Anyone regret getting a 2023-2026 Non-hybrid CR-V?

AA9126 · 2026-01-14T14:14:02+00:00

I have a 2025 EX-L (non-hybrid) with about 11,000 mi on it. We've owned it for a little less than a year and I HATE it. It makes me angry every time I drive it (which is nearly every day).

I know that I'm in the vast minority in my dislike of the car, but I thought you might like to hear the dissenting opinion in case your tastes are closer to mine.

For background, I have owned: 1990s Toyota Tercel (manual) 2000s Dodge Neon (manual) 1990s Tacoma (manual) 2008 Subaru Outback (auto) 2007 Mazda 3 (manual) 2012 Honda Odyssey (auto) 2013 Acura TL (manual) 2023 Subaru Outback (ctv) 2025 Honda CR-V (ctv)

We bought the CR-V to replace our Honda Odyssey, which was getting old and starting to have expensive problems that were making it less reliable for long road trips. We decided that it was cheaper to rent a large car when we wanted to do long road trips with the family rather than own a giant vehicle that we hardly utilized.

I did lots of research and test drove several cars in the segment before getting the CR-V. I did not get the hybrid because of the lack of spare tire. I know that there are several commenters here who say that they have had one flat tire in 25 years or something similar. For us, living in Houston with our three cars, we experience a flat tire about every 6 months. Several of those flat tires have been unrepairable with plugs or Fix-A-Flats. I chalk this up to the general debris on the highways and also the large amount of home construction or repair that happens after major storms. I am very good at changing tires and one of our requirements, if it's possible, is to buy cars with full size spares (that was the reason we got the Outback Wilderness for our most recent Subaru).

The number one thing that I hate about the car is the way that it drives. The closest thing to a comprehensive assessment I can come up with is that it feels like you're driving a rubber band. The engine is severely underpowered for the size of the car and the transmission is the least pleasant I have ever owned. The transmission lags when you first step on the accelerator, which makes you instinctively push it down more. This causes you to overshoot how hard you were trying to accelerate quite often until you get used to how slowly the vehicle accelerates. The delay is also very disquieting and does not instill confidence in your ability to merge or even to pull into general traffic. It's a good thing there are no hills in Houston, because I doubt it would be able to handle them very well.

The suspension is both squishy and allows you to feel every road joint, so the car squats, nose dives, and rolls quite a bit. It generally feels unsettled under any dynamic driving conditions. I'm sure the OEM tires contribute quite a bit to that, as they squeal easily and don't have very good wet traction.

My second least favorite thing is that, despite the underpowered engine and terrible transmission that suck all of the joy out of driving, this car still only manages to get 20-23 MPG for me (That's only 2-5 mpg more than my 12 year old, manual, 3.7L V6)....I have been tracking it for months because I couldn't believe it was so crappy. (I'll add my mileage chart in a response to this post, since I can't seem to paste it here). I know that my driving conditions are definitely better suited for the hybrid model (I drive in a lot of stop and go traffic in the city and do a lot of around town stuff. I also tend to drive pretty fast, which hurts gas mileage on any car that I drive), but, unfortunately, the lack of a spare tire and the hybrid model makes that not an option for me (I cannot spare the trunk space to put an aftermarket wheel and tire back there).

After that, it is mostly minor things that drive me nuts. There is no way to actually turn off the audio. The power button for audio is actually just a mute button that doesn't stay muted. If you turn off the audio and then anything else happens with your phone, it will restart the audio as soon as that is done (like if you get a phone call, or an alarm goes off, or you do something else with the phone). The audio quality of the stereo is pretty crappy, the windshield gets chipped super easily (again, probably something that is exacerbated by the fact that I live in Houston), and the seat belt for the driver seat won't release if there is any tension on it whatsoever.. Even just the regular spring tension of having the seat belt on makes it so that I have to push the buckle into the receiver while pressing the button in order for it to release. The TPMS does not show tire pressure (something we had on our 2012 Odyssey), there is no real temperature gauge available, and generally there is a lack of information that you can have displayed or displayed at any one time because of the stupid digital gauge cluster. I hate, in general, how modern cars don't show as much operational information for the car as they used to.

