Test drive Honda CR-V 2002-2004 SUV

King Parquet

Even if you are not the first owner of this car, Honda will become a reliable friend of your whole family.
 
Tear off the hands
In August 1996, the Japanese did not react to the Moscow car dealership: Honda-CR-V was brought with the right wheel-so, to study demand. Who would have thought that within five days of the exhibition more than 300 orders for a car would be collected, which could have appeared at dealers no earlier than six months later? The first batch of CR -V dispersed its customers and then, until the beginning of 1998, Honda was sold by appointment - customers waited for the car for six months. Even when cars appeared on free sale, dealers only managed to write out certificates-counts.
 
In the secondary market, the situation is the same. Distributors bringing cars from Europe often give CR-V even before the release of the sale in the newspaper. Even those cars that wound all their kilometers around Russia are sold quickly and for good money. What is the secret of this success?
 
Firstly, the very idea of \u200b\u200ba parquet alternate occurred in Russia as well as possible. Possessing all the qualities of cars - good dynamics, controllability and efficiency, he is not afraid of broken roads brought by the snow and is able to move off the asphalt. At the same time, the SUV is much cheaper than a real jeep in operation.
 
Secondly, Honda at that time had practically no competitors. Subaru-Forester could become a worthy opponent, but he remained unexplored. And the five-door Toyota-Rav4 of the first generation with its toy design and a tight salon was only interesting until CR-V appeared.
 
Honda looks much older than Toyota and has a much more spacious salon. In addition, CR-V is very convenient in small things. The floor of the salon is absolutely even. The free space between the front seats can be filled with a folding table with cup holders. Passengers of the rear sofa can adjust the angle of inclination of separate backs and use the central armrest.
 
In addition, buyers hope for traditional Japanese reliability CR-V. In many ways, these expectations are also justified when buying a used car.
 

 
Landing in CR-V resembles a minivan: the floor of the cabin is absolutely even, and the automatic check selector is located on the right on the steering column
      

 
Check locks and air conditioning
It is too early to look for corrosion on the body of Honda, the electrical equipment of the salon also does not cause complaints and will most likely be completely serviceable. Therefore, if the mechanic does not find traces of large body repair, due to which it is better to refuse the car, you will have to check the work of door locks and air conditioning.
 
If the car used to drive along our roads, the locks of the rear side doors and the fifth door begin to sour from dirt. Do not wait until the door jams in the closed position - it will be very difficult to get to the lock. It is cheaper to disassemble and lubricate the locks when they still work. With glass windows, the story is the same. If the glass is twitched, it is better to immediately clean its rubber guides from the dirt than to subsequently change the mechanism.
 
If the air conditioner turns on what is felt by changing the engine’s operation, but the deflectors do not exude coolness, then Freon went through the tube passing in front of the radiator. Its seals are first dry when the air conditioning is not included for a long time. The tube can be a spatter of the central bracket kangaroo, through which it passes.
 
The noise from under the hood, changing tonality when turning on the conde, most likely gives the air conditioner belt tensioner, which dies by about 80,000 km or earlier if the car took mud baths. Change the video costs $ 100. Worse, when the noise comes from the clutt of the air conditioner - its replacement costs already $ 570. True, the coupling flies quite rarely.
 
There are no problems with the motor
Until the 1999 model year, a two-liter 128-horsepower engine was installed on CR-V. Then, simultaneously with restyling, the degree of compression was increased, and the power increased to 147 liters. With.
 
The engine is very frisky and is distinguished by moderate appetite. CR-V should spend 9-13 l/100 km. If the machine eats more than 15 liters and twitches during acceleration, most likely the candles came up, which rarely withstand more than 10,000 km on our 95th gasoline. In general, the engine calmly tolerates gasoline A-91: you will refuel it and the candles will really be enough for 20,000 km.
 
After 100,000 km on our roads, the cause of interruptions in the work of the motor can be lawyed injections and mud in the air channels of the throttle and the idle regulator. It is treated with ultrasound cleaning of nozzles and flushing the canals with a special spray.
 
The gaps in the valves are ordered to check every 40,000 km. They are regulated by a screw and a nut, so it will be necessary to pay only one hour of the mechanic. By the way, when installing the valve cover, the angles of its laying (only angles!) Should be greased with sealant, otherwise the gasket will snap.
 
