Howdy, it’s been a while since I last wrote something for CC. I did a COAL series back in 2018 but never did installments on our daily drivers at that time: a 2006 CR-V and a 2009 Accord. The Accord was a dependable, functional car but I never loved it enough to write about it. The CR-V, however, has been one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.
It was also the second car my wife and I bought together. We were driving a 2-door Jeep Cherokee purchased cheaply from a neighbor, but that wasn’t optimal for transporting our infant daughter, even with doors as large as they were. Getting her in and out required the flexibility of a gymnast and the patience of a saint. And while the Jeep was reliable, it was thirsty—and I already had a thirsty 2-door truck in the garage.
I’ve always been a Honda guy, ever since driving a 1978 Civic for the winter in high school (it was my sister’s car, but also her first year in college), and I fell in love with its 72HP CVCC engine mated to a precise 5-speed manual transmission. At that point I was used to shifting the Dodge D200 wrecker we used in my Dad’s repo lot, which was almost as sloppy a pattern as the one in my ’73 VW bus. The Dodge required experimentation and familiarization with roughly where each of the gears should be, while the Honda had a very short throw and surgically defined slots where the lever should be.
The Civic, while optimized for fuel and emissions efficiency, was lightweight and engineered to grip the road. 72HP doesn’t sound like much, but that little car could get up and out of its own way quickly, while sipping gas at cruising speed.
Later, I owned a well-used ’86 CRX that still had a lot of life, even though it had been beat on by my girlfriend’s brother. Engineered with the same goals, it reminded me a lot of the Civic—a small package bolted together with efficiency in mind, which also happened to be a blast to drive. It only had 58 horsepower but at 1,865 lbs it was a roller skate, and 100 lbs. lighter than the Accord was.
Both of these cars made an impression on me: they were built better than most of the other vehicles my family had cycled through or that I’d driven out of the repo lot, especially the Chryslers my father favored at that point in time. They were economical, they stood up to harsh winters, they were fun as hell to drive, and I could fit a ton of crap in them.
So when it was time to look for a used vehicle for my family, I investigated the compact SUV market, beginning with Honda. I’d always liked the look of the second-generation CR-Vs and started there, comparing them with the RAV-4. To be honest, I really didn’t look much past Honda and Toyota, although my mother and sister were pushing me to consider a Subaru (a few years before, they walked into a dealership together and bought an Outback and Forester on the same day) and while the Forester looked good, well-known head gasket issues struck the Outback, and the Forester’s habit of eating wheel bearings scared me away.
One of the key attributes of each model was the fact that they were available with a manual. My wife insisted on this, coming from the Saturn SC-2 that she learned on. We tested both models and found that we liked the CR-V more. I do remember she preferred the tall seating position, bright greenhouse, and visibility in the Honda over that of the RAV4, and given that this was going to be her primary car, we decided on that.
A shot from the day we brought it home. So shiny!
Given what they are and who they were aimed at, I knew a manual would be difficult to find, so I set up some CarMax alerts and waited. Soon enough, a low-mileage 2006 showed up about 15 miles away from us, and we ran to the dealer to look it over. I’d printed out the listing and waved off the salesman’s attempts to show us other models; we only wanted to see this car.
Based on unscientific observation, I would estimate 98% of the 2006 models were painted silver and this one was no exception. It was just coming off lease with 39K miles on the clock, but it was in excellent shape, the transmission was tight, the engine was peppy, and there were no major issues I could find. We signed the paperwork and drove it off the lot. I always joked that it was my daughter’s car, because we bought it to drive her wherever she needed to go.
And for 15 years, it’s been a reliable, bulletproof vehicle for our family. Our car was assembled in the Swindon UK plant and it was built as solid as a tank. In 2006, the EX model was loaded with premium features, something my long history with beaters left me unaccustomed to: we were treated to power locks, windows, and a sunroof; cruise control, VSA and ABS brakes, and a full suite of airbags, which was crucial for child transportation. We got a 6-disc CD changer/cassette deck at the very tail end of the cassette era, before cars came with an Aux jack (the iPhone was new in 2006).
Podded and ready for adventure. This was the closest I’ve ever been to a minivan.
