Winter shed - 2004 Honda CRV
Discussion
Bought this privately about a week ago for £2400. It's intended as a weekend "spare" car, for ferrying kids and for DIY and tip runs, and is also the first part of my long term plan to get a cheap classic as a third car.
It has had new discs and pads front and rear (which I factored into the purchase price) plus a service and a few other bits.
Having always bought new(ish) and low(ish) mileage cars, it's still a mild shock to look down at the odometer and see 140k on the clock. I know I shouldn't worry about it, the car has a full service history and appears to have been well looked after, and it performed brilliantly in the snow at the weekend, but I am still nervous about something bad happening.
Please reassure me that 140k miles is nothing these days, and everything's going to be OK.
It has had new discs and pads front and rear (which I factored into the purchase price) plus a service and a few other bits.
Having always bought new(ish) and low(ish) mileage cars, it's still a mild shock to look down at the odometer and see 140k on the clock. I know I shouldn't worry about it, the car has a full service history and appears to have been well looked after, and it performed brilliantly in the snow at the weekend, but I am still nervous about something bad happening.
Please reassure me that 140k miles is nothing these days, and everything's going to be OK.
yes I know this a very dull car for a Readers Cars thread
Edited by spreadsheet monkey on Monday 18th January 13:08
Wife used to have one of these, a 2003 model.
She had it from 80k to 130k with nothing more than servicing and tyres.
The only reason it went was that it was hit by a reversing delivery truck and written off.
She replaced it with an Accord, as she wanted something more car-like, but would have another CRV in a heartbeat.
She had it from 80k to 130k with nothing more than servicing and tyres.
The only reason it went was that it was hit by a reversing delivery truck and written off.
She replaced it with an Accord, as she wanted something more car-like, but would have another CRV in a heartbeat.
Someone's "winter shed" is another PHers Dad's pride and joy! 
My Dad has a 54 plate CRV, but then he's almost 69 .... but he doesn't drive more than 3,000 miles/year now.
Only issue he had on his was the Nav packed up. Stupidly, without thinking to ask any of his sons, he went and bought another Nav unit from Honda for £800!
My Dad has a 54 plate CRV, but then he's almost 69 .... but he doesn't drive more than 3,000 miles/year now.
Only issue he had on his was the Nav packed up. Stupidly, without thinking to ask any of his sons, he went and bought another Nav unit from Honda for £800!
5potTurbo said:
Someone's "winter shed" is another PHers Dad's pride and joy!
"Shed" is an unfair description - I haven't got the balls to buy sub-£1000 Jags and Saabs - those are the real sheds! The car has clearly been well looked after by its previous owners, the wheels and bodywork are in far better condition than my wife's 50k mile 3-series, and I intend to keep it that way. Nice buy. Honda dealer on a snotter seems somewhat........ Excessive perhaps?
Would've thought at this budget, self servicing and brakes was part of the fun. Or am I just strange?
Our lass keeps looking at these, whereas I'd rather have a gaylander for 1/2 the money or less...... £800 for a 110k mile 1800cc gaylander. Leaves plenty of wonga in case of bork.
What made you choose the CRV? Our lass loves 'em... Wonder if I'm missing a trick
Would've thought at this budget, self servicing and brakes was part of the fun. Or am I just strange?
Our lass keeps looking at these, whereas I'd rather have a gaylander for 1/2 the money or less...... £800 for a 110k mile 1800cc gaylander. Leaves plenty of wonga in case of bork.
What made you choose the CRV? Our lass loves 'em... Wonder if I'm missing a trick
NotDave said:
Nice buy. Honda dealer on a snotter seems somewhat........ Excessive perhaps?
Would've thought at this budget, self servicing and brakes was part of the fun. Or am I just strange?
The thread title is misleading - this isn't really a shed and I'm not skilled enough to be a shed mechanic.Would've thought at this budget, self servicing and brakes was part of the fun. Or am I just strange?
The brakes were really bad - they needed replacing immediately. Honda are doing a promotion at the moment aimed at older cars, where they'll price match any backstreet garage on routine servicing and consumables. If I had the tools and the skills I'd do it myself, but given the current weather conditions I'm happy to let someone else freeze their fingers off.
http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/owners/hondapricepromi...
