This is always a popular question, "What does CR-V stand for?"

The answer is, "Comfortable Runabout Vehicle". This is not widely known, and your local dealer, who probably doesn't know the truth, may have fabricated their own definition for the term.

The history of the CR-V before it came to North America is somewhat vague. I've tried a number of times to learn more about the development process, but found little information. To make matters worse, some of the information I have been able to find is contradicted by other sources. Once the CR-V made it to our shores, the story becomes clearer. It becomes a "Boy meets SUV" story and interesting things happen. The CR-V wins both awards and a strong consumer base. It quickly becomes the benchmark for an emerging class. Other manufacturers purchased CR-Vs to use for comparison, and even used them as test mules for components of their unfinished rigs. The following is the story as I've come to understand it.

The first showing of the CR-V was as a concept vehicle at a single auto show before it was put into production. The model on display was pretty much a dead ringer for the production design. The CR-V earned modest praise, but I suspect it was overshadowed by more exciting designs. I'm not certain if this was 1995 or 1996, but Honda was also showing the SSM concept car that later became the S2000. No wonder the press ignored the CR-V.

The CR-V was released in several markets in 1996. That was almost a full year before the junior bruiser was brought to North America. Honda offered the CR-V to American dealerships, but they turned it down. They felt that the Isuzu-built Passport had more potential than the car-based CR-V would.

I've read that two things changed the dealers' minds. First, a set of journalists from New Zealand got the chance to drive the CR-V on a test track. They went back to their desks and wrote rave reviews about the new Honda. Second, Toyota introduced the RAV4, which immediately began selling like hot cakes.

At the 1996 Chicago Auto Show, Honda brought the CR-V (along with the SSM) to be introduced to the US market. The model on the stage was painted bright yellow, with chrome rims, and the painted bumpers that later became part of the SE trim here in the US.

In 1997, the CR-V went on sale in North America. There was only one trim level (what we came to call the LX) and two important options. Those options were anti lock brakes and alloy wheels. All CR-Vs came with an automatic transmission and air conditioning. The engine produced 126 horsepower and 133 ft-lbs.

In it's first month of sales, the CR-V bested rival Toyota's RAV4 and the sales pace quickly outstripped production capacity. For a while, Honda was forced to reduce production of the popular Acura Integra to meet the demand for the CR-V.

1998 brought a few changes to the US spec CR-V. The 2.0L engine had been receiving criticism for lacking the power to pull the 3,200 lbs vehicle. And the option list was rather short. Honda's solutions included a 5 speed manual transmission to make the most of the small engine. This was the first year for the LX and EX trim levels. The EX added a CD player, alloy rims, ABS, body-colored door handles and mirrors, keyless entry, and seats that folded into a bed. The LX was also offered in a 2WD model (only with the automatic transmission).

Sales continued at a blistering pace. Suzuki had long been selling their Sidekick and it's twin, the Geo Tracker. However, both the CR-V and RAV4 had called attention to this segment in a way that other trucklets never managed. People who had never before considered a "mini-SUV" were shopping this segment heavily. The Jeep Cherokee continued to be the segment leader, but as an old design, it failed to attract the same attention. This is the same year that Subaru introduced their wagon-and-a-half Forester. Despite the increased competition, Honda continued to sell more CR-Vs than they did the previous year and led the market segment. Other manufacturers had taken notice of this new trend and began developing their own designs.

1999 was a good year. Honda messed with the engine tuning to bump it up 20 ponies. The increase came without decreasing fuel economy or significantly raising the price. The cloth used on seating surfaces was changed and a few finishing touches were added to the interior. The Grade-Logic automatic transmission was updated with an overdrive selector button.

Sales of the CR-V continued to rise and the first generation CR-V hit it's peak. With more than 120,000 units sold in the USA, the CR-V was clearly the mini-SUV that everyone was chasing. Though sales of the Cherokee were still strong, it was clear that the CR-V was on it's way up, while the Cherokee was falling. Later in the year, J.D. Powers would name the CR-V as the segment winner for their Initial Quality Award and their Most Appealing Award. Intellichoice named the CR-V their Best SUV under $25K. Consumer Reports rated the CR-V as the most reliable SUV in the small SUV class.

I took delivery of my Sebring Silver EX with the manual transmission on April 23rd, 1999. On April 24th, my wife and I took 2 friends and all our gear on a 300 mile trip for a weekend of camping.

2000 was another good year. Honda added the SE (Special Edition) model to the CR-V line here in the US. It should be noted that Canadians were given a similar model called the LE at least one year earlier. The SE included a few bits of upscale equipment like, tinted windows, the highly prized painted bumpers, leather trimmed seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

US Sales of the CR-V were still strong with more than 118,000 units sold. However, increased competition had been introduced to the market over the years. Nissan brought over their XTerra. Suzuki replaced the Sidekick and introduced a small V6 with their Grand Vitara. Part way through the year, several 2001 designs were added to the market. The CR-V continued to win reliability awards and earned solid praise even when it didn't win the top slot in comparisons.

