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2007 Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD Navi Road Test

I feel like I've just joined a cult. A robe-wearing, song-chanting, all-believingcult. We worship a better way of getting from point A to B, we are not hung up on ego or everlasting youth or migrating from one adrenaline fix to the next. We just go, making sure we get there. We may be anonymous, but most would agree that being anonymous in traffic is a good thing. You see, I've been driving a CR-V all week, and it's getting to me. Ask me. Go ahead, ask me if I care how much horsepower it has. I don't need to know. Maybe it's because the CR-V is a bit of an automotive analgesic, but mostly it's just because for some reason, in the CR-V it's okay. Don't get me wrong, I'll never stop idolizing Porsche GT3s and Lotus Elises and Jeep SRT8s, but for one week, I almost forgot they even existed. For one thing, you don't see many of those around, and even fewer in our current bit-of-snow-every-day weather.

CR-Vs, on the other hand, are everywhere. Even the new CR-V, just afew short months into its sales cycle, is showing

For a gearhead, our man Yarkony was unusually moved by the little CR-V. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

up in city traffic and mall parking lots at an alarming rate. Even more alarming is that every third SUV in traffic seems to be a CR-V, and that ratio is only going to increase. So why are they everywhere? They ain't really cheap (that's why the Escape is everywhere), I don't think they've ever won a beauty contest (they definitely shouldn't have—then again, when you're competing with two-door RAV4s…), and the previous version had some interior décor that would make a Sunfire cringe (try some tan patterned carpet/velcro on for size). Its styling has improved, but it's still an awkward, utility-derived shape with some swoopy window lines and more aggressive fenders

Interior is comfortable and well-built. It's easy to see the appeal. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

and fascia to bring it in line with the latest crossover rage. The end result can appear stylish from certain angles and oddly piggish from others.

But here's the good part: It's probably one of theeasiest cars to drive, ever, it uses up just enough gas to not be noticed too often (it's no Yaris, but it's still good, and much better than even a limited-power V6 like that in the Equinox), and it's a spacious, comfortable environment. Add efficient, part-time all-wheel drive that worked flawlessly in the restricted stop-and-go traffic I was mired in all week (sorry, no road trips), providing sure and instant grip in the light layers of snow we got several times. A set of winter tires could have improved braking distances, but the compromise all-season rubber was sufficient for the cautious manner

Futuristic multi-function indicator meets easy to read instruments. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

in which I drove. It's obviously not the most dynamic setup, and the car as a whole is no dynamic gem, but it does everything it should and with the traction/stability control working overtime, you can get moving and keep control even when beyond the limits of good sense or in simulated emergency maneuvers—don't worry folks, lonely parking lots are a good place to get a feel for how your vehicle behaves in adverse conditions.

The previous CR-V I drove was a very basic unit—with a manualtransmission of all things. That caught me off guard, but once I drove away I realized it's both one of the easiest manuals to operate and it was kind of fun to row through the gears and zip through traffic like a small car on stilts. This generation loses the manual transmission option, but it soothes the longings with an incredibly smooth 5-speed automatic that relieves me of any desire to shift

Console is attached to the dashboard; shifter is always at hand. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

gears on my own. Like the previous CR-V, it rides smoothly, erring if anything on the side of firmness, but it's a very reassuring firmness that ensures a very flat attitude during cornering without too much bounce over rough pavement. It's preferable to the wobbly soft ride of the Equinox within city limits, and there is only a small price to pay on the highway where the firm suspension transmits a fair bit of the expansion joint shock, but nothing to push it off course. The steering is light as a feather, which makes maneuvering it in the city a snap, but it was a little vague out on the highway and not the most comforting sensation when it gets really vague on long corners or clover ramps. Overall, though, it's well measured to its task of being a city runabout and safe, convenient transport of five.

It's no towering pickup, but seating position is high enough that you can see over most sedans, helping you negotiate traffic by seeing well ahead and being prepared for anything you are approaching. Since it's

Safety need not be dependent on curb weight and physical dimensions, as Honda has proven. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

not burdened with reckless power (did you ever think I would utter such a sentence?), it won't seemingly put on speed without input (ahem, I'm talking about you Passat—our recent extended-term tester), so it combines with good all-round visibility to reduce surprises and provide a safer driving experience. It's also safer because of the airbag numbers, but more importantly, the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) ensures the unibody frame is reinforced in all the right places to help protect occupants in a collision and even helps cushion pedestrians who are struck.

Aside from airbags, the interior is equipped with a rather ordinary, but appealinglayout, dressed in part leather, part plastic, and all grey-black, except for the glowing blue gauges and the centerpiece nav system. It was a welcome relief from the previous generation's experimental early Star Trek TNG fabrics (that's a bad thing, by the way), as were the heated, adjustable leather seats, and even the rear seats recline, giving second-row residents slightly better than second-class seating. Moving further back, the trunk has a low

Parcel shelf is surprisingly useful for organizing the cargo area. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

load floor that's easy to swing my hockey bag onto and a nifty shelf/cargo cover that can double as a grocery-loading area or hide valuables from common sight. The liftgate also opens vertically, so Trevor won't complain about it being built for English and Japanese roads… I can complain though because I have to duck under to get into the cargo area, but at least it didn't catch me off guard as it did in the Equinox. At the very back tip of the CR-V's admirably sculpted tailgate, just above the license plate, you could find my favorite piece of equipment: the backup camera.

And now we come to my favorite part of the review: my parkingstory. Backup cameras have their faults, and if you don't use them appropriately they can be a detriment—I once hit a garbage can because of the disorienting view and some beeping that distracted me so I took my eyes off the screen and before I had time to look back I had laid out some poor, defenseless garbage can (yes, in case you're wondering, I am aware that I am a jackass for backing into something despite having a back up camera). But if you are well aware of your surroundings, and conscious of the camera's distortion, the close-up view of your bumper in the nav-screen can be

Are you CR-Ving it yet? (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

a godsend. I just came in from parking in a spot no more than a foot longer than my CR-V, made wholly possible—without even kissing license plates—because of the backup camera. It took a few wiggles, and I hope one of them is gone by tomorrow morning, but for now I'll take it.

Sadly, life with a full-load CR-V is not all sunshine and roses, because despitethe effectiveness of the backup camera, the nav screen becomes virtually invisible with just a bit of well-placed glare, making the map or camera almost useless under certain conditions.

Despite that oversight, the CR-V is, on the whole, a very effective and useful vehicle. While not as spacious as an Equinox or with as many seats as the RAV4 or Santa Fe, it treats its five occupants well, and is a great family car—particularly if you think you might be handing the keys to your teenage son or daughter. There simply isn't enough power for junior to get into too much trouble, and its attention to safety is reassuring for parents of children of any age.

From a distance it may not seem like much, but the closer you get, and the more time you spend with it, the more convincing its numbing comfort and undemanding convenience becomes. It was enough to convert me. All praise and gratitude and platitudes to the CR-V. Pass the Kool-Aid.

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