2nd Generation Honda CRV

[Wendelspanswick]

I'm after a cheapish 4wd and I'm tempted by a 2003 Honda CRV with 120,000 miles and full mot for £1495.
It hasn't got to have brilliant off road capability, just get me up my unmade track without tearing the surface up. I can get up the track in my Renault Trafic but it's tearing the track up and trashing the van.
Anyone owned a CRV, anything I need to look out for, it's the 2L petrol version.

 

[Ruffian]

Front ball joints and rear arm bushes are starting to wear due to age and mileage. But nothing to drastic.

Cracking cars really. The 4wd system is a way clutch in the rear diff to bite when slips.

 

[dobbslc]

Anyone owned a CRV, anything I need to look out for, it's the 2L petrol version.

I had one and it was bullet proof.
Nothing went wrong in 5 years of ownership (115k)' other than battery replacement and servicing.
Rear wheels only cut in when it sences lack of front wheel traction and you can't really feel it working. Good spec on the EX version. Very good cars!
I bought a Poxhall Infieria after and regretted it big time

 

[Pete.]

I had an original one T reg. Couldn't fault it and I was sorry to see it go. It never gave me any trouble at all. Wife insisted we needed a new car so we got a new car.

 

[Perry Owens]

Had my 2001 model for 10 years now with no major problems. great on snow and ice and not bad on mud. I snap an anti roll bar link now and again but that's hauling a load of steel targets and rifles up a very steep woodland track. Check out the aircon as I believe the compressor can be a weak part.

 

[stuvy]

Personally I’d go for a RAV4 Iv got a mk1 and I honestly can’t fault it. It was given to me two years ago and Iv hammered it into next week. It starts every time first time. The exhaust used to sit too low but Iv lifted that now. It’s a mk1 with 2.0 petrol. It is juicy but I keep it taxed and tested for winter for the missus and I case my parents or a mate need to borrow a car for a bit.

It’s also got the best heater of any car Iv ever know

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Personally I’d go for a RAV4 Iv got a mk1 and I honestly can’t fault it. It was given to me two years ago and Iv hammered it into next week. It starts every time first time. The exhaust used to sit too low but Iv lifted that now. It’s a mk1 with 2.0 petrol. It is juicy but I keep it taxed and tested for winter for the missus and I case my parents or a mate need to borrow a car for a bit.

It’s also got the best heater of any car Iv ever know

I did think about the Rav4 but there is a huge choice of CRVs on the market and only a few Rav4s.

 

[Robbie260]

Personally dont like the cross over suv things would say go for a proper 4x4 as the system is much easier to fix if it gose wrong. If it dosent have a low range box wouldnt touch it oddly this dose allow the 1st and 2nd generation subaru forester to make the list. Sizuki jiminy or grand vitara are also very good in the small catergory.

In the not so small, nissan patrol (rare in the uk, more people that own them dont want to let them go) mitsisbushi shogun, dihatsu fortak, any pick up etc. Toyota land cruiser or lexus equivalent as just minor body and badge changes.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Personally dont like the cross over suv things would say go for a proper 4x4 as the system is much easier to fix if it gose wrong. If it dosent have a low range box wouldnt touch it oddly this dose allow the 1st and 2nd generation subaru forester to make the list. Sizuki jiminy or grand vitara are also very good in the small catergory.

In the not so small, nissan patrol (rare in the uk, more people that own them dont want to let them go) mitsisbushi shogun, dihatsu fortak, any pick up etc. Toyota land cruiser or lexus equivalent as just minor body and badge changes.

Like I said all it has to do is get up my access track so no need for high ground clearance and poor fuel economy from a traditional 4x4.
I can get up my track in my 2wd van so long as its not too loaded up but I get a lot of wheel spin which cuts the track up and peppers the side of the van in mud and stones.
Why would I need low ratio!

 

[Kayos]

My 1.8 Freelander did 18k hard miles, other than normal servicing it needed a clutch slave bracket £10

Bought cheap, £250 to do head gasket and that’s it

Plenty of off roading as well

 

[stuvy]

You were a lucky boy there kayos

 

[Kayos]

You were a lucky boy there kayos

Just myths, people run them with no servicing or basic maintenance then when it fails it’s land rovers fault

 

[steveo3002]

Do they Rot much?

 

[Perry Owens]

Personally dont like the cross over suv things would say go for a proper 4x4 as the system is much easier to fix if it gose wrong

It's a Honda - why would it go wrong? Seriously though, the OP said he doesn't need a serious off-roader. The CRV has good ground clearance and pretty good off-road capability and the on-road ride and handling is a lot better than many 4x4s. Should you ever need them used spares are plentiful. I bought a complete rear door in the correct colour for £50 and sold on the bits I didn't need for £40.

 

[dobbslc]

You won't go wrong with one!
When I got mine I tried looking for a UK forum on them in case anything went wrong with it but found very little! No Haynes manuals either (at the time anyway) do that for any Vauxhall and you'll be inundated with disaster stories!

 

[vwmark]

We have a 2003. Bought 2 years ago for £800 and having added 25k nothing at all has gone wrong. Now done 140k.
Parts are cheap if you buy when they come up on ebay.
Drives great. No rattles etc. Feel i could jump in and drive anywhere.

 

[addjunkie]

I have my fathers to sell, but its a bit newer than that, drives nice!

 

[Robbie260]

It's a Honda - why would it go wrong? Seriously though, the OP said he doesn't need a serious off-roader. The CRV has good ground clearance and pretty good off-road capability and the on-road ride and handling is a lot better than many 4x4s. Should you ever need them used spares are plentiful. I bought a complete rear door in the correct colour for £50 and sold on the bits I didn't need for £40.

Like I said all it has to do is get up my access track so no need for high ground clearance and poor fuel economy from a traditional 4x4.
I can get up my track in my 2wd van so long as its not too loaded up but I get a lot of wheel spin which cuts the track up and peppers the side of the van in mud and stones.
Why would I need low ratio!

Viscous coupling seizing and destroying the rear differential is a very common problem with the cross over types, esspecially bad for it are freelanders, be very very careful when buying. Any knocking nosies coming from the rear when reversing esspecially round a corner on hard lock walk away. Viscous couplings are expensive enough on thier own but if they have taken the rear diff with them to you are in for a very big bill.

Reason i say low range is you will probably never need it but it being on a 4x4 garuntees it has a proper transfer case which are more reliable and if they do go worng but are far simpler and cheaper to fix, and the front and rear diffs on the types with them are far simpler and cheaper to fix too.

If you have a 2 wheel drive van switching to a bonafied 4x4 of similar size wont really lose you much fuel consumption at all. Why not just get a 4x4 van and wrap it to protect the paint work. You can even get clear plastic wrap that shows the original paint colour through by 3m.

 

[HughF]

Honda, probably the most reliable Japanese car on the market. My mum had two that she ran into the 200k mark, both killed by rot eventually. They never needed anything apart from discs and pads.

 

[Keith 66]

My wife drives a 98 Crv, 2l, cambelt replaced a while back its now up to nearly 170,000 miles & still going strong, sunroof motor died fortunately with the roof shut, that's it. It just goes. Dunno what she will replace it with, another one probably!