2017 Honda CR-V

2017 Honda CR-V

Episode 3630
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Honda’s brand of practicality is certainly well known, and the compact CR-V crossover has been a core part of that story for 20-years now. Still, like the rest of the things on this earth, the CR-V must evolve if it wants to keep roaming our roads. Let’s see how this 5th generation CR-V has changed with the times. 

While evolution is necessary for survival, it can still be a scary proposition. And that brings us to the 2017 Honda CR-V. 

Where changes include first time turbo power, though it’s a small 1.5-liter with 190-horsepower that we’re talking about here. The I4’s 179 lb-ft. of torque makes it feel plenty adequate on daily commutes, a bit less so when fully loaded climbing hills.

It’s still the peppier of the two available engines, the other being a carryover 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated 184–horsepower I4 that’s offered now only in base LX.

Both are CVT-equipped, and that means sometimes excessive engine noise that we’re still getting used to in a Honda product. No complaints on its performance however, as it’s one of the best CVTs out there. 

The reving racket is most noticeable, because the rest of the interior experience is an extremely quiet one. 

Front-wheel-drive remains standard, with all-wheel-drive a $1,300 option. 

On the road, the new Civic-based chassis delivers a good deal of confidence; as it remains flat under hard cornering, yet still offers a smooth, stable ride.

Inside and out, everything looks and feels more substantial than previous CR-Vs; and while visibility was already good, it has improved with slimmer A-pillars.

Our example is of course top level Touring trim and everything inside is clean, modern, and upscale in appearance. 

Typical for Honda, no actual gauges in the cluster; just a digital speed readout and virtual tack. But it passes our eye test, being easy to read at a quick glance. 

Seat comfort wasn’t as great as we’d like, and the seat bottoms remain too short; but neither are deal-breakers. 

And we can’t thank Honda enough for bringing back an honest to goodness radio volume knob, while ditching their awkward center stack dual screen setup.

New this year is an available Hands Free Access Power Tailgate. Like others it opens the hatch with a quick sweep of the foot beneath the bumper. 

Once opened, there’s enough room back here to easily incur extra baggage fees at the airport. Volume is 39.2 cubic-ft. in the cargo area, and 75.8 cubic-ft. with the seat backs folded. That’s more than Acura’s midsize MDX. 

Safety systems are comprehensive, with much-appreciated blind spot monitoring and Collision Mitigation Braking standard on all but the base LX. 

Physically larger than last generation, with 1.6-additional inches of wheelbase, the CR-V certainly has more visual presence than before. 

Highlighting the back end are wing-shaped LED lights and dual exhaust tips.

While there is adequate power for the street; for the test track, our all-wheel-drive CR-V felt weak off the line, delivering us to 60 in a mediocre 7.5–seconds. 

Once the turbos, engine RPM, and noise all get cranking; things improve greatly, as we buzzed our way through the ¼-mile in 16.0–seconds at 89 miles-per-hour.

Handling is where this latest CR-V’s light shines the brightest.  It felt almost athletic through the cones; with no top heavy feel, very little understeer, and quick steering.

With a 108-foot average stopping distance from 60, braking performance was equally impressive.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are another strong point, 27-City, 33-Highway, and 29-Combined; with our average at the low end at 27.0 miles-per-gallon of Regular grade. 

The Energy Impact Score is average at 11.4-barrels of yearly oil use, combined with 5.0-tons of CO2 emissions. 

Typical for the segment, base pricing starts in the mid-20’s, at $24,985 for the LX; Touring trim begins at $33,335.  

So, overall, just what do we think of the 2017 Honda CR-V? Well, the fact we picked it as our Drivers’ Choice Best Small Utility is pretty self-explanatory.

So, we’re not going out on a limb by forecasting that Honda will sell a lot of the new CR-Vs. Like the Civic, its formula of simple, inexpensive, practical, reliable transportation, that’s suitable for both young and old, continues on; only now with more style, more performance, and thus more appeal, to make even more CR-V fans. 

Specifications

  • Engine: 1.5 liter / 2.4 liter
  • Horsepower: 190 / 184
  • Torque: 179 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 7.5 seconds
  • 1/4 mile: 16.0 seconds @ 89 mph
  • EPA: 27 mpg city / 33 mpg highway
  • Energy Impact: 11.4 barrels of oil/yr
  • CO2 Emissions: 5.0 tons/yr

Long Term Updates

Mileage: 2,100

Our 2017 Honda CR-V has been with us for 2-months now, and it’s easy to see why it was such a runaway winner as Best Small Utility in our latest Drivers’ Choice Awards. 

It really does offer tons of space in an easy to drive package, making it simple and efficient to go about running weekend errands; exactly the reason compact crossovers are so popular. 

Despite our early misgivings, with this CR-V Touring package’s 1.5-liter I4 turbo, it’s 190-horsepower has proved more than adequate. Our fuel economy average is off to a good start too at 28.8 miles-per-gallon; right where the Combined rating says it should be. 

