jcparr
11-04-2006, 09:10 PM
I test drove a 2007 EX-L last Sunday and wanted to share some of my experiences. I had had the chance to sit in and look at a 2007 EX-L with the Honda Navigation System at the Auto Show last weekend here in Seattle. Now I am 6'6" so I was definitely concerned if Honda had done anything to affect the headroom in the Gen 3 model. I was very glad to find out that I had plenty of headroom even with the moonroof. I could definitely feel a difference in the front seats with regards to both the seats being slightly wider for hip room. At least for me the seats felt like they have a bit more cushioning in them as well as they seem to form to the body better that Gen 2 seats....and they don't rock...yet :o
One item for those that like and have bought a leather steering wheel cover, the EX-L model comes with a leather steering wheel cover already. So buying the Honda leather steering wheel cover (which the demo I drove had on it) actually makes the steering wheel feel too big. Plus the new leather-steering wheel covers come with red thread and I honestly didn't like that look. I definitely recommend trying the steering wheel as is in the EX-L before buying the Honda leather steering wheel cover accessory.
The back seats have definitely lost some legroom. I noticed that right away when I sat in the back compared to the Gen 2 and Gen 1 legroom. Still there is more legroom thatn other SUVs and but it definitely is tighter in the back. The good news on the back seats for folks that will sit there is that they are adjustable.
The back seats also fold forward in a different way than the Gen 2 and do not fold flat but back "tumble" up against the front seats.
The EX-L models also come standard with a back storage space divider that fits about half way up the height of the back seats in the cargo area and divides the cargo area in two. This is nice to cover things you have in the back and probably means you don't have to purcahse the cargo area cover accessory.
The other nice thing on the interior is that the storage area above the Gen 2 glove box now has a rolling door that comes down. You won't have to worry about leaving anything for someone to see from the outside now. Plus the space in this area is not divided like in the Gen 2 so I think it will be more versatile.
In the EX-L with the Navi System, you also get the 270 watt, 7-speaker stereo system with a subwoofer. The sound quality was very nice. However, having this upgraded stereo system does cost you the storage bin under the passenger seat.
One other little item is that the Honda moved the hood release from just above the gas lid release to just around the corner in the same area but facing to the inside of the car. It is not obvious where the release is if you are used to the old location, so took a couple minutes to find it :oops:
The other thing on the EX-L with the Navi System is that it will also comes with a backup camera just above the license plate that comes on when you put the car in reverse to see what is behind you. It will probably save you having to get the Honda backup sensors unless you have to do a lot of parallel parking or have a tendency to crowd the curb. The backup sensors both sense something behind you as well as how close you are to the curb, so you could still have a reason to get them if you want some added help for parking.
The interior definitely feels more luxurious than the Gen 2.
So as far as the test drive goes, Honda has made a big step again in quieting the interior with the Gen 3. It is at least as big a difference (if not more) as the Gen 2 was from the Gen 1.
The steering is very nice in the Gen 3. The best way I can describe it is that you feel more solidly "on the road" than the Gen 2...not that I have any particular complaint about the Gen 2 handling. This difference in the feel is probably due to the larger 17" wheels as I haven't seen anything about Honda doing any changes to the actual steering system on the 2007.
I can't say that I specifically "felt" the added horsepower to the engine in the Gen 3, but the auto transmission on the Gen 3 definitely shifts smoother under acceleration and normal conditions than the Gen 2.
The 2007 CR-V's have a new safety feature called the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with stability control which can vary the brake pressure on each wheel and power downs the engine in the event that you start to lose traction like in taking a corner too fast or like we did with the demo on a steep hill....stop on the hill and turn off the VSA. Than accelerate with a little extra power and you will feel the car slip and fishtail slightly. Now stop again and turn on the VSA and do the same accelration process and you will feel far less wheel spin and slip.
The other item I felt was that the brakes are smoother on Gen 3 and less "grabby" than the Gen 2.
After about a 20 minute test drive when pulling into the dealer and backing it into the parking space, I reached for the shift lever up on the dash rather than down towards the floor. The salesman starting laughing saying that every Gen 2 driver does that same thing. :)
The other thing I noticed when we saw a 2007 on the road was the headlights look very yellow and weak. I would have expected them to be bluer or white. Has anyone seen the same thing? Anyone changing their light bubs yet?
