Weekend Athlete: Honda CR-V
The CR-V works best as a camping vehicle. It and the Element remain the only ones I’ve tested that I believe could easily carry gear for three or four people because there’s enough room behind the upright rear seat for the gear.
When you do choose to fold the seat, they do so very easily. Just pull a strap and they flop over, then pull another strap and they flop forward. There’s yet another strap that secures the folded seat to the side wall. The CR-V scores major points for how intuitive this all is.
However, the cargo area after all that folding is just a tad small if you’re carrying a bike. Specifically, it’s short front-to-back rather than side-to-side. As with the Scion xB, you have to take a second to figure out how you want to place everything if you’re racing and camping. It’s not a case of open hatch, chuck stuff, drive off.
Rating: 8.25
I give it an 8.25, primarily because of its ability to carry camping gear; that’s what pushes it ahead of the Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Scion xB. The short cargo area is a drawback, so it’s not my first choice for a race-going vehicle. Plus, on a personal, mud-puddle-loving level, I think the CR-V is just too clean-cut to be my race vehicle. If you’re the clean kid in your family, put it on your list.
