CRV vs Terrano

[smallzoo]

I have a 2003 CRV 2.0 VTec which is a nice truck BUT...

..I just cant get used to the steering, it just feels so light and has no feedback
..The 4 wheel drive kicks in a bit late sometimes
..fule consumption is not good

I really like the idea of a terrano (2.7tdi) with its better 4wd, better mpg but I dont know what the steering is like..

I would only be able to afford around a 1999 model

Anyone help ?

Thanks

[jims-terrano]

Never driven a CRV but got a friend whos had 3 of them but being company cars they are replaced every 3 years.

I've had my R Reg T2 for nearly ten years now and theres someone on here that is well into the teens of years owning the same motor. Love mine to bits but at this age it's getting rather elderly now but still surprizes me at this age. Saved loads over the years being a member on here, a proper mine of info.

Jim

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

i'd say the steering is pretty light but has some feeling considering
its mostly a rear wheel drive car, with ifs and pas.

tyre pressures can make quite a difference. higher and the steering
is very precise but prone to bump steer, lower pressure and rolling
resistance increase with the foot print but the general ride improves.

might be worth remembering that that certainly the swb terranos
and mavericks were likened to the rav4s back in the day as a truck
that would suit someone coming over to the fold from a hot hatch
which I take to mean the handling was more sporty than other suv's
of the time.

[clivvy]

I would say the T2 steering is quite light, but then it needs to be due to the weight of the truck! Even so, I find it drives very well, much more "car like" than most 4x4's. Tyres of course will make a difference as will tyre pressure. Feedback is good I would say, for what it is, just got to remember that the tyres are huge, so this will reduce feedback a bit.

I'd say go test drive one asap, find a friendly garage. I cant comment on the CRV, never driven one (look nice motors though) but I would say the T2 is a different class of vehicle all together, so be prepared for a big difference in the drive.

[rayf3262]

I had both a 2008 2.2CDTi CR-V and Terrano for a couple of years.
CR-V is much more car like to drive, not surprisingly as it's built from the Honda Civic floor pan. Very comfortable space to be in, lots of "toys" to play with. The voice control of heater control and sat nav etc. is a bit of a waste of time though, easier to just press a button!
The hands free telephone kit worked well, although there is no option to control it other than by voice commands!

Fuel economy was poorer than I would have hoped for in a modern unit like this, used to rummage around the hi 30's most of the time. If you drove it like a saint it was possible to get to mid 40's and beyond.

Has good & flexible interior load space, roof rails easy to fit to existing M8 mounts under small covers on the roof.
Only had one fault in 60K miles, the battery mysteriously drained itself one night, apparently not an unknown issue!

CRV was first choice for longer journeys and Terrano far more suited to the bog that was my boat mooring, the CRV struggled a few times in the soft and slippery black Broads mud! Possibly, due to the fact that you must loose front wheel traction before the rear wheel drive is engaged. There's no opportunity to pre-engage 4WD before you tackle such terrain, it's all done automatically.
The Terrano never had the slightest issue in the same terrain....

[smallzoo]

Thanks for the replies so far..

My CRV is a petrol 2003 model so I guess the poor MPG is standard.

I cant complain about motorway driving or general comfort and so far its been reliable.. its just the lack of feedback and light steering I am finding difficult. When I go around a roundabout I just dont feel confident and in the current Ice as I dont get any feedback anyway its even more worrying.. maybe its just me !

I have had Series III, Discovery and a Nissan Patrol and never felt this before

[Fez_uk]

dont expect great mpg from the terrano 30ish tops

[smallzoo]

I know it will be up to 35 max but I struggle to get that out of the CRV and the terrano is a 7 seater and 'MAYBE' I can run some biodiesel..?

[rustic]

I've had my R Reg T2 for nearly ten years now and theres someone on here that is well into the teens of years owning the same motor.
Jim

My ears are burning, yep in April 2012 I will have owned mine 17 years from new, nearly old enough to start driving it's self.
Party when it's 18....:lol:lol

30mpg on runs, less on short mileage trips.

Cheapest car to keep on the road (ie cost of ownership) than any other car I have driven, or owned. Ignoring the fuel that is..:lol

The biggest cost this year, ignoring MOT and service parts has been the £10 to this club....:confused: Not bad for a teenage motor... It hasn't even got any spots (rust) yet.

[cleangreenm/c]

Hi i had a crv for a few months good points--they said 36.4 on a run it did that bang on the nose.bad points ---i drove the car on a test drive ,vgood no problem wot so ever!!!! picked the car up drove itok next day every time ipulled away id stallit .it would be fine for a while then it would stall again .
Ijust could not get the clutch bite point right . then in a very bad thunder storm put wipers on and i could feel thewipers going to and fro through the brake and clutch pedal,s.
Pluss honda,s servicing was crap 1LTR OF OIL ABOVE THEfullmarkon the dip stick so they fitted 2 front spots foc
picked car up tried the spots out brill.
of igo to work,23-45 i finish work come out to go home onlyloghts that work are the spots . so it went asap
myt2tdi is brill steering not heavy just right 28to30 mpg hope this helps roy:cool:

[smallzoo]

with reference to a terrano.. does it really matter if I buy a 95 or a 99 model ?
ie any to avoid or ones to look for ?