OK, so my two cents worth of my experience.
One last question, does anyone know if Honda has changed the location of the oil filter on the 2007 so that it won't drip down on the crossbar?
One item for those that like and have bought a leather steering wheel cover, the EX-L model comes with a leather steering wheel cover already. So buying the Honda leather steering wheel cover (which the demo I drove had on it) actually makes the steering wheel feel too big. Plus the new leather-steering wheel covers come with red thread and I honestly didn't like that look. I definitely recommend trying the steering wheel as is in the EX-L before buying the Honda leather steering wheel cover accessory.
The back seats have definitely lost some legroom. I noticed that right away when I sat in the back compared to the Gen 2 and Gen 1 legroom. Still there is more legroom thatn other SUVs and but it definitely is tighter in the back. The good news on the back seats for folks that will sit there is that they are adjustable.
The back seats also fold forward in a different way than the Gen 2 and do not fold flat but back "tumble" up against the front seats.
The EX-L models also come standard with a back storage space divider that fits about half way up the height of the back seats in the cargo area and divides the cargo area in two. This is nice to cover things you have in the back and probably means you don't have to purcahse the cargo area cover accessory.
The other nice thing on the interior is that the storage area above the Gen 2 glove box now has a rolling door that comes down. You won't have to worry about leaving anything for someone to see from the outside now. Plus the space in this area is not divided like in the Gen 2 so I think it will be more versatile.
In the EX-L with the Navi System, you also get the 270 watt, 7-speaker stereo system with a subwoofer. The sound quality was very nice. However, having this upgraded stereo system does cost you the storage bin under the passenger seat.
One other little item is that the Honda moved the hood release from just above the gas lid release to just around the corner in the same area but facing to the inside of the car. It is not obvious where the release is if you are used to the old location, so took a couple minutes to find it :oops:
The other thing on the EX-L with the Navi System is that it will also comes with a backup camera just above the license plate that comes on when you put the car in reverse to see what is behind you. It will probably save you having to get the Honda backup sensors unless you have to do a lot of parallel parking or have a tendency to crowd the curb. The backup sensors both sense something behind you as well as how close you are to the curb, so you could still have a reason to get them if you want some added help for parking.
The interior definitely feels more luxurious than the Gen 2.
So as far as the test drive goes, Honda has made a big step again in quieting the interior with the Gen 3. It is at least as big a difference (if not more) as the Gen 2 was from the Gen 1.
The steering is very nice in the Gen 3. The best way I can describe it is that you feel more solidly "on the road" than the Gen 2...not that I have any particular complaint about the Gen 2 handling. This difference in the feel is probably due to the larger 17" wheels as I haven't seen anything about Honda doing any changes to the actual steering system on the 2007.
I can't say that I specifically "felt" the added horsepower to the engine in the Gen 3, but the auto transmission on the Gen 3 definitely shifts smoother under acceleration and normal conditions than the Gen 2.
The 2007 CR-V's have a new safety feature called the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with stability control which can vary the brake pressure on each wheel and power downs the engine in the event that you start to lose traction like in taking a corner too fast or like we did with the demo on a steep hill....stop on the hill and turn off the VSA. Than accelerate with a little extra power and you will feel the car slip and fishtail slightly. Now stop again and turn on the VSA and do the same accelration process and you will feel far less wheel spin and slip.
The other item I felt was that the brakes are smoother on Gen 3 and less "grabby" than the Gen 2.
After about a 20 minute test drive when pulling into the dealer and backing it into the parking space, I reached for the shift lever up on the dash rather than down towards the floor. The salesman starting laughing saying that every Gen 2 driver does that same thing. :)
The other thing I noticed when we saw a 2007 on the road was the headlights look very yellow and weak. I would have expected them to be bluer or white. Has anyone seen the same thing? Anyone changing their light bubs yet?
OK, so my two cents worth of my experience.
One last question, does anyone know if Honda has changed the location of the oil filter on the 2007 so that it won't drip down on the crossbar?