasn't really right for me. Next was a 97 CRV, and after that I was hooked. It had 183k miles on it and you would never known, it rode and drove great. The visibility was better, I loved the body style, and it had so much room. For how little it may look on the outside, it has an amazing amount of space in the back. The picnic table was the icing. I knew that a CRV was what I wanted. I did go ahead and drive an Escape, but it was no use. If I hadn't have found my 99 V, I would have just expanded my search and kept looking. I don't think that I could have settled for anything else. It was just too perfect of a fit for me to get anything else! :)

[Jopopsy]

Subaru Forester came in 2nd. Actually, we got the 'V' first, the Subaru 2nd. Only after discovering (much to our mutual chagrin) that the backseat in the Forester - while being visably tiny - was actually prohibitively small when it came to car seats and front driver space did we REALLY come to appreciate the 'V'.

Now I have a Sienna (wife's ride) and the 'V' (my ride). Best 1-2 punch in my opinion.

[1ownerT]

The Rav4 was second for us. I didn't care for the interior, or the side swinging end gate. I also don't like roof racks, and with the V it is your choice to have or not.
I also briefly considered the CX-7 but the lower mileage, and premium fuel put an end to it.

[Will 14]

Either a Rav4 or Acura RDX.

Liked the option of a V6 on the Rav4, but hated the swing out tailgate and for some reason, it just wasn’t as comfortable sitting in the driver’s seat compared to the V.

The RDX was nice indeed, but the price was a little steep and I didn’t like the fact that you have to fill it with premium with gas prices as they are now.
I'm able to buy a ton of accessories for my V with the money I saved compared to the Acura.


I ‘m very happy with the choice I made. :D

[gulfpark]

Last Thursday I bought an '03 CR-V EX eternal blue pearl from a local dealer. I was considering the Element and the '07 CR-V. I also considered other makes but decided to stay in the Honda family (I have a 93 Accord with 202,000 miles that still runs great and an '04 Accord that's been trouble-free). Anyway, I'm enjoying the CR-V and this site.

[Mac81]

I chose the CR-V over the following:

1.Jeep Compass
2.Toyota RAV4
3.Ssangyong Rexton(I'm not sure if you have it in the States)
4.Acura TSX (Honda Accord where I live)

[cuzofjade]

was considering: Pilot, Acura RDX and Toyota RAV4...

after having two Accords in the past, we went for 2007 CR-V EX-L, no complaints so far; and we hope there will be no major one in the future.

[cr-vtec]

A Pilot or Accord. But I'm very satisfied with my EX-L with Navigation.:D

[cr-xwidow]

I found my first CR-V by accident. I was looking for a used Civic after my Focus was totalled. I wanted another Focus, but with my bf's experience with Hondas I felt it was the best way to go. I really liked them but they just weren't clicking with me. Then on a lark I test drove a 1998 CR-V. Never looked back. It was the car for me. I did some research and found out about the extra 20hp the '99-01s got and found a '99 that was "priced to sell" and that was that. :)

[rc cr-v]

Back when I bought mine (in 2003), the other option I considered was the Mazda Tribute. However, the interior seemed kinda chintzy and the CR-V offered more extras (sunroof, AWD) for the money, along with four-cylinder economy and almost V-6 performance. I must admit that I had reservations about the CR-V's side-opening rear door vs. the Tribute's liftgate as well as the V's center table vs. a covered console, but it didn't take long to appreciate both features on the Honda! :)

We've also had good experiences with Honda products, including an '85 Prelude that ran for 245,000 trouble-free miles and our current 2000 Acura 3.2TL, so that helped cinch the deal.

[frehau]

The Rav4 or the new Mitsubishi Outlander came in second.

[dsgrntldPW]

'07 Kia Sportage 4WD EX V6. I had undergone major back surgery less than a month prior to buying, and the C-RV was easier to get into and felt roomier. Plus my son-in-law had a long history with Hondas, convincing me to look at them seriously. Kinda miss the power (C-RV replaced an '03 Dodge Ram w/V8) but I don't miss the mileage (11-12).

[Craving This]

when i was deciding to get a new car we looked at so many
1. rav 4- didn't like the newer body style and interior was boring to me
2. jeep liberty- 07 models felt cramped in the front didn't even bother lookin at the 08 models eventho the salesmen insisted that it was bigger also gas mileage jeep 6 cyl=too much gas for me!
3. cx-7- just didn't like the feel of the interior dash board was super big to me...

just fell in love with the CR-v the first time i drove it!

