Best Year Honda CR-V

‍2016 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is a crossover SUV with a lot of emphasis on "Utility." It is a popular choice among many families thanks to its spacious interior and good fuel economy. The vehicle also flaunts impressive scores in terms of safety.

Honda has designed the 2016 CR-V without missing a beat. The crossover SUV offers a smooth ride, modern safety systems, a bold design, and a spacious interior. In addition to the practical design, the CR-V also houses many modern features like the advanced infotainment system, which provides vital vehicle information and makes long cruises fun.

Style

The 2016 CR-V shape was launched in 2012. The designers of this generation decided to make the rear more curvaceous and hide the vehicle's boxy aesthetics. You will not find much difference in the front between the 2015 and 2016 models. The grille has a Honda touch to it, and it seems to have a hint of touch from the 2016 Honda Civic and even the compact Honda Fit.

The vehicle has LED lights in the front and the rear, making it seem quite modern and stylish. The stylish design of the SUV misses out on state-of-the-art, edgy cues, which might make it a little unbalanced and bulky to some.

On the inside, the dashboard is equipped with specific features. The soft-touch texture used on door panels and dashboard feels nice and luxuriant. The more plastic interior helps with durability and cleanliness as it is obvious that Honda expects kids to be present in the vehicle, and they will surely spill drinks and sauces all over. The quality of the plastic is excellent, and the tone matches well with the soft-touch areas.

The center console was redesigned in 2016. A center console storage box replaced individual armrests of the front seat with a padded lid to serve as an armrest. Trays, cup holders, and several small storage bins were added to the console. The console also houses an HDMI jack, two USB ports, and a 12-volt outlet. There is another 12-volt outlet located under the dash.

A seven-inch infotainment system is mounted on the dash, which offers Bluetooth connectivity and even supports HDMI. The system is easy and fun to use and gives you many options to meet and exceed your music needs.

Performance

The compact SUV comes with a 2.4 liter, four-cylinder engine, standard on all variants. It produces around 185 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. In 2016, Honda equipped the CR-V with a CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission. On former models, the vehicle was running on a five-speed automatic transmission.

The powertrain of the vehicle provides decent acceleration and responsiveness. Honda's CVTs are well designed and do not give that rubber band feeling when the gas pedal is pressed down. As soon as the pedal is pressed down, the CR-V accelerates without any lag. However, you will not get any neck-snapping acceleration from this vehicle. But since this is designed to be a family vehicle, you will not need that feature anyway.

There is an Eco button in the cabin, turn Eco mode on, and you will notice everything becoming slower and smoother. Even the air conditioner becomes more tepid. However, it is more tolerable than other models, making it seem as if the air con has turned off completely.

The vehicle comes with an all-wheel-drive, geared more towards safety during harsh weather than off-roading. This is not to say that the vehicle cannot handle even the least bit of running off the road. You can easily use the CR-V to get to your campsites and trek over hiking trails. But it is not designed for rock climbing or running in deep mud and snow. The AWD system is equipped with Real-Time technology, which does not require moving the front wheels before power is sent to the rear wheels.

The ride quality of the CR-V feels safe and predictable. The suspension and tall tire sidewalls add to the stability and comfort. However, you will not want to push the suspension to its limits, as it focuses more on comfort than performance.  

Comfort

The 2016 Honda CR-V is naturally suited for carrying a family with luggage. The interior space is excellent for passengers. If you need to carry extra cargo, the rear seats can fold down by pulling only one lever.

The CR-V offers a lot of cargo space; some even rate it as equal to almost two small minivans. The five passengers are seated higher, and the luggage rides behind the rear seat at a lower level.

The driver and the front passenger seat offer more than enough comfort. You will not feel tired or groggy, even after long drives. However, some people believe that Honda should have added more bolstering to the seats.

You can easily fit in two six-footers with ample legroom and headroom on the rear seat. Even for longer trips, a child can comfortably ride between the two adults. One of the best features of the backseat is the flat floor, which makes long cruises comfortable and pleasant.

The flexibility that the 2016 Honda CR-V offers is exceptional. With just a tug at a lever, the rear seat disappears as if by magic. The lower cushion of the backseat tumbles into the rear footwell, the headrest tilts, and the seat flips over to tuck into the footwell. With the rear seat folded away, you get an entirely flat cargo space, with 61.4 cubic feet of space.

The trims and finishes on the 2016 Honda CR-V are seen as modern and well-designed. The CR-V has a cozy and comfortable interior with quality plastics and abundant soft-touch surfaces. The noise insulation is very good, and the vehicle rides smoothly and quietly, even at highway speeds.

