Tawse wrote: ....- just want to get something that I feel comfortable and happy with....
Wise words, if I may say so.
I think I'll change the Focus this year and this time I could run to something a bit dearer.
But would a £20k compact exec pass the "comfortable and happy with" test?
Don't think so, whereas there are no such worries with a £12/15k Ford.
Apologies for the thread drift, 'fraid I know next-to-nothing about Honda CR-Vs.
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But would a £20k compact exec pass the "comfortable and happy with" test?
A Maybach would pass that test IIH.
If you've got 12-15 k to play with, surely it's party time? As you know from my repitition, I'm a die-hard Focus disciple but mainly because I'm a money-poor graphic designer who can barely pay for cat food (no, not that poor, it's for my cat).
12-15k sounds to me like ... oh about £35k
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...A Maybach would pass that test...
Not if it's got one of those noisy VW diesel engines. :)
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Still haven't given up on a Verso but my heart is just not in getting one - think I would have bought one by now if it was. I am going to give one another back to back look with a CRV in the next few days.
Anyhow, I got thinking and thought about what would make me happy. I am single early 40s guy and a Verso does not do it. I am a lanky git so I need room. The new CRV would be nice for about 13K if they do in fact exist - I have my doubts - so I think I will go for a under 10K CRV II diesel instead. The petrol CRV II is just too uneconomical in the present climate.
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I get 29/30MPG running around locally in a petrol CRV the worst I have got locally is 27 MPG when I let it warm up while I scraped the frost off the windows in the recent cold weather.
On a recent trip from Berkshire to Llantrisant I got 36MPG best ever was 42mpg driving like Miss Daisy.
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Thanks Pica - 64 million dollar question, if you were buying a CRV today would you still go for petrol or would you opt for diesel?
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Interesting question. Before the CRV (which is a auto EX) I had a the Accord diesel (manual) and doing the same local runs I got no more than 38mpg on the Berkshire to Llantrisant run I got 42mpg best ever was 48mpg driving again like Miss Daisy.
At the time I bought mine the diesel was £7500 more than the petrol (a deal they had on at the time) and as I only do 12000 miles a year the maths pointed to the petrol. After 2 diesel cars VW Golf PD150 and the Accord it was really nice to have a quiet smooth car that warmed up quickly on a frosty morning.
If you keep the CRV at 70mph and below the economy is not bad at all (IMHO) but if you pedal to the metal it is not too good. I did once do the M4 run with the pedal to the metal and it still did 28mpg.
I am keeping the CRV for a long time and I am not convinced the diesel engines are going to last me 10 years without some serious cash expense.
I wanted an auto and my mileage is pretty average so the choice was easy for me. Nothing whatsoever has gone wrong on the CRV; I have only bought, screenwash and petrol in 22000 miles.
The CRV2 is much nicer looking than the CRV3 IMHO too :)
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Thanks Pica, I appreciate this. I too have been known to do the Swansea to Berkshire run. I used to do it quite often but I simply would not, and could not, do it again as the stress and wasted lifetime is not worth it IMPO.
I long promised myself that my next car would be an auto. I have been put off the CRV autos after reading reviews on Whatcar's website. I think more than person has commented that they get about 25 mpg and I think someone posted that the box changes up and down in the wrong places and does not have the power for hill starts?
I have read numerous posts on this site, and elsewhere, of diesel owners not getting anywhere near the mpg they anticipated. When combined with higher initial cost and fuel costs, plus the potential of expensive failures, maybe I should think again.
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I do not find the auto very bad at all, last year I towed a friends caravan to the Peak District and some of the steep hills it did struggle a bit but the caravan was at the weight limit for the car and I did not know about the D3 button on the gear lever that stops the car changing up and down a lot especially when towing. (The car only had 3000 miles on it at the time too)
I too was put off by the What car and other reviews but opinions are a bit like belly buttons (everyone has one but often they are not worth a lot). The Honda Dealer let me take a demonstrator for about three hours and I found it to be very acceptable car for me to tootle around in and after all I have the Mustang for fun runs :)
My daughter loves to ride horses so it occasionally pulls a small horse box, goes across fields without any problems so far.
Try and take one for a bit of an extended run and see if it fits you
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Thanks again.
When I think about it the happiest driving I have ever done has been in California driving around in some petrol auto 4x4. I found driving a joy then.