[irwinje]

there were 3 other front runners for me too. I don't know how I would rank them so here they are in no particular order.
- '07 Toyota Rav4: Just didn't feel right
- '07 Jeep Wrangler (4 door): The biggest issues I had with it was the lack of fuel economy, cargo space, and the overall cost was more than I wanted to spend.
- '07 Subaru Forrester: I felt lacked in ground clearence and cargo capacity.

When it was all said and done, the Cr-V doesn't have the most or best of anything. It is however the best overall, most well-rounded vehicle on the market. It has capable 4WD system, plenty of cargo space, fuel efficient, more environemntally friendly, available in 5sp all at a reasonable price with dependability that can't be beat.

[CCCRV07]

For me, I was looking at the Nissan Murano, 2006. I was concerned about the CVT tranny and the problems with that.

I was also looking at a used Lexus 330. Nice, but no warranty.

I drove the Nissan Rogue...nice but was noisy, and another CVT tranny.

I guess Second place was the Murano...they are really nice vehicles, but the dashboard is flat and goofy looking.

The Honda, my 5th Honda, BTW, just felt right! Quality, ride, comfort, dependability, and my comfort level with owning previous Hondas, made the decision easier.

[GoatBongoBoy]

I drove home a used 02 element, but wife said payments too high, settled for the 99 v, and been pretty happy:rolleyes:

[Hughesy]

I've just ordered my CR-V, and the second place car was a:
BMW 318d tourer.

A strange dual between the CR-V and a BMW. However, both are family cars, and the BMW is about the same size as the Euro Accord tourer I have now.

The amazing thing about the BMW is 59 UK mpg combined = 49 US miles per gallon. 0-60 is about the same as my diesel Accord, 9.5 sec.

In the end, my wife wanted a high-up car to get the kids in and out easily. The CR-V is also slightly cheaper given the extras cost on BMW (sat nav, leather, rain sensors & auto lights to make it nearly the same). Reduced CO2 and good residual value manage down the high list price of the BMW for a company car lease.

So now I can't wait to get my CR-V. Just one problem: they quoted 20 weeks (yes, twenty) delivery for 'Ivory' leather interior. So I ordered black...

[dudley07726]

RAV4. Unavailable with NAV. Liked the idea of a V6 but with gas looking like it will be going quite a bit higher, I am happy I stuck with the 4 Cyl CRV.

[fishsmith]

Rav4 but the interior of the crv was much better for me.

[borderottie]

I just bought my first CR-V (2003) and LOVE IT!
As the downpayment, I traded in my Honda Del Sol (156k) that I had bought new back in 1995. The Del Sol was my first Honda, after previously driving a Toyota and a Nissan, and I am now a dedicated Honda owner. I loved my Del Sol and hated to see it go but I always liked the CR-V and besides I needed a ride with at least a bit more cargo room. ;)

[Dj_illusionz]

I had an 04 CRV and loved it!
Then last November o7. I decided to change up my ride
I initially was looking at the Toyota FJ Cruiser because of the way it was shaped (Mini Cooper + Hummer) and it just looked really sporty outdoorsie type. (Note that I am only 20 years old). However the FJ was known for its low mileage and the Rav4 I liked because of the power it gave.

However, Toyota was not willing to give me as good as an offer when I traded in my 04 CRV. So now I have an o8. Was sorta sceptic about it, I thought it was too sleek. But it has now become a family favorite. My sister and uncle both bought white o8 CRVs, my aunt a silver CRV and I have a red one. I sort of wish I got a white or black one tho.

[lefooey]

Toyota RAV4
Subaru Forester 2.5x
Jeep Compass

These, in addition to the CR-V, were pretty much the set I was looking at in my decision. I wanted something with a bit nicer interior, reasonable gas mileage (18+ mpg) and plan to drive it for at least 5 years. I also wanted to keep my list to those with 4 wheel drive capability due to the local climate - not for off-roading but for better handling in wet and snow conditions.

The Compass fell off the list quickly due to a number of concerns (manual 4WD system, unimpressive interior, and poor reputation for quality).

The Forester and the RAV4 both ended up feeling to "truck like" to me. Both are definitely more SUV than Crossover and it shows. RAV4 was unavailable with any sort of tech package. It was louder than it should have been and there were other annoyances (side-opening rear door, outside mounted spare).

