2010 Honda CR-V Boosts Power, Mileage

The Honda CR-V is one of the best-selling cars in its class and one of the best-selling cars in the entire market. However, Honda has made some significant changes to the powertrain to help it compete with more fuel-efficient models like the Toyota RAV4. The 2010 CR-V goes on sale today.  

Horsepower has gone from 166 hp to 180 hp for 2010 and mileage actually improves by 1 mpg for both front-wheel and all-wheel drive models. Those ratings are now 21/28 mpg city/highway and 21/27 mpg city/highway respectively.

In the looks department, the CR-V gets a new grille and front bumper treatment that does alter the look quite a bit compared to some other facelifts we see. The rear refresh is much less significant with new yellow turn signal indicators and a slightly different lower rear bumper.

While the interior looks the same in terms of layout and design, Honda says it has improved the quality of its seat fabrics and improved small things, like a new door handle that now has a rubber grip. The armrests for both front occupants have also been widened.

Honda says the radio controls have been altered but we have no images of them. The stereo and information display between the gauges also gets a new blue backlight instead of black.

Features like Bluetooth and USB audio are only available on the top trim levels (EX and EX-L) with Bluetooth only coming with those trims that have a navigation system. That’s a lot of money to pay for features the competition is putting into much less expensive vehicles.

Pricing has increased between $300 to $900 depending on the trim level, but those price increases seem in line with the level of changes for the new model.

We have many more images and a full price breakdown below.

Comments

Where is the 6 speed automatic?
That would be far more useful than top end power, seeing as no torque increase.

Where is the 4 bulbs headlight cluster that is standard in JDM CR-V?

Too bad the surgeon didn't sew up the gash between the grill and bumper fascia. I'm glad they didn't add the USB front a la Pilot and Ridgeline.

Very nice, I always the interior looked like the one from the Jetta.

Spent 3 hours driving one. My back was gone after that. Worst seat I ever experienced.

It's a mini Crosstour grille!

The Nav looks like it would be easy to use...but man,...this thing has gotten expensive!The changes are so subtle, they just shouldn't have even put the effort in "refreshing" this car.

And I guess if they sealed up the gash between the grill and bumper, it would look too much like a Lexus GX470

Looks like some of the front grill over-bit has been eliminated.....about time.

Oh whao! Top-of-the-line is almost at $30K. Add $2-3K more and I can get me a much bigger SUV. That should be no brainer!

i own the 2007 version. Yea the changes are subtle yet functional. Like the grab handles, the ones on mine scratch like crazy. Rubber ones will last longer. I like the old grille better though, it has more chrome and makes the front look wider. They hid bottom lip with less plastic, but it still looks swollen. The power added is needed. It says the radio will have blue backlight, somewhat like the info display between the gauges in the pictures, but won't the blue make it look cheaper than the black background? Its a matter of taste probably. It seems disappointing that the price is higher. For those of you who want this car it may be worth buying the 2009 version.

Awesome..
Honda CR-V is always place in my favorites and am appreciated always.I like your work and it be will be good choice to buy it.
Anyways thanks for the pics.

shouldn't thise be trying to catch the Equinox in mileage? why would you reference the Toyota when its not even best in class in terms of efficiency? This improved Cr-V still gets 4 less mpg on the highway than the Chevy in spite of having less power and weighing 200lbs less. Interior is nice, exterior is still a mess.

Can cars.com EVER suggest a domestic product might be the benchmark? The RAV4 is not the benchmark in any way. The most efficient vehicle in this class is made by Chevy, its the one everyone is trying to catch now.

OS,
How Chevy can be benchmark if it has no record. CRVs are everywhere. They are known for reliability, functionality, etc. Highest resale value! RAV-4 same story. Chevy just came out, from the company which barely kept itself on-float. Sorry. Which our community kept on float. Communists we are...
Plus, be realistic. There are people who would buy American and there are people who would by Japanese. and even if Chevy is great car, some people would not consider it. Therefore, it is a all-japan war for most part.

OS,
You are correct and I honestly sat there trying to think of what I was missing. However, the RAV4 is the direct competition for the CR-V for most shoppers so it makes a LOT of sense to list it there. Learn to relax.

Dave:

I am relaxed but the media attitude of "people only dont cross shop imports and domestics" is annoying. How do you know that? Folks in the media always claim they have such dim views of domestic products because of years of mediocrity but when the product is compelling they ignore it and go back to the average stalwarts from Toyota and Honda. Although auto media types all but ignore the Escape (it is a Ford afterall) its actually the 2nd best small cross over. The RAV4 isn't a best seller and it isn't a benchmark vehicle. Its claim to fame is good V6 mileage.

