I would love everybody's input on the 4th Gen and how much smoother and better riding it is versus previous years. I have a 2003 CRV LX with 120K that I have taken extremely good care of and I'm sick & tired of how noisy the ride is, especially above 55mph. It used to have a little tire road noise, but now air buzzes in from windshield and windows and the front end always feels like tires are out of balance even though I have installed new tires and balanced them twice recently and replaced the rotors. Also I recently did a compression test of the K24 to see if it was worth throwing any more money at, and it tested 205-155-175-155. So I'm selling it. It pisses me off that I have taken such good care of this car and it feels like its falling apart on me at just over 120k. Last year i drove a friends 2013 CRV EX-L and it was like driving a Lexus compared to mine. Anybody have a 4th Gen with over 100k miles that can tell me how its doing? Is it still quiet and smooth? Anything I should look out for? I will probably install a lift kit as the 4th gen sits too low for my taste. - THANKS !
Sell 2003 and buy a 2012 - 2014?
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I posted this in Problems section, but maybe better in this thread: I would love everybody's input on the 4th Gen and how much smoother and better riding it is versus previous years. I have a 2003 CRV LX with 120K that I have taken extremely good care of and I'm sick & tired of how noisy the ride is, especially above 55mph. It used to have a little tire road noise, but now air buzzes in from windshield and windows and the front end always feels like tires are out of balance even though I have installed new tires and balanced them twice recently and replaced the rotors. Also I recently did a compression test of the K24 to see if it was worth throwing any more money at, and it tested 205-155-175-155. So I'm selling it. It pisses me off that I have taken such good care of this car and it feels like its falling apart on me at just over 120k. Last year i drove a friends 2013 CRV EX-L and it was like driving a Lexus compared to mine. Anybody have a 4th Gen with over 100k miles that can tell me how its doing? Is it still quiet and smooth? Anything I should look out for? I will probably install a lift kit as the 4th gen sits too low for my taste. - THANKS !
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For the lift kit, check out HRG Engineering. They have a mild lift kit of 1.5" or 2" that fits both the 3rd and 4th gen CR-Vs.
As for the condition of your CR-V--it's 17 model years old. It's not going to be perfect, no matter what mileage it has, and that includes compression. Age and mileage are the two enemies at play here. ?
Someone with enough motivation would pull the cylinder head, buy a rebuilt one or have it rebuilt locally (basically a valve job, new valve seals and pressure testing), pull the pistons and inspect/replace the rings as needed, hone the cylinders, and put it back together. I never checked the pistons when I replaced my cylinder head on the Civic. It runs very smoothly now, but burns way too much oil (at least a quart per tankful of gas--the oil rings are coked up). So I'll be pulling the head again to remedy that next year after the weather improves. Should I bother on a 16 year old, 240K mile Civic that isn't worth much? Probably not, but it's been helpful learning how to do all of this work myself.
I like the way our 3rd gen CR-V drives, and might get my better half a 2015-2016 (I don't like the hideous grill on the 2012-2014 CR-Vs) to replace her '09 since I don't trust it anymore. I will be getting a Pilot or Passport to replace mine. I wouldn't mind driving one of these 4th gens to see what they are like.
Or I could end up with a Type R...
As for the condition of your CR-V--it's 17 model years old. It's not going to be perfect, no matter what mileage it has, and that includes compression. Age and mileage are the two enemies at play here. ?
Someone with enough motivation would pull the cylinder head, buy a rebuilt one or have it rebuilt locally (basically a valve job, new valve seals and pressure testing), pull the pistons and inspect/replace the rings as needed, hone the cylinders, and put it back together. I never checked the pistons when I replaced my cylinder head on the Civic. It runs very smoothly now, but burns way too much oil (at least a quart per tankful of gas--the oil rings are coked up). So I'll be pulling the head again to remedy that next year after the weather improves. Should I bother on a 16 year old, 240K mile Civic that isn't worth much? Probably not, but it's been helpful learning how to do all of this work myself.
I like the way our 3rd gen CR-V drives, and might get my better half a 2015-2016 (I don't like the hideous grill on the 2012-2014 CR-Vs) to replace her '09 since I don't trust it anymore. I will be getting a Pilot or Passport to replace mine. I wouldn't mind driving one of these 4th gens to see what they are like.
Or I could end up with a Type R...
The problem is that the compression test means it needs rings and bore/hone of the block, which means total rebuild. I worked in a machine shop many years ago and i can pull the engine and rebuild it if I wanted to. But the car doesn't drive smooth and quiet so I would end up with a noisy CRV with fresh engine that's no fun to drive at highway speed for very long. I drove my wife's 2010 Odyssey yesterday after I posted this thread, and its so smooth and quiet and nice to drive that it made up my mind to sell the 2003 as fast as possible. I'm frustrated that a post 2000 Honda vehicle would not run smoother and quieter, especially after being so well taken cared for. But thanks for the input.
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Even old V6 Hondas run smooth. My daughter's Accord is a mess, but the engine is the last mechanical thing on it that still works perfectly, with 220k miles on it. Too bad the transmission was crap from the day it rolled out of the factory.