Inside, we love that Honda has given us a volume knob for the radio, but still hate that we have to take our eyes off to road too much to use the touchscreen for station tuning; and hair trigger steering wheel controls take a lot of getting used to as well. 

And we’ve got nothing but time, as our year of CR-V is just getting rolling. 

Mileage: 5,000

We’re 3-months in and very much enjoying the roomy interior and confidence inspiring ride. Though we haven’t added too many miles since last report, 2,100; it handles a lot of commuting chores; bringing our total to just over 5,000. Everybody must be taking it easy on the 1.5-liter turbo-4, as mileage is so far a stellar 31.5 miles-per-gallon. 

Surprisingly, there’s been zero complaints about the CVT transmission; just the usual touch-sensitive control nitpicks. But, then, we’re just getting to really know the CR-V and it has a lot of hot driving months ahead.   

2025 Infiniti QX80 1

2025 Infiniti QX80

Infiniti’s Flagship SUV Sets A Course For Extravagance

Episode 4437
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

This full-size Infiniti QX80 started out as the QX56, a hastily rebadged version of Nissan’s truck-based Armada full-size utility. That was in the early 2000s when the luxury SUV craze was exploding. It wasn’t as much as a game-changer, as it was “try to keep upper”. Now, this new QX80, Infiniti is promising to “Reimagine the luxury SUV”. Let’s see if Infiniti has turned their imaginations into reality.

Well, if over the top is what Infiniti was shooting for in the all-new 2025 QX80, mission accomplished. There’s an overall feeling of extravagance here that we haven’t experienced from Infiniti in quite some time.
It’s not just the open pore ash wood trim with aluminum inlays, 24-speaker audio, and plush quilted leather seating; there’s also nicely integrated ambient lighting, a massive glass roof, plenty of tech, lots of active driving assistance, and even chilled center console storage. Forward of that is a dual touchscreen setup; the top 14.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment sits next to the digital gauge display in a single housing; while just below, there’s a 9-inch one for climate controls.

You are reminded this is still a body-on-frame utility the moment you have to climb up into the cockpit, but there’s also the commanding view of the road that comes with that. Captain’s chairs are standard for the second row, but a three-place bench is optional with all trims except for top Autograph which comes exclusively with these climate-controlled massaging chairs, along with a touchscreen control panel. The third-row experience is great, too, with heated leather seating, and adult size room for three.

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Now, there is a whole new experience coming from under the hood. The last gen’s V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rated at 450 horsepower, 50 over the V8. More notably, torque is up by more than 100 lb-ft to 516. Transmission is a nine-speed automatic, two more gears than last year, with rear-wheel drive standard, four-wheel drive an option. Max tow rating is 8,500-lbs.

And at the test track, it did pull strongly off the line, getting up to speed in a hurry with the 0-60 sprint taking just 6.3 seconds. There is roughly 3 tons of weight to push through the quarter-mile, but that twin-turbo does it well, finishing in 14.7 seconds at 95 mph. Gear changes are incredibly smooth, while not hindering acceleration in any way.

It's an impressive looking utility from any angle.

In panic braking runs, there was some fade and a considerable amount of nosedive, but our average stopping distance of 115 feet is not bad for a vehicle as big and heavy as the QX80. Last gen, the QX80 moved from the Titan truck platform to the global Patrol SUV chassis, which shifted the vibe from budget Escalade to Lexus LX fighter. The attending improvement in ride and handling was the real bonus, and that largely continues for this gen with air suspension and Dynamic Digital Dampers on all but base QX80s. While we could certainly feel all that weight through our cone course, body roll was well-controlled and without significant oversteer or understeer.

It’s an impressive looking utility from any angle, starting right up front with the big “bamboo forest” grille. The overall shape is boxy, but all body panels are smooth; and for better or worse, Infiniti joins the flush door handle fad. Look for its “Artistry In Motion” design theme to work its way down through the rest of the Infiniti lineup. All QX80s ride on 22-inch wheels except for base Pure trim which makes do with 20s.

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A full power play includes standard motion-activated rear liftgate and power operation of both second and third row seats, expanding cargo capacity from 22 cu-ft behind the third row to 59 behind the second, and a max of 101.0 cu-ft with both rows folded.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings with four-wheel-drive are not great: 16 city, 19 highway and 17 combined. We averaged 18.6 mpg of premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score, using 17.5 barrels of oil annually, with 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions.

Driving such a PUREly LUXEurious SENSORY overload, you’ll probably be expecting people to want your AUTOGRAPH, which we’re guessing is how Infiniti came up with their grade structure; pricing starts with Pure at $84,445 and climbs to $112,590 for Autograph.

The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a massive SUV that delivers massive amounts of power and luxury. They aimed for the moon here and have clearly blasted themselves into a much more competitive orbit in the big buck, big hauler, sport-utility galaxy.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
  • Transmission: 9-speed automatic
  • Horsepower: 450
  • Torque: 516 lb-ft.
  • EPA: 16 City | 19 Highway | 17 Combined
  • 0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 14.7 seconds at 95 mph
  • Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 115 feet
  • MW Fuel Economy: 18.6 mpg (Premium)