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
Fuel economy has previously been a bit disappointing from the CR-V, but this goes with the 4x4 territory. Expect strong residual (resale) values, reasonable servicing and maintenance costs and affordable insurance, however.
Demand is high on the used market for the outgoing version, so expect this new CR-V to be a popular used buy. Both SE and SE Sport versions should be sought-after, and should make excellent-value used purchases; models with loads of accessories are likely to be rather expensive for a while yet.
An appealing all-round, versatile package, which comes up cheaper model-for-model than the Freelander; standard equipment is generous, and residual (resale) values will be strong. However, it's a competitive market sector, and other ranges (RAV-4, X-Trail, Maverick) have lower-spec, cheaper variants if you're on a budget, which gives more room for choice and specifying your car according to your needs.
