Do I really want a CR-V? (Big estate car chat)
Discussion
Hello,
We've had a 2012 Mondeo estate for 6.5 years and loved it to bits.
I'm looking to replace it and thought another estate would be the best way to go. Hello Skoda Superb.
But something about the Skoda leaves me underwhelmed. I opened the tailgate expecting to see a life-changing black hole of a boot. It's large, yes, but despite being more than 100 litres more voluminous, it doesn't seem any bigger than the Mondeo we have now. ODD.
In the rear it's a bit bigger than the Mondeo, and yes the seats are lovely and comfortable.
One of the wildcards on my list was the Honda CR-V of 2016-2018 vintage. The boot's not as deep but does have some extra height. Less room in the back than the Mondeo but... seems big enough. I seemed to get a much nicer feel from the Honda. The cabin was airy with big windows and it just felt like a happy car to be in. And price wise it's about the same as the Skoda.
The infotainment in the Skoda is loads better of course. Honda's touchscreen is properly naff and doesn't even have Android Auto. Having AA in my other car (Octavia vRS) is great. But the CR-V would be our main family bus and smartphone connectivity doesn't seem particularly high up the list of priorities.
As a serious petrolhead, I'm not supposed to like SUVs. So why do I like the CR-V so much? I'll miss the Mondeo's dynamics for sure. But most modern cars feel quite numb to drive (to me) so I'm not sure that recipe can be replicated in a more modern car.
Anyone else been in this boat?
What is the modern equivalent of my 2012 Mondeo?
We've had a 2012 Mondeo estate for 6.5 years and loved it to bits.
I'm looking to replace it and thought another estate would be the best way to go. Hello Skoda Superb.
But something about the Skoda leaves me underwhelmed. I opened the tailgate expecting to see a life-changing black hole of a boot. It's large, yes, but despite being more than 100 litres more voluminous, it doesn't seem any bigger than the Mondeo we have now. ODD.
In the rear it's a bit bigger than the Mondeo, and yes the seats are lovely and comfortable.
One of the wildcards on my list was the Honda CR-V of 2016-2018 vintage. The boot's not as deep but does have some extra height. Less room in the back than the Mondeo but... seems big enough. I seemed to get a much nicer feel from the Honda. The cabin was airy with big windows and it just felt like a happy car to be in. And price wise it's about the same as the Skoda.
The infotainment in the Skoda is loads better of course. Honda's touchscreen is properly naff and doesn't even have Android Auto. Having AA in my other car (Octavia vRS) is great. But the CR-V would be our main family bus and smartphone connectivity doesn't seem particularly high up the list of priorities.
As a serious petrolhead, I'm not supposed to like SUVs. So why do I like the CR-V so much? I'll miss the Mondeo's dynamics for sure. But most modern cars feel quite numb to drive (to me) so I'm not sure that recipe can be replicated in a more modern car.
Anyone else been in this boat?
What is the modern equivalent of my 2012 Mondeo?
7 5 7 said:
Keep what you got, probably just as good compared to more modern stuff, apart from the gimmicky infotainment stuff, which can easily be retrofitted, if you really want it.
Or, upgrade it to the newer model Mondeo estate, they are very good resolved cars...
It’s 12 years old! Definitely time for something more modern and upmarket. Or, upgrade it to the newer model Mondeo estate, they are very good resolved cars...
I’d go with the superb still as that’s what I did. I looks at CR-V’s and the like as I’ve come from a Lexus RX300 but the Superb won it over for me.
I liked having an SUV but in reality the extra ground clearance only came in handy because I went out of my way to use it down green lanes etc.
I found that I was lugging round the bulk of an SUV because it might be useful for a maximum of 5 journeys per year.
I like CR-V’s too but they just feel outdated compared to the competition. It’s like a newer old car.
I liked having an SUV but in reality the extra ground clearance only came in handy because I went out of my way to use it down green lanes etc.
I found that I was lugging round the bulk of an SUV because it might be useful for a maximum of 5 journeys per year.
I like CR-V’s too but they just feel outdated compared to the competition. It’s like a newer old car.
Fuzzarr said:
Hello,
We've had a 2012 Mondeo estate for 6.5 years and loved it to bits.
I'm looking to replace it and thought another estate would be the best way to go. Hello Skoda Superb.
But something about the Skoda leaves me underwhelmed. I opened the tailgate expecting to see a life-changing black hole of a boot. It's large, yes, but despite being more than 100 litres more voluminous, it doesn't seem any bigger than the Mondeo we have now. ODD.
In the rear it's a bit bigger than the Mondeo, and yes the seats are lovely and comfortable.
