1997 Honda CR-V Article at Automotive.com

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1997 Honda CR-V

Below is an enthusiast article written by the automotive experts at Motor Trend. It is hard to believe at a time when light-duty truck sales have eclipsed cars, that when first a...

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IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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Article From Motor Trend Magazine

1997 Honda CR-V - Long-Term Wrap-Up

Affordable Sport/Cute Hybrid / By Jeff Bartlett / Photography by Planet R/Randy Lorentzen / Article provided by: Motor Trend Magazine

It is hard to believe at a time when light-duty truck sales have eclipsed cars, that when first asked, Honda dealers in the States said they were not interested the CR-V. Passport sales were strong, and the retailers could not see the wisdom in selling a car-based sport/ute that undercut the similar-size body-on-frame rebadged Isuzu. So work continued overseas on developing the unibody SUV for the Japanese market, where it would compete against a variety of bite-size trucklets North America would never see. This shortsighted dealer group had a change of heart when the product was unveiled. The U.S. market was continuing to devour anything that could be termed a sport/ute, and they wanted the CR-V, quirks and all.

A small-displacement engine, curb-side hinged tailgate, awkward power window controls, unique interior trim, and nounless name reveal the not-for-this-market roots, but those endearing elements also lend the CR-V a slight anti-mainstream charm despite its rising popularity. Stateside, the CR-V would compete nose-to-nose with the Suzuki-built Sidekick/Tracker twins and cartoony Toyota RAV4 upon introduction. Besting the RAV4 in size, price, and packaging, the CR-V drew attention as the next-generation budget SUV leader, however the new century will bring a tsunami of competition looking for a marketing coup.

To sample the latest evolution of the sport/cute concept, we ordered a '97 CR-V equipped with the ABS package, the only true factory option, with anti-lock brakes and aluminum split-spoke wheels. Right out of the box, the CR-V had a strong list of standard features, including all-wheel drive, automatic transmission, power windows/door locks/mirrors, cruise control, and air conditioning. To the $20,400 base, we added a variety of dealer-installed items, such as CD player ($572), cargo net ($49), keyless entry ($92), roof rack ($274), and floor mats ($86). Our CR-V totaled $21,966-about $1400 more than the surveyed owners averaged. Only 20 percent of our group opted for the ABS package, revealing that customers were satisfied with the basic CR-V as delivered.

The leading sales factors cited by owners (styling, prior Honda ownership, and overall value)seem interchangeable with any Honda product. Further down the list, attributes such as versatility, carlike manners, and cargo capacity come into play. Not surprisingly, 48.4 percent of surveyed owners never travel unpaved roads and 88.7 percent never venture down off-road trails. (Before questioning their purchase of an all-wheel-drive vehicle, remember that last month we reported 44 percent of surveyed Jeep Cherokee owners never drive on dirt, and 75.9 don't go off-roading.) A Minnesota librarian wrote, "I tend to think of the CR-V as a practical station wagon." This mirrored the sentiment of many other buyers. No surprise, really, as the market has shifted, leaving automakers such as Honda devoid of standard-issue family wagon in their lineups.

Looking like a cross between an '80s Civic 4wd wagon and a modern, truck-based sport/ute, the CR-V has a clean, soft-edged body devoid of aggressive, macho flair. Of similar dimensions as import mainstays Isuzu Rodeo and Nissan Pathfinder, the CR-V dwarfs the RAV4 and stretches several inches longer than the Kia Sportage and Suzuki Grand Vitara. Consequently, the CR-V is a marvel of interior packaging, with more functional passenger and cargo space than most other sport/utes under $30,000.

Front buckets and rear split-fold bench hold five passengers in uncanny comfort compared against market peers. Of the surveyed owners, 91.4 percent found overall comfort to be above average, with only 1.5 percent claiming it below average. Some MT drivers found the seats a bit firmer and flatter than desired, notably on long trips. A common complaint of owners was that the front "shotgun" passenger didn't have an armrest, despite that even the two outboard rear passengers each had one if the center position was unoccupied.

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