Add 20-hp to the engine, and the 1999 Honda CR-V is pretty much the same car it has been. The Honda "Real-Time" 4WD is really popular. This system means normal driving is with the front wheels, and a computer sensor will automatically switch to 4WD when necessary.
There is plenty of room for 5 passengers and storage, independent suspension (unusual for SUVs), and an anti-lock brake system. A 5-speed manual transmission is now standard on the 4WD package, though the 4-speed automatic is available as an option.
Of course we will never confuse the CR-V with a Jeep or another more powerful SUV. Instead, this vehicle is relatively inexpensive to buy, is quite economical to maintain, and will do all the everyday jobs just as well as any SUV on the road. If you can find one that doesn't already have a driver, you can have your own for about $7,000 to $9,000.
The side-opening tailgate is practical - especially for smaller people. The spare tire is mounted on the outside, allowing for more storage space. Consumers rate this vehicle very highly, though comment the seats could be more comfortable for longer drives.
While we highlight specific author bylines where possible, sometimes our content results from the combined efforts of several members of the CarGurus editorial team. As with all our editorial content, you can expect high levels of automotive insight and expertise delivered in a style that is approachable and free from jargon.
I had one for 19 years. Loved it. Only complaint was the seat needed to go back one more notch. Cried when the engine mounts rusted out and I had to get rid of it. Want another bad. Honda screwed up when they made it a crossover. Its much better as a small SUV. I wish theyd go back to the boxy style and put a manual transmission in them again. I dont know what they crossed it with, but they took the sport and the utility out of it when they remodeled in 2007. The early ones are best.Dec 15, 2022
by Nancy L
Mar 07, 2022
Great deal for the car we purchased. Although the cargo lid cover was missing, the vehicle is in good shape, clean and drives well. Mar 07, 2022
by Kathryn J
Oct 05, 2021
I love it so much. Such an easy clean and so much room especially if you have kids!Oct 05, 2021
User rating:
by Linda W
Dec 15, 2022
I had one for 19 years. Loved it. Only complaint was the seat needed to go back one more notch. Cried when the engine mounts rusted out and I had to get rid of it. Want another bad. Honda screwed up when they made it a crossover. Its much better as a small SUV. I wish theyd go back to the boxy style and put a manual transmission in them again. I dont know what they crossed it with, but they took the sport and the utility out of it when they remodeled in 2007. The early ones are best.Dec 15, 2022
by Nancy L
Mar 07, 2022
Great deal for the car we purchased. Although the cargo lid cover was missing, the vehicle is in good shape, clean and drives well. Mar 07, 2022
by Kathryn J
Oct 05, 2021
I love it so much. Such an easy clean and so much room especially if you have kids!Oct 05, 2021
by Anonymous
Aug 19, 2020
Not worth 7 grand but if you can get one for $2,500-$4,000 its a great buyAug 19, 2020
by Jennifer M
Apr 24, 2014
I bought this car from a used lot, and had a few things I had to replace but overall it's gotten me to and from where I've wanted to go. Perfect for in town or a student on the go!Apr 24, 2014
by Kayla A
Mar 11, 2013
I love this car. Not really anything I dislike about this car. I just want to upgrade to a newer year but I do love this car. Never had a problem with it at all. I would say for a first car for your kid this would be one you would want to look into.Mar 11, 2013
by Anonymous
Mar 22, 2012
This car is used for shuttle service at RM Automotive in Northridge. Customers love the option of getting a ride home and this fits the need perfectly. 4 door, easy to get in and out of, and comfortable to ride in. Great car!Mar 22, 2012
by Manuje H
Jan 23, 2012
its a full time four wheel suv and handles amazingly well. Unlike other SUv's the body doesn't roll much when cornering. It does around 40mpg. Interior is well presented and has a solid finish.overall its mint! tachometer goes upto 9000 and thats what I call an engineJan 23, 2012