How long have you had the CRV Pica - you say you had only done 3,000 miles by last year? Were they still selling new old model CRVs then or did you buy used?
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Mine was the last of the crv2's it had 10 miles on it when I bought it and it had been registered by the dealer making me the 2nd owner. It is a 07 plate.
They tried hard to sell me the new model I liked it but the front (face) looks all wrong to me ( it reminds me of a toad with a puffed out neck/chin)
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Pica, yours must be an exceptional car or you are an exceptional driver. I had a C-RV II auto before the diesel I currently have. I liked the car a lot, and had np problems, but economical it wasn't. Average use 26-27, careful use maybe 30mpg. I can reliably better 40 in the diesel as a rule, though that has dropped to 38-39 over the last few weeks which may be the cold temperatures.
I would say a 10mpg difference, minimum, between the petrol auto and the diesel. Not as much of a problem as it was, when petrol is 15% cheaper than diesel though.
The tank isn't that big either - it was common for the low fuel light to be on after 270 miles with the petrol auto - the diesel is usually about 400.
I'd still consider a petrol auto again though if I was doing fewer miles. I never found the 'box a problem, though fourth is quite high and I would often use the D3 button if looking for an overtake (actually marked O/D for overdrive on my 2002 model).
Neither was any bother - the petrol auto needed a clock ring when the airbag light came on, but was under warranty.
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Hi Manatee, I think my experienced economy is due to the fact I am not driving the car in heavy rush hour traffic nor do I need to use it for short runs to the shops. I would obviously like to think I am an exceptional driver but unfortunately I am just average :(
To be honest if the diesel car had been cheaper to buy at the time I would have had one but the saving the petrol had over the diesel was no contest for me. That engine in the Accord was a dream to drive but I have not experienced it in the CRV as yet.
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Don't worry, I cannot physically get into a Civic.
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Said it before I know.....but.......Mondeo Estate and several surfing holidays (including Hawaii if you are so inclined ) with the change.....?
;-)
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I know Humph, I know... thanks for thinking good thoughts but I just got to say that the driving seat in the Mondeo just ain't healthy IMPO.
It might not affect some but the angles are all wrong for posture and breathing - can turn people from healthy 'stomach' breathers into bad chest breathers.
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Tawse, my tuppence worth.
Back in summer 07 I was changing my Scenic and basically the shortlist came down to a 1 year old CRV diesel (06 plate with 9000 miles) for £14500, or brand new Altea XL for the same money.
This was the typical "reality shattering the dream". I loved the shape of the CRV, I loved the practicality, the abundance of space etc. I so so so wanted that car. Now I can't remember what model it was, it was the one down from the executive.
First of all, during my test drive the car went into "limp home mode" due to an issue it turned out with the EGR valve. So obviously that didn't help. Although I was used to driving a Scenic, the CRV seemed to wallow a lot more in every day driving, going round roundabouts etc and really did feel a much bigger car.
But inside in my opinion is what let it down. Now my memory is a bit vague here but I think the radio was very old fashioned, almost like the Phillips you used to get in all Vauxhalls. Don't think there were steering controls for stereo, there was no clock and there was also something about the wipers, they either didn't have variable intermittent or the back didn't have intermittent. Something silly like that. There was also a big cubby hole in the dash that just didn't look right for me.
I believe if you go up to the Exec you get a better stereo (with integrated sat nav maybe???) and some other toys.
I still yearn for the car, I still see ones every day and wish I had got one, it would most likely be worth more now that my Altea even though it was a year older, but inside it just didn't do it for me!
I would also add that at the time "Manatee" gave me a lot of information which was very useful from his experience with the CRV.
As I said, just my tuppence worth, freat car outside, love the shape etc but the inside, especially the dash and toys, just didn't do it for me!
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Thanks all.
That dealer I mentioned who has low mileage 2007 new model diesel SEs for 13K replied to my email stating that all the ones in the ads are on the forecourt for viewing.
It is my birthday this weekend so, dependent upon the genorisity of friends to give me a lift as I have no car at present, I may well treat myself. I did nothing for my 40th a few years back so, as others on here have pointed out to me, you only live once.
Then again, I could bore you all for months to come asking about the pros and cons of the CRV versus the Veros! :-)
Thanks,
T.
