Honda CR-V AWD TRG (2015)

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
Roomy, functional, practical, competitively priced, and very reliable.
This is America’s top selling compact SUV for good reason. There’s very little that’s wrong with it.
Maneuverable, and easy to park.
Good back seat room, and cargo room.
Its interior feeling of airiness and spaciousness makes it pleasant to be in.
Major changes are a new engine and transmission. Honda added a direct-injection 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) to boost mileage. The all-wheel-drive CR-V’s mileage is 26/33 (city/highway) and 28 MPG combined according to EPA. We got about 25 overall.
Suspension tweaks make the handling a little better, and the ride a little stiffer.
Unlike some CVT transmissions that “whine” under even moderate acceleration, this one was largely unobtrusive. It functioned well.
Advanced safety features, like forward-collision warning and autonomous braking, are available on the top trim models.
Honda’s “LaneWatch” passenger-side camera is a major plus. Activate the right directional, and the camera turns on automatically. The camera can also be turned on manually, with a button on the directional stalk. It provides the driver a great view of the right side of the vehicle, and anything that might be in your blind spot—say, a cyclist, for example. Hash marks indicate the distances, which is a nice touch. We think every car should have this feature!
The standard backup camera is great. It comes on instantaneously, and the screen is easy to view.
We’d expect the usual impressive Honda reliability. If you want to drive this car for 250,000 miles, you can. That’s 100k more than we’d count on from competitors in this class, like the Subaru Forrester.

Cons
We hate the elimination of the volume and tuning knobs in the Infotainment system. Almost a deal breaker on a bunch of Hondas these days. The touch screen switch for radio volume is detestable.
There are two buttons for the temperature, and nothing for the volume. That’s poor design, and a surprising Honda lapse.
Also no knob available to change climate mode settings— for when you want to switch from heat to defrost, or make other climate changes.
Most automakers have already gone through this stupidity and learned from their mistakes, adding back buttons and knobs for the most commonly used vehicle controls. Let’s hope it doesn’t take Honda too long to wake up and fix this.
The CR-V has a tiny, vestigial window in the rear quarter of the car that, when combined with the small rear window, can make changing lanes a challenge. Of course, the standard backup camera helps with parking. And the LaneWatch camera to see what’s coming up on your right side. But a blind spot warning system would be a great addition to this car.