One of the wildcards on my list was the Honda CR-V of 2016-2018 vintage. The boot's not as deep but does have some extra height. Less room in the back than the Mondeo but... seems big enough. I seemed to get a much nicer feel from the Honda. The cabin was airy with big windows and it just felt like a happy car to be in. And price wise it's about the same as the Skoda.
The infotainment in the Skoda is loads better of course. Honda's touchscreen is properly naff and doesn't even have Android Auto. Having AA in my other car (Octavia vRS) is great. But the CR-V would be our main family bus and smartphone connectivity doesn't seem particularly high up the list of priorities.
As a serious petrolhead, I'm not supposed to like SUVs. So why do I like the CR-V so much? I'll miss the Mondeo's dynamics for sure. But most modern cars feel quite numb to drive (to me) so I'm not sure that recipe can be replicated in a more modern car.
Anyone else been in this boat?
What is the modern equivalent of my 2012 Mondeo?
GV70:We've had a 2012 Mondeo estate for 6.5 years and loved it to bits.
I'm looking to replace it and thought another estate would be the best way to go. Hello Skoda Superb.
But something about the Skoda leaves me underwhelmed. I opened the tailgate expecting to see a life-changing black hole of a boot. It's large, yes, but despite being more than 100 litres more voluminous, it doesn't seem any bigger than the Mondeo we have now. ODD.
In the rear it's a bit bigger than the Mondeo, and yes the seats are lovely and comfortable.
One of the wildcards on my list was the Honda CR-V of 2016-2018 vintage. The boot's not as deep but does have some extra height. Less room in the back than the Mondeo but... seems big enough. I seemed to get a much nicer feel from the Honda. The cabin was airy with big windows and it just felt like a happy car to be in. And price wise it's about the same as the Skoda.
The infotainment in the Skoda is loads better of course. Honda's touchscreen is properly naff and doesn't even have Android Auto. Having AA in my other car (Octavia vRS) is great. But the CR-V would be our main family bus and smartphone connectivity doesn't seem particularly high up the list of priorities.
As a serious petrolhead, I'm not supposed to like SUVs. So why do I like the CR-V so much? I'll miss the Mondeo's dynamics for sure. But most modern cars feel quite numb to drive (to me) so I'm not sure that recipe can be replicated in a more modern car.
Anyone else been in this boat?
What is the modern equivalent of my 2012 Mondeo?
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Leftfield but good SUV options
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Tucson hybrid:
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Petrol:
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DS7:
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Hello again! Interesting replies...
Well I thought I'd found the perfect Superb but it was really rather rough for a six year old car on 41k, despite being specced up to the eyeballs.
There's not a lot out there if you're in the manual petrol camp.
Yesterday I found a really nice CR-V and everything seemed to check out so I've put a deposit down on it.
I have some pretty old fashioned criteria so I suppose the somewhat old tech CR-V was a worthy winner.
Maybe a Superb will succeed the Honda in a few years, though it feels like it'll last for decades.
Cheers
Well I thought I'd found the perfect Superb but it was really rather rough for a six year old car on 41k, despite being specced up to the eyeballs.
There's not a lot out there if you're in the manual petrol camp.
Yesterday I found a really nice CR-V and everything seemed to check out so I've put a deposit down on it.
I have some pretty old fashioned criteria so I suppose the somewhat old tech CR-V was a worthy winner.
Maybe a Superb will succeed the Honda in a few years, though it feels like it'll last for decades.
Cheers
I was in the same position, I went from a mk4.5 Mondeo estate, I wanted another estate, petrol and auto.
I ended up with a Superb 280 estate, while the boot may not look bigger I can confirm in reality it’s masses bigger, we fit so much more in the back, and with the extra legroom we can fit more stuff behind the seat.
The Mondeo drives so much better though.
I ended up with a Superb 280 estate, while the boot may not look bigger I can confirm in reality it’s masses bigger, we fit so much more in the back, and with the extra legroom we can fit more stuff behind the seat.
The Mondeo drives so much better though.
This probably hasn't been a very interesting thread but I always update them in case anyone ends up here from Google or a forum search.
I’ve bought a 2017 CR-V in EX spec, 2.0 petrol manual to replace our ageing 2012 Mondeo estate Titanium X 1.6 Ecoboost manual.
First impressions!
Despite the extra visual bulk from it’s extra height, the CR-V is a handy 260mm shorter than the Mondeo and feels a bit wieldier moving around at low speed parking etc. The visibility is great, big windows and huge mirrors and the reversing camera is useful for occasional checks. Never had a reversing cam before.
After the huge boot of the Mondeo and being strangely underwhelmed by the Superb’s load bay, I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with the CR-V’s shorter but taller boot. So far it’s been fine though and the one-pull seat folding is great, lifting up the base, dropping the headrest and folding down the backrest in one slick movement.
