2010 Honda CR-V Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Honda CR-V overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 CR-V, and includes Honda CR-V safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Honda's popular CR-V compact crossover SUV gets more horsepower this year, but don’t get too excited. While the engine is still a four-cylinder, displacing just 2.4 liters, the automaker has done a bit of tweaking to pull an additional 14 horses out of the all-aluminum powerplant. Torque figure remains the same, but along with the newfound power comes a slight bump in fuel efficiency, with the CR-V adding about 1 mpg in the city and on the highway for each of the front- and all-wheel drive models. In other welcomed news, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a USB port are now factory-installed options, the dashboard controls have been updated, and the styling is modified. The alloy wheels that come on the EX and EX-L models are new, and a reversing camera is included with the optional navigation system on EX-L models.

Honda keeps it simple when it comes to buying a 2010 CR-V. Three trim levels are available, and each can be equipped with Honda’s Real Time 4WD system as an option. At the bottom of the lineup is the LX model, equipped with power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, air conditioning, a stereo, cloth seats, a split 60/40 second-row seat, and steel 17-inch wheels.

Move up to the EX model and you’ll enjoy a power moonroof, automatic headlights, heated exterior mirrors, a six-speaker audio system with a CD player, an outside temperature gauge, and a rear cargo shelf. The EX model can be identified by its body-color exterior trim, dark-tinted privacy glass, and alloy wheels.

If you seek a few token luxuries, the CR-V EX-L models are equipped with leather upholstery, an eight-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, and an upgraded stereo system with a subwoofer and a PC card reader. The EX-L models may also be optioned with a navigation system that is bundled with a rear back-up camera and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

All 2010 Honda CR-V models feel a bit livelier this year, thanks to a more powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The powerplant, mated to a standard five-speed automatic transmission, is rated at 180 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard. The automaker's optional all-wheel-drive system acts like a front-wheel-drive system until it notes the front wheels are slipping. Once this occurs, the system automatically sends power to the rear wheels by activating special hydraulic pumps.

Despite the power gain for 2010, the Honda CR-V gets better gas mileage this year. According to the EPA, the 2010 Honda CR-V earns 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive, while the CR-V 4WD earns 21-mpg city/27-mpg highway. All models are designed to run on regular unleaded fuel.

Driver and front passenger frontal- and side-impact airbags are standard on the 2010 Honda CR-V, along with full side-curtain airbags. Standard safety features also include stability control, antilock brakes with brake assist and a tire pressure monitoring system.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2010 Honda CR-V is a safe small SUV, earning 5 Stars in all crash protection measures except for resistance to rollover, for which it is rated 4 Stars with front- or all-wheel drive. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) agrees, giving the CR-V its highest crash protection ratings in all evaluations except roof strength testing, for which the CR-V receives a "Marginal" rating.

Reliability is also a Honda CR-V strong point. Consumer Reports gives the 2010 model its highest rating for predicted reliability, while J.D. Power and Associates predicts the 2010 CR-V will deliver long-term dependability that’s better than most other models in the segment.

As we have since its introduction, Vehix recommends the Honda CR-V. The compact SUV offers a near-perfect blend of reliability, utility and safety, helping it to become one of the segment's best-selling models. One gripe, however, is that Honda only offers hands-free Bluetooth phone connectivity bundled with the range-topping EX-L model, packaged with the navigation system. This is an important safety feature (mandated in some states) that should be offered across all trim levels.

By Michael Harley