As I said, EVERYONE is playing catchup to the Equinox in terms of mileage and features. There isn't one import crossover with better mileage and that includes this 2010 CR-V.

CR-V's original competitor was RAV4, and it always will be. End of story.

Tony:

The subject at hand is mileage. As with most bling import supporters you totally avoided the FACT that the Equinox is best in class in mileage. Do you know any Equinox purchasers? Do you know they didn't compare it to the Japanese? I looked over owner comments on edmunds.com and many specifically said they comapred it to RAV4, Escape and CR-V. Chevy's "track record" is irrelevant when comparing mileage. How is Toyota's reputation going to make up for it's inferior mileage? The EPA ratings system doesn't give out credits for "superior reputation". The Chevy is the only one in the class that exceeds 30mpg- in fact it gets better mileage than the Accord. Give credit where its due. The Chevy has a better standard transmission and a better engine and better mileage. What goes is reputation if your product is inferior?

In the 70s and 80s the Big 3 counted on consumers thinking just like you when they turned out average products. The execs figured it would sell on "reputation" alone.

"Chevy just came out, from the company which barely kept itself on-float."

And yet its still better than the RAV4. Amazing. BTW, it takes 4 years to design and produce a new vehicle. GM wasn't being funded by taxpayers when the Equinox was developed. But I'm sure you knew that.

"CR-V's original competitor was RAV4, and it always will be. End of story."

Not end of story. The CR-V was its FIRST competitor. The escape came out in 2000, the vue came out in 2001 and the field got more crowded each year. The CR-V top competitor based on sales is the Escape, not RAV4. Check the sales figures yourself. BTW, to my knowledge there were years when the Escape was the best selling SUV in this class.

BTW, this post was about MILEAGE, not who represents the most ideal competitor for the CR-V. Equinox is king in that department.

End of story.

OS
Point taken. Like I said I just was on a deadline and couldn't think of the Equinox.
Also can you keep your comments to 1 instead of 4-5 in a row? Makes the site tidier. Appreciate it!

OS just can't seem to leave the others alone, right?
Apparently he cannot even read a statement in the correct direction.
CR-V aims at RAV4, not the other way around. We are not discussing what are RAV4's competitors.
Again, like others have mentioned, people looking at the CR-V mostly look at the RAV4 as well, and that's it.

So all small cars should benchmark the Cobalt XFE then? Is it known that the EPA actually tested the Equinox, or was the mileage suggested by GM and they just accepted it?

You guys can't stand his comments yet all you do is egg him on. Again I have to yell WHAT DOES IT MATTER! You have your viewpoints and he has his viewpoints, neither are right nor wrong.

Shet, sorry I mean H, either contribute or shut up, but really don't yell, it hurts people's ears.

"Point taken. Like I said I just was on a deadline and couldn't think of the Equinox.
Also can you keep your comments to 1 instead of 4-5 in a row? "

I typed 3 consecutive responses, not 5. Typically that happens when a new response from someone else shows up AFTER I just posted. Comments from others seem show to slow up on this site.

J:

My comments were directed towards the CR-V. Not sure who is the one that has trouble with comprehension. Again, as I have mentioned you don't know what vehicles potential buyers look at when researching the CR-V. To say they only look at RAV4 is ridiculous. YOu cannot verify that- no one can. Common sense dictates that most people looking in this class probably consider the top sellers- Escape, Rav4 and CR-V. YOu can likely add Equinox to that mix based on its sales so far.

H:

Stating the Equinox has the best mileage in class is not a viewpoint. Just a fact. All I said was that its illogical to say the CR-V is improving its mileage to keep pace with the 3 year old RAV4 when the Equinox JUST came out to widely advertised best in class mileage. It not about me being right- its just a fact that no vehicle surpasses the Chevy in mileage in this class. Not sure how that goes unmentioned when talking about the improved efficiency of the CR-V.

Belly:

Most cars are not tested by the EPA. They establish standards and manufacturers use them to rate the cars. Please dont go down the "GM must be making up these numbers" road. Thats just pathetic.

Who's to say you're not Shethead. Everytime he posts, you post...gotta have an antagonist to have a protagonist...gotta have a foil. You have a Cobalt...Shet always defends the Cobalt.

Hey, I coined that term, and touche... well sort of but not really. You know my stance of the Cobalt. And what is pathetic to suggest a company would fudge numbers? What does GM have to lose? They obviously tout it as the most appealing trait of the Equinox. The Cobalt XFE doesn't even live up to its numbers in real world tests, I would like to know why not.