Safety

The 2016 Honda CR-V is stellar when it comes to safety. It has acquired a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also received Good overall ratings for crashworthiness tests. Whether it was a frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, or a rollover, the CR-V is certified by the IIHS to be good at protecting its occupants.

From the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2016 Honda CR-V received a five-star overall safety rating. NHTSA awarded the CR-V with five stars in frontal and side crash and four stars in rollover.

The safety equipment that comes standard across all variants of the Honda CR-V is six airbags and vehicle stability control. The Honda LaneWatch system is available on all trims, except the base LX. This system is equipped with a camera on the passenger-side mirror and helps keep blind spots in check when changing lanes. The camera displays a video of the right lane on the center display whenever the right turn signal is switched on.

Some optional safety features are available on the 2016 CR-V, which include a forward-collision warning system with automatic braking. The Touring trim has adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning with steering input.

The lane-keep assist keeps the car from moving out of the lane and helps the car maintain the lane's center throughout the drive. The system turns on at speeds above 45 mph and is quite convenient for highway cruises. The system keeps the vehicle in the lane through most curves. But if there is a sharper bend, it starts to beep to get the driver to take control. As the system takes over the steering, the driver can feel a small yet persistent force acting on the steering wheel.

 Due to the relatively narrow rear window, the rearview camera, which comes standard across all variants, is an absolute necessity on the Honda CR-V. However, the visibility towards the front and sides is very good, thanks to the narrow pillars. There is also an added feature that allows the rear headrests to fold down if the driver requires a better view in the center mirror.

However, the rear third-quarter has bulky pillars, and it can be difficult to judge the dimensions when backing the car up for longer distances.

Features

The 2016 Honda CR-V can be found in five trims; LX, Special Edition, EX, EX-L, and Touring. All variants of the CR-V come with the following features as standard

• Power windows
• Power door locks
• Power mirrors
• Tilt and telescopic steering wheels
• Cruise control
• Audio systems with steering mounted phone controls, and Bluetooth
• Two 12-volt power outlets

The special edition CR-V adds privacy glass, a security alarm system, two-tone paint, and 17-inch alloy wheels.

However, the trims that you will most commonly find are the EX and the EX-L. These trims take whatever is available on the LX and add to it the following:

• LaneWatch system; displays the right side of the vehicle on the center screen to help keep blind spots in check whenever the right-hand turn signal is turned on
• Ten-way power-adjustable driver seat
• Keyless ignition
• Moonroof
• Heated front seats
• An additional USB port

The EX-L variant adds more luxury to the EX by featuring:

• Leather upholstery on the steering wheel and seats
• Satellite radio
• Automatic climate control
• Improved audio system
• As an option, you can also find navigation and an HD radio

For the top safety systems, and even more options, the top-of-the-line Touring trim features the following:

• Power tailgate
• 18-inch alloy rims
• Memory function for driver's seat
• Forward collision warning system with emergency braking
• Lane departure warning
• Lane Keep Assist with steering control
• Adaptive cruise control, which maintains speed according to the vehicle ahead

Fuel Economy

The powertrain on the 2016 Honda CR-V is different from the previous models. It features direct fuel injection and a continuously variable transmission. The 2016 CR-V posts a better gas mileage with these technologies than the prior models.

With the front-wheel-drive variant, the EPA fuel economy numbers are at 26 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg when running combined. For all-wheel-drive variants, the numbers change to 25 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined.

These numbers are much higher than any previous CR-V models, putting the 2016 CR-V in higher ranks in EPA ratings for crossovers.

However, the fuel economy does come at a price. You will not find the CR-V very sporty or fast. But you will generally not need any neck-breaking acceleration, especially when cruising with your family. To keep the fuel economy maximum, you can engage the Eco mode, which slows down acceleration and keeps fuel consumption by accessories like the air conditioner in check.

How Much Does the 2016 CR-V Cost?

You can expect to get your hands on a 2016 Honda CR-V for anywhere between $15,000 and $29,000. Many factors influence the price of a used vehicle. These include location, mileage, trim level, and, most importantly, vehicle condition.

What is the Cost to Own a 2016 Honda CR-V?

Although you might find the initial prices of the 2016 CR-V a little on the higher side, the lower running costs justify them. On average, the 2016 Honda CR-V will cost you about $21,000 in maintenance, insurance, repairs, and gasoline. This is lower than most competing vehicles like the Mazda CX-5 and Ford Escape.

Best Year Honda CR-V

2016 is the best year Honda CR-V because it comes at a much lower price than the newer generation. The fourth generation, which ran from 2012 to 2016, received higher overall scores than any other generation of the Honda CR-V.

The 2016 model received numerous upgrades over the previous years, including better handling, ride comfort, and noise cancellation. So it is safe to say that 2016 is the best year Honda CR-V.