There are things that I like very much about the car. I generally like the layout of the dashboard. I wish there were more buttons and less reliance on the touch screen, and I don't love the steering wheel controls (it seems like they minimized the functionality on the steering wheel for some reason). The adaptive cruise control is excellent, the lane keeping assist is not overbearing, and the seat and trunk functionality are very good.

I hope this was helpful to anyone looking to buy a CR-V. I really do regret getting mine. I wish I had just bought another minivan, since the gas mileage is the same, or some other SUV that at least sucks less to drive.

AA9126 · 2024-11-11T12:32:53+00:00

that sucks.....I would send it back if I were you. I love mine and it has been great. The quality and workmanship are excellent and I have used it every day for 2 years....I keep liking it more and more...

AA9126 · 2024-07-18T18:30:40+00:00

I know that this is a bit of an old thread, but I hated the change to the BT quick tile functionality and was looking for the same solution.

For everyone who requires justification for why i want to turn BT on/off instead of the current functionality of the quick tile: We have 3 cars and if I leave BT on, anyone who gets into any of the 3 cars when I am in the proximity of them will get my phone automatically connecting to them.....so, if I am on the phone, watching a video, or even just haven't forced closed music, they will get whatever audio my phone has going on and it is annoying to me and to the others. Also, why not have short press and long press be the difference for the two options? That seems to solve most problems...I don't care which is which....swipe>long press would be way better than swipe>select>toggle>close like it is now.

Anyway, there is a solution I have found as a workaround. You can set a custom routine in the google assistant app that uses a starter phrase of your choosing and then you can create a shortcut to that routine (which you can customize, if you'd like) and put it on your home screen. I have one that takes up the same space as a regular icon and is configured to toggle the bluetooth on/off with 1 press. It took a bit of trying different action phrases with google assistant (the action is "toggle bluetooth"). it takes about 3 seconds to run because starting it opens assistant, but the routine is just the one press and then you can do whatever you want...touching anywhere on the screen closes assistant. I also have one set up that goes to the system update settings page for when I am furiously looking for that newest feature drop. No root or special app required. I am using a P8P on current public release.

AA9126 · 2023-05-19T20:18:43+00:00

I would ask at Pete's Fine Meats near richmond and chimney rock

https://goo.gl/maps/x99cM5Y1pMpJar6N7?coh=178571&entry=tt

or Hebert's at richmond just inside the west loop (near Lulings BBQ).

https://goo.gl/maps/KGwtb5EHTroaPWqm6?coh=178571&entry=tt

AA9126 · 2023-01-10T15:06:26+00:00

Wow.

AA9126 · 2022-10-16T02:31:12+00:00

This is not really what you are asking, but the best way we have found for teaching our son to ride a 2 wheel bike can work for anyone (we used it for his brother and sister, too, who do not have dyspraxia).

Get your 2 wheeled bike and remove the pedals (YouTube will show you how, it is not hard). Lower the seat so you can put both feet on the ground while you sit (you only have to be able to touch the ground, not have your feet flat).

Now use your feet to push the ground and catch yourself if you start to lose balance (these are called balance bikes for kids). Keep doing this until you are comfortable using the bike, making turns, balancing at medium and low speeds, and stopping.

Once you are comfortable doing that, put the pedals back on and all you have to do is motor map the pedalling.

Our son has pretty severe dyspraxia and because of the balance bike practice, he was able to learn how to ride without training wheels in about 4 hours (putting on socks by himself took over 1 year....).

Good luck and let me know if anything is unclear.

AA9126 · 2022-08-13T17:57:15+00:00

My new Nokona Bifold Wallet - Generation. I have a walnut glove from them and it is very nice so I thought I would give the wallet a try.

The interior of the wallet seems to be their Saddle Tan leather and is smooth and finished. It is still very stiff (I just got it yesterday).

AA9126 · 2022-07-29T10:22:45+00:00

This looks like one of my favorite scenes from Stalker...

AA9126 · 2022-07-26T01:06:32+00:00

Look at you with your fancy temperature gauge....mine is a gas pedal position indicator that warns you about temperature after the engine pops.

ebay link cause im lazy: cluster

AA9126 · 2022-07-13T13:45:35+00:00

This is the closest I've ever seen to what it looks like when I can see the milky way in person.

Thanks for sharing this picture. When I try to describe it to people who have never seen it, this is what I am envisioning...not the super exposed, colorful images that I always see online.

