|
ALMOST
everything in the motoring world is improving rapidly
these days.
Take the
all-new Honda CR-V 2.4.
Although
I drove the stick shift version of this new Honda babe,
driving it wasn’t only nice and easy as ABC. It was
fun, as fun as learning your first correct push-pedal
onboard a bike.
For a
start, this Honda monster obeyed my command every step
of the way—literally.
I step
on the gas and it responds as quickly as when a radio is
switched on.
I step
on the brake and the vehicle stops as gently as when you
caress a purring cat.
I step
on the clutch and the gear replies minus even an iota of
resistance, so that driving has never been easier all
this time.
So
smooth is every run that the ride always feels like you
are driving a “matic.”
It is
said that a car buff eternally identifies with his or
her first ride. It’s like first love: it never dies.
Many
call it the Honda Habit, referring to one’s penchant for
being a Honda diehard once the first car purchase has
been a Honda. One such guy is Dante Velasco, the PR
mogul whose love affair with the Honda CR-V has become
legend.
When
told that the wait for the All-new Honda CR-V might take
five months, Dante said, “I don’t mind. Even if the
wait would take forever, I’d still go for it.”
Dante
got his All-new CR-V 4x4 after almost four months of
waiting.
Another
CR-V buff is Marlene Ochoa, a top gun at the Manila
North Tollways Corp. It took her nearly three months
before she could drive her new 4x2 CR-V.
Marlene
echoed Dante’s sentiment: “Even if it takes forever,
I’ll still wait for it.”
 Another
friend of mine, Tom Garcia of Global Empire Security
Services Inc., has yet to drive his all-new CR-V as he
placed his order “a bit late.”
But,
like Dante and Marlene, Tom is not complaining.
“I still
have my old, reliable CR-V, so I’m fine,” Tom says.
The
revolutionary features of the all-new Honda CR-V satisfy
the senses as its cabin space has been expanded beyond
your wildest dreams. Its utility features delved on an
all-around packaging that put accent to safety, yet
elegantly styled.
The pure
excitement of the CR-V’s world-famed i-VTEC engine
response, with its unmatched quietness even at full
throttle, is the envy of many.
Its
rugged lower-body construction blends with the
automobile’s sophisticated upper-body styling to unite
country and urban dimensions.
What
separates the all-new CR-V from the rest of the pack are
its brilliant projector headlights and forward-shifted
windshield, making for smooth aerodynamic flanks.
Sporty yet spacious—two features the new CR-V is proud
of.
Despite
a seemingly elevated platform, the all-new CR-V offers
super visibility on a vantage point—yet the car’s
stability is firm as though endlessly pulled down by a
gravitational force that makes for a comfortable ride
all throughout. That’s because its new suspension
systems in front and rear are specially tuned to enhance
driving stability and riding comfort.
Honda’s
original Realtime 4WD system supplies FWD (front-wheel
drive) operation in ordinary conditions, switching to
4WD on demand depending on driving conditions. An
enlarged clutch and stiffened transmission parts help
distribute 20-percent additional torque to the rear
wheels. It has been practically soundproofed as
distracting outside noise is virtually zero. Everyone
onboard is free to converse with ease, listen to music
or simply enjoy exhilarating driving in silence.
One
thing I like with every Honda vehicle is the simplicity
of everything in front of you, below the dashboard. The
buttons are so correctly and simplistically marked that
even a Grade Three pupil would find it chicken feed to
navigate through the controls and radio operations of
the CR-V.
Its fuel
efficiency?
Don’t
even worry about it.
It is a
given that virtually all automobiles today are gas
misers—save for those with V8 engines like the
Expedition and Suburban, and even the Explorer.
But
then, there’s such a thing as the urge to own a
gas-guzzler of a vehicle if only to flaunt one’s
power—as in the filthy-rich politician or the so-called,
sock-it-to-me new rich. “When you have it, flaunt it.”
Stunningly enough, the all-new CR-V has it, but
amazingly, it is a gas miser first and foremost. Yet,
it has a maximum power of 170 ps at 5,800 rpm and its
maximum torque is 22.2 kg-m at 4,200 rpm.
Full
seats, as well as 40:20:40 split-type rear seats, can be
folded down and forward in your choice of utility,
including max-cargo mode and long-cargo mode.
Depending on your needs, a lightweight high-rigidity
shelf can divide cargo into two levels. What’s more,
this shelf even folds in half, so you can use
double-deck storage and load tall items in front of the
cargo area.
So many
and varied are the features of the all-new CR-V that
before you know it, you might have bought yourself a
bargain. |
