Honda CR-V 4x4 for snow + ice ??

Satts

Just wondering how a Honda CR-V Diesel 4x4 would manage in the snow and ice ?

peasant

depends on what tyres it's got

Satts

Rubber ones. :rolleyes:

Satts

Waiting on winter tyres for my FWD's.

Will probably scrap the oldest one when the NCT is up at the end of next year.
Looking for a small 4x4 then and will be putting winter tyres on it.
I doubt I will be ever off-roading, just want the extra grip for steep hills.

greysides

My wife drives a petrol 2002 CRV. It has done very well in the recent snow/slush/ice. It's 4WD system is such that the normally-driven front wheels need some slippage before the rears cut in. This can be a little disconcerning on a patchy frozen road but on an evenly snowed road it's fine. Despite having a LandCruiser available, the CRV, as family vehicle, often has to bear the brunt of the bad driving conditions.

It's biggest bugbear is that lovely petrol engine. Lovely under normal conditions but lacking torque when you want to crawl along just over tickover, to avoid spinning the wheels, but need greater torque to be comfortable.

The diesel engine should be better and more economical.

Overall we're both impressed with vehicle and would happily go for another.

We need a bigger boot than is in the RAV which would have been our other choice a the time. It's advantage would have been that it's a permanent 4WD.

lukester

greysides wrote: »

It's biggest bugbear is that lovely petrol engine. Lovely under normal conditions but lacking torque when you want to crawl along just over tickover, to avoid spinning the wheels, but need greater torque to be comfortable.

The diesel engine should be better and more economical.

Is it just in slippy conditions that you dislike the petrol? Am looking at a CRV among others at the moment, and can't decide between petrol and diesel.

Stevie Dakota

Family member just bought one, 2008 on 18's summer tyres. For the first time in 2 years she can now drive to and from her house, up a pretty steep hill on snow and ice. Seems to be far more adept than people may expect.

greysides

lukester wrote: »

Is it just in slippy conditions that you dislike the petrol? Am looking at a CRV among others at the moment, and can't decide between petrol and diesel.

Yes. In general a diesel engine will have more torque at low revs than a similar sized petrol. Torque is the force that twists the wheels, or conversely, the resistance the wheels can put up against being stopped. The more torque the less likely to stall.

In snow/ice you don't want to spin the wheels so quick that it overpowers the amount of traction available so you want to keep revs low without stalling. A diesel engine is better at this.

Say going up a steep, icy hill. You'd need to rev the engine so hard to avoid stalling that you could end up spinning the wheels and losing whatever traction you previously had. If you do stay going then you may be going faster than you'd like at the top if there's another bend to negotiate. Drop the power to get around the bend and you run the risk of stalling.

The diesel engine is more frugal than the petrol. My wife gets 25-28 mpg depending on whether its short local trips or longer ones for that tank-full. The diesel should give much more. Only downside is it's a 2.2 litre engine rather than a 2.0 litre. This applies to the models around 2002 vintage.

lukester

Thanks for that, I'm familiar with torque and the differences between petrol and diesel, I was really wondering if for everyday driving, apart from economy, were you happy with the petrol? Thinking especially of at motorway speeds, overtaking on N roads, that kind of thing. The diesel obviously has more midrange power, and the petrol needs to be revved harder, but just wondered if you found it adequate in those conditions.

I ask because am moving from 4 years of a diesel car, and trying to figure out if I could live with a petrol now. We don't do enough annual mileage to justify the diesel, but would pay the extra if I thought the petrol would be underpowered.

Satts

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Family member just bought one, 2008 on 18's summer tyres. For the first time in 2 years she can now drive to and from her house, up a pretty steep hill on snow and ice. Seems to be far more adept than people may expect.

Is this the 4x4 version ?

Petrol or diesel ?

lukester

Satts wrote: »

Is this the 4x4 version ?

There is only one version, 2WD with 'real time' 4wd, that detects slip at the front wheels and activates the rear wheels.

Satts

lukester wrote: »

There is only one version, 2WD with 'real time' 4wd, that detects slip at the front wheels and activates the rear wheels.

Ok, thanks. I presumed wrongly there was a 2WD only version as well.

Lex Luthor

if it were me I would prefer to have all time permanent 4wd like the subaru system. have you looked at the Forester?

Satts

Lex Luthor wrote: »

if it were me I would prefer to have all time permanent 4wd like the subaru system. have you looked at the Forester?

I would really love one, especialy the dual gearbox for my icy hills.

But I'm worried about a 2 litre petrol with low MPG, especialy the way petrol prices are going.
I think the new Forester diesels are too expensive for me, and they don't have the dual gear box. ( The Honda doesn't have the dual gearbox either but I could get a second hand diesel.)

doctorchopper

The Honda crv is excellent in the winter with proper tyres. My parents have a 2009 crv (new shape) in Northern British Columbia Canada(snow 6 months of the year), it's pretty impressive where it will go. The stock tyres are not great, but they have 2 sets, i with winters on it( I think they are blizzacks). They had a 2004 one as well and it was just as good. Unfortunately they don't offer the diesel option in Canada but i'd say it would be even better with the low down torque and extra weight.

Satts

Does the CR-V have a timing belt or chain ?

Do-more

I'm in Sweden and at the moment Honda are doing a lot of advertising for the CR-V on the strength of it recently winning the tests for the "Swedish Winter car" sorry can't find a link to the tests but if I do I'll post them.

greysides

lukester wrote: »

.....I was really wondering if for everyday driving, apart from economy, were you happy with the petrol? Thinking especially of at motorway speeds, overtaking on N roads, that kind of thing.

For everyday driving it's fine (edit: Don't want to damn this 2002 car with faint praise. It's competent, fun to drive, lively when needed, comfortable, bit drab inside- think 1994 Golf interior). Wife really likes the higher driving position and can't envisage going to a non-4x4 again. Power-wise, it's hard to say because it depends on what you take to be the norm. Two people on board and it can be driven like a sports-car; four people on board and a bit of luggage and it feels the difference, still drives on okay but noticibly more heavily laden. However, you only go on holiday one/twice a year.

FWIW, we'd happily buy another but........... a diesel. For us, living out of town, we benefit from it's 4WD so engine torque characteristics matter, as does MPG. Also, I have driven diesels for 20 years and don't like how easily I stall a petrol. Solution is to buy a diesel for the wife............then not only will she always want a 4WD but she'll want a diesel 4WD. Mission accomplished, another convert.:D