I searched first but it seems our search function has gotten even worse.
I'm looking at a CR-V or two as a daily drivers for my wife and I. AWD + auto is what I'm leaning towards. There's a good number of manuals here as well but DC area traffic plus 3 pedals....my knees are screaming.
I don't care about mileage just condition and if it runs right, has AC, isn't smoke smell infested, dog hair infested, or smell like wet dog.
the manuals are going to pull a premium right now because a lot of people (myself included) are buying them up to cut out and strip for AWD civics/integras/preludes
Wife had a 11' CRV, was absolutely phenomenal everywhere except gas mileage, it matches her new hemi grand cherokee almost to a T
Outside of that, you can't go wrong with a honda, dead nuts reliable and parts are cheap and easy to come by
They are such an easy vehicle to recommend. No one has ever hated a CRV. Not the drivers nor the passengers. They just do what you need them to do, so very well. They are not a high fashion, high lux car but they have a lot of Honda DNA so all is Accord/Civic like of the same era. The box shape is hard on mpg. Rating is 20-26mpg so 23 combined is likely. That is similar to so many cars of the era like a Ford Taurus.
Fuelly for CRV seem to agree with 23 mpg-ish
Nothing to add other than there's a lowered 1st gen on aftermarket wheels I see around every once in a while, and it looks way better than it has any right to.
obsolete said:Nothing to add other than there's a lowered 1st gen on aftermarket wheels I see around every once in a while, and it looks way better than it has any right to.
^This, see one around my area every now and then. Gets me to searching for one for myself..
IIRC, the only problem with them is when the AC fails, the compressor tends to send shrapnel through the whole system, so a lot of parts need to be replaced. Based on that, my advice if you find one with no working AC, skip it, or make sure it's priced accordingly.
In reply to Cheeks :
How much is a premium? I'm finding them for under $3000 right now. And autos for less, the same or more.
In reply to John Welsh :
Damn, 23mpg is pretty lame lol. That's way better than my Expedition though, and significantly less than my wifes 2019 Accord. I drive in stop and go traffic for about 25 miles a day. She is more highway + stop & go for about 25 miles a day.
I had a '97 for a brief time. It was a low mileage car (like just a tick over 100k) and had spent it's life in Texas, so the paint was shot and the carpets were faded, but other than that, it ran like a top. I'll second the observance that it is totally and appliance car. Doesn't do anything well, but doesn't do anything bad. Just a great commuter for daily duties. Small enough to easily park, great visibility, comfortable seats and still big enough inside that rear passengers won't hate you. The side opening rear door is kinda odd on occasion, but easy to get use to. I want to say we were getting around 20 ish with around town driving.
The other thing to be aware of is the driver's door wiring harness is notorious for going bad. As a result, the window and power switches won't work on that side. I ended up snagging a new plug from a junkyard and hand wiring it myself. Took a few hours to do it and was able to do so without removing the door, although pulling the door is supposedly easier.
-Rob
For some reason I tend to get slightly better than 23 mpg driving my wife's CRV. She gets worse so that's probably what we average.
The funny thing is I flat foot it to cruising speed and then pop it into cruise while she tends to drive slower.
yupididit said:In reply to Cheeks :
How much is a premium? I'm finding them for under $3000 right now. And autos for less, the same or more.
Where are you in the world? I'm interested in all of them....
In reply to Cheeks :
Northern Virginia/Washington DC, there is two on FB market place for $2900 and $2700, running driving vehicles.
We have a 2001 and a 2010, by far the 2010 is a nicer place to spend time, but the 2001 is nice enough no one complains. The first gen has enough power from the trusty old B20 engine , but if you can find a nice 2nd gen 2002-2006? you get into the "LS" of 4 cyl engines the K24, more power, more torque, more refined, and the interior is less dated. Bonus: 2nd gen still has the little quirks like a pull out picnic table for a floor in the cargo area, and a full size spare tire mounted on the back to give you ample interior storage spots that usually house a space saver spare. Find the nicest in your price range and make sure the maintenance is good. B20 needs a timing belt minimum every 100K and the K24 has a timing chain that can stretch and vtec solenoids that can act up if the oil is not changed on schedule. They have very few real problems and tend to live up to Honda's intended purpose C-omfortable R-unabout V-ehicle.
In reply to LopRacer :
Thank you. I'll be looking at 3 this weekend.
