Those of you who follow CAR’s long-termer updates in the magazine and on the carmag.co.za website will probably be aware that I am becoming a born again SUV-er. Never a great fan of Sport-Utility Vehicles for numerous personal and practical reasons, my current long-term Honda CR-V has altered my thinking in a BIG way…
Maybe it has something to do with where I am in life – fast approaching retirement and drawing up a shortlist of vehicles that will provide my wife and I with sensible transport for the Golden Years. I say sensible because when you reach this stage in life, onward financial planning dictates the future and being a journalist is generally not a fortune-making career so practical considerations must take precedence over emotional desires. I have always been a station wagon fan and an Audi A3 Sportback was made the benchmark, but after five months and well over 9 000 km in the CR-V I must admit to having started thinking differently.
But before I go any further, a few years ago if someone would have said to me that I would find a white, diesel, automatic SUV appealing I would have not taken the person seriously, but that is the fact of the matter. This range-topping 2,2i-DTEC Executive AT has a lot to answer for!
Since my last blog, the ‘white tornado’ has continued to deliver comfortable and relaxed motoring pleasure, mostly two-up but with occasional journeys including family members big and small. The middle section of the movable back seat is not as well conformed as the outer positions, but a teenager travelled some distance in the place without complaining. Being 1,92-metres tall, I appreciate not having to alter my far-back driving position to accommodate a full complement of passengers, and there is plenty of luggage space, too. The CR-V sure is commodious.
The only non-routine journeys undertaken recently have been an ‘up and down in a day’ trip to the Wilderness National Park to visit family on a camping holiday, taking part in a ride/drive/photoshoot group to Yzerfontein and Darling where the CR-V acted as a benchmark for some other SUVs CAR had on test, and a circular day trip taking in Sir Lowry’s Pass to Hermanus for lunch and a walkabout then returning via Kleinmond and the coast road to Gordon’s Bay. The Wilderness trip was seen by many as being a bit extravagant but the drive is hardly ever less than enjoyable and the CR-V is one of those rare vehicles where the prospect of a spending hours ‘in the saddle’ is something to look forward to rather than be avoided.
Fuel economy continues to impress: the Garden Route and Hermanus trips helped realise respective economy figures of 7,76 and 7,59 litres/100 km from around 600 km fill-up to fill-up stints that the 58-litre tank provides regardless of the low fuel warning light. The character of the CR-V’s 110 kW/350 N.m motor is one of relaxed competence – it will give a satisfactory kick when required for overtaking but generally it encourages the driver to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.
Ah, but there is a sting in the tale – er, maybe that should read ‘tail’… A brief park at the kerbside by Cape Town Station was scarred by the person who was parked behind me scraping his/her car’s front bumper under the CR-V’s rear bumper when pulling out, which left some scratches on the corner. Almost out of sight, but the damage is done. Two quotes for doing a patch repair on the pearlescent white paintwork were R1 368 and R1 140… All of which highlights the problem with body-coloured bumpers and cladding – if they get damaged it is noticeable whereas in durable black you often will not notice. Aesthetics over practicality perhaps, but that it is a consideration.
And mentioning paint, accepting that there are often slight differences in the hue of body parts made from different materials (metal, plastic etc), the right-hand front wheelarch lip has discoloured for no apparent reason. Have any other owners experienced a similar malady? Estimate R600 to touch up…
As the Honda reaches the half-way point in its 20 000 km target test mileage there are two trips up the Garden Route on February’s schedule: one for a couple of day’s holiday followed by the annual visit to the George Old Car Show, the other to attend a new model launch at the Simola Resort. The driving enjoyment continues.