Actually the AWD Equinox is rated at 29 mpg highway. The FWD is rated at 32. So when comparing AWD vehicles it's 28 for CRV and 29 for the Chevy. Not that big of a deal.

OS,
about shopper habits...
Another day my wife and I were in the amusement park occupied by Chevy cars on displays. I brought her to Equinox and asked, "Do you like it?" she said, "yes, nice car. What is it?" - "Chevy", I said. Her face changed. "Lets go", sh said....
Where I live, we have a lot of Indians. They just don't drive American cars. They drive Hondas and Toyotas. This is it.
There are plenty of people who is bias to American car. Even I. I would probably consider Hyundai before any American car

"Oh whao! Top-of-the-line is almost at $30K. Add $2-3K more and I can get me a much bigger SUV. That should be no brainer!

Posted by: Jack | Sep 10, 2009 8:23:54 PM "

Then you would have a BOTTOM of the barrel, stripper base model, bigger SUV. Not what I would want at all. Also, 2-3K more is a LOT of money.

What a stupid comment.

-------------------------------------------

"Not end of story. The CR-V was its FIRST competitor. The escape came out in 2000, the vue came out in 2001 and the field got more crowded each year. The CR-V top competitor based on sales is the Escape, not RAV4. Check the sales figures yourself. BTW, to my knowledge there were years when the Escape was the best selling SUV in this class.

BTW, this post was about MILEAGE, not who represents the most ideal competitor for the CR-V. Equinox is king in that department.

End of story.

Posted by: Original sheth | Sep 11, 2009 10:54:26 AM "

The current Escape is rubbish. It is a reworked, reskinned version of the first generation with a more powerful engine. The interior is the worst in its class as is the fit and finish.

Don't talk about sales figures please, as the Escape is WIDELY known for fleet sales, something that the CR-V isn't used for. I would be willing to bet that up to a 1/4 of those sales were fleet vehicles severly skuing the numbers.

The 2wd stripper Equinox gets the best mileage. It is also awful to drive as the transmission is very hesitant to downshift and rev the engine, killing the fun.

Let's compare AWD Equinox to the AWD CR-V then mileage almost becomes a mute point. I would NEVER buy a 2WD SUV. Also, the Equinox has been greeted with lukewarm reviews while the CR-V receives universal praise from every automotive publication and every owner I have ever spoken to.

There is a great reason why the CR-V have been America's best selling SUV for three years in a row now....

END OF STORY.

Bryan -
Why must you feed the beast?

Tony-
My wife is the same way. She'll like the looks of a car until she finds out who makes it. She just laughs at the Howie Long commercials.

Hey OS what kind of cars does your wife like?

Kind of like how I laugh at the Prius commercials where it farts and flowers bloom?

...and that great reason is?

"The CR-V was its FIRST competitor", OS said.
I rest my case.

Bryan:

The Escape was updated in 2008 and sells well. Dont shoot the messenger. Consumers obviously find it competitive. In addition, the Equinox has gotten great reviews- to state otherwise is delusional. Most reviews are saying its best in class. Even cars.com liked it and they are lukewarm about most domestics. What reviews are you referring too? Numerous reviews have made it clear its best in class. C&D and others said it outclasses the Toyota and Honda in refinement and interior design. Do some research before making up things.

Yes the AWD models are closer in mileage but the Equinox is heavier and has more torque than the CR-V while deliveing slightly better mileage. Advantage: chevy.

tony:

I never said people aren't biased. Toyota and Honda thrive on the basis of consumer ignorance. I said that its foolish to say that people ONLY cross shop the RAV4 and CR-V. Matter of fact if you go to edmunds and research a car it shows you the most compared vehicles. Care to check out the page for the RAV4 or CR-V and see if Escape comes up? Not sure what Indians driving imports has to do with my original point. BTW, I know you are biased- its apparent based on your posts. Shockingly, I will buy an American car if it looks better and costs less than the competition while delivering better mileage. I don't really care what others say is cool or acceptable.

JUst for the record, for most of the year Ford has been gaining marketshare while Toyota and Honda have been maintaining or losing share. Are you sure people refuse to consider American products? cars.com just had a story up about a poll showing 80% of people plan to consider an American product. Don't shoot the messenger. One other note- the Fusion recently had its best ever month- kind of hard to believe considering what you are telling me about how Americans have permanently shunned domestic products.

H:

I can't stand those Prius commercials.

ziggy:

she likes X5, Q7, Enclave/Acadia, CTS, Lacrosse, Vue, RX350, etc.