In the end, I test drove the only '08 EX-L with Navigation that was available on any lot in the area and fell in love with it. I probably paid too much because of that, as it was literally the only one available in 4 states, but now it's mine and I'm very happy with my choice. And I didn't have to wait 10 weeks for delivery! :D

[Honda 367]

We checked out Forester awhile back but weren't too impressed. We ordered our CR-V sight unseen. We never took a test drive either. We did research and concluded that it would be great. We haven't been disappointed yet.

[rdorman]

Nissan Rogue

[JasonClark123]

I thought about buying another A4 but wanted something more versatile so opted for an SUV.

Checked out an Outlander and Qashqai but settled on either a Rav4 or CRV.

After studying each one the interior and exterior style of the CRV won out. :)

[SilverV]

Considered the Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Fe and also the Subaru Forester; but when I took a good look at the CR-V, I knew it was my car.

[tonyf]

had a subaru forester before buying the crv. tried a rav4 ,but fell for the honda crv.

[Jimbo_EX]

I was replacing a BMW3 series saloon (sedan) with something more pratical. First car I consisdered was a 5 series. However, considering my disappointing BMW ownership experience compared to my 2 previous Hondas, I decided to go back to Honda. Read up on the CRV, took a test drive, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

[stevemel]

When I decided to get rid of my 2007 GMC Acadia around Christmas time, I briefly considered the Rav 4 but never test drove it. The reviews were so-so and didn't need the small 3rd row. I get my new V tomorrow. Can't wait!!!

[kake81]

My wife just got pregnant, so it was time to get something besides a Jeep Wrangler for her. I can't stand cars, and her commute to work and back is mostly freeway, so we figured a four cylinder small SUV would be nice.
We test drove an 06 Saturn Vue first with the Honda 3.5L V6 that was mindblowingly fast, but had a salvaged title and the driver seat was uncomfortable (important when driving from California to Colorado to see family). A friend has a RAV4 that neither one of us liked very well (especially the back seats and the weird patterned cloth Toyota used). The RAV4 also seemed to be really gutless, even with a manual transmission (And you thought your CRV was, hah!)
We finally found an '03 CRV with 57k on it that although had some minor scratches on the paint was in otherwise pristine condition (the interior looked new, even the carpet).
The road noise is quite a bit worse than either the Vue or the RAV4 but the ride is better, the seats (especially the driver's) is really comfortable, which is surprising as other Honda seats I've sat in for long periods I find agonizing on my upper back. Around town, getting on and off the freeway, etc. the power is completely adequate, although I got a little antsy passing an 18 wheeler.
And the radio sucks. BADLY. The 6 CD changer must go, and the speakers too, they are horrific (and no, they're not blown, just muddy, lacking definition - oh, right, they're stock).The first thing I did when I drove it was take out the middle rear headrest (hello Honda, what were you thinking?). Very nice handling, easy to maneuver in parking lots, REALLY soaks up large dips without complaining, my only problem driving on the freeway is not paying enough attention to the road because it tends to drive itself.
My wife is extremely happy with it, and that's what matters, right?

And we bought it yesterday.

[Honda 367]

^Congratulations on your purchase! CR-V is an excellent choice. As long as you and your wife are happy with the V, that is all that matters. CR-V has some limitations but I think the benefits outweigh the shortcomings. Drive safe and enjoy your V!

[X-Brawn]

Surprisingly, the Scion xB. It was a good car, but I prefer my CR-V after getting it. I chose it mainly because for service I would have had to taken it in to a dealership I don't care for.

[Cravenfan]

Saturn Vue

[ecarfar]

Rav4 Limited w/leather was about $100 more than the CRV EX-L, so the two were priced alike. I went with the CRV because I was getting a headache trying to figure out the Toyota options scheme!

[CRookinV]

Being an Audi guy I was looking at the A3. Having previously owned an A6 and an A4 I wanted to trade my TT roadster for a bigger vehicles. Had gone to Audi to look at an A3 but got tired of the snootie attitude. We already had an Element so I decided to look at the V.

We traded the TT for the V and later the Element for a Fit Sport, so now we both drive Honda's

[GoGreen]

I too, was looking seriously at a Toyota RAV4 with leather, but as ecarfar mentioned, when I began to add the options to the Toyota that were already standard on the CR-V EX-L 4WD w/ Nav to compare apples to apples, it took the MSRP price of the RAV4 near 32K - and no Nav! :eek:

The side-opening rear tailgate was a hassle, not to mention the tire hump in the rearview.

Like a lot of posters though, I would have like to have seen a V6 on the CR-V :rolleyes:

Honda did a nice job designing the CR-V. Loads of options that are standard. :)

[2RedV's]

Looks like the Saturn, Subaru and Escape are the big competitors for the forum members.

I didn't shop anything else. The in-laws had owned CR-V's for years and the wife liked her mother's so much that she told me "I want a CR-V, in red." I complied and bought the 04, new. Two months later, I found the pristine 99, used, and bought it for me as a daily driver instead of my diesel pickup truck. Now the truck is rarely used except for big boat and car hauling duties.

Now, the in-laws have two, 2006's. One 2006 got totaled in a roll-over accident right after purchase. It did so well to protect them that they bought an identical replacement.

[BarryF]

I was within 4 hours of ordering an Audi A6 Le mans but fell in love with the CR-V and cancelled the Audi appointment instead.

[devani]

never really had a second choice...actually we did

it was either black on black OR white on black:D

[catsailr]

I never had a second choice either. I liked my 05 Pilot I traded for the CRV, but I like the mileage of the CRV better. Also, the CRV is more fun to drive than the Pilot.

[illegal]

a rhd honda

[muddy]

I was checking out the Ford Escape. My main problem with it was that the driver's seat seemed more like a driver's station than a cockpit. The controls for everything (stereo, A/C, etc.) were too far away, steering/instruments looked and felt like an old Ford truck, and had a complete lack of modern comfort.

The dealer was really pushing the gas model hard over the hybrid. He offered me a great price, presumably to move one off of the lot. But I just couldn't bring myself to buy American after checking service records and comparing fuel mileage and amenities. Unfortunately, auto unions have made US cars non-competitive w/ the foreign cars. And the hybrid didn't seem like too good of a deal until fuel costs went up about 60 cents in two months. The hybrids pretty much sell themselves so they weren't flexible at all on the price.

[spotpup]

We looked at the Vue and Rogue. The Vue was 3rd due to gas mileage that was on par with a full sized pickup. We test drove the Rogue and V, parked them in the driveway side by side and went over them for a couple hours. Hands down, the V was a better finished vehicle by far. The interior of the Rogue reminded me of a Chrysler product from 1988. Lots of plastic. The EX-L had more options than the base Rogue, and a lower sticker to boot. The V has better throttle response IMHO. The flexibility with the interior was a plus. You can't recline the rear seats in the Rogue, and there was no center arm rest. Less cargo space as well.

[Kennyyoli]

We had narrowed our search down to a 2005 BMW X3 with 31,000 miles on it for $28k , and the BRAND NEW Leftover 2007 CR-V EX-L for $23,490 . We took the baby and the car seat and drove them both. The V won hands down. Much nicer, roomier, and more comfortable for all. (I'm 6'4" , so roominess is important to me)
Thank goodness we didn't buy the Beemer.... lol. We love our purchase!:D

[Westgate]

It was basically down to either the Forester or the Rav4, but in the end it was a pretty distant 2nd and 3rd place for those two, with a slight nod to the Rav4 for 2nd place.

[geopa]

came down to the CR-V or the Forester. The CR-V won out with better interior finish and the deal we got on the Honda was more than a grand less than the best deal we were able to get on a Forester

[fujisawa]

Well, I wanted 4wd, stick shift, and a wagon. I also drove a Pilot (extremely good, and a cheaper buy used [!], but simply more car than I needed), a new Impreza (a bit dear, only a small step up from a John Deere), and Hyundai's Sonata and Elantra Touring (the last of which was great, but incentives from the Elantra didn't apply so it was out of my range - but this was my biggest surprise, and i recommend this to anyone).

The Element dropped out of the running despite being similar to the CRV, once I determined that, compared to the CRV, it was 1) heavier 2) slower 3) worse fuel economy 4) only four seats 5) less comfortable 6) less well optioned, and last) so unattractive that people will go out of their way to crash into it simply so they don't have to look at it a moment longer. Honestly, I don't see how they manage to sell them at all. I bet 90% of Element sales occur after dark. Or to people who own bulldogs.

I had intended to also test out some offerings from Ford, because I think a lot of their new cars are really appealing, as well as possibly a used Legacy, but ... I had yet to find something I liked better than the CRV and when one became available at a good price I decided to just buy.