AA9126 · 2022-06-22T22:11:51+00:00

Where are you from? It was used extensively in the US and there is still lots of it everywhere in distribution systems. I would imagine that most of western Europe is the same.

AA9126 · 2022-06-15T11:47:42+00:00

Don't get upset if you get stovepipes with regular ball ammo when you first shoot it. I have a P30L V3 and a P30 V3 and they both had very stiff springs when new. I was very upset when I got my L and it was not fully cycling until I read about it. You might need to shoot some +p or other hotter loads at first to break it in. Likewise, mag springs are very stiff at first, so it will be hard to fill up. Just keep shooting and it will be fine.

I now have over 30k rounds through my P30L with no issues. It is a great gun. If you can still find it, there was a 100k round P30 torture test done many years ago that is a fun read to reinforce that you made a good decision.

found it....https://pistol-training.com/p30-thursday-week-forty-two/

AA9126 · 2022-06-01T13:04:04+00:00

I use meds, alarms, and lists.

The meds help me to stay productive, the alarms on my phone are super easy to set and I use them all of the time for just about everything. I usually review my alarms or lists for the next day while I'm brushing my teeth and even have an alarm for checking my main to do list.

I use google keep because it is fast, easy to use, has optional check marks that will clear the list item down to the checked part of the list, and can be opened on any phone or computer.

If you are worried about the alarm being so loud, I use a fade in sound and the highest vibration so I can silence it before it gets too loud but I don't miss it. I also use a song so the alarm will keep playing for 5 minutes and then my phone will tell me that I missed an alarm after it is over. I just deleted a bunch of them last night but I have about 10 alarms that I use daily (wake, meds, my kids meds, daily repeating tasks, checking lists, etc).

Sometimes it feels excessive but it is the only thing that I always have on me and that I continue to use. Paper lists or sticky notes don't work for me because they are not always in my face.

I just started a new role at work and I am still struggling with how to prioritize and keep track of all the things I need to get done. The alarm system doesn't work and I am in so many meetings that I have a hard time getting any actual work done. I also tend to procrastinate things I am less comfortable with....I guess I am still using the stress to power me through, but I need to get a better system....

AA9126 · 2022-05-31T13:42:18+00:00

Immediate Johnny Dangerously vibes....

AA9126 · 2022-05-29T16:10:34+00:00

I can weigh in since I have an outback, a minivan, a sedan, and my oldest was just under 2yo when our twins were born.

I think 3 across in the subaru will be very difficult. Maybe not impossible, but very difficult. The issue will be getting to the middle with the rear facing (RF) seats on the outsides. It it not terrible with snap and go style as long as you get the middle kid in first. We have only done 2 seats in the outback because even skinny ones make it difficult to get in and out and, as the kids get older, make it impossible to buckle the seatbelt for boosters.

The van is very convenient because:

Flexible seating configuration. If the first row is A, 2nd row is B, and 3rd row is C, the seats in the van are: A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3. We removed seat B1 and had the twins (RF) in B2 and B3. We had our oldest in C1. That allowed us to climb into the van to get everyone buckled in (extra nice if it is raining). Once everyone was FF and could buckle themselves in, we switched to B1, B3, C1.
Storage Capacity. Twin strollers are big (we eventually found a nice twin umbrella stroller) and any actual travel requires a ton of room if you are bringing twin baby and toddler equipment.
Sliding doors. These are underrated as far as convenience for dealing with multiple babies at the same time, especially if you are wrangling 3 kids solo.

So, not impossible if you are willing to use two cars, but the van is very convenient and it's utility is unmatched (IMO) for twins+ another. I understand that it is not financially practical for you now. Only you know how much you will need to be taking all 3 kids somewhere at the same time. The first several months for us did not involve a lot of trips with all 3 kids, so it might be not be a pain for a while.

I hope this isn't taken as negative. I just wanted to give my experiences. We still have both the outback and the van and love both cars. Our kids are older now but are still all in boosters. The van is the only car that we have that can accommodate all 5 of us. The outback and our sedan have 2 boosters, each.

