Medium sized SUV’s sell well, proving particularly popular with smaller families. They offer good value for money and there is a wide range to choose from – the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 immediately spring to mind. But what of the Honda CR-V, a medium sized SUV from a company who are praised constantly for their fantastic reliability record?

Well, the all-new Honda CR-V is the best version yet. It is now closer than ever to matching the quality of Audis and BMWs offerings, and it also undercuts them on price. There are two versions available – a 2WD and a 4WD – but it’sobvious whichever you decide to go for from just looking at the Honda CR-V that it’s designed more for on-road use than off-road use. Still, it’s re-assuring to know that it won’t get stuck in a field.

The styling of the new CR-V is the first thing we noticed. It looks remarkably like a blown up Honda Civic. Bad news if you despise the Honda Civic.  It has a mixture of rounded and angular shapes at the front and rear. This creates an overall pleasant viewing experience, but in all honestly, it’s not remarkably different to the Hyundai Santa Fe. This isn’t a bad thing though. Inside, this mix of rounded and angular shapes continues, but at least the quality of the cabin has been significantly improved over the older version – many of the hard plastics in the old model are gone, and soft touch rubbers and leather are almost everywhere. Honda have done a good job to make the CR-V feel as premium as possible from the driver’s seat.

There are 6 different trim levels to choose from; S, S-T, SE, SE-T, SR and EX. Vertu Honda Boston’s used Honda CR-V offers these trim levels, as well as a range of optional equipment to build up the resale value of your car.

There are four different engines buyers can choose from. These are a 1.6 i-DTEC, 2.2 i-DTEC, and a 2.0 i-VTEC. The best performer of the bunch is the 2.2-litre diesel, but we actually recommend the 1.6-litre diesel engine – it’s more economical and has more than enough power to pull you along at a respectable pace.  The diesel engines are also extremely well refined, with little vibration or road noise transferred through to the cabin, even on a cold start.

Overall, the Honda CR-V is a likeable mid-sized SUV. It lacks the badge appeal of the Audi Q5 or BMW X3, but it more than makes up for that in value for money. Go for the 2WD 1.6 version to save some money or the 4WD 2.2 version for outright pace. Whichever you go for you won’t be disappointed.