The Mondeo was well specced being a Titanium X, the seats were fantastic as were the headlights with their clever extra bulbs in the main unit for low-speed turns. The main thing we’ll miss from the Mondeo is the heated windscreen. The CR-V is also top spec and packed with kit, though even the lower SE Plus has all the essentials covered. The main reason I held out for an EX was to get the big glass roof. It doesn’t open, but this is fine by me, less complication/rattling.
Driving the CR-V really makes you realise how brilliant the Mondeo’s dynamics are. Where the Honda is numb and feels completely detached from what’s going on underneath its chunky tyres, the Ford is keyed into the road and every millimetre of steering adjustment is responded to. It breathes with the road, direct but never harsh. The brief for our family car has changed though. The Mondeo had to deliver practicality and driver engagement, but now the amusement comes from elsewhere, so it’s fine for the CR-V to be a wafter. And waft it does.
As expected, the CR-Vs fuel economy is quite poor. It’s averaging 33mpg after a couple of motorway jaunts but otherwise mostly shorter local trips. I’m interested to see how it does on a longer motorway trip, but won’t be getting my hopes up for anything in the 40s. It’ll only do about 6k miles a year, though, so the drop in MPG won’t be all that noticeable to us. The Mondeo averages 37 but could get into the mid 40s on a long run. The aero difference is night and day between the two.
Despite its thirst, the 2.0 i-VTEC is still a good lump. I wanted it for its durability and simplicity. It’s got a decent mid range and a pleasant bark when you prod it. The manual ‘box is fine.
And… that’s it really. My children (3 and 7) love it already. It’s also very well sorted for cubbies and places to stash water bottles. And Twilight Blue is a lovely colour.
I’ve bought a 2017 CR-V in EX spec, 2.0 petrol manual to replace our ageing 2012 Mondeo estate Titanium X 1.6 Ecoboost manual.
First impressions!
Despite the extra visual bulk from it’s extra height, the CR-V is a handy 260mm shorter than the Mondeo and feels a bit wieldier moving around at low speed parking etc. The visibility is great, big windows and huge mirrors and the reversing camera is useful for occasional checks. Never had a reversing cam before.
After the huge boot of the Mondeo and being strangely underwhelmed by the Superb’s load bay, I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with the CR-V’s shorter but taller boot. So far it’s been fine though and the one-pull seat folding is great, lifting up the base, dropping the headrest and folding down the backrest in one slick movement.
The Mondeo was well specced being a Titanium X, the seats were fantastic as were the headlights with their clever extra bulbs in the main unit for low-speed turns. The main thing we’ll miss from the Mondeo is the heated windscreen. The CR-V is also top spec and packed with kit, though even the lower SE Plus has all the essentials covered. The main reason I held out for an EX was to get the big glass roof. It doesn’t open, but this is fine by me, less complication/rattling.
Driving the CR-V really makes you realise how brilliant the Mondeo’s dynamics are. Where the Honda is numb and feels completely detached from what’s going on underneath its chunky tyres, the Ford is keyed into the road and every millimetre of steering adjustment is responded to. It breathes with the road, direct but never harsh. The brief for our family car has changed though. The Mondeo had to deliver practicality and driver engagement, but now the amusement comes from elsewhere, so it’s fine for the CR-V to be a wafter. And waft it does.
As expected, the CR-Vs fuel economy is quite poor. It’s averaging 33mpg after a couple of motorway jaunts but otherwise mostly shorter local trips. I’m interested to see how it does on a longer motorway trip, but won’t be getting my hopes up for anything in the 40s. It’ll only do about 6k miles a year, though, so the drop in MPG won’t be all that noticeable to us. The Mondeo averages 37 but could get into the mid 40s on a long run. The aero difference is night and day between the two.
Despite its thirst, the 2.0 i-VTEC is still a good lump. I wanted it for its durability and simplicity. It’s got a decent mid range and a pleasant bark when you prod it. The manual ‘box is fine.
And… that’s it really. My children (3 and 7) love it already. It’s also very well sorted for cubbies and places to stash water bottles. And Twilight Blue is a lovely colour.
2.0 Vtec is a great motor, and the engine to have I think for longevity, although the 1.6 i-dtec is a very good diesel engine (apparently the only engine designed around the DPF, compared to the 'bolt on' ones many other marques do) so makes it reliable in that sense.
I borrowed my in-laws a 1.6 2016 (66) CRV last year, and was a little underwhelmed with the boot space, tall yes but not a load lugger - seems to be a recurring thing I find with these soft-roader type SUV's
Either way a great package, and I hope it serves you well.
I borrowed my in-laws a 1.6 2016 (66) CRV last year, and was a little underwhelmed with the boot space, tall yes but not a load lugger - seems to be a recurring thing I find with these soft-roader type SUV's
Either way a great package, and I hope it serves you well.
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