We were astounded when we heard that the 2015 Honda CR-V had won Motor Trend’s prestigious Sport Utility of the Year award because this was anything but an off-year for new crossovers and SUVs. A large group of vehicles, all new for ‘15, provided fierce competition. We don’t think it was unreasonable in expressing surprise that a vehicle undergoing a mid-cycle refresh copped the honor.
The CR-V has always been one of our favorite family haulers for its car-like driving dynamics, spacious passenger compartment and cargo hold, refined and fuel-efficient engine, and user-friendly personality. For 2015, Honda has refined and sharpened all the CR-V’s attributes, subtly reworked the exterior styling, and added more content. It was enough to impress the magazine’s panel and impress us as well.
At first glance it appeared that the CR-V had received little more than a minor refreshing of the current model. There’s not much different on the outside except for a more stylistic nose job with different shaped headlights. New wheels and chrome trim on the rear tailgate give the crossover a more up- market look as well.
