What Makes the Honda’s CR-V Business Insider’s Favorite SUV in America?

Numbers don’t lie – with almost 4 million sold since its introduction in 1997 and an impressive seven years of documented sales gains for Honda, the CR-V is the best selling crossover SUV in America right now. But what is it about this compact SUV that continues to bring new drivers to the wheel? We wanted to take a closer look at the car that Business Insider recently touted as their Favorite SUV in America to find out what keeps the CR-V at the head of the pack in a market that is definitely not lacking in options. Here’s what we found.

The Feeling of Effortless Driving

One of the most obvious highlights of this exceptionally popular little crossover is the overall ease of use that it projects and delivers to the driver. This is something that Honda seems to understand well and has improved on with every iteration of the CR-V, honing it even further in the newest 2017 model. New technological driving assistance features actually deliver the increased performance and reduced steering effort that are promised. Driving, parking and overall wheel and steering control feel easy, precise and smoothly responsive.

Comfortable Convenience

The interior and famously comfortable and supportive seats of the CR-V have received a bit of an upgrade as far as style goes in the newest model, but these are almost entirely aesthetic touch ups. The driver and front passenger seats still offer some of the most comfortable seating that can be found in a crossover SUV – or just about any car, honestly – with great back support for long drives. The spacious storage between the front seats, as well as the two convenient USB outlets, combined with the comfort of the seating and the easy ride of this car make it a pretty perfect road trip machine.

Straightforward Simplicity

Another oft-mentioned draw of the Honda CR-V has always been its simplistic but well thought out functionality when it comes to loading, unloading, and altering the backseat and cargo areas of the car. The cargo compartment opens with ease and is spacious and uncomplicated – something you’d think would be standard in crossover SUV vehicles, but which can be cluttered and frustrating in other options on the market. There is no struggle or searching for hidden controls when you need to move or fold the back seat – just a one-motion pull tab that is visible and does what you think it should intuitively do. It’s this kind of detail, that eliminates guesswork from what should be a simple process but often isn’t with cars like this one, that has brought the CR-V to the forefront of its class and kept it there.

In short, the newest model of the CR-V does everything that the majority of drivers would expect it to do and it does those things well. Aside from a few aesthetic details that improve the look the of the car both inside and out, the reliable simplicity and overall comfort of the CR-V is still the standout reason that this car remains a favorite among modern drivers.

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What? Easter Egg in the 2016/2017 Honda Civic Center Console?

There may seem to be few mysteries to uncover under the practical Honda Civic. But Honda isn’t immune to spicing things up every once in a while, and unlike other car companies, they don’t feel the need to broadcast it from sea to shining sea. The 10th generation of these cars (2016 and 2017) has been redesigned, and Honda apparently wanted to have a little fun with their customers by putting an Easter egg into the center console. This little gem is all about celebrating the history of the car company.

The Hidden Meaning

The designers were behind this little addition to the car, not some flashy PR or marketing stunt to score more sales. The Honda PR team didn’t even know about the Easter egg, which is probably a good thing when it comes to keeping secrets. When you ask people what they think of when they think of Honda, they might say they’re a reputable company that makes long-lasting cars. But if you asked people 50 years ago what Honda was known for, they might have their fast motorcycles and race cars capabilities. The Easter egg embraces both the past and the future of Honda.

Finding the Treasure

It isn’t available in every car, but it can be found in any 2016 or 2017 year in an EX trim or higher. The egg is actually the rubber mat at the bottom of the center console that protects the compartment from spills and scrapes.

You have to take the rubber mat out, and turn it over. You’ll find a picture that shows many of Honda’s older accomplishments that have managed to break the old racing and engineering standards of the day. They must be particularly fond of their first private plane, as it’s present in each one of their designs.

First Design: RA106 F1, S800, RC213V, HondaJet

When it comes to motorsports, this design covers it all. In 2006, Jenson Button raced the RA106. At the time, Honda hadn’t appeared in an F1 event since 1968. The S800 won the GT-1 class in the endurance race in Japan in 1968,and their RC213V motorcycle was driven by champion Marc Márquez at MotoGP.

Second Design: RC166, McLaren Honda MP4/4, HondaJet

Motorcycle legend Ayrton Senna sits in the seat of the Honda MP4/4 race car. The RC166 is manned by Jim Redman, who won 6 times at the Grand Prix.

Third Design: NS800, Asimo, HondaJet

No cars in this one, but rather a celebration of Honda’s humanoid robot Asimo.The NS500 motorcycle was ridden by Freddie Spencer in 1983 when he won the world championship at the Grand Prix.

Fourth Design: Curtiss Special, RA272 Race Car, HondaJet

In 1920, these racing cars were brand new, and came about long before Honda was even a company name. Soichiro Honda (founder of Honda) was the riding mechanic for the Curtiss Special during the Fifth Japan Motorcar Championship in 1924. The other race car was raced in 1965, and was Honda’s first F1 race win.

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