I doubt you'll be happy with another CR-V, then, as they all use K-series engines like your 2003. I'm somewhat happy with our '09s here, but they have been troublesome. Probably better to look elsewhere.
I doubt you'll be happy with another CR-V, then, as they all use K-series engines like your 2003. I'm somewhat happy with our '09s here, but they have been troublesome. Probably better to look elsewhere.
You're probably right but I will go test drive a 2013-2014 CRV with 140k - 150k miles to see how it feels at higher mileage. My son just sold a 2005 Accord with K24 at 215k miles and it ran quiet and smooth. But if the 2013-2014 doesn't feel good I'll be looking at a 2009-2012 Lexus RX350 and Acura RDX 2012 - 2014.
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? I like the way you think!
If you could live with the headlights on your 2003, then you'll probably not object to what you'll experience on a 2012-2014 CR-V. That said, a single (dual filament) bulb on each side is so last century in terms of beam pattern. They fixed this on the 2015 (although I'm told they 'broke' other things on the mid-model refresh).
That is really good miles! I test drove a 2013 on Saturday with 125k and it was very loud road noise, the quality of materials on dashboard seemed weird and cheap, and it had no power. I put my foot to the floor while rolling along at 25mph and it downshifted and revved up really high..........and stayed at almost the same speed with very lackluster acceleration. My wife laughed. Her 09 Odyssey is way faster and smoother. Sorry but it looks like we're buying a used lexus rx350 or acura rdx.
Thanks for the input. I will try and test drive a 15 or 16. The handling and suspension on the newer CRVs I have test drivern is very good - better than the RDX and RX350. How does the CVT on your 16 perform?
I just retired my 2003, with 192,000 miles. It needed an oxygen sensor, new door lock servos, and a starter in it's lifetime. The suspension towers were rusting, and half bent/gone - beyond an economical repair.
I just bought a 2013 EX-L to replace it.
The 2003 did everything I asked of it - hauled people, stuff, and tackled New England winters admirably. It did a little bit of everything, and it did it decently - but I had some of the same complaints. The thing was getting to be really noisy on the road. Driving 80 miles to Maine, I'd keep turning the radio up a little bit at a time. You could feel the silence when you got there and turned the car off. The seats were okay. . .for an hour or two. Not so much on longer trips. Thankfully it had the tape deck, so I could get an adapter for my phone.
I love the style of the 2009 generation, but I was a little hesitant to get something that old. (It was mostly rust that killed the 03. The engine was not great, but okay.) I wanted the fancier seats, and bluetooth connectivity. That put me into the 2013 range. They didn't seem to have any particularly bad common issues. I found a nice red 2013 EX-L. Took it for a 20-minute test drive, and bought it. I felt at home in it - it had the same good things about the 2003, but it solved the bad things.
Its still very much a CRV. Drives the same - but its quieter. The sticker says it has an extra 10mpg highway. The seats are a little nicer. (And heated/power adjusting.) The radio sounded good. The things I liked about the 2003 were still there, but they fixed the things I didn't like. If you were sad to see the 2003 go, I'd say try a newer one.
I just bought a 2013 EX-L to replace it.
The 2003 did everything I asked of it - hauled people, stuff, and tackled New England winters admirably. It did a little bit of everything, and it did it decently - but I had some of the same complaints. The thing was getting to be really noisy on the road. Driving 80 miles to Maine, I'd keep turning the radio up a little bit at a time. You could feel the silence when you got there and turned the car off. The seats were okay. . .for an hour or two. Not so much on longer trips. Thankfully it had the tape deck, so I could get an adapter for my phone.
I love the style of the 2009 generation, but I was a little hesitant to get something that old. (It was mostly rust that killed the 03. The engine was not great, but okay.) I wanted the fancier seats, and bluetooth connectivity. That put me into the 2013 range. They didn't seem to have any particularly bad common issues. I found a nice red 2013 EX-L. Took it for a 20-minute test drive, and bought it. I felt at home in it - it had the same good things about the 2003, but it solved the bad things.
Its still very much a CRV. Drives the same - but its quieter. The sticker says it has an extra 10mpg highway. The seats are a little nicer. (And heated/power adjusting.) The radio sounded good. The things I liked about the 2003 were still there, but they fixed the things I didn't like. If you were sad to see the 2003 go, I'd say try a newer one.
My wife has a 2014 CR-V with front Push Bar and under door running boards with a few DIY minor mods (like LED Headlights, converted factory FOG lights to DRLs and 1.5" suspension lift using spacer blocks) and she loves it. Only minor issue is rough (vibrating) when idle in "D" gear and PITT (Pain in the Tail) factory remote starter. But other than these items it works great. Especially its AWD design. Yes. She would buy another. Hope this helps in your research....
![Stance after lift - 2.jpg]()
We have the 2016 EXL. It drives good even with the CVT. A good upgrade from our 08 EXL. You still get that odd rev up and stays high rpm while doing hard acceleration. I prefer traditional 6 speed better. Hence I prefer driving my 2013 Venza over the wifes 2016 CRV. The headlights in the 2016 (separate low and high beam bulbs) are WAY better than the 2008 dual filament bulbs. I also upgraded the oem fog light to LED.
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