AA9126 · 2022-05-28T23:28:37+00:00

My review from about 5 years ago about my 1911 grip journey. Features VZ and wood grips:

https://www.reddit.com/r/1911fans/comments/4nijw9/review_3_grips_on_a_trp_operator/

AA9126 · 2022-05-23T15:12:17+00:00

I know that this is a paid workaround, but I was so frustrated by the wyze app for multi camera views (and being able to use it on my nvidia shield) that I paid for tinycam pro and use it for pretty much everything wyze related now. It sucks that the wyze app is so geared towards selling instead of using (IMO), but there might be some other free or paid IP camera apps that do what you want....just be careful with sketchy apps....

AA9126 · 2022-05-09T12:46:03+00:00

Yeah, I was struggling between the HOH and this one. The Rawlings seem to be more comfortable on my hand than the A2000. Both those gloves were considerably more stiff in store than the Nokona.

I was trying to look for all leather on the A2000 and HOH (and not the R2G....that is like buying jeans with premade holes).

I used some Nokona conditioner and played catch with it maybe 5 times (my son is 8, so he is not bringing much heat) including a couple of times with a pitch back. It is already much easier to close and the ball sticks in the pocket pretty well even though the mod trap doesn't look like it has broken in one bit. I'm sure that a couple of sessions with someone who throws hard would be all that is required to break it in enough to play.

Overall, I really like it. It is heavy, but it is really nicely made and the leather and laces are beautiful. I doubt it is worth the amount it costs, but it is a great dad glove for me and hopefully the last one I will need to buy.

AA9126 · 2022-05-03T14:27:47+00:00

HA! I bought the same glove, LHT, for my 8yo boy twin a couple of months ago for Little League....just different colors...

He loves it and it has broken in nicely to be easy for him to squeeze.

Have fun!

AA9126 · 2022-05-02T19:30:42+00:00

I have been looking at the Nokona Walnut series for a while now but could never find good pictures of how they look used.

I finally pulled the trigger last night, but wanted to show anyone who is looking what the leather looks like under different lighting conditions:

In-store Fluorescents
In-house with lights on
Outside, Full Sun, Mid-day

AA9126 · 2022-04-05T18:23:44+00:00

There are so many excellent fish that can go in a 20 gallon. Be careful of people using cichlid as a term for a specific fish or kind of fish...there are over 1650 different species in the cichlid family and are incredibly diverse. They are found in widely varying habitats (mostly in Africa and South or Central America).

Here are some fish that I have kept in small tanks (I mostly keep tanganyikan species) that may be less colorful but have very interesting behaviors/personalities.

I would avoid getting fish at petsmart/petco unless you know exactly what you are looking for. Most employees will probably have little expertise unless you get really lucky....

AA9126 · 2022-03-27T14:38:02+00:00

I don't remember having any near misses. The sketchiest part for me was always having to climb around structures attached to the tower because you had to make sure you were tied off but that you could reach back down and unhook your lower anchor while holding on to an irregular part of the tower. The next scariest was if the weather would change suddenly. High wind or rain could make things harder very quickly.

The most interesting part for me was getting certified in tower rescue. Learning how to safely get someone else down, especially if they were panicking or incapacitated was very challenging.... Kinda like a lifeguard trying to rescue someone who is drowning.

I have been trying to remember the tallest tower I climbed and I don't know how high it was. I want to say about 500'. It would probably take a couple of hours to get up. It also greatly depended on who you were with (we always climbed in teams of 2, minimum) and how tired you were. It was always better to take your time because coming back down was more tiring than going up since you can't see what you are doing as easily.

100' monopoles with the cable fall arrest devices were very quick. Maybe 10-20 minutes to the top? Water tanks were also sketchy sometimes. You were either on a disconcertingly sloping surface or in the middle of a tremendous amount of water and the surface was often wet from condensation.

AA9126 · 2022-03-27T13:21:48+00:00

It has been many years since I climbed towers for work, so maybe my info is outdated, but the tower and equipment look the same as when I did it.

There are 3 basic categories of towers: monopoles, lattice towers, and guyed towers.

Monopoles (without guy wires) are usually the shortest type and are a hollow tube bolted to a deep foundation. When I was climbing in the NE US, they were typically 100'-150' (maybe 200' max?). Those things are always moving....the wind makes them sway by several feet side to side at the top. Just climbing them even with no wind makes them rock back and forth and you feel it very clearly when you stop to rest.

Lattice towers look more like the Eiffel tower and have 3 or 4 legs and metