Bargain Basement Honda CRV
Discussion
I've been looking for a cheap run about for a while now and had my heart set on a different car every week it seems!
The Honda CRV is my new obsession! A few came up when i was searching for estate cars, and by all accounts seem to be a really good value option (£1-£1.5K range).
I like the look of the mk2 model and there seems to be a good few around me in the price range and even a couple below the £1000 with less than 100K on the clock (only looking at petrol).
Checking MOT histories, none have any hidden horror stories, mostly fail on bald tyres or bulbs.
Is there a reason that i'm missing that these are so cheap, other than the fact they are a 15yr old car and probably not that great on fuel?
Anything in particular i should look out for?
I noticed some state that timing chain has been replaced, yet on one buyers guide (parkers or honest John) stated make sure timing belt has been changed. Are they belt or chain driven?
The Honda CRV is my new obsession! A few came up when i was searching for estate cars, and by all accounts seem to be a really good value option (£1-£1.5K range).
I like the look of the mk2 model and there seems to be a good few around me in the price range and even a couple below the £1000 with less than 100K on the clock (only looking at petrol).
Checking MOT histories, none have any hidden horror stories, mostly fail on bald tyres or bulbs.
Is there a reason that i'm missing that these are so cheap, other than the fact they are a 15yr old car and probably not that great on fuel?
Anything in particular i should look out for?
I noticed some state that timing chain has been replaced, yet on one buyers guide (parkers or honest John) stated make sure timing belt has been changed. Are they belt or chain driven?
Engine is chain drive - listen for a rattle at idle.
If you want an auto listen for a whine as you accelerate from rest in first. Mine has been doing it for 30K miles but it might get you a few quid off...
Also do some full lock turns in a car park and listen for grumbles from the rear diff - it'll need the fluid replacing but it sounds terminal!
Watch the engine oil levels, and change every year or so or it'll log VTEC faults and go into limp home mode.
Sat navs are rubbish and will probably be broken by now, and the seats are like concrete - you'll either find them comfy or not.
Brakes will seize if you don't use it much and warp the discs. The caliper bits and discs are cheap though.
Mine's finally run in as of earlier this year:
If you want an auto listen for a whine as you accelerate from rest in first. Mine has been doing it for 30K miles but it might get you a few quid off...
Also do some full lock turns in a car park and listen for grumbles from the rear diff - it'll need the fluid replacing but it sounds terminal!
Watch the engine oil levels, and change every year or so or it'll log VTEC faults and go into limp home mode.
Sat navs are rubbish and will probably be broken by now, and the seats are like concrete - you'll either find them comfy or not.
Brakes will seize if you don't use it much and warp the discs. The caliper bits and discs are cheap though.
Mine's finally run in as of earlier this year:
Thanks for the reply...It appears they will do a few miles then?!
Just looking for a stop gap for a couple of years to save some money. Will go out and have a look at a couple advertised locally and see how i get on.
Obviously not buying it as a fast car, but just wondering if the vtec kick in is noticable in such a heavy car. Should i push it past a certain rpm on a test drive to make sure this is working?
I do drive up to the highlands a few times a year and it would be handy to have some grunt to get past lorries and caravans at the occasional 2 lane passing stretches
Had the misfortune of driving a couple of hundred miles or so up the A82 in a 1.2 corsa with 4 adults and trying to overtake lorries on the passing points and being thoroughly humiliated when i had to tuck back in before the road went back to 1 lane.
Just looking for a stop gap for a couple of years to save some money. Will go out and have a look at a couple advertised locally and see how i get on.
Obviously not buying it as a fast car, but just wondering if the vtec kick in is noticable in such a heavy car. Should i push it past a certain rpm on a test drive to make sure this is working?
I do drive up to the highlands a few times a year and it would be handy to have some grunt to get past lorries and caravans at the occasional 2 lane passing stretches
Had the misfortune of driving a couple of hundred miles or so up the A82 in a 1.2 corsa with 4 adults and trying to overtake lorries on the passing points and being thoroughly humiliated when i had to tuck back in before the road went back to 1 lane.
Edited by mickyc79 on Monday 23 April 15:52
Yeah - just a few!
The vtech on these things is more of an economy thing than a power thing like on "quick" Hondas - the engines aren't that powerful at the top end but more economical at the bottom, if that makes sense.
It starts doing it's thing around 2700 RPM - you'll notice a subtle step in the torque.
If the vtech fails or complains, it'll log a fault, so it might be an idea to get one of those code readers and install Torque lite or similar on your phone to check if any have been logged. Same with the gearbox actually (if you fancy an Auto).
With the auto, it'll feel sluggish if you squeeze the throttle on the motorway or for an overtake as the next poster states, as it'll keep the torque converter locked for economy. However if you push the throttle sharply (doesn't have to be all the way to the floor, just move the pedal quickly) it'll either unlock the torque converter (letting the revs raise and vtech kick in yo!) or kick down AND unlock the t/c. They go all right then!
The vtech on these things is more of an economy thing than a power thing like on "quick" Hondas - the engines aren't that powerful at the top end but more economical at the bottom, if that makes sense.
It starts doing it's thing around 2700 RPM - you'll notice a subtle step in the torque.
If the vtech fails or complains, it'll log a fault, so it might be an idea to get one of those code readers and install Torque lite or similar on your phone to check if any have been logged. Same with the gearbox actually (if you fancy an Auto).
With the auto, it'll feel sluggish if you squeeze the throttle on the motorway or for an overtake as the next poster states, as it'll keep the torque converter locked for economy. However if you push the throttle sharply (doesn't have to be all the way to the floor, just move the pedal quickly) it'll either unlock the torque converter (letting the revs raise and vtech kick in yo!) or kick down AND unlock the t/c. They go all right then!
mickyc79 said:
Thanks for the reply...It appears they will do a few miles then?!
Just looking for a stop gap for a couple of years to save some money. Will go out and have a look at a couple advertised locally and see how i get on.
Obviously not buying it as a fast car, but just wondering if the vtec kick in is noticable in such a heavy car. Should i push it past a certain rpm on a test drive to make sure this is working?
I do drive up to the highlands a few times a year and it would be handy to have some grunt to get past lorries and caravans at the occasional 2 lane passing stretches
Had the misfortune of driving a couple of hundred miles or so up the A82 in a 1.2 corsa with 4 adults and trying to overtake lorries on the passing points and being thoroughly humiliated when i had to tuck back in before the road went back to 1 lane.
Just looking for a stop gap for a couple of years to save some money. Will go out and have a look at a couple advertised locally and see how i get on.
Obviously not buying it as a fast car, but just wondering if the vtec kick in is noticable in such a heavy car. Should i push it past a certain rpm on a test drive to make sure this is working?
I do drive up to the highlands a few times a year and it would be handy to have some grunt to get past lorries and caravans at the occasional 2 lane passing stretches
Had the misfortune of driving a couple of hundred miles or so up the A82 in a 1.2 corsa with 4 adults and trying to overtake lorries on the passing points and being thoroughly humiliated when i had to tuck back in before the road went back to 1 lane.
Edited by mickyc79 on Monday 23 April 15:52
I run a diesel 06 plate. We have a whole section on the CRV in the Honda section in Jap Cars section.
Mk2 is a fabulous car.
Not much to add to comment above other than headlights yellow over more than others Ive seen but you could either buy a new set for @ £370 or machine polish those in situ - assuming they need it.
Mk2 is a fabulous car.
Not much to add to comment above other than headlights yellow over more than others Ive seen but you could either buy a new set for @ £370 or machine polish those in situ - assuming they need it.
Going to see a 2003 plate mk 2 CRV with 115000 miles, petrol, tomorrow.
MOT history shows uneven tyre wear a few times, but nothing other than that. Has MOT til september this year with yellowed headlights and inner o/s/f tyre wear.
Would a 4 wheel aligment sort out any unveven tyre wear issues, and are the headlights easy to clean up? I've seen some replacment parts on ebay for less that £150.00 for a pair, would they be OK or would i need to go OEM @ £370.00?
Car is up for sale @ £750 which seems a good price for the mileage. Anything else i should look for? Its a part-ex trade in and when i spoke to the dealer he wasn't sure about service history. At this price is it really a problem if theres none?
MOT history shows uneven tyre wear a few times, but nothing other than that. Has MOT til september this year with yellowed headlights and inner o/s/f tyre wear.
Would a 4 wheel aligment sort out any unveven tyre wear issues, and are the headlights easy to clean up? I've seen some replacment parts on ebay for less that £150.00 for a pair, would they be OK or would i need to go OEM @ £370.00?
Car is up for sale @ £750 which seems a good price for the mileage. Anything else i should look for? Its a part-ex trade in and when i spoke to the dealer he wasn't sure about service history. At this price is it really a problem if theres none?
The manual says swap wheels round every x number of miles, so if this hasn't been done you're going to get uneven tyre wear. A tracking check is probably a good idea - I don't really bother avoiding potholes with mine, so it gets knocked about..
I polish my lights every couple of years - the plastic is soft so they come up a treat!
I polish my lights every couple of years - the plastic is soft so they come up a treat!
mickyc79 said:
Going to see a 2003 plate mk 2 CRV with 115000 miles, petrol, tomorrow.
MOT history shows uneven tyre wear a few times, but nothing other than that. Has MOT til september this year with yellowed headlights and inner o/s/f tyre wear.
Would a 4 wheel aligment sort out any unveven tyre wear issues, and are the headlights easy to clean up? I've seen some replacment parts on ebay for less that £150.00 for a pair, would they be OK or would i need to go OEM @ £370.00?
Car is up for sale @ £750 which seems a good price for the mileage. Anything else i should look for? Its a part-ex trade in and when i spoke to the dealer he wasn't sure about service history. At this price is it really a problem if theres none?
MOT history shows uneven tyre wear a few times, but nothing other than that. Has MOT til september this year with yellowed headlights and inner o/s/f tyre wear.
Would a 4 wheel aligment sort out any unveven tyre wear issues, and are the headlights easy to clean up? I've seen some replacment parts on ebay for less that £150.00 for a pair, would they be OK or would i need to go OEM @ £370.00?
Car is up for sale @ £750 which seems a good price for the mileage. Anything else i should look for? Its a part-ex trade in and when i spoke to the dealer he wasn't sure about service history. At this price is it really a problem if theres none?
I'm about to put our 170k '02 petrol auto up for sale (at about £600) so following this with interest 
Headlamps polish up nicely with elbow grease or a rotary polisher. Aside from a few bits that have worn on ours the only unexpected failure was a spring snapping.
Great cars, I'm going to miss it.
Headlamps polish up nicely with elbow grease or a rotary polisher. Aside from a few bits that have worn on ours the only unexpected failure was a spring snapping.
Great cars, I'm going to miss it.
Edited by thetapeworm on Tuesday 1st May 17:26
mickyc79 said:
What do you use to polish the headlights?
I use Meguiars Plastx because I have some hanging around, any mildly abrasive polish that breaks down to give a finer polish the more you use it will be fine though. I know some people who use toothpaste, Brasso, regular car polishes etc.If it's very bad you can use very fine wet and dry and then finish with a polish.
I missed doing ours this summer and by the time the MOT came around in Jan it was a fail because of the yellowing, 10 minutes effort with a rotary polisher that night and it was clear and lovely again.
thetapeworm said:
I use Meguiars Plastx because I have some hanging around, any mildly abrasive polish that breaks down to give a finer polish the more you use it will be fine though. I know some people who use toothpaste, Brasso, regular car polishes etc.
If it's very bad you can use very fine wet and dry and then finish with a polish.
I missed doing ours this summer and by the time the MOT came around in Jan it was a fail because of the yellowing, 10 minutes effort with a rotary polisher that night and it was clear and lovely again.
Thanks for the tip...going to view after work today. Will update tomorrow.If it's very bad you can use very fine wet and dry and then finish with a polish.
I missed doing ours this summer and by the time the MOT came around in Jan it was a fail because of the yellowing, 10 minutes effort with a rotary polisher that night and it was clear and lovely again.
Not going to make it to see the car this afternoon, but if he's still got it tomorrow night i will. Thanks for all the advice...unless there's something seriously wrong with it I think i'm going to take the plunge. Seems too good a bargain to miss at this price-point for a reliable run about.
Had a better look back into the MOT history for this car i'm going to see, with a definite view to buy tonight.
Can anyone see anything scary in here that should put me off?
The anti roll bushes seem to keep going all the time and the tyres don't last between MOT's!
Looks like whoever's had it has just being replacing the bare minimum for it to pass each time, i.e. one tyre at a time or one anti roll bush at a time...Is there something underlying that keeps causing them to fail?
Oil sump corroded! and exhaust leasks a couple of MOT's back...would i be wrong to assume these have been replaced?
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ reg SC03EUZ
Currently cant get an answer from seller to see if he will be available tonight...
Can anyone see anything scary in here that should put me off?
The anti roll bushes seem to keep going all the time and the tyres don't last between MOT's!
Looks like whoever's had it has just being replacing the bare minimum for it to pass each time, i.e. one tyre at a time or one anti roll bush at a time...Is there something underlying that keeps causing them to fail?
Oil sump corroded! and exhaust leasks a couple of MOT's back...would i be wrong to assume these have been replaced?
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ reg SC03EUZ
Currently cant get an answer from seller to see if he will be available tonight...
mickyc79 said:
Had a better look back into the MOT history for this car i'm going to see, with a definite view to buy tonight.
Can anyone see anything scary in here that should put me off?
The anti roll bushes seem to keep going all the time and the tyres don't last between MOT's!
Looks like whoever's had it has just being replacing the bare minimum for it to pass each time, i.e. one tyre at a time or one anti roll bush at a time...Is there something underlying that keeps causing them to fail?
Oil sump corroded! and exhaust leasks a couple of MOT's back...would i be wrong to assume these have been replaced?
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ reg SC03EUZ
Currently cant get an answer from seller to see if he will be available tonight...
What's the mileage like between MOT's? May not have been driven much and been flagged a couple of times, either that or they could be replacing with part worns just to get by.Can anyone see anything scary in here that should put me off?
The anti roll bushes seem to keep going all the time and the tyres don't last between MOT's!
Looks like whoever's had it has just being replacing the bare minimum for it to pass each time, i.e. one tyre at a time or one anti roll bush at a time...Is there something underlying that keeps causing them to fail?
Oil sump corroded! and exhaust leasks a couple of MOT's back...would i be wrong to assume these have been replaced?
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ reg SC03EUZ
Currently cant get an answer from seller to see if he will be available tonight...
With regards to exhaust, just make sure you check it to see – could also ask the question. Same goes for the other failed components, just ask if they've been replaced and judge response, maybe ask for paperwork?
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