The Honda CR-V is so common today, its numbers so thick on the ground in most places, that you’ve probably never stopped to consider what the compact crossover’s name means—or that it means anything at all. As a standout member of a mostly drab segment, the CR-V’s name reflects the newness of what it represented back in the mid-1990s: there literally wasn’t a term for what it was, so Honda made one up. It actually means “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle”.
Among the first of a new kind of in-between vehicles (not quite a car, but not quite an SUV), the Honda, and others like it, would sometimes be called “soft-roaders” before eventually going by the “crossover” name. Whatever you call them, the CR-V was on the vanguard of a rapidly proliferating number of tall, car-based, wagon-like vehicles that Americans just can’t get enough of. The CR-V’s blend of an endearingly SUV-like shape—right down to its little externally mounted spare tire bolted to the tailgate—car-like handling, and fuel economy helped establish the crossover formula.
When Was the CR-V Born?
Honda first debuted the CR-V back in 1995, but the brand wouldn’t send it to the U.S. until the 1997 model year. Heavily based on the contemporary Civic, the crossover sports a fully independent suspension and a flat interior floor. Honda’s stylists gave the CR-V a mini-SUV appearance, with an up-kicked front bumper that resembles a skid plate and a cute externally mounted spare tire hung on the swing-out tailgate. The CR-V’s tailgate swings open to the right—toward the curb—allowing owners to easily access the sidewalk when needed. At least the tailgate glass opens separately, swinging up and out of the way for quick deposits of groceries or bags.
SUV Style, Car-Like Performance
In the late 1990s, most SUVs relied on truck-like body-on-frame underpinnings, making them heavy and ponderous on the highway. The CR-V, on the other hand, is more like a tall station wagon. Its body boasts a low shoulder line and a tall greenhouse, providing plenty of glass to aid outward visibility. If not for its higher-than-a-Civic seating position, the CR-V feels almost exactly like a car from the driver’s perspective.
While not a car, neither is the CR-V an SUV in the traditional sense. Front-wheel drive is standard, and even Honda’s optional “Real Time” all-wheel drive favors the front axle. When slippage is detected at the front wheels, the setup shifts engine torque to the rear axle—although not quite in the “Real Time” Honda branding suggested, but close. With 8.1 inches of ground clearance, the CR-V is certainly better suited to off-roading than a Civic, but its lack of low-range gearing or a lockable center diff meant it prefers the pavement to the unbeaten path.
Light as the CR-V is, it doesn’t need a great big engine to perform. Honda fitted every CR-V with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine; initially, the engine produced a so-so 126 hp and came only with a four-speed automatic transmission. In 1999, however, that output was bumped up to 146 hp, and buyers could choose between a five-speed manual transmission or the four-speed automatic. Acceleration with either transmission is leisurely compared to today’s standards, but was competitive at the time. Fuel economy was similarly impressive then, with the original CR-V posting low-20-mpg efficiency.
No single feature gives the CR-V its magic appeal. It is the blend of all of its friendly attributes—from its useful and roomy interior to its car-like driving behavior to its affordability—that earned it a loyal following. Sales quickly topped six figures in the U.S. Stir in Honda’s reputation for reliability, and it’s little wonder the CR-V gained durability to help solidify the crossover formula. Not only can you still buy a CR-V today, but nearly every SUV-like vehicle on the road relies on the same basic format of car-like underpinnings with SUV-like looks. It’s called a crossover, but in 1997, it was the Comfortable Runabout Vehicle.
