Honda CR-V 2007: Attractive, but is it practical for dogs?
Our little crew went to the local Honda dealer expecting to review the 2008 model of the CR-V, but at the time there just weren't any on the lot. Since the 2007 is essentially the same vehicle and happened to be available, we didn't hesitate to check it out. After being around for a decade, the CR-V received a much needed makeover in 2007 into a more appealing and stylish vehicle. It's hard to believe, but the CR-V is now in its 3rd generation! With this latest change, it garnered Edmund's coveted "Editor's Most Wanted" award and consumers have rated it at a 9.1. Honda's doing something right!
Because our primary purpose of reviewing vehicles is for their ability to accommodate traveling with dogs, we naturally started at the back of the CR-V first. We noticed that Honda finally replaced the hinged door with a rear liftgate, which we prefer. The biggest complaint we had with the hinged door is that it opened on the traffic side and just wasn't safe for loading and unloading dogs. Having a liftgate gives easy access to the cargo space and also provides a bit of cover for the weather when dogs are crated in the car. Unfortunately, the rear window does not open independently, but the side windows in the back do.
Probably the biggest problem we see with the 2007 CR-V are the irregular angles inside the cargo area due to the wheel wells, seat belt connections, etc. The second row seats fold and flip forward instead of flat, taking up valuable cargo space. The seats could probably be removed but that would leave the vehicle with only one passenger space. Not a tragedy if crates and dog gear are to be permanently installed, but not convenient when other passengers need to be accommodated.
The cargo space is just not conducive to using any sort of riser and at 39.5", the space between the wheel wells is too narrow to place larger crates side-by-side. A single 36" crate with a side-opening door facing the rear of the vehicle would fit but any additional crate(s) would need to be placed behind the front seats with access via the side door. Certainly do-able, but less than ideal. Unfortunately, a "deal breaker" from our perspective is the new location of the spare tire, under the floor of the cargo space. Having to unload the entire cargo area of dogs and gear just to get to the spare tire would be a huge interruption in your trip.
At one point, there were intriguing rumors that Honda was planning a hybrid version of the CR-V. According to Treehugger.com, these rumors are unfortunately false. However, the 2007 CR-V is a 4-cylinder vehicle with mileage in the range of 23mpg city/30mpg highway, which is pretty good. However, keep in mind, those were the ratings by 2007 specs. As they've changed the rating system, the 2008 shows mileage at 20/27mpg. Still not bad, but good mileage is expected with a smaller vehicle. One has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of mileage vs. cargo capacity. For those folks who really want the option of a 6-cylinder in a smaller utility vehicle, they'll have to check the competition along the lines of the Escape, Mariner or RAV4.
| More Information |
| Honda |
| Edmunds Inside Line - CR-V Central |
| CR-V Owners Club |
| Motortrend |
|
Measurements | |
| Depth from back door to front seats (2nd/3rd row folded) = maximum depth (D1) | 60-67" |
| Depth from back door to second row seats (D2) | 31.5" |
| Dept from back door to third row seats (D3) | n/a |
| Height from cargo floor to ceiling behind front seats (H1) | 39" |
| Height from cargo floor to ceiling behind 2 nd row seats (H2) | 40.25" |
| Height of wheel arches (H4) | 13.5" left 13.5" right |
| Height from ground to top of bumper (not pictured) | 27" |
| Width of cargo area at ceiling (W1) | 34" |
| Width of cargo area maximum (approx. at 2nd row seats (W2) | 52.5" |
| Width of cargo area between wheel arches | 39.5" |
| Illustrated dimensions 1 (W1, W2, W3, D2, D3) Illustrated dimensions 2 (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, D1) |
|
| Ventilation | |
| Fill in location of air vents | |
| Rear door window does not open | |
| Rear windows open | |
| Sunroof (Moonroof) available |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Fuel tank capacity | 15.3 gal. |
| Range in miles | 351.9 city/459 highway (2007 ratings) |
| Maximum Tow capacity | 1500# |
| Electrical outlet in rear | Yes - DC |
| Electrical outlet in middle | No |
| Electrical outlet in front | Yes - DC |
| Location of spare tire | Under cargo floor |
| Tailgate Lifts up | Yes |
| Roof Rack Capacity | Unk |
| Rear Seats | Fold and flip forward |
| 2nd-row seats down | 35.7 cu.ft. |
| 2nd-row seats up | 73 cu.ft. |
Thanks for the helpful review. We have two terriers and we like to cart "stuff" -- and I was going to seriously consider this vehicle, but now I think I'll pass. I liked the looks of the tire on the outside door MUCH better and frankly, I don't think you can have the spare tire on the outside door and have it be a hatch back, too. So I think you'd have to compromise. I wanted the tire outside the car and I don't care that the door opened sideways -- I prefer that. It's just not my year. There's nothing out there I'm interested in. The Element is a great car, but far too sparse for my aesthetic sensibilities and if they had not changed the CRV on the tire, I would have bought one this week. Thanks again for the review.
In the last 10 years, my husband has had three CRV's. They are very dependable SUV's, but as far as being a good dog mobile for more than one dog, I don't think so. When it was recently time for me to get a dog mobile, my husband offered to give me his latest CRV. First of all, two 21" wide crates wouldn't fit next to one another in the cargo area. Then, even if they did, I wouldn't have been able to put a third crate sideways behind the passenger's seat because of the way the second row seats fold forward. This doesn't allow a flat area so anything, especially a dog crate, could fit. If you're looking for an SUV for about the same price, size, and dependability as a CRV, look at a RAV4. In this vehicle, two 21" wide crates fit side by side and the second row seats fold all the way down so a third (and maybe small fourth!)crate could fit sideways.