Second-hand Sense: Before the rather sudden and controversial arrival of the SUV phenomenon on the local school run, the rather restrained and, by comparison, elegant Honda CRV was the car of choice for affluent mums.
It had that county profile and some believed they were buying something far safer than an average car. The fact that its slightly elevated position meant the driver could literally look down on others was, of course, entirely coincidental.
In fairness, Honda made no outlandish claims for the CRV - it was a "compact recreational vehicle" with grass-and-gravel capacity rather than any serious off-road abilities. But it was an instant hit in leafy suburbia back in 1997 when it first appeared. It would, of course, be followed later by a plethora of such vehicles until the Celtic Tiger demanded bigger and more powerful cars with, of course, bigger and more powerful sounding names.
The CRV still doesn't look out of place at the local supermarket, which is where all such vehicles end up for their coffee break after the school run. It's a pretty spacious car with lots of interior space saved by the use of a column-mounted gearshift.
The original engine was a little limited and the 2-litre petrol unit was improved in 1999, making it a thirsty animal indeed. Overall, the CRV's consumption is less than impressive - especially given its workload is mainly in city.
The CRV, without a diesel, was never going to be a farmer's choice. With just a petrol engine, it's not a workhorse. It also has a fairly loose ride and handling feel but is comfortable nevertheless.
The car has a good Euro NCAP crash test score of four out of a possible five. The testers found it provided a "stable safety place for its occupants. The airbags worked satisfactorily in the front impact but left the driver with some risk of chest injury and his head 'bottomed out' the airbag. An otherwise good side impact performance was marred by a rear door coming partially unlatched."
The testers also noted that child restraints were good, with ISOFIX fittings, but felt that an 18-month-old child would have fared better in a rear facing restraint. Protection for pedestrians was best in class.
The CRV doesn't suffer from major reliability problems. Apart from niggly problems, among them water leaking into the rear differential, it has proved very dependable indeed.
The CRV commands a second-hand premium. A four-year-old model with 50,000 on the clock with alloys, electrics, sunroof etc. has an asking price of €18,950. A two-year-old with the same spec but with a 1.8 rather than a 2-litre petrol engine is listed at €26,780, pointing up the disadvantage of the 2-litre unit with higher consumption.