OD Garage :Honda CR-V

Not too long ago, if you were an enthusiast, an SUV would be a strict no-no. All they could offer was a sky-scraper like seating position; the rest of the vehicle was crude, unrefined and ready to breakdown the minute it rolled out of the showroom. And then the handling wouldn’t shame an oil tanker.

But that’s before SUVs shed their ladder frames and became more car-like in demeanour and none epitomise this shift than the CR-V. From the very first CR-V to grace our shores five years back to this, the third iteration, every single variant has upped the game several notches. So much so that the CR-V is now the finest vehicle Honda sells in the country.

In the month since I’ve managed to pry the keys from Bertrand’s death clasp, not a day goes by when I don’t think about what I’ll do when she eventually goes back. Apart from the styling the first thing that gets you to bond with a car are the interiors and the CR-V is a mighty fine place to chew miles or chew gum in traffic. The seats are exceedingly comfortable, I love the foldable armrest (and this being Honda you know it’ll never break) and the driving position, thanks to five-way (electrically) adjustable seats and reach and rake adjustable steering is brilliant. Brilliant in that it affords excellent visibility and brilliant in that it’s sporty as well.

And the latter gels wonderfully with the chassis that’s sportier that the cars Honda sells. With permanent four-wheel-drive, a beautifully balanced chassis and grippy tyres handling is just awesome with minimal body roll and barely any tyre squeal. I can only imagine the look of astonishment as she overtakes cars round the outside, as if on rails, while said car rolls, weaves and bobs its way to understeer.
The engine too is from the top drawer and some of the journeys I’ve made this past month can’t be said in print. In typically Honda fashion she revs hungrily to the redline and needs little excuse to holler sporty intent.

I can also recommend the CR-V for a healthy marriage. I’ve been picking, dropping and taking my wife anywhere she’s wanted to go in the past month, no questions asked and she think it’s because I can’t spend enough time with her. I hope she doesn’t read this but darling, I can’t get enough of driving
the CR-V! -Sirish Chandran