WHy is that relevant?

I think the new grill is a subtle improvement, but it's still a bit goofy looking. But changing the "overbite" from body color to chrome seems to de-emphasize this feature a bit.

Now, how will a 14 hp power increase affect performance even though torque is not increasing? Will it have any effect on acceleration?

For me its hard to say which grille looks worse. I just dont understand why it cant have a convential, attractive front end.

Also, the fact they make you get nav to get USB and bluetooth is lame.

Last month my wife selected a CRV over the Chevrolet because it had navigation and more cargo room for the baby stuff. The Chevrolet was quiet but it felt unpowered and the only navigation system they had didn't include a map. Duh who's dumb idea is that! We love our new CRV and can see why there are a lot of them on the road.

Honda now has this 2010 CR-V featured on its website. Now if we can only get some 0-60 acceleration numbers from a road test... What will that additional 14 hp do? Much of anything? Will it even shave a half second off the 0-60?

Equinox does not have a track record of reliability. Hopefully, Chevy has fixed some of the reliability problems. If they can keep these new Equinoxes from breaking down for a few years, then yes, it will definitely be a competitor to Honda and Toyota. But those that have been burned with build quality are not going to jump back after a single revamped model comes out.

I am looking to replace my car. CR-V is at the top on the list. I've owned CR-Vs before and loved them. Now looking to downsize from a Pilot. I have looked at the Equinox and love what I see. But check out the reliability of previous models....average to below average after just a couple of years. I'm not ready to take that risk.

While my next car probably won't be an Equinox, maybe the one after that will be. If they can keep ahead in terms of mileage, features and price, AND if they can prove it's a reliable car, then I would definitely consider it. But it's a big IF whether or not they can show their cars won't break after a couple of years.

Once you drive the CR-V, Equinox, & RAV-4, it's really difficult not to choose the RAV-4. The two others are just too slow by comparison. I realize that many won't be purchasing crossover SUV's for their speed, but it's nice to have a little something under the hood. The RAV-4 (V6) is just plain fast, and the other two are just plain slow.

There are some things I strongly dislike about the RAV-4. It just looks too "trucky" for me. And I really really can't stand the rear-mounted spare tire and sideways-opening rear door. They need to make it a bit more sleek, hide the spare, and go with a vertical rear door.

Hey folks:

Not one to typically add to the fray but just turned over 213,000 miles on a 2001 CR-V, my second after a 1999 got taken out. Yes it is underpowered, no denying, but this thing takes me 80 round trip every day and has been flawless for the most part. I have decided after putting the 2nd timing belt in that we're driving it into the ground. NO CHEVY is going to be on my list till it can return the kind of long term performance this lil thing has and still be showing the residual value that it does. THAT is true cost of ownership and SATISFACTION for me.

Just bought my 4th CRV. I traded my 07 a few months ago for a VW EOS (great car) but should have traded a different car held on to it but when I drove the 10, I am glad I made the move, LOVE CRVs and they keep getting better!

I took delivery of my new 2010 CR-V November 1st ... and it is an awesome vehicle. I looked at the Saturn Vue (went belly-up); Ford Edge & Lincoln MKX (too much $$); Ford Escape & Mercury Mariner (poor mileage and outdated look); Jeep Patriot, Compass, Wrangler & Liberty (horrible mpg). Chevy Equinox & GMC Terrain (too large for my small family); and ... finally turned to Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV ... (too big and hated spare tire mounted on back respectively).

Not sorry I chose my CR-V ... its color (Opal Sage Metallic) is not offered by any of its competitors and when I added a rear spoiler, woodgrain dashboard kit, fog lights, splash guards, body side moldings and matching door guards = SNAP!! a knock your eyes out vehicle with excellent mpg and proven reliability. All ready Toyota is cryin' the blues with the accelerator pedal problem. In the meantime, I am cruising around in the best looking car in the neighborhood!! (by the way, seats are comfy enough).

Just bought a 2010 CRV. Love the car. The exterior isn't the prettiest, I agree, but the interior is well-laid out, it handles well, and the engine has enough spunk with the upgrade. My only quibble is it can be difficult to see in back, and it will take some time getting used to. Seat comfort isn't the best, but it's certainly not terrible, just average. Looked at and drove other models. Liked a few, especially the RAV-4 and Equinox, but in totality, this is the best in its class, period.

I bought the CRV-Ex AWD 2010 model. The mpg is 13-14 in the city and 20-27 in the Hwy. It is 7000 Miles on it. This care gives poor mpg. Compalined to Honda ,checked Honda service center but no luck