I almost immediately put an OEM set of roof rails and racks on it so that I could mount a pod up there, which came in super-handy when we drove to the beach for vacation. It’s amazing how much stuff you have to bring to support one child. Later I bought and installed a class III hitch on the back in order to tow a U-Haul trailer home when my parents moved and asked us to help clear out the house.
Loaded down with reclaimed wood, idling in the cornfield next to where my grandparents’ barn used to stand.
That same year, I used it to haul a bunch of reclaimed wood from my grandparents’ barn, which had finally collapsed during a windstorm. That was 10 years ago; I still have a stack of hand-hewn beams and faded red barnboard stored in the garage waiting for inspiration to strike.
The remainder of the original clearcoat.
It’s had its share of small issues, of course. The plastic headlights continue to fog over, requiring a couple of hours of polishing with the ubiquitous 3M kit every two years. The taillight on the driver’s side burns out at about the same interval. We had an issue with the clearcoat on the hood starting in 2016, where it began peeling off around the edges, eventually disappearing in large sheets. I sourced a replacement hood in 2018 and had it swapped out in half an hour, which made a huge difference. In 2019 we had to do major surgery on the A/C unit, which had succumbed to the dreaded Black Death. And recently the MAP air sensor started throwing a code. I bought a new part, had my local shop install it, and the new part started throwing the same code again, so I’ve ignored it.
Damage done when the parking brake wasn’t set correctly.
Everything else we’ve had to do has been elective or something that was our fault. In 2014 somebody cut out the catalytic converter while it was parked at the train station; that was an expensive repair job, but covered by insurance. In 2022 my wife parked it on a slight incline and apparently the parking brake wasn’t set all the way; the car gamely backed its way down a hill and into the front bumper of a Jeep, ruining the rear hatch. We had that replaced with insurance, but the alignment is slightly off, which bugs me to this day.
Being 18 years old, there are several understandable issues with a car this age. The rubber seals around the doors are shrinking and flapping. I’ve replaced the two seals around the front windows, but the junkyard parts I swapped on five years ago have also met their end of life. The handbrake handle is loose, meaning the BRAKE light is always lit even though it’s not engaged. And it’s beginning to burn more oil, which is nothing I’m shocked about, given that it’s got 170K on the odometer.
The engine is still running strong for its age. The K20A4 of that era made 156HP off the lot, but I’d assume 20 or so of those horses have been eroded by time and worn rings. She’s got a ton of pep for her age, though, and having a 5-speed manual means I can still merge into traffic without worrying about waiting for a slushbox to catch up.
The remains of my ’09 Accord. We were fine, the deer was not. This was a perfectly acceptable car, but I never loved it the way I wanted to.
Contrast that with the 2024 CR-V. A deer totalled my ’09 Accord the day before Thanksgiving 2024, so we needed a reliable replacement: I would take the ’06 and she would upgrade to the new vehicle. We gave Toyota a try but found their sales staff unhelpful and the new RAV-4 uncomfortable. We requested the equivalent gas engine trim level to do an apples-to-apples comparison, but the salesman kept putting us in hybrids, which had a higher trim level and a completely different feel at the pedal. The interior of the RAV4 felt a bit harsher ergonomically, and while it had lots of nice features, we were put off by the car, the salesman, and the price.
At the Honda dealership, they put us directly in the car we wanted, and except for a few minor quibbles, we both really liked it. And to their credit, our salesman was very good, the purchase experience was smooth, and they had a car in a color we liked (Canyon Blue, the darker of the two shades available), so we pulled the trigger.
Inside, the car compares almost equally to the ’06 CR-V, minus a sunroof (which we really don’t need anyway) and a folding table in the rear well. It’s a little more cramped inside than the earlier model, probably as a result of the extra padding, airbags, and safety bracing. Honda also moved the spare inside the car in the third generation and shrank it to a 50-mile donut, so the deep well under the rear floor is gone. I wasn’t happy with the thin sheet of plastic used for the rear floor so I cut a piece of 1/4″ plywood and replaced it. I also sprang for some aftermarket floor mats, a divider for the center console to help with organization, and seat covers to save the upholstery from our dog’s fur.