A 100,000 km will require a planned replacement of the timing belt. Not sure of the true run and that the belt has changed? Then, when buying it, it is better to update it on an elastic basis. Usually, only the belt worth $ 80 changes for the first time, and its tension video ($ 89) and the water pump ($ 179) live up to 200,000 km. But if the condition of the roller or pump is in doubt, it is cheaper to change them simultaneously with the belt. When the belt is removed, only 0.1 and 0.2 hours of additional time are allocated to replace the roller and pump. Otherwise, you will have to pay once again for 2.5 hours for removing the belt installation. The stingy, as you know, pays twice.
 
By the way, the water pump usually begins to flow from the old, which has lost the properties of antifreeze or after overheating of the motor. Accordingly, after 50,000 km, as expected, it is necessary to change the antifreeze and annually remove the fluff and dirt, which are stuffed between the radiators of the engine and air conditioning.
 
    
There are no empty CR-V
When looking for Honda, you can count on two airbags, a central lock and a full electric package. On all cars sold through Russian official dealers, there is also air conditioning. It may not be in the European woman, but the distillery almost always install the condo before importing the car to Russia.
That is, in addition to a manual or automatic gearbox, the issue of choosing a configuration is reduced to the presence or absence of cast discs, hatch and luggage relings on the roof, headlight washer and ABS.

   
If, after impact on coarse irregularity, the engine stalled and when the ignition is re -turned on, the green lamp with the key symbol does not flash, then the emergency fuel supply switch has worked. To start the engine, you need to press the switch button located on the right by the central console under the glove box cover (photo on the right)
 
 
CR-V Salon is replete with containers for small things
 
The rear passengers can use the central armrest and adjust the angle of inclination of the backs
   
 
The machine gun is preferable
Even if you know how to use the advantages of mechanics on off -road, this number will not pass with Honda. Firstly, in its transmission, the rear wheels are connected only at the beginning of the front slipping, with some delay. With this scheme, all off -road skills of the driver come down to stupidly pressing the gas pedal. Secondly, like most SUVs, CR-V does not have a lowering gear. Accordingly, in order to move from the place in the sand or in the mud, you have to twist the motor and burn the clutch. Even if you do not move off the asphalt, it is unlikely to last more than 90,000 km (replacing $ 570 with work). If you have to make it pretty much, then along with the clutch, you may have to change the plowed flywheel of the engine - another $ 620. It’s easier to move on a soft soil with an automatic box, and the hydrotransformer, unlike clutch, does not burn.
 
In addition, a smoothly operating machine extends the life of other transmission nodes. For example, the backlash in the crosses of the cardan shaft with a manual box appears after 80,000 km, and with automatic - only to 110-120 thousand. For the owner, this is a large waste. The fact is that separately the crosses of Honda are not supplied. For official dealers, the price of a cardan assembly is simply unrealistic - $ 2400. In a small company selling original spare parts, you buy it for $ 1600, which is also not cheap. You can, of course, turn to Kulibin, who will pick up similar crosses and install them with alterations, which will cost $ 400. But here is the quality of such treatment
 
Another responsible node is the rear -wheel drive hydromoft. About 80,000 km with a manual box and to 100,000 km - a howl of a howl in it appears when triggered. It is eliminated by double oil replacement in the rear axle gearbox, combined with a hydromoft. Moreover, only branded Honda oil is used, the variety of which was changed two years ago. Apparently, the Japanese know about the existence of a problem. Nevertheless, mechanics recommend changing oil not after 80,000 km, as prescribed, but twice as often.
 
So, an automatic box for CR-V is preferable. When inspecting the car with a machine gun, check the ease of moving the lever to the D3, D2 and D1 ranges. Since the lever is located on the steering column and connected to the box cables, and in real operation below position D is usually not switched, the drive can acidify. Do not try to tear out the lever - the lubrication and development of the drive will solve all problems. If you do not abuse off -road, use the box correctly and change the oil in it after 40,000 km, it will work properly. Up to about 150,000 km, when the wear of the first and fourth packages of frictions appears. The box does not die overnight, but after a while it will still have to be repaired. In the Hondovsky service, it costs $ 2500, and in a specialized box technical center - almost half the cheaper. To extend the friction resource, make it a rule to change the oil in the box twice as often than the instruction requires.
 