by Don T
Jan 16, 2012
Very good work commuter and overall run about SUV. Very good fuel economy, 25-26 MPG all the time. Handles very good in the snow. I have the 5 speed manual transmission. Low cost of ownership. Would recomment the Honda CRV to anyone.Jan 16, 2012
by Daniel S
Oct 19, 2011
I'll just run down the list, Performance wise: i wish it had a lil more power but its definitely and upgrade from my old nissan. Handle's really well for an SUV. In great
shape, had a small dent on the rear but it's no big thing. Appearance wise, it's
great. Done some mods in & out. Blacked out rims and under dash lighting,
fog/headlight addition. New Stereo equipment all around. MPG isn't greaat in the
city, but highway isn't too bad. 23 highway/17-19 city. Fun factor: love it! Always
workin on it and upgrading.Oct 19, 2011
by Tyesha D
Mar 22, 2010
The breaking system in this car is the best in a vehicle I've ever owned, or driven. The build is solid...gas mileage is excellent. The interior and exterior are great...highly recommended for anyone looking for a small SUV!Mar 22, 2010
by Mathieu S
Jan 25, 2010
très bon pour le systeme realtime awd surtout dans la
neige
l'hiver. Sur la glace aussi super bien le systeme 4x4
fonctionne
super bien l'acceleration est correcte mais elle pourrais
etre
beaucoup mieux.moteur 4cyl 2 litres.et la consommation
est d'environ 9l/100km sur routes et de 12l/100km en
ville.
Jan 25, 2010
by Catherine A
Nov 23, 2009
It is about then years old and the brakes grap a little and it is kinda loud and it gets pretty good gas mileage. The car has an okay interior and it is very roomy. It handles really well and accelerates like any ten year old carNov 23, 2009
by Mike B
Oct 09, 2009
Someone within our family drove it for the 10 years we owned it. Put over 160,000 miles on it with no major repairs. Finally traded it in because the heating and air conditioning system went. A little under powered, but overall a great vehicle. Oct 09, 2009
by John M
Oct 09, 2009
Our Honda CRV goes well in the snow--don't get much of that any more. It drives ok--doesn't get too bad gas mileage, It replaced our 94 Camry which we all miss--we called her "Bets." She had around 230,000 miles.Oct 09, 2009
by Wiktor K
Apr 26, 2009
Just a SUV but built by Honda. Great engine, hign RPM 4 cylinder, 16 v motor. Hard suspension, crappy interior but great durability. This car can drive for ages :)
I hope that my next car will be japanese, prefferably a Honda or Mazda :) Apr 26, 2009
by Parag B
Mar 11, 2009
performance- auto trans sux.
built like a civic hatchback
appearance look like a pug
cost is cheap ( good thing)
fun factor - u can go fast over bumps.
this suv can move through turns swiftly but its till a suv. its good for ppl with families.Mar 11, 2009
by John A
Dec 24, 2008
My first SUV. I LOVED this little Red Hot Mama! He was
the perfect car for me at the time. I think this was one
of my favorite cars. Perfect size, good gas milage and
he was sprite. His name was Fernando and he was my
first boy car!!! Too bad Honda ruined it.Dec 24, 2008
by Logan H
Nov 30, 2008
My dad got it for me back in 2004 with 117k miles on it. It has 160k on it right now and it will go on for over 200k, it's expected of a Honda. The factory AM/FM tape deck and speakers didn't sound that great so I got aftermarket replacements. It's not spartan inside, but it doesn't have anything you don't need.
It is very reliable, I haven't even needed a new battery yet. Most of the repairs I've needed are minor things like new tires, new front brakes, new spark plugs and a new radiator. The only major repairs I've needed are a new A/C compressor and receiver/dryer, a new motor mount, and the idler pulley bolt broke off in the engine block (getting the bolt out cost $90). The A/C will occasionally cycle on and off and isn't as cold when the car is stopped. The following repairs are pending, the in-dash clock went out, the leaking window seal in the front passenger door has caused the lock actuator to not work sometimes.