NotDave said:
Our lass keeps looking at these, whereas I'd rather have a gaylander for 1/2 the money or less...... £800 for a 110k mile 1800cc gaylander. Leaves plenty of wonga in case of bork. What made you choose the CRV? Our lass loves 'em... Wonder if I'm missing a trick
Women do seem to like them. Ordinarily, my missus is not interested in anything that isn't German and isn't new, but she really likes this car, and borrowed it to drive to work this morning.I was looking for a cheap(ish) shopping hatch or estate, not specifically a CRV - I did a "£2k-£3k" search on Autotrader, and went for a look as the car was only a couple of miles away from me. It's not remotely a PH car, but I like it and it does the job I want it to do.
I think 1.8 Freelander prices are low because they're the subject of not one but two negative perceptions - "all K-series engines eat head gaskets" and "all Land Rovers are unreliable". I guess it's your call on how much truth you think there is in those myths, and how handy you are with the spanners if stuff does go wrong.
excel monkey said:
. They commented on how well the car drove for its age/mileage (maybe they were just angling for more business in the future).
Honestly, every single car I've owned has had this comment applied to it by one garage or another. something along the lines of, "yeah x is broken (which it was in to get fixed/MOT) but otherwise you've got yourself a really solid car there pal". I'm now 100% sure this is something all mechanics say on ~10yo cars to aid the decision of the owner to spend more money on it in the future! Particularly after my fiat fell apart months after one of these comments!Edited by excel monkey on Monday 21st January 11:50
Not to say this will happen to you! My father (not PHer but does like his cars, and also fits a PH stereotype - grumpy old man) is falling for the WE NEED A 4x4 FOR WINTER bug and is very keen on the CRV. Not sure if he'll ever get one though! Not that it really effects me, 250 miles away!
excel monkey said:
2 main points - 1 Honda garage and 2 - Kseries flaws
1) Fair play - Guess it's worth it from a consumer point of view2) Again, guess so. being a Rover-fan, and knowing how tough the KSeries is, it wouldn't bother me as I know they're a doddle to work on compared to an electric circus that is a modern Honda. BUT as you say, each to their own.
I'll be honest, what intrigues me, is if the OH was to be stood there plumping for one over the other, what differences there is to the average driver?
I.e. for the extra £1500+ does the Honda produce far better MPG/comfort levels/are parts far cheaper?
or is it all down to the swings & roundabouts of perception?
excel monkey said:
Women do seem to like them. Ordinarily, my missus is not interested in anything that isn't German and isn't new, but she really likes this car, and borrowed it to drive to work this morning.
Ahh, you got yourself an expensive one there mate 
TBH my dads the same, loves his Jags/Mercs......But minute we see snow, the battered Shogun Sport is last seen heading for the works run
NotDave said:
for the extra £1500+ does the Honda produce far better MPG/comfort levels/are parts far cheaper?
Maybe marginally better on space/refinement/comfort, but not much.NotDave said:
or is it all down to the swings & roundabouts of perception?
Yes. Definitely. Although it works both ways - costs more to buy, but will probably be easier to resell.If you want to do your own servicing and maintenance, and you know your way around the K-series engine, then a Freelander would be a good bet.
Uncle John said:
Good cars the CRV, it's a Honda after all.
It's two wheel drive in normal driving but when the fronts slip the back wheels come in, got me up and down some seriously slippy closed roads a few years back.
Only thing mine needed was a new battery and standard servicing.
Have had a 99 one as a cheap runaround for a few years. Never goes wrong. Just serviced once a year by Honda.It's two wheel drive in normal driving but when the fronts slip the back wheels come in, got me up and down some seriously slippy closed roads a few years back.
Only thing mine needed was a new battery and standard servicing.
Keep them on the Bridgestone Dueller tyres they came with when new (or similar) and they're pretty accomplished in snow/ice.
I've never got stuck in winter and that's not for the want of trying. Just remember the 4wd doesn't work in reverse.
My dad (68 snigger) also has one, use it for towing a caravan, it's been all over france and up into the pyrennes. never misses a beat and the honda garage have been excellent with them for the last 5 years, and with accord before that!
I've had a drive and found it surprisingly nippy too...
I've had a drive and found it surprisingly nippy too...
