Climb Mount Safeway

It doesn't take a very long look at the Honda CR-V to realize that off-road is probably not its element. Although it's squarish like a truck, the CR-V's skinny tires and lack of a transfer case suggest that the sport in this SUV is probably taking the kids to soccer.

Which you can do quite comfortably. Honda does an amazing job of making their cars feel similar. Close your eyes while driving a CR-V -- not that we recommend this -- and you could think you were driving a Civic. The Honda's lightfootedness sets it between the more trucklike RAV4 and Vitara, and more sophisticated Ford Escape.

Unlike some of its competitors, six cylinder power is not available, although more oomph is promised from the four-cylinder for next year. That should help eliminate the quite un-Honda-like amount of engine sound in our tested CR-V.

But if you had to haul all those soccer kids around, you'd probably complain a time or two also.



Built for Tailgate Parties

As SUVs proliferate, designers look for ways to make them distinctive. In the case of the Honda CR-V, they figured it's what's inside that counts.

The Honda further blurs the already-fuzzy line between minivans and utility vehicles. That's evident in its minivan-style tray between the front seats. It holds cups and gives you a small table, but folds down to allow passage between the seats. The seat fabric and interior materials seem decidedly van-like, and we mean that in a good way; you won't be tempted to hose out the Honda. And an airy cabin gives a van-like sense of space.

The big gimmick in the CR-V, though, hides in the back. The floor of the rear compartment doubles as a detachable picnic table. So, even though it's not a burly off-road machine, you can have a nice outdoor nosh wherever you are.