This Months Vehicle Review:
1998 Honda LX CRV 4x4
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The Honda CRV has been in production since 1995 but was only introduced to the
United States in 1997. This little sport-ute definitely has its place in the market, especially since it’s
the largest growing. The sport utility market has been growing faster than any other since the dawn of the
industrial era. Just about every auto manufacturer has jumped on the bandwagon producing some type of 4 wheel
drive or all wheel drive vehicle in a plethora of classes. Some of which fall short of expecations while
others are great 4x4’s with some serious potential even in the hard-core rock- crawlin’ realm. The Honda CRV
falls somewhere in the middle of this gamut with it’s up sides and it’s down sides.
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Jody and I got our Honda CRV LX from Beaudry
Motors in Tucson, AZ. The first thing I noticed (at 6’ 3" tall) is that the passenger side provided me
with ample leg room. At first glance it looks like every other
well designed Honda, but with a serious lacking of typical Honda amenities. I was told this was done to keep
the cost very low. Don’t take this as a down side as some sport-utes are jammed packed with useless
gadgets just to draw attention.
We were befuddled as we desperately looked for a lever or button put it in low range! Well, lo and
behold, there isn’t one. This rig only has high-range and is driven in front wheel drive when you're in good traction.
There is a hydraulic operated actuator that sends drive-train power to the rear wheels if it sense's some slippage from the
front. Essentially, if a front wheel turns faster than a rear, it engages the four wheel drive. We’ve heard
that if you wheel it too hard that the hydraulic system will have a tendency to overheat and four wheel drive
will cease. The front wheels will still drive until the unit has had a chance to cool off. Apparently this only
happens when your wheeling it really hard for a really long time, like if your rippin’ up and down a beach.
With a fuel injected, 16 valve, DOHC 2.0 liter
4 cylinder. This 8.8:1 compression mill puts out about 126 horsepower
at 5400 RPMs.
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We were very impressed with how quiet it was inside the vehicle and how Honda dampened the motor vibrations
completely out of the vehicle. When first started , it was barely noticable that the motor was even running!
Once we hit the road and really nailed it, we did note some torque steer but with how peppy the 2.0 liter
motor is we quickly forgot. The model we tested was a 5 speed and we were told that the automatic version
is considerably less quick. It didn’t have much in the horse power range but did very well in the torque range.
After Jody (5’ 8" tall) drove for a while, we switched. The first thing I noticed
when I squeezed into the front was that I had to squeeze into the front. For someone
as tall as myself, this rig would not be conducive for long trips, something not very
Honda like. Once I was situated, I gave the little motor some juice and eased the clutch out.
The first thing out of my mouth was " Jody, this is just like
driving your wife’s Accord!" and it really is. It drove, road and
handled just like a car. Not a mini-van or a station wagon, but a car.
Our next destination, an easy trail with a little mud, some hills and a few rocks. Once we hit the trail we
noticed the extremely tight steering radius. Boy you could get out of some really tough jams if every 4x4 had
a steering radius like this. The stock rig comes with BFGoodrich T/A Touring tires that do pretty good on the
trail. We got our CRV into a little gooey stuff and the rear tires kicked in without even a spin of the fronts.
We drove around in the sludge for a bit, throttling through some turns and then decided that it was time to put
a tire on a good sized rock. We chose one about half the height of the tire and climbed up. I had to give it a
little gas since there is no low range but it climbed well without loosing it’s footing. The articulation was as
well as expected with any stock sport-ute. (Of course our first thought was of hacking the fenders, stuffing
some 33’s under it and giving it a 4 inch lift! J )
The dashboard sports easy to read gauges and all controls are well within
reach of even the tallest drivers.
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Lastly, we opened up all of the doors, folded the rear seats
forward and really took a good look at the interior. the cargo
space was immense considering the size of the little sport ute.
The dash board sports 4 gauges (RPM, Speedo, fuel and temp.) that are
very easy to read under any lighting. The dash also houses all of
the window controls,
and other usual buttons, dials and what-not that you would
expect on any vehicle. After we put the rear seats back in
their upright position, we noticed that they also recline.
This is a nice welcome for the back seat passengers of
large stature or when on a long trip. We did notice the lack
of cup holders in the vehicle (only 2) that are positioned in between
the captains chairs. Additionally, they are made to hold nothing larger
than a soda can which is a real bummer for us caffeine-aholics that regularly
drink 44 ounce sodas and large coffees.
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Note the reclining rear seats. This is a nice welcome for the back seat passengers of
large stature or when on a long trip.
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Overall, Honda did a pretty good job with this rig. Typical Honda quality. Our biggest reservation was the
lack of a low range as this could get someone in trouble if they decided to follow their friend in a Jeep or
other similarly equipped rig. The four wheel independent suspension did well on the trail and even better on
the road. If you are looking for a vehicle to go to the local campground or lake with and the trails might be
a little muddy or just a bit too rough for the family Buick, then this would be a good choice, especially for
it’s low base price of $19,145 for the model that we tested.
| NOTE: All ratings on a scale of 1 to 4 with flat tires equal to a half. |
| Description |
Notes |
Rating |
| Ease of Install |
N/A |
N/A |
| Ease of Use |
N/A |
N/A |
| Performance |
Performed well on the street, but in comparison to other new 4x4's, it was on the low side |
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| Durability |
For it's intended use of limited four wheelin' it's a pretty durable rig. I just wouldn't take it to Moab or Hell's Revenge. |
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| Appearance |
It's a bit lack-luster on the interior but well designed. the EX model sports aluminum rims and a few other amenities but overall, it's not a bad looking sport-ute. |
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| Drivability |
Very comfortable rig to drive, especially on the street. It performed well on the trail considering it's lack of low range and for it's intended use and audience. |
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| Comfort |
For someone 6' tall or less, this sport-ute is very comfortable even in the back seats. All road noise and drive train noise are non-existent and the air-conditioning, stereo, and power everything make it a very comfortable rig. |
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| Price in comparison to related products |
In comparison with other 4x4's on the market, this has to be the cheapest. |
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| Was it worth it??? |
If your goal is to buy a vehicle that you can comfortably pile 4 people in, stuff some camping gear into, and head out to the local KOA campground, then this is the truck for you. If your intentions are
to do some more serious four wheeling, then you should seriously reconsider. |
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| Tools Required |
N/A |
| Editors Notes |
As mentioned earlier, this truck is intended for easy trail riding where a family sedan shouldn't go, but not intended for anything more than some rough or muddy roads.
Overall, it was a pleasure driving this rig especially with the air conditioning and radio on. On street driving was great with good control and cruisability...RW |
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