Bit horrified seeing a 2004 CR-V described as a shed - we have owned our 2005 since it was 10 months old, since that time we have done 89k in it and it is great. If it wasn't quite so juicy it would still be in everyday use. As it is we only use it when we need a 4x4 or larger car. Ours is an auto which is probably why it seems juicy and a bit flat.
I think the interior (though by no means German) is much nicer than the Freelander, where the dash in particular is a big let down, as are the door trims. The CR-V is much better.
What spec is yours? Looks like it has larger than standard wheels (16"?) but non-painted bumpers?
I think the interior (though by no means German) is much nicer than the Freelander, where the dash in particular is a big let down, as are the door trims. The CR-V is much better.
What spec is yours? Looks like it has larger than standard wheels (16"?) but non-painted bumpers?
FlashBastd said:
Bit horrified seeing a 2004 CR-V described as a shed.
It's a misleading thread title - it's shed mileage, and the price I paid is in a dangerous zone where cars appear to be good but can be complete rubbish, but the car itself is in good nick and (hopefully) has plenty of life left in it.FlashBastd said:
What spec is yours? Looks like it has larger than standard wheels (16"?) but non-painted bumpers?
The V5 says it's an SE i.e. basic spec with the black bumpers (which I like), but a few insurance websites say it is a "Premiere" which was a special edition that added 16" wheels and not a lot else.Egbert Nobacon said:
Keep them on the Bridgestone Dueller tyres they came with when new (or similar) and they're pretty accomplished in snow/ice.
Have got Duellers on this car. They've been good in the snow, although I've read bad things on Honda forums about their performance in the wet.pherlopolus said:
My dad (68 snigger) also has one
Average age of CRV owners is 59, according to Google. I'm 35, so I'm driving the average age down a bit.Edited by excel monkey on Tuesday 22 January 09:45
Marginally younger than you so also helping to keep the average age down!
Most of the CR-V forums are quite US centric (at least Hondasuv.com is), they don't seem to like the noise of the Duellers; though theirs may be different spec.
The larger wheels do improve the look somewhat.
Ours came on BFG's, which were ok. Now running ContiPremiumContact 2's on 17" wheels, gives slightly better handling and I think a reduction in tyre noise, but not quite as capable in the snow.
Most of the CR-V forums are quite US centric (at least Hondasuv.com is), they don't seem to like the noise of the Duellers; though theirs may be different spec.
The larger wheels do improve the look somewhat.
Ours came on BFG's, which were ok. Now running ContiPremiumContact 2's on 17" wheels, gives slightly better handling and I think a reduction in tyre noise, but not quite as capable in the snow.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech! That's the sound of a stretched serpentine belt slipping on its pulleys. The belt is a "lifetime" part and has not been changed in the lifetime of the car, so 141k miles is not bad going. The belt change is tricky to change due to limited access, so I had planned to get a local garage to do it.
Called Honda for a quote on the price of part (£68), and they agreed to fit it for free, given that they had taken a few hundred quid off me last month for new discs/pads. Hardly bangernomics, but it's a good thing to get done, and one less thing to worry about. The car has done a lot of cold starts recently with a heavy load on the electrics, so that was probably what killed the belt off.
Over the last month we've used the CRV far more than planned, including a trip to the Frozen North to see the inlaws. The car has been great in the snow, and does lots of things that our E90 3-series can't do (stay mobile in the snow, carry bulky items, seat two adults plus one toddler in a child seat across the rear bench).
Fuel economy has been rubbish so far (averaging 23mpg) but that includes a lot of cold starts and heavy load/passenger carrying. Hoping to get into the mid-high twenties once the weather improves and we do some more long runs in the car.
Called Honda for a quote on the price of part (£68), and they agreed to fit it for free, given that they had taken a few hundred quid off me last month for new discs/pads. Hardly bangernomics, but it's a good thing to get done, and one less thing to worry about. The car has done a lot of cold starts recently with a heavy load on the electrics, so that was probably what killed the belt off.
Over the last month we've used the CRV far more than planned, including a trip to the Frozen North to see the inlaws. The car has been great in the snow, and does lots of things that our E90 3-series can't do (stay mobile in the snow, carry bulky items, seat two adults plus one toddler in a child seat across the rear bench).
Fuel economy has been rubbish so far (averaging 23mpg) but that includes a lot of cold starts and heavy load/passenger carrying. Hoping to get into the mid-high twenties once the weather improves and we do some more long runs in the car.
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