The controls are all laid out relatively well, although the button arrangement for the HVAC controls still confuses me. And I’m happy they are physical buttons and not touchscreen controls. We have upgraded to heated seats, split A/C zones, and my daughter has vents pointed at the back seat. This car also upgraded us to remote start, which is a blessing in December when it’s time to drive to school. Our model did not come with wireless charging or AirPlay, which is a minor quibble. I wonder how much work it would take to swap in a replacement from the next model up.
The engine in this one is a turbocharged L15BE, making 190HP at 6000RPM. Almost nobody is making a manual anymore unless you spring for a Sport model in particular segments, so we had to settle for a CVT. Thus, the extra 60 horsepower aren’t noticeable unless you really kick it in the pants. This is the first CVT I’ve really driven, and I have to say I’m not a huge fan of the buzzy noise the drivetrain makes at odd times. I don’t notice it under the pedal unless we’re descending a hill and the RPM stays abnormally high but I hear it working hard.
I detest the assorted brake/lane assist nannyware built into the car, which requires disabling every time the engine is started. I understand this is an IIHC requirement but it’s extremely irritating and I find the BRAKE warnings to be inconsistent and sometimes wrong. But I hear that’s pretty much standard across all makes, so it’s not anything we’d be able to get away from with any manufacturer. I will say Honda’s implementation is touchier than that of the Chevrolet/Nissan/Subaru rentals I drove while we were shopping for a new car.
Having recently driven both cars long-distance, I will say there are things I like about both cars, but I still lean towards the ’06 for comfort. The seating position is comfortable and there’s more room in the cabin. The car is admittedly noisier now that the weatherstripping is dissolving. The new car was built with hands-free Bluetooth in mind, so I’m sure there’s another 50 lbs. of soundproofing stuffed in the cracks, and it makes a difference. If Honda could only stop making crappy steering wheels; they’ve put a pair of vertical spokes at the 6 o’clock position where my hand normally rests, and it makes long-distance driving uncomfortable (this was the same in the ’09 Accord, and it always made me mad). The ’06 steering wheel is thin and avoids that stupid design.
I recently took the ’06 up to New York to see my family, a round trip of about 500 miles. The car is still full of power and feels at home on the highway doing 75mph with the cruise control on. Apart from burning a half a quart of oil and averaging 23mpg, it ran flawlessly, spinning the odometer to 170K on the way home.
I mentioned that I called ’06 my daughter’s car, and Honda may literally prove me right. She’s 16 now, and while she’s not chomping at the bit to learn how to drive (how are modern kids not interested in driving? I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license) this will wind up actually being her car. She’s going to learn how to drive stick for multiple reasons: it’s built-in theft protection, three of our four cars have manual transmissions, and I don’t want any of her friends driving the car. I’m doing everything I can to keep it serviced and on the road, and even if it takes her another couple of years to get her act together, I’m pretty sure it will be ready for her, dependable as ever.
I wonder if our 2006 CRV (painted silver, of course) came down the Swindon assembly line the same week as yours. We bought it after one ride in a friend’s CR-V. We were impressed by its space utilization – the car seemed larger inside than out – and my wife like sitting up high with big windows all the way around.
Ours had an automatic, although I’d always preferred shifting for myself. The new Honda was to be my wife’s car and she was less enthusiastic about 3-pedal driving than I was. This particular automatic was one of the best – it always anticipated what gear I wanted to be in.
After we’d had the car about 10 years we remembered we had a picnic table in the trunk floor and set it up for a picnic, exactly once.
I don’t remember many problems with the car. Honda recalled it to replace the Takata airbags, and recalled it again to replace the replacements. The rear-mounted spare looked good but made the door heavy to open and close. Eventually the top hinge snapped off. I ordered a replacement on the Internet – it was a massive casting – and replaced it myself, so we had one black hinge and one silver.
After 15 years our CR-V had a lot of minor problems, like noisy wheel bearings, and I didn’t want to put money into the repairs. We replaced it with a RAV4 hybrid about which I had zero enthusiasm at first, but I’ve grown to appreciate it more and more. 50% improvement in MPG compared to the old Honda and quicker, too. I hope it lasts as long as our CR-V.
I’d bet your car did come from the UK—as I recall that was one of the main assembly plants for the 2nd gen CR-V. I read recently Honda closed that plant, which is too bad; they did a good job building cars.
