Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £19,725 to £26,210
Handling, functional appearance, reliability, punchy diesel engine
A bit plain to look at, low-rent interior
A good family purchase, though Toyota's RAV-4 range is more stylish and comes with a wider choice of variants
Honda has a good track record in industry crash testing, and the CR-V is set to achieve four stars in the NCAP front and side impact tests, and three stars in the pedestrian protection test. Its body is more rigid than before, and standard equipment includes driver, front passenger and side airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution) and Brake Assist, three rear three-point seatbelts and rear ISOFIX child seat mounting points. Security, "always an Achilles' heel", admits Honda, has been improved, with a new alarm, immobiliser and remote locking with deadlocks now standard, as well as a load area cover.
