2018 Honda CR-V LX FWD Long-Term Review Update 1: Driving Dynamics

Our Honda CR-V LX has been with us for about two months now, and we’ve finally taken it to the track. I also had the chance to drive the CR-V with the 1.5-liter turbo engine the same day as my CR-V equipped with the 184-hp 2.4-liter engine, and I noticed very similar driving dynamics.

Both CR-Vs accelerate smoothly off the line, providing decent power to the wheels. The CVT revs quickly and is a little noisy on the LX, but the power is quickly felt inside the cabin. Our LX went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds; that’s only 0.2 second behind our long-term 1.5-liter CR-V. To be fair, the Touring model we tested was equipped with AWD and better finishes than our bare-bones FWD LX, having a weight difference of 197 pounds.

The 2018 CR-V LX is also 1.2 seconds quicker to 60 than our previous long-term 2015 CR-V AWD, which we also named SUV of the Year. (It carried the same 2.4-liter engine as our 2018 LX.) When we had our long-term 2012 CR-V FWD (pre-refresh), we got from 0 to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds. That model was equipped with the 2.4-liter engine producing 185 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque mated to a five-speed automatic. That’s a noticeable amount of progress in just a few years, and that’s one of the reasons the 2.4-liter is still alive despite its age.

On the street, we’ve noted some vibrations when driving on poorly maintained pavement, and the noise that comes into the cabin can be a little too much. The tire and wind noise in the cabin definitely makes us miss the sound-deadening materials found on higher-end models. The steering feels light, and even with front-wheel drive, the CR-V feels planted on the corners.

Noise aside, so far we’re pretty happy with the way the CR-V LX drives in the city and on highways. In the coming months, we’ll take a closer look at the interior and the features in the base model.

Read more about our long-term 2018 Honda CR-V LX FWD:

• Arrival

2018 Honda CR-V LX
BASE PRICE	$25,125
PRICE AS TESTED	$25,125
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE	2.4L/184-hp/180-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	Cont variable auto
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,290 lb (59/41%)
WHEELBASE	104.7 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	180.6 x 73.0 x 66.1 in
0-60 MPH	7.7 sec
QUARTER MILE	16.0 sec @ 88.4 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	118 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.84 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	27.7 sec @ 0.62 g (avg)
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	23.3/36.1/27.7 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	26/32/28 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	130/105 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.68 lb/mile

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