Honda CR-V gets makeover for 2017

WASHINGTON — If you’re looking for a new ride, it’s probably safe to say that a compact crossover might be on the list. The one that’s usually at the top of the sales chart is the Honda CR-V, and for the life me I couldn’t see why for many years. They weren’t very comfortable. The seats seemed as hard as bricks, and the strange vibration at lower RPMs sort of soured me on the CR-V, too. So, there was doubt when I saw a new 2017 show up on the schedule, but I decided to have an open mind.

Luckily, Honda went back to the drawing board and totally worked over the CR-V, and it really pays off inside. The seats are livable, finally, and I couldn’t really fault them this time around. Even my wife was surprised by their relative comfort. I drove the $34,595 Touring trim level, so seats were leather-trimmed and heated up front. The rear bench seat has plenty of space — enough to fit three kids.  The materials seem improved, as well, with more soft-touch panels than before. And, it all looks nicer than previous CR-Vs. Another sticking point last time was the NAV system that was slow and sending me to points unknown. This time around it was a more pleasurable experience. There is a volume knob, and the rest of radio and NAV is run through a touch screen. But you do need to take your eyes off the road a bit more than I like.

Changes also come under the hood for upper trim levels of the 2017 Honda CR-V, adding a small turbocharged engine that packs a healthy 190 horsepower. It powers this compact crossover more smoothly than the regular 4-cylinder engine, and it sounds better, too. The CR-V still isn’t the quickest in the class, but the acceleration seems adequate in all situations. The ride is pretty smooth even over broken pavement, and the view outside is a plus with a lot of glass. It’s really a quieter ride compared to previous CR-V models. The transmission is a CVT, and it seems very well behaved. The turbo engine and CVT did well on fuel economy — I managed 29.4 miles per gallon over a week of mixed driving, just about what the sticker says. There are a host of safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, which is nice for this class. While many features such as the lane departure warning are more common now, Honda ups the game with Road Departure Mitigation, which will intervene if you don’t, and Collision Mitigation Braking, as well as the usual suspects.

The outside look of the CR-V is more aggressive and stylish than I can remember. The front-end styling really stands out with a modern look without being over the top. The CR-V Touring has LED headlights, and the housings seem smaller, and the grill is large with the Honda badge in the middle. Even when looking at the side of this CR-V, it looks more modern with flared wheel arches and larger 18-inch wheels that are very stylish for a crossover. If you are a fan of taillights then the Honda CR-V will please with a lot of red on the rear of this crossover with brake lights, turn signals across the rear hatch, and climbing up the rear hatch to the roof. There are even dual exhaust pipes, and the bumper and lower cladding in black contrasts nicely with the silver paint.

The 2017 Honda CR-V is a big leap forward for this popular crossover. A refined ride and a more upscale interior help the CR-V to keep the edge in the popular compact crossover class. With a new turbo engine that allows for improved fuel economy and a lot of safety features, this new CR-V is a smart choice, and now I see why.

Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.