Honda CR-V Owners Club Forums banner

New to the club—needing some new car advice

2K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  epicVIN 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello everyone! I’ve been a Honda owner for awhile and used this forum often for my troubleshooting issues and have decided to join. I am actually in the market for a replacement CR-V as my 07 gem was deemed “totaled” earlier this week from a small accident in December (a plow backed into me at a full stop) I appreciate any and all advice you may have.

some background: I had an 07 with all of the bells and whistles (leather heated seats and a moon roof). You can imagine my heartache when I got the call that the car (with a fine engine @ 160k miles and recently replaced AC system) could not be repaired due to the cost of the corner panel that was shattered.
I am currently driving a 2019 for a rental, MAJOR upgrade. A 2019 isn’t in my budget but I would like to perhaps upgrade a bit with my new car. I want to stay a Honda CR-V owner because I had the least amount of problems and it was my first SUV and I found it to be efficient and reliable (I’m sure you call can relate). I live in New England where our winters and summers are equally harsh and need stability, comfort safety etc.
I’ve been researching the new ish models and I’m seeing a lot of complaints about transmission and electrical issues, as well as road noise.

My question is: would it be in my best interest to purchase something in the 2009-2012 range or really move on up to the 2014-2016 range in hopes that it’ll last me awhile? I’d love to hear from anyone with experience with these!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum! I hate when your plan gets ruined like that. Personally, I prefer my '07 or any Gen3 over later models. They are simpler and less buggy. If I lost mine today I'd look for another Gen3, not above an '09. Yes, the newer ones may be quieter and seem nicer, but they come with a plethora of built-in issues. I would advise to go no newer than Gen4 (through 2014), don't buy a CVT and no turbo either. Those things simply will not last and are major issues with many of the newer models. Also, the newer the car, the worse the problems with electronics. Good luck and let us know what you bring home.
 
#4 ·
I would go for a fully loaded, facelifted Gen3 with low miles.

There is a noticeable generational difference between G3 & G4, the latter being a better car, the former being a better SUV with 3-piece rear seat back and overall roomier cabin feeling. You also get a removable parcel shelf.
thank you both! I’m going to test drive a 2014 model this weekend and I’m also still trying to narrow down the 3rd gen that I may want to test drive and purchase. I appreciate you breaking down the difference amongst the transmission “upgrades” as I had some apprehension about the CVT. I’ll be sure to report back with my findings and of course pictures when I find my new baby
 
#3 ·
I would go for a fully loaded, facelifted Gen3 with low miles.

There is a noticeable generational difference between G3 & G4, the latter being a better car, the former being a better SUV with 3-piece rear seat back and overall roomier cabin feeling. You also get a removable parcel shelf.
 
#7 ·
Did you get the repair estimate at a dealer? Maybe try a smaller body shop. I have full confidence in newer model CRV’s including CVT’s and electronics. There were some issues with 2017 and 2018 models however. I suspect they have been mostly addressed but it does depend on your risk tolerance.
 
#8 ·
Hi! I haven’t had a repair estimate provided yet but I am quite interested in the 2014 since it has helpful features like the backup camera and Bluetooth. Should I ask about any applicable repair costs prior to purchasing? I’m considering an EX-L if that helps any.
 
#10 ·
I completely understand the bias. Have you had the 2014 since new? I have to be honest, researching this car (specifically this model) has me questioning everything I assumed about Honda’s reliability. I want to make an investment in a decent vehicle for myself, but I don’t want to make the wrong choice and end up back at square one a year from now warning people against it.
 
#11 ·
I have had a 2014 since new and it's been 100% fault free (so far). It has very little mileage (50K) on it tho.

There's a design error in the Bluetooth audio streaming feature of the 2VN3 navi head unit: it has a significant audio lag and unresponsivness to controls due to it. It's a well documented fault in the Liteon bluetooth module.
 
#12 ·
I bought my 2014 CR-V new. I've got about 40,000 miles on it, and the only non-maintenance things I had to do was to replace a tire that blew out when I ran over something on the road, and I had to have the VTC Actuator replaced, along with the timing chain tensioner.
 
#15 ·
I don't know that there is a wrong decision with either of your potential options. I purchased a CPO 2016 EX-L almost exactly 2 years ago and have been very impressed with it in every way.

Overall, I believe that every generation is a little more complex than the previous generation and with this complexity comes comes more potential downstream headaches and repairs. With all things being equal I tend to lean towards the vehicle that is in the best condition with documented service records that has all the features that I actually need.

Please keep us posted with your decision and good luck!
 
#16 ·
Our family purchased new a 16 CRV LX 2WD, it's now 3.5 years since we bought it and 44K miles and absolutely nothing went wrong (except a battery which they replaced new for free). I actually liked the LX base model because of less "bells and whistles" for less potential of things going wrong. I was leery of the CVT transmission as well and what I plan on doing is a triple drain-fill-drive drain at 50K miles, then every 25K miles, to hopefully be able to drive our car problem free for 11-12 years like I've done with most of our previous Honda's. I had a 2008 Honda Element (based on the CRV), and it was absolutely the best car (reliability and functionality) that I've ever owned, that I just sold (mixed feeling on getting rid of). Good luck with your search.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top