2002-2006 Honda CR-V: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

More interior room, greater power, new styling, and fresh features highlighted the redesigned CR-V, which arrived for 2002. Like the 1997-2001 original, Honda's CR-V was a four-door, five-passenger compact sport-utility vehicle with a side-hinged tailgate and four-cylinder engine. Wheelbase was unchanged and no exterior dimension grew more than 1.3 inches. Even so, new interior panels expanded cabin width by 3.6 inches, rear leg room increased 2.7 inches, and cargo volume gained 5 cubic feet. A new 160-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine replaced the previous 146-hp 2.0-liter. Manual and optional automatic transmissions were available. The LX model came with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The EX was all-wheel-drive only. Honda's AWD system did not have low-range gearing. Power windows and locks, cruise control, cassette/CD audio, tilt steering column, and height-adjustable driver's seat were standard. Antilock braking was limited to the EX, where it was standard. Front side airbags--new to CR-V--were standard on the EX and optional for the LX, as were alloy wheels. A sunroof was new this year, exclusive to the EX as standard equipment. Leather upholstery was not offered on any model. All models had a 60/40 split folding rear seat. The innovative lift-out rear cargo floor could double as a folding picnic table. Honda's CR-V competed against the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, and Subaru Forester.