Cheers

[96terrano]

theres someone on here that is well into the teens of years owning the same motor.

Jim

I'm guessing that's me :lol

[MudLifeCrisis]

My ears are burning, yep in April 2012 I will have owned mine 17 years from new, .

Mine was first reg'd in Nov 97 and I bought in Feb 99 so mine is a mere youngster at nearly 13 years ownership.

Might get buried in mine ;O)


Brian

[Fez_uk]

I'm guessing that's me :lol

think he means rustic :thumbs

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

with reference to a terrano.. does it really matter if I buy a 95 or a 99 model ?
ie any to avoid or ones to look for ?

Cheers

go younger, post 96 is mk2 with tdi, intercooler lifts 100bhp td to 125bhp, for 'free'
as upto 99 some were still group 10, my mk4 despite being 'basic' s trim is a group
12 and same truck as my 96 s other than abs and ebd, the plusher se et which
add aircon and roof rails can be group 14.

stick to 2.7td, which you will in those years

[96terrano]

think he means rustic :thumbs

Ahh ok lol:doh

[smallzoo]

Sorry for the dumb answer but the detail on which model bamboozled me somewhat.. not your problem mine !

Which years are you saying are best between 96 and 99 ? and TD rather than Tdi ?

One other quick question.. the mavericks all seem to say 2.7TD not Tdi. Does that mean they are not fuel injected ?

thanks

Peter

[MudLifeCrisis]

Sorry for the dumb answer but the detail on which model bamboozled me somewhat.. not your problem mine !

Which years are you saying are best between 96 and 99 ? and TD rather than Tdi ?

One other quick question.. the mavericks all seem to say 2.7TD not Tdi. Does that mean they are not fuel injected ?

thanks

Peter

Not intercooled.

I've had both but TDI has more grunt

Intercooled ones have the bonnet scoop

Brian

[11redrex]

Sorry for the dumb answer but the detail on which model bamboozled me somewhat.. not your problem mine !

Which years are you saying are best between 96 and 99 ? and TD rather than Tdi ?

One other quick question.. the mavericks all seem to say 2.7TD not Tdi. Does that mean they are not fuel injected ?

thanks

Peter

The i means intercooler, not injection. All diesels are fuel injection. :doh

The older ones are simpler and you won't get any electronics problems, the newer ones are more powerful, but basically the same car with different bumpers. I had an L reg TD swb, and currently have a LWB TDi (kind of). I think I preferred the TD.

[jims-terrano]

Generally speaking 93 to 96 where non intercoolled and were not as electronically controlled. I'd say they are slightly more reliable but less power. At the same time these models are getting very long in the tooth and the tin worm has taken it's toll.

96 onwards is the TDi, dead easy to spot as they have the air vent in the middle of the bonnet. This lets the air in to the intercooller. This model has more electronics with sensors and an ECU (brain) and so has more to go wrong. Don't get me wrong they do not go wrong very often, my T2 TDi has been more reliable then my 05 plate Reno that I've owned since it was less than a year old.

Around 51 plate Nissan stuck a 3.0 litre lump in the truck which has even more power and supposed to give more MPG but not driven one so I don't know. 3 litre has a timing belt rather than being gear driven timing like the 2.7 td and tdi's were, guess which engine I prefer.

Also around 51 plate they started fitting fixed front hubs as an option which soon took over as standard. Again they have their draw backs such as no grease nipples on the joints and less mpg. Generally speaking the Auto Front Hubs are a great idea but are also a weakness, usually through lack of use or abuse. For some reason my n/s front hub kept giving me trouble even after fitting another hub as well as the bits to repair it. I ended up fitting manuals to mine which means I have to turn a knob in the centre of the hub before selecting 4wd. They are not everyones cup of tea but they work for me, I simply lock the hubs before setting off if I think I might need 4wd. All that happens is the same as the fixed hubs, the front transmission turns all the time but is not powered by the gearbox until 4wd is selected.

Terrano's have their weak spots like any other car but pretty much all have been covered in this forum at one time or another. If it means anything I'd have another today if I could afford to replace mine.

Jim

[rayf3262]

Around 51 plate Nissan stuck a 3.0 litre lump in the truck which has even more power and supposed to give more MPG but not driven one so I don't know. 3 litre has a timing belt rather than being gear driven timing like the 2.7 td and tdi's were, guess which engine I prefer.
Jim
The 3.0 is not belt driven, it is chain driven.