Reader eMail: Melissa's New Cars

Reader Melissa wrote to me to share her experience buying a pair of new SUVs:

My hubby & I just bought him a Pacific Blue '07 CR-V EX and I ordered the Tea Green CR-V EX '07 for myself. I had a '98 RAV4 for 8 years and loved it. I also have a 12 year old Camry. The only reason we bought new cars is b/c all the new safety feature- Electronic stability control, curtain & side airbags etc. It’s the first time either of us purchased brand new cars! Normally I find the depreciation off-putting, but safety came first. We did a lot of research on Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Motor Week, etc. They are both similar SUVs when it comes to safety.

Things I liked about the RAV that I didn't about the CR-V:
Normal looking interior door handles, brighter brake lights, possible third row seat if we wanted, can flip seats down from the back instead of crawling in back seat to flip before loading, floor base under the flipped seats is level- unlike the CR-V which has two level floor once the seats are flipped. This is minor, but makes a difference when one is in a sleeping bag in the back!

Things I liked about the CR-V that I didn't about the RAV4:
Conversation mirror, side-mirror positioners are in a safer spot to prevent them accidentally being reset, top rising door back door (keeps rain out of the collar when loading the car, easier to do when parallel parked), smoother and faster acceleration, better console lighting and information on digital screen. I had better rear visibility without the tire mounted on the back, which is not available on the RAV4.

The CR-V available with NAV, but the dealer said they won't be out until January '07. We have a Garmin Nuvi 350 ($488 at Wal-Mart) and that is more portable and a lot cheaper than a $2K Nav system in the CR-V.

Also, the CR-V requires buying new disks for $185 when the maps are updated. The Garmin offers updated maps to download on its website.

We tested both '06 & '07 RAV4 & CR-V. I am rather short (5ft 3in) and I had better visibility with the CR-V, but they both have height adjustable drivers' seats.

The main thing that cinched it for us was the smoother acceleration. The RAV4 had a noticeable hesitancy when accelerating abruptly. It could cost seconds trying to merge into traffic or dart across an intersection. We test drove several different RAV4s to see if they all did this, and all the '07s did, though to varying degrees. Also, we did not like the irritating orange glow of the instrument panel on the highest option RAV4, nor the busy center console on the floor. The CR-V has a tray that can fold down, the RAV4 has the storage compartments, shifter, and mirror adjusters in the middle. The CR-V has a soothing blue instrument panel, with white digital layout for gas, mileage, temperature etc.The shifter is below the air conditioning controls, and out of the way of knees, etc.

They weren't cheap! According to CR we should have been able to purchase them for 4-8% above $21,060 (using the CR base price). However, we spent hours on the phone and went to multiple dealerships. We had guys from 4 different Honda dealers whittling each other down, and we stayed on the phone until other dealerships dropped out. We bought two cars and paid cash, and the best deal we could get was $24,800 out the door (all tax, tags, delivery fees etc). No dealership had more than one or two on the lot of the '07 CR-Vs. We took the blue one today, and the Green Tea should be in by next week. No one in Tampa had the Green Tea or Glacier Blue on the lot. We wanted to compare EX and LX side by side, but were repeatedly told they didn’t have the LXs on the lot.

The one thing I can't stand about the CR-V is the ugly door handle. The sales staff said the '07 CR-V had been redesigned to look more "manly" and to appeal to the young male market. I guess this was accomplished by the futuristic side windows and the hideous door handle, which is cheap silvery plastic and clashes with the ivory or gray interior. It looks like the car is attempting to be a transformer; the handle resembles an old boombox handle. Other than that, we love our new CR-Vs.

Thanks, Melissa. And congratulations to you and your husband on your new CR-Vs.

I have driven the 2007 Honda CR-V, and I'll be featuring a review here shortly. I was very impressed with the new SUV -- it's way more refined than previous versions, a real grown-up's crossover vehicle, rather than the Cute-Ute of yore.

What do you think about Melissa's decision? Have you ever bought two new vehicles at once? Click on "comments" below, and share your experiences.

Photo © Jason Fogelson