With a shared pool of long-termers between the
Truck Trend and
Motor Trend staffs, utility vehicles of all sizes are often relegated to beast-of-burden duty for the multitude of activities that surround producing automotive media in all its forms.
Motor Trend's resident YouTube celeb Carlos Lago was assigned a 2013 Honda CR-V.
Our front-drive EX-L long-termer comes loaded with just about all you can get on a CR-V, including leather seating, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, power driver's seat with lumbar, navigation, and satellite radio. Not getting all-wheel-drive saved $1250 on the sticker price, as well as 1 mpg greater fuel economy in the city and on the highway. The total price for our well-equipped tester was $29,575.
The CR-V's cargo capacity is class-competitive, if not quite class-leading, with the Toyota RAV4 maintaining that distinction, even after its recent redesign. But 37.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 70.9 with them down is plenty of space for the typical glamorous life of internet celebrities toting photo, video and testing equipment, as well as the trips to Trader Joe's.
Although Lago is well-known as a hot-foot among the staff and on the YouTube videos, the CR-V's modest power output discourages overly-hoonish behavior on public roads. The 8.7-second 0-60 time is sufficient for merging onto freeways relatively drama-free, but certainly doesn't invite impromptu stoplight drags with anyone. Strangely, Lago finds odd pleasure in flinging the economy-minded, modestly-tired CR-V around corners.
Stay tuned to Truck Trend for updates on how the CR-V fares in the hands of Lago in his quest for YouTube A-list stardom.
| 2013 Honda CR-V |
| BASE PRICE | $23,525 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $29,575 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door suv |
| ENGINE | 2.4L/185-hp/163-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 |
| TRANSMISSION | 5-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 3349 lb (58/42%) |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.75 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON | 23/31 mpg |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 178.3 x 71.6 x 64.7 |
| WHEELBASE | 103.1 |
| ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY | 147/109 kW-hrs/100 mi |
| EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON | 23/31 mpg |
| CO2 EMISSION | 0.75 lb/mi |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 29.7 sec @ 0.54 g (avg) |
| 0-60 mph | 8.7 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 85.5 mph @ 16.6 sec |
| BRAKING DISTANCE | 123 ft |
| FUEL ECON | 23/31/26 mpg |