 
In the trunk for your service, a 12-volt outlet, a hook for bags, a picnic table and a bath for dirty things. After the 99th model year, the bumpers paint in the color of the body
     
 
Silent-block of the rear longitudinal lever can be changed separately (arrow 1). Bent transverse lever (arrow 2) - the consequences of the fight against off -road
 
 
The chassis gets tired after a hundred thousand
By Khonda standards, weak details in the pendant and steering of CR -V are bushings and front stabilizer racks, steering rods and rear shock absorbers, which along our roads are enough for 60,000 - 80,000 km. In the same period, the bearings of the front hubs may require replacement, the service life of which is unpredictable and depends on how often you catch strong blows. Replacing one bearing costs $ 165.
 
Other chassis details usually serve at least 100,000 km. Among them, the silent blocks of the longitudinal supporting levers of the rear suspension should be noted, which begin to crack after 90,000 km. Silent blocks are not supposed to be separately, and the Honda dealers offer to change both levers assembled, each of which costs $ 600 or $ 450 in small firms. Do not hurry. Independent merchants of spare parts learned to order silent blocks separately at $ 70 apiece.
 
Also, by about a hundred, internal silent blocks (or, as they are called, butterflies) of the upper transverse levers of the rear suspension will require replacements. Do not miss this moment, otherwise they will quickly pull four other transverse levers that could live up to 130-150 thousand.
 
In our conditions, the steering rack has to be pulled every 40-50 thousand. However, after 100,000-120,000 km in it, an uncertain transverse backlash will appear in it from a broken plastic sleeve. It is impractical to change the sleeve. In the future, you will have to pay $ 1,500 per new rail.
 
The brakes on CR-V are phenomenally durable. The front pads are enough for an average of 50,000 km with an automatic box and 70,000 km with mechanics. Accordingly, the discs are three times longer. It is only possible that one day they will have to be made. To avoid acidification and breakdowns of guide brake calipers, make it a rule on each, take the pads and clean the brake mechanisms from dirt. In the rear drum brakes, the pads are approximately 80,000 km, and the front wears out much faster than the rear. If you change their places, the pads will pass another 40 thousand. It is also possible to fail the rear sensors of the ABS, which cost $ 210 apiece. There is nothing to be done - dirt and salt know their business.
    
The consequences of off-road
If you look at CR-V in front, under the bumper you can see an impressive chrome pipe resembling powerful protection. In fact, this props not only instantly bends, but also captivates the bumper attached to it. Now look under the belly and pay attention to the muffler, which is indecently hanging between the front and rear wheels. When the machine is loaded, less than 15 cm of the clearance remains under it. But most often, the exhaust is damaged when they hand over in reverse and rest against something with a huge samovar of the rear muffler. The suspension is also quite tender. If you start jumping on pits and tractor ruts, you will regularly change the levers and rotary fists. In general, the pleasure of settling will cost a lot.
Remember: Honda-CR-V is not an alternate, but an all-wheel drive passenger car with increased road clearance. He will easily pass where ordinary cars are difficult to wipe. But more from CR-V cannot be demanded.
 
From $ 15,000 to $ 18,000
So many CR-V issues of 1997-1998 are worth. With such a narrow price fork, it is enough to make a bit to get a little to get tortured instead of a good car. About $ 15,000 are either in 1997, which drove around Russia, or second -rate goods from there. The price of a decent 1997 machine from Europe starts at $ 16,500. True, 1999 cars are about to appear on the market and the CR-V 97th will turn into five-year plan. Accordingly, the distillations were nervous and are often ready to give a good copy of 97 years for $ 15,900-16,000.
 
Without a doubt, Honda-Cr-V costs its money. This is a very convenient all -weather car that will become a true friend for the whole family. In any case, I have never heard from the owners of bad reviews about CR-V. At the same time, even a used Honda remains a very reliable car, not particularly burdensome in operation. Yes, you may be expected by one -time large expenses for replacing a cardan shaft, steering racks and, possibly, repair of an automatic box. You just have to be prepared for them. Moreover, you will encounter such things when buying almost any used car.
 
As for the current costs, they can be reduced by 30-40%, if you buy spare parts and not at the official dealer, but in the unauthorized, but specializing service specializing in Honda. It makes sense to visit the branded technical center before buying a car, where they will tell you for $ 100-120 whether it is worth contacting it.
 
Alexander Konov, photo Alexander Sadovnikov
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [04/02]