2001 was the final year for the first generation CR-V. Only minor tweaks were made to the content of the vehicle as the design focus was on the next generation. The CR-V was now six years old and its age was showing. New competition flooded the market. This was the model year when the Escape, Tribute, Santa Fe, and Aztek were introduced, though most were on sale during 2000. Saturn introduced their 2002 VUE this year. Toyota also redesigned the RAV4 for 2001. Honda still managed 118,000 sales that year, though it lost the sales crown to the Ford/Mazda twins.

For more information about the specifications or exact content changes for the various years, see the CR-V Fact Page created by Slugline, aka CR-Vince.

In the fall of 2001, Honda released details on the second generation CR-V. Honda is amazingly tight-lipped about new vehicles and they managed to keep a great deal of information secret until only a few months before the CR-V was put on the showroom floor in November 2001 as a 2002 model.

The 2002 full model change included more interior space, more flexible seating, improved crash safety, revised ergonomics, and, despite an increase in size and weight, better fuel economy and emissions. The LX and EX returned, but the SE took a vacation. Content changes made the CR-V EX model something of a cross between the old EX and SE trim levels. In fact, Canadian EX models also were granted the popular painted bumpers from the SE or LE trim. For exact features and specifications see the < ahref="http://hondanews.com/forms/honda/CRV/index.html">Honda Digital Newsroom.

The new CR-V also brought something that many enthusiasts wanted, but not exactly the way they wanted it. More power was the demand from the market, but the CR-V supplied that power through a larger 4 cylinder motor, not a V6 as had been used by many competitors.

The press received the new CR-V with enthusiasm, but couldn't resist commenting on the lack of two cylinders. Could the 4 cylinder CR-V survive in what was rapidly becoming a 6 shooter's segment? After all, Toyota's brand new 4 cylinder RAV4 had not made a big dent in sales of the Escape or other V6 competitors. That question was answered in two ways. First, Honda stacked the deck by supplying 5 speeds to the press fleet, and second, the public purchased more CR-Vs than ever.

Let me explain... If you look back through the early articles about the second generation CR-V, you'll find that most tested a car with a 5 speed manual transmission. I suspect that Honda knew enthusiasts would be comparing 0-60 times from the magazines, and provided more manual-equipped vehicles in the press fleet. A CR-V mated to a manual transmission will hit 60 mph in as little as 8.1 seconds. That handily matches or bests the heavier V6s. Pretty much all of those V6s are automatic-only.

The market also answered the question from above by topping the charts with more than 146,000 CR-V sales in 2002. Today, sales continue to be strong with CR-Vs selling at close to MSRP without many promotions, incentives, or discounts.

But all was not peaches and cream. A few weeks after the CR-V began selling, it was recalled for a faulty seatbelt buckle. Honda took what some considered extreme measures and towed new cars away from their owners to have the recall work performed. Owners also experienced a few common glitches like rocking seats and clunking brakes. First year bugs are not uncommon, but, after coming off high praise from Consumer Reports and JD Powers, many new owners were not expecting troubles of any kind. Despite high safety scores, the CR-V scored poorly on the IIHS bumper bash, which checks the cost of repairing a vehicle when struct at low speeds.

In 2003, the CR-V received only a few minor upgrades. Most notably, the cubby hole in the center stack was enlarged to hold CD cases.

So far, sales of the 2003 CR-V have been steady with the pace from 2002. Current year to date results show the CR-V less than 1% lower than the prior year. However, the CR-V does not top the sales charts. The competition have lowered prices and cut content to bolster sales, while the CR-V continues to retail close to MSRP.

Changes for the 2004 model year are also minor. The "Saddle" interior color was changed to a more conventional beige and a power door lock switch was added to the passenger-side front seat. These are not exactly remarkable changes.

Since its re-introduction, the CR-V has earned more awards for quality, reliability, residual value, and overall performance. The CR-V's popularity inspired Honda to produce a youth-oriented concept vehicle called the Model X. That concept was given the green light and became the Element in 2003. Acura has also made noise about a CR-V/Element based vehicle for their line. The market has grown to the point where no single vehicle can be considered the benchmark. Some vehicles that are considered "small SUVs" are bigger than those competing in the mid-size category, while others stick to the original "mini-SUV" recipe. That said, the CR-V is still an impressive force in this market segment.

Looking to the future...

Many CR-V shoppers and enthusiasts have been looking for the addition of a V6 and the return of the SE trim. With the TSX engine producing 200 horsepower from the 2.4L engine, a V6 is IMHO not likely. When Honda introduced the SE trim here in the USA, it was to bolster slowing sales of a long-in-the-tooth CR-V platform. Sales have not lagged, despite additional competition, the abuse of incentives, and a flat economy. The CR-V is doing just fine. I wouldn't expect the SE to reappear until the 2005 or 2006 model.