Peppy, bigger than it appears, good mileage

This is our second "new" CRV. We had a 2002 - probably one of the first out. Then replaced it after a freak accident in 2004. We reviewed all the "usual suspects" from our 2002 purchase. We considered the Jeep Liberty, Toyota RAV-4, and Saturn VUE.

Storage: This vehicle is deceptively large. The rear cargo area is significantly larger than the older (2001 and earlier) versions, as well as much larger than other small SUVs. Then there's the dozen pigeonholes throughout the cabin: under the table, under the seats, etc.

Passenger Space: We have 2 small children, including one in a rear-facing carseat. I'm 6-1, my wife is 5-9. We were able to firmly install the rear-facing car seat and not have the front passenger kissing the dashboard. The adjustable rear leg room is nice too.

Dashboard/Useability: We drive in Washington D.C., where traffic is heavy, crazy, and unyielding. We need simple controls that don't require thought. Big knobs, simple design, easy to read.

Performance: We refuse to get a car that gets less than 20MPG at any time. Fully loaded, driving through NYC during a Giants game, it still gets 22+ MPH, and has been known to push 26 at times. Yet it still zips. We didn't have any acceleration problems, even when fully loaded. Of course, the A/C can drag a bit, but that hasn't proven to be a problem.

Reliability: The CRV's reported reliability is true. They inherited the reliability from their cousin the Civic.

Options: Rumour has it that Honda is finally offering leather seats and steering wheel controls for the CRV. This makes for a near-perfect car.