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Tawse
I would very much wish that you read my first ever posting on here,
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=50535
as I'm pretty sure it is the same dealership - I notice that an identical car to the one mentioned in your OP is on sale there.
We tried to give Hound Honda (not their real name) the benefit of doubt, and when we bought a new shape Civic for my wife from a different dealership, we went to this one for some warranty work (leaking rear window).
They fixed it (eventually after much phoning and hassle - again) and came to our house to deliver it....and turned up with the wrong car.
Had a chat with the driver (an older chap in his fifties, I know it wasn't his fault) who said that they had lost a lot of customers in the past couple of years....
Please ignore this post if you so wish, but I just wanted to give you a headsup in case you were wondering whether or not to have it serviced there.
regards
valmiki
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Thanks valmiki - I know the hound.
I would never buy from them as they are just over-priced IMPO.
I had a friend who bought a used car from them and rated them very highly for years. He would not consider another garage for servicing. Then one week he had a major service and they rang him up at home to say that a few bulbs had gone on the car and whether he wanted them replaced. So he agreed - naive - and went away happy minus a sizeable service bill.
The following week he had his MOT with them, took the car in for the MOT and lo and behold he gets a car later that day saying that he had some bulbs out on his car and would he like them to change them. Suffice to say he hit the roof and the penny finally dropped.
I got him to go to my local backstreet garage and my local boy spotted loads of work that should have been done during routine maintenance - greasing of ball joints or something like that - but had apparently not been done.
I would never use a dealership for servicing and prefer to take a car to a boy I know and trust... even if his place is greasey and has no shiny glass building. Mind you, he has great screensavers on his PC ;)
Coincidentally, I have a friend who works for that group. He purchased a new used car last year but travelled 40 miles up the road to do so rather than buy from a place where he gets staff discount.
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tawse,
I'm just glad that you are of a similar mind! Would just hate for someone on here to suffer what I went through with them.
Out of interest who would your backstreet garage be? always good to know of garages that come from a recommendation, may come in handy.
thanks
valmiki
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OK, here is where I am at and would appreciate further advice.
I went and had a look at the CRV IIs today - no joy, even with the seat set as low as it would go and as far back as it would go and the steering in the highest position my thighs were crammed solid under the underside of the steering wheel.
Also treble-checked the Mondeo, Focus, and Qashqai again and they were as above.
So, the two short-listed cars I have no problem with are the CRV III and Verso.
My local H dealer has a 2006 56 reg 10K miles Crv III ES diesel for £13995. I spoke with the salesman and asked him what the best price he could do and he said he would take their standard £500 off - not impressed. I think he was recently out of university as he mentioned the local uni. Didn't even ask me for my name and contact number and even admitted that another H dealer 40 miles up the road was cheaper.
Anyhow, said dealer up the road has several 2007 56 reg, all with less than 10K miles, SEs for £12995. I have not seen these yet myself and was planning to go up on Sunday to take a look. I am not really bothered with the higher ES spec over the SE and the SE would be fine for me.
So just wondering what Backroom boys would advise - simply going up to the dealer 40 miles away and possibly haggling them down from £12995 for the SE model or trying to get a better deal from the local dealer on the ES?
I am not bothered with the privacy glass, cruise control, leather Steering wheel/gear-knob or privacy glass that the SE model has.
Thoughts welcome
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Thoughts welcome
I had to make this decision in 2007, SE or ES??? I felt that the ES was the one to go for as it had alloy wheels, variable speed wipers and dual zone climate control all of which I wanted. There were quite a few other things as well but I can't remember them all.
Edited by andyfr on 23/01/2009 at 08:49
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Thanks.
Couple of numpty questions:
1. Does dual zone climate control really work - I assume it means the driver has one heat setting and the passenger a different one?
2. Alloys - I have never understood the benefit of alloys. I can see the benefit in having them on a secondhand car if the price between it and a non-alloy car is not substantial... but I have never understood why people pay hundreds more on a new car for alloys? Are they lighter and hence give better MPG or what?
Thanks,
T.
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1. Yes the dual zone climate does work.
2. I think they look nice, apart from that I don't think there is any tangible benefit.
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Out of interest who would your backstreet garage be? always good to know of garages that come from a recommendation may come in handy.>>
I use Park Lane garage. My Dad used it for years and so have I. The owner is a great mechanic, honest and a good friend.
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