Honda CR-V 2.0 EX with Advanced Safety Pack 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The CR-V is fitted with Honda's 2.0-litre petrol engine which develops 148bhp and 142lb-ft of torque. It's a good unit and offers smoothness and refinement, although overall we'd say that the 2.2-litre diesel on offer is the better option. 0-62mph takes 10.2 seconds and flat out you'll be doing 118mph.

The CR-V handles surprisingly well for such a tall car, with very little body lean through the bends. The steering is precise and direct and the ride is good too. Despite the CR-V's height, there is very little wind noise at high speeds and road noise is also kept to a minimum.

Although the CR-V is billed as a four-wheel drive car, most of the time it operates in front-wheel drive mode, saving petrol. It's only when you really need that extra traction that the 4WD kicks in, but be warned, if you're looking for a car with good off-road credentials, look elsewhere.

The CR-V is a good looking car both inside and out, and the interior has a feeling of solidity to it, even if some of the interior plastics look and feel a little bit cheap.

This is the top-of-the-range CR-V and, as such, you get an impressive amount of equipment included as standard. Alloy wheels, climate control, electric windows, electric mirrors, cruise control, rear parking sensors, leather seats, Sat-Nav, Bluetooth and a CD player with MP3 connectivity all come as standard.

The CR-V scored four stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests in 2007 but since then, Honda have improved the safety credentials of the model. Standard safety kit includes front, side and curtain airbags, whiplash-reducing front headrests and stability control. The Advanced Safety Pack on this model also includes a system which applies the brakes in the event of an imminent crash and a system which steers you back into lane if you veer of course.

There is plenty of space in the CR-V in both the front and back seats and the boot is a good size too with 556-litres available with the rear seats up and 955-litres on offer with the rear seats down.

Honda have a superb reputation for reliability and the CR-V should be a very reliable car indeed. Honda also supply a 3 year/90,000 mile warranty as standard.

The CR-V 2.0 EX with Advanced Safety Pack is one of the more expensive CR-Vs in the range at £29,590 but this is still reasonable considering the amount of car that you're getting and the impressive level of standard equipment.

Petrol-engined CR-Vs are not exactly cheap to run but considering its size, it’s not as costly as one would think. With a combined fuel economy figure of 34.4mpg and a CO2 emission rating of 190g/km this 4x4 falls under Road Tax Band J so expect to pay £235 per year. It falls under insurance group 27. A diesel-engined CR-V would be a better choice in terms of running costs as it returns 43.5mpg and emits 171g/km of CO2.