Whenever I’m in a junkyard I check out the CR-V selection for bits and bobs I might need (weatherstripping, especially); the hidden table is almost always gone.
I was recently in the market for a CRV or RAV4 or Kia Seltos.
Went with the RAV4 due to the CVT transmission in the other two. The CVT transmission went out on my sister’s Nissan just past the warranty period and Nissan was very lacking in any type of customer support. She took a substantial hit to replace the car.
Other will brag about the CVT, but my sister’s experience made me gun shy. As the say goes: “A satisfied customer might tell 2-3 people, but a dissatisfied customer will tell 10-12 others.”
Time will tell with the CRV and Seltos transmissions.
I too was shopping in this class last winter, and I selected a low-miles 2017 Mazda CX-5. There were many factors that pointed me in that direction, but one of the big ones was the conventional geared 6-speed automatic transmission.
Lol about your daughter’s driving disinterest. Same here; my kid finally got her license at 20 (and about a year after I had already bought a car for her use). But 4 years later she’s an old pro as a cautious defensive driver thankfully.
Yeah, I think anxiety has a lot to do with it; I’m waiting for her teenage quest for freedom to overtake that fear. I grew up in a much more rural area with fewer cars and open roads, so I can’t say I blame her—there are a lot of cars around me, and the drivers tend to be more offensive than defensive.
I have one of each – my older daughter is now 18 and doesn’t have her license yet, largely because doing so requires things like Effort and Work, neither of which she likes.
My younger daughter just turned 15-and-a-half, and got her learner’s permit on the first day she was eligible. She’s enjoying learning to drive, and looks forward to getting her license.
My wife and I bought a new 2002 CRV in blue. We loved that vehicle so much. We kept it for 16 years and ended up putting 233,000 miles on it. It had the 4 speed automatic for my wife. I would have liked the manual myself but the automatic was nice too. We also had to get the A/C fixed and I was shocked at how much that cost but it worked great for the rest of the time we own the car. The airbags also had to be replaced (twice). We finally sold it when the alternator quit on the day we were moving to a new house. The estimate to get it fixed was almost twice what it was worth so we decided to sell it instead. One of the guys from the moving company we used ended up buying it. We were very sad to see it go.
Don’t count on letting your daughter drive the CRV stop her friends from driving it too. Our kids both taught a few friends to drive stick in our cars, which we only learned about later. Based on the current condition of the VW, about 15 years later, no clutches were harmed.
Ha ha, yeah, I suppose I should prepare myself for that. I taught my best friend how to drive stick in the repo lot in a bank-owned Corolla, I believe (I never told my Dad).
Interesting reading .
My ex wife had a CR-V and I liked it quite a bit, she let it go after 7 years +/-, a very short time in rust free California, she also never puts on the miles like most so I’m sure there’s someone *very* happy with it, she didn’t smoke / et / etc. whilst driving either so it looked essentially new when she traded it in .
Hopefully your daughter will learn to like it .
-Nate
Nice review. Your house sounds like our house, counting motorcycles we are 7/8 manual transmission. Both our kids were reluctant to learn manual, but both have a 5-speed Focus now and love it. Our daughter came on board the day she wanted to go to Starbucks, but the Grand Caravan was not available. I just said “well you can go but you’ll have to take the Focus” and she did it just fine.
One of my co-workers has a 2007 CRV and a 2024 Pilot. His wife likes the old CRV so much that the Pilot sits in the garage and only gets used when the CRV is being repaired.
I’m a fan of mid-2000s Hondas – my daily driver now is our 2009 Odyssey that my wife and I bought new. It now has 170,000 mi., and like your CR-V has its share of teenage-car issues, but with any luck it’ll last as cost-efficient transportation for a few more years. It’s great to look back on a major purchase, like a car, and realize that you made a good choice.
More ROOM in the ’06 CR-V cabin than the 2024? Uhhh…….. I bought my grandson a very used ’04 CRV (and my wife had a ’01). My legs and hips TELL me I am noticeably more cramped in my grandson’s 180K mile CR-V than I am in my wife’s 2020 EX CR-V. Now I’m down to just over 6′, but I was still 6’4″ when my wife got her first CR-V; I was quite cramped for legroom in that SUV. Obviously not quite as bad now altho I am now used to My Accord. 🙂
The power seat in her ’20 CR-V is certainly nowhere near the comfort/support level of my ’21 Accord Touring, but both seats are-to my pinched nerve spine and butchered left hip replacement-far superior to the seats Honda put in the older CR-Vs. I might note those older Honda seats are VASTLY superior to the buckets in my ’88 Camaro IROC-Z. A old SUV with more supportive seats than a “sporty” pony car; how does that make sense from a marketing pov??
