I Really Want A First-Gen Honda CR-V, And You Should Too

A drive in Honda UK's heritage fleet Mk1 CR-V unexpectedly left me wanting one quite badly
I Really Want A First-Gen Honda CR-V, And You Should Too

Last summer, I spent a whole day driving as much of Honda UK’s heritage fleet as I could possibly squeeze in. Over the following months, I reported back my about the crushing disappointment that was an automatic NSX, my confirmation that yes, the DC2 Integra deserves its heroic status, and finally that the hybrid CR-Z is criminally underrated.

What I never did, however, was talk about the biggest surprise of the day. And that’s something which I’m going to rectify now, but you may well be baffled to learn that it was a first-generation CR-V.

The CR-V rubbed shoulders with legends at the heritage driving event, but its driving experience still stood out
The CR-V rubbed shoulders with legends at the heritage driving event, but…

Fear not, though CTzens: I still have full control of all of my faculties because the CR-V is properly lovely to drive.

It rides beautifully, and yet it doesn’t turn into a wallowy mess the first time you show it a corner. The damping is very well judged, going nicely with the surprisingly feelsome steering.

Honda UK's heritage CR-V has just 38,000 miles on the clock
Honda UK's heritage CR-V has just 38,000 miles on the clock

The 2.0-litre B20B produces just 126bhp, this particular CR-V having been born just before Honda updated the car with the 147bhp B20Z. You might expect it to be horribly sluggish, but the CR-V is remarkably light given its size, tipping the scales at around 1500kg. And it’s all down to simplicity.

At the time of the vehicle’s inception, then-Honda CEO Nobuhiko Kawamoto noticed that the CR-V’s intended market was dominated by cars stuffed full of heavy off-road features buyers seldom used. The CR-V would go without, which may not seem dramatic today with our roads dominated by ‘soft-roaders’ like the Nissan Qashqai, but it was radical thinking back then.

I Really Want A First-Gen Honda CR-V, And You Should Too

0-62mph happens in a thoroughly reasonable 10.5 seconds, and performance is on the whole more than adequate. Crucially, it’s a smooth and satisfying engine to work hard, and it even makes a pretty good noise. With turbocharged engines becoming the norm, you just forget what a joy a simple, low-powered N/A can be, especially when hooked up to a manual gearbox like this one is.

I Really Want A First-Gen Honda CR-V, And You Should Too

The CR-V is also a genuine lifestyle vehicle. Forget all the ridiculous marketing around today’s luxury crossovers - if you want to actually go camping/canoeing/mountain biking or whatever, an old CR-V is the car to do it in.

This is because it places practicality above pretty much everything else. It has tough black bumpers either end, the interior is disarmingly simple and sturdy, the floor is almost entirely flat throughout, and there’s a handy little fold-out hook in the boot; if you lift the carpet, you’ll find a hidden picnic table, too.

I Really Want A First-Gen Honda CR-V, And You Should Too

The best part is that these cars are stupidly cheap. A tatty one can be picked up for around £500, and if you increase your budget to more like £1000 - £1500, it’s possible to snag a tidy example. The only issue is there aren’t a whole lot around still - the CR-V isn’t exactly a car people are willing to preserve.

It’s worth persevering, though. The CR-V is an endlessly practical, surprisingly dependable vehicle that’ll surprise you with just how nice it is to drive. I want one. And so should you.

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Comments

Anonymous

10.5 seconds🤣. Must have been starting down a 10% grade with gale force winds at your back after having Chuck Norris piss in the fuel.

01/06/2019 - 17:50 |
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RedTegB20

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Yea if you floor it, it’s really not that slow

01/06/2019 - 22:41 |
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RedTegB20

My family still has there’s, 300k miles. It’s a great car, with a growing following these days. The price on them has actually been shooting up lately and quite a few show-prepped crv’s are popping up and some in autoX too. There’s not a whole lot of aftermarket parts but there’s still some for lowering and as far as the engine goes your options are vast.

01/06/2019 - 22:47 |
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Anonymous

I’d still go for the Subaru Forester as a better alternative, in my opinion. WRX Engine and Chassis in a practical body. Loved my Forester

01/07/2019 - 13:09 |
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Olivier (CT's grammar commie)

Yeah I kinda always wanted one as a winter beater, just because it’s like an Element but without the cube shape

01/07/2019 - 15:59 |
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Olivier (CT's grammar commie)

The second link about the Integra doesn’t work and just links you to the NSX article Matt Robinson

01/07/2019 - 16:04 |
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Luke Woessner (G17)

My dad has had one of these for a few years (a 5 speed as well). Bought it with 80K miles and it’s still running strong at over 220K. One of the window regulators stopped working and the rear suspension bushings are pretty worn out but he can still put a few hundred pounds of cargo in the trunk without issue. It’s not a standout in any special way, just serves it purpose as a car exceptionally well.

01/07/2019 - 18:38 |
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White Comet

It is only more fun than other boring SUVs, but this is still NOT a fun car, unless you lift it and go offroad.
I only drive the CR-V when I need a car that I absolutely don’t give a crap about.
The only special thing about it, is that it reminds people how bigger SUV doesn’t mean better practicality.

01/07/2019 - 20:40 |
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Anonymous

126 hp for a 2.0l NA engine is by no means low-powered. It is a good level of power output, if not a very good one (that would be 150+ hp). Audi offered a 2.0l with a measly output of 90 hp until the mid or late 1990s, e.g. That was low.

01/07/2019 - 21:20 |
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Anonymous

We recently bought one for my mom. It has the 150hp b20 hooked to a 4 speed auto with AWD. Its really different for everything offered nowadays. It feels that has more power than it actually has (Compared to a 2.0 Ford EcoSport), rides nicely and is really compact. Sadly we only got all automatics here :c

04/02/2019 - 14:02 |
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Anonymous

This is my crv 1999. It was parked in garage from 2008-2018. Only 165000km on cluster. Now it has 3” liftkit.

07/24/2019 - 11:33 |
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