As for performance, it's a four cylinder station wagon, so it's nothing to write home about. It gets me where I need to go. Since it's the base model it doesn't have ABS or traction/stability control. It's very simple, less parts means there are less things that can break. It has a 4 speed automatic transmission. This is nice since I spend a lot of time in I-485 traffic. The engine is loud on the highway, due to poor sound insulation and high rpm (2800 @ 65 mph). Also the road noise is very noticeable, rough roads are really loud. It can be hard to drive on wet roads. Spinning the front wheels is easy due to the way the transmission is geared. The brakes might lock up if you try to make a tight turn quickly on wet roads.
I think it's fun to drive, but driving it in the rain might be hard for new drivers. I get 22-23 mpg in the city and up to 26 mpg in highway driving.
As for styling, it's not a head-turner. There are lots of these cars where I live, I see a few of them every day. It's very functional, it has ample space inside when you fold the back seats down.
I would definitely recommend it to a friend. It's a great family car if you have 2 kids and haul lots of cargo. Sorry I was so long-winded, it said to be specific. Nov 30, 2008
by Janie S
Jun 30, 2008
Great car. Good ride, dependable, carried alot.
Never needed anything with almost 100K. Only bit
the dust due to a stupid wreck! Excellent resale value.
Car was within 3 months of being paid for and got lots
of money from the insurance company.Jun 30, 2008
by Kevin T
Jun 15, 2008
This car is an average 5 seat SUV, perfect for a family wanting to have a more higher ride without sacrificing the handling of a sedan. Going up hill not it's best attribute but with the overdrive gear it's not a problem. Overall a well built compact SUV with just enough power for doing the regular shopping, but i wouldn't consider this car if i was seeking a more off-road based utility vehicle. Jun 15, 2008
by Anonymous
May 29, 2008
overall, not to bad...you dont get a picnic table with a DB9?May 29, 2008
by Elisa K
May 07, 2008
Starting to age, but still a cutieMay 07, 2008
by Lynette S
Apr 22, 2008
Well, as above, plus it's Christmas Tree green, sigh, and there are about thirty of those in town. Uses far too much gas, and when I have to drive it on the interstate, it catches wind like a sail. Nice roomy hatch, and the kids can see everything as we drive.Apr 22, 2008
by Kyle B
Apr 13, 2008
Good car overall but not alot of leg roomApr 13, 2008
by Rico C
Apr 04, 2008
The Honda CRV is a very versatile vehicle.Apr 04, 2008
by Geoff M
Jan 10, 2008
great car, very sporty and practical, unfortunately it was involved in a head on collision and written off. I was in the car at the time and walked away so it is a very safe car.Jan 10, 2008
by Russ Y
Dec 19, 2007
Great Easy Car to DriveDec 19, 2007
by Sonia B
Nov 05, 2007
if you have one just remember to carry out dif oil change after 30,000 miles Nov 05, 2007
I will be driving and it just stops running, I pull over, give it a few seconds and it will start up again. I have changed the fuel filter, fuel pump, ignition switch, plugs and plug wires, and battery, please help, i keep hoping we will find the problem, i think this car wants to make a mechanic out of me....
The other night i was at a stop sign and as i started to proceed forward, i hear a pshhhhh noise and as i proceed at 25 mph onto my street i hear gringing like my brake pads would if they were bad but they are not. The next day i turned my car on and started to drive, there was no sound or anything anymore. Then when i turned my vent on i hear a low hum then when i pressed the AC button i hear a clunk noise and then a continuous hissing sound . I turned the button off and the sound went away... i turn it back on and it clunks once and then hisses t's only when the car is on. And even then, it's only when I turn the A/C on. If I just use the vent, the noise isn't there. But once I hit the button to turn the A/C on, it starts up; hit the button to turn the A/C off, the noise goes away. The noise is also there when I turn on the defroster, but it goes away when I turn off the defroster