The “REAL” A/T my wife’s 01 CR-V and my grandson’s ’04 CR-V use are-IMO- far superior to the “rubber band” CVT trans in the current CR-Vs. However EPA RULE$ and build co$t$ take precedence over owner satisfaction!! You WILL like what you are allowed to buy….remember that! Also, given the head gasket i$$ue with the 1.5L turbo the old f.i. 2.4L (IIRC) 4s in the early CR-Vs’ keep running and running……another PLU$!! 🙂 DFO
I checked interior specs per Honda: they are close. I suspect the shape of the seat and floorpan create the “tighter feel” I have in the older CR-V vs my wife’s 2020. Anyhow: legroom: 41.3″ both versions, Hiproom: 54.5″ ’04/55.1″ ’20, Headroom: 40.9″ ’04, 38″ 20 with moon roof.
I think the fact that there’s no console in between the front seats helps it feel roomy. I’ve never had a problem with the seats in either car—they’re both good for long-distance driving in my experience.
This was a very entertaining read. Really enjoyed about life with a Honda.
We have a 2011 CR-V with about 55,000 miles on it. It’s my wife’s car, champaign beige, her mom bought it new in FL and my wife inherited it when her mom died in 2016. It’s a roomy car and tall, I prefer using her car when ferrying my 88 yo dad around because of that ease. But I find it a boring car to drive because it doesn’t have the pep I’m used to in my Venza (I4 vs. V6) and it is especially sluggish when we go to the mountains of western NC (we have taken it only once and never again). It is a tolerant car for my wife (who is a candidate for worst driver to be trapped in a car with) and she doesn’t drive it that much since we don’t take it out of town and she is 100% WFH. The car has not been a mechanical issue though she’s been in two minor accidents over the years. When it’s time to sell we’re hoping to get a good return.
The only car I ever leased was a 1997 Honda Accord with a 5 speed manual. It was good highway car, and I don’t mind rowing. And I get my rowing in even today because I still have my ’01 Nissan Frontier truck as my backup vehicle.
A great article. A friend has a 2000 Accord EX V6 with well over 325,000 miles. He refuses to give it up and to that end probably spends more on repairs than he should. His automatic transmission went out last year and he put $6000 into a new one!
We had a 21 CR-V in the family. It was my father in laws. It was a nice vehicle, loaded to the gills. But I was really torqued off at the dealer. He was 80 when he went to look at it and not in his right mind. They convinced him to lease it…for $608 a month. And they added to that lease the extra cost floor liner package, so he was paying for those every month. He simply could not afford it and I have worked for/with a dealer in Ohio for years. When they looked over the paperwork and pointed this out, I was hot. Anyway, we traded it in for a gently used and much more affordable Chevy Equinox.
When it came to us needing a car last summer, I wouldn’t even look at the Honda dealer. We picked up a new Nissan Rogue and I’ll say for all the horrible publicity, it’s been a great car. It has just under 17,000 miles and the dealer gave a lifetime power train warranty due to the CVT.
Is this a 250,000 mile car? Nope. But it’ll serve us for the next several years.
The Mrs and I test drove a 2006 CR-V before we decided to buy the Fit. The CR-V was bigger inside, but not a lot bigger, and we decided to get a car that did one or two things really well (be inexpensive and economical) rather than one that did a lot of things decently but was not perfect for any of them. Truthfully, I always liked the original CR-V better than the 2nd gen.
When we were looking for a new car a year ago, I briefly looked at Hondas, but I have a bias against CVT transmissions, and it is mighty hard to find a new Honda without one. I was close to choosing a Mazda CX-5 before we went a totally different route and chose the Charger. Hondas have been my favorite Asian cars for many years, but their newer ones leave me kind of cold. I hope I am wrong about their CVT and that you get as much use and enjoyment out of the new one as you have gotten from the old one.
