Honda CR-V 2.2i-DTEC ES-T 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The CR-V's 2.2-litre diesel engine churns out 148bhp and 258lb-ft of torque. This translates into a 0-62mph time of 9.6 seconds and a top speed of 118mph which is perfectly adequate for a car like this.

Considering the CR-V's off-road credentials, it's relatively good to drive on the road thanks to superb suspension which is both firm and comfortable. The steering is accurate, if a little numb, and the CR-V handles perfectly competently.

The CR-V is very well equipped and comes with alloy wheels, climate control, electric windows, cruise control, rear parking sensors, sat-nav, Bluetooth, CD player and MP3 connectivity as standard.

Honda make some spectacularly bland cars and the CR-V is no exception. It's not ugly, just instantly forgettable. However, you can improve the exterior looks by specifying metallic piant for £490 and alcantra/leather seats come as standard which improves the look and feel of the cabin.

The CR-V is due for replacement soon and the current model has been with us since 2007. As such, the CR-V can't compete with its more modern counterparts in the safety stakes and scored a pretty mediocre four stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests.

The CR-V is, however, very practical and offers plenty of luggage space with 556-litres on offer with the rear seats up and 955-litres on offer with the rear seats down.

Honda are renowned for their reliability and the CR-V comes with a 3 year/90,000 mile warranty in the unlikely event that something does go wrong.

At £27,020, the Honda CRV 2.2i-DTEC ES-T is priced to compete directly with the Land Rover Freelander. Unfortunately, this is a battle that the Honda just cannot win and the CR-V is a tad too expensive for what is on offer.

The running costs are fairly reasonable, however, and you should return over 43mpg on the combined cycle which is pretty decent for a big old barge like this. CO2 emissions of 171g/km means that the CR-V falls under VED band H.