Not a perfect car - short wheelbase & high center of gravity make it a bit jouncy and prone to body lean, and 27 mpg is much less than i'd like from ANY car - but given the positives (space, much better handling and fuel economy than any comparable SUV), I think it will give me good service.

It's just ... I really would like a car to give me more than just "service." I really want it to say "come drive me!" when I don't even need to go anywhere in particular.

[motoguy128]

I was considering a 2010 Outback... but the nearest dealer is over 2 hours away. So it wasn't worth the hassle. Outback had better mileage, a little more power, good reviews on it's CVT, a little more cargo room, and it's based on a larger car platform, so I'd suspect a little more refined ride.


Next I considered the Rogue, and the Murano. Murano was too expensive, and mielage is too low. Roqgue cargo ara is too small and lacks a lot of features. The Rogue engine feels less powerful off the line than the CR-V and the chassis is a lot less refiened. The Civic based chassis is considered the best in it's class. The Sentra's chassis is considered average to below average in it's class.

[weatherman]

I looked at the Outback too. Actually I went in to look at the Forester but found the interior just looked too cheap. Loved the big sunroof though. I almost convinced myself to like the Forester until I got in a CR-V and the interior was just so much nicer than the Forester I just couldn't convince myself to get the Subie.

The 2010 Outback practically felt like it was from a completely different car company than the Forester though. The interior was really sexy and well thought-out. The exterior design wasn't bad either. I was impressed by the MPG rating too, but in the end it was just a few more grand than I really wanted to spend, and it was just too darn big; it's about a foot longer than the CR-V and only has the same (actually 1cf less) cargo capacity.

I made the same decision as motoguy128 -- the 2009 EX CR-V in Royal Blue. Couldn't be happier except if someone installed a turbo on it for my birthday... which is coming up soon, if any of you care... :)

[westham]

I was looking at a civic (it was all about MPG) but then my wife spotted this Cr-V and I'm glad she did.

[tonyd555]

It was an 03 Element LX,FWD manual transmission. However the AWD of the CRV sealed it for us. Pretty close call though as we loved the interior space in the Element.

[Dov3]

Toyota rav4 was my runner up...

[England]

2nd choice was Audi Q5. Better Honda reliability, lower price and a better ride quality (at least on Uk roads) meant that I favoured the Honda over the better looking Q5.

[MotoFanatic]

RAV4 was my second choice. If it wasn't for the sudden acceleration problem and my wife's preference for Honda's in general, I would've pushed harder for the RAV. Both cars are great.

We also looked at the Acura RDX which I have to say is a very nice vehicle. The only problem is that it requires high octane gas.

The other distant possibility was the Hyundai Santa Fe and Subaru Outback.

-Moto

[snowangel]

Toyota Venza
Mazda CX7
Volkswagen Tiguan

I am all for goodlooking interiors. I chose CR-V because of the price, performance, reliability, and a not so bad interior.

[Malaka]

Back in August 2001, when I bought my new CR-V, my second choice was waiting for a 2002 Gen 2 model. But I liked the looks of the 01 SE better than the 02 EX. (And this was pretty much before everything was on the internet. I used the car mags instead). Actually, my favorite was an '00 SE in white, but 01 SE's came only in gold/metallic beige with dark gray seats or silver with dark gray seats. So I chose silver. 180K later, still have that 01; and I bought my brother's identical one a few years ago. Its a rookie with 135K on it. Yeah, I know its weird to have two identical cars, but I'm not sorry here.

[cb40]

I think my second choice would have been the RAV4 or Venza, but I was afraid of the acceleration problems. Plus RAV4 comes in a v6 and CRV doesn't. That was a big issue for me and I keep hoping Honda will make one some day. But I just love the little CRV. It's so cute. I considered an RDX, but it's just not as cute as the CRV. So there ya go. :D

[achildofthesky]

Was an 01 CRV... I had one for a while back 01 and sold it (CRV-SE) due to not likeing the auto trans in the mountains on trips but generally liked everything else about it. There were 2 01's for sale here and I wa getting one of them till I stumbled on my current 02 for a very attractive price. Lovely that it doesn't have a timing belt....

We just wanted to have 1 fairly inexpensive awd vehicle that had some interior volume and over the road comfort and the 02 fits that bill very well.

[gary696]

Mazda CX-7 Turbo 4. But it requires premium gas & the mileage is only 23 hwy. Honda's quality won me over.