Funny story: my wife and I did a test-drive of a used 2014 Fit at Carmax a couple of weeks ago for her sister (who is not a car person). It reminded me why I liked the Fit so much back in the day, and made me mad I chose the Accord over it. Remarkably roomy inside, decent build quality, and economy.
Regrettably, the sister didn’t buy the Fit, which we were recommending; I think she’s going to be dumb and go back to the buy-here pay-here thieves who screwed her the last time (a clapped-out Kia that immediately started throwing Check Engine codes the day she drove it off the lot).
Great article, and parts of it are familiar to me as well. My wife and I bought an off-lease 2010 Sentra with 39k that we still own (now at 220k). It’s been a great car and we still get compliments on its appearance despite having hit a fawn, a racoon, and the side of the garage door opening and having been rear ended in a parking lot by a 2000s Impala (none left significant enough damage to repair).
We got her a 2023 Corolla Cross a year and a half ago, primarily because it is the only car in its segment to have a tow rating (1500 lbs, enough for a utility trailer and a riding mower, etc which avoids having to use our Silverado 2500HD for small loads) and the RAV4/CRV segment is stickering at almost 10k more in many cases. We wanted to go used, but the HRV/Trax were very small in the late 2010s and looked like toys, and the CRV had engine issues in the mid 2010s and RAV4s were expensive and hard to come by.
We still have the Sentra, the only issues have been an exhaust that rusts out regularly, the plastic panels behind the rear doors which broke the screw mounts and fell off and the blower motor which recently stopped working. We have had the dealership change the CVT fluid every 60k miles and it has been perfect, the spark plugs have only been changed once at 110k as the intake has to come off, still running fine. Full synthetic every 10k, uses about 1.5 qts in between changes.
We avoided a stick when buying the Sentra (even though we are both proficient with them) because my wife was concerned about being in a position of getting injured and either not being able to drive her own car or have someone else present who knew how to drive a stick, and being able to share drivers on long trips (she used to go out of state for martial arts). Now of course, it’s nearly impossible to find a stick in a newer vehicle.
A comment to Paul and the admins – I happily run the site without ad blockers to preserve any revenue they may generate and have not had any complaints, until today. A huge Kroger ad popped up and blocked half the comments on this article, and there was no way to close it without rebooting the page. Perhaps not a problem that is possible/worthwhile to solve, but wanted to mention it in case others also have experienced it (this was on a desktop browser).
When I was a mechanic, few cars I got into made me audibly say
“Oh god… a CRV…”
The element was up there.
These cars made me sad. They were so boring. So bland. So underpowered and just the polar opposite of fun.
I have fonder memories of the PT Loser I got to do an alignment on that had a manual because hey, at least they color coordinated the shifter nob and the interior trim with the paint scheme of the car.
The CRV was trying to be bland. It made an effort to be unexciting. Rivaling the Ford Escape.
And in a world where there’s 4 sedans for sale compared to 8,000 little junky CUV’s?
I blame this thing and all of its Isuzu Vehicross wanna be ilk.
Next time you see a “Chevy Trax” thank the CrV.
Who wants a Del Sol or a Prelude or a Civic/Accord Wagon or a CrX when you can have a stupid little CUV!
I just name 5 vehicles Honda doesn’t make because the only thing they DO make is Su/Cu cross over V’s.
This car is a pair of Mandles (Jesus sandals) on wheels
Yes. They’ve offended me this much and I’m half kidding
Had to remember for a minute…The CR-V dates back to 1997!
Owned a 2018 and now have a 2023. Both CVT, both 1.5 turbo engines. But both drive differently. For the 2023 release, first year of this generation, Honda took the drivetrain, already in the previous model, and tweaked and retuned the CVT and turbo. The 2023 is livelier and more responsive. The turbo seems to spool up quicker and the CVT shifts more like a geared transmission. Honda didn’t change out the turbo or CVT this is the magic of reprogramming by computers. In any case, and happy to report, the car just drives better. In addition, there’s more interior space, more ergonomic improvements, just an easier car to live with every day, a big reason we bought one.
Though I’am not a fan of small, turbocharged engines and even less of a fan of CVT’s, Honda pulls it off pretty well. But, for the record, I prefer the drive in my Hemi or even the ES350.