My mom had a 2004 she bought new. Sold it with 180,000 miles in 2018. It tended to eat through brakes later in it's life because our Chicago/Wisconsin winters are tough on Honda style brake calipers. It needed an alternator, accessory belts and a battery. Good appliance that returned 24-26 mpg. Mostly highway miles.
My issue is I'm doing 100% stop and go DC traffic, I feel like the mpg's are pretty bad for these in this traffic. But if I can get on real cheap then I might not complain about mpg's as much.
My wife had a first gen CR-V when we started dating. Great car overall, but Inremember the HVAC being weak for the size of the car (especially with all the glass). So you might want to tint the windows if you'll be spending a lot of time in traffic in the heat.
I had a '99 for a while. Automatic and all, I really enjoyed driving it. Pretty much handled like a tall civic, which it is and is a plus in my book. Sadly the transmission was never quite right. I only sold it when the rust got too bad for my liking, though it was still structurally quite sound. I'd own another in a heartbeat.
yupididit said:My issue is I'm doing 100% stop and go DC traffic...
Considered a hybrid then? That's what they excel at.
In reply to obsolete :
I'm looking at Prius as well
eastsideTim said:IIRC, the only problem with them is when the AC fails, the compressor tends to send shrapnel through the whole system, so a lot of parts need to be replaced. Based on that, my advice if you find one with no working AC, skip it, or make sure it's priced accordingly.
This. We have had our 2004 CR-V for around 13 years and it has been very reliable, except for the AC system. It's a known issue with the CR-V. Just Google "Honda CRV AC black death"
Example: https://www.bkhondaparts.com/honda-crv-black-death
yupididit said:In reply to obsolete :
I'm looking at Prius as well
You know my love of Gen2 Prius so no more needed on that... For 2004, the 40-ish mpg was pretty amazing. But, 10 years after than , say 2014+, a lot of straight up, gas cars, broke the 40 mpg hyw barrier. If looking at 2014-2018-ish there are Elantras/Fortes, Rio/Accents, Civics and Corollas.
I also enjoy cars that are a little overlooked and a little on the fringe. That leads me to this shopping recommendation, a car that is a little obscure, from a major brand (or two, or three) that got caught in a naming fiasco. The rebadged, Madza2 in sedan form, sold buy Toyota as:
2016: Scion iA
2017: Toyota Yaris iA
2018 & 2019: Toyota Yaris Sedan
To add to the confusion, Toyota also offered and all-Toyota Yaris hatch during the same years.
Sure, its not a big car but in sedan shape it is a generally pleasant form. Compared to it chassis-mates, of Fiesta and Mazda2, the iA generally has the "highest class" interior of the group. Fiesta is tainted by a bad cvt automatic but the iA only got a quality 6 speed automatic. The iA was not a big seller for Toyota and as such, many in those years went into rental fleets. But, that then puts many of them out on the used market in the following year. You'll have to be a little crafty to know to search for one under various names. I also feel that they are likely to be a slow seller for retailers and that slow sale might be turned into a lower price!
Of the chassis-mates, even though this has Mazda underpinnings, the Toyota badge should continue to offer the highest resale of the group.
Here is a quickly sourced 2017 w/ 63k asking $13k and an epa rating of 32/35/40. On fuelly reports are of 37.7 mpg and 33-37 mpg
If you really want SUV, automatic and awd with some resemblance of economy and reliability with a low buy-in price, you might also point yourself toward Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe that offered an awd version in some years. Everything about the interior is SUV-ish with the exception of the ride height. Epa rating on the 1.8L versions is 22/25/29. There is a beefy, optional 2.4L version in the later years but it is hard on economy.
Sample: 2003 Matrix awd w/110k asking $6k
Spotters guide: the awd option is pretty rare. These cars are often represented as awd but they are not. I just recommend looking under for a rear diff that the fwd version wont have. Other than badging on the rear, there is no interior button, knob or switch to verify the awd option.
In reply to John Welsh :
My budget is under 5k, something I don't mind getting beat up street parking in the DC area etc. The small AWD SUV was the best all around option because I could take it to our cabin in the Shenandoah mountains during the winter. I do have a 4wd vehicle (Expedition) but I'd like to keep it off these winter roads cause of salt. Could always lift a Prius lol.
There are a few cheap Prius I have my eye on and I have your Prius threads actively open on my phone.
Yeah, it's a crappy time where you have to sort of look at everything and temper between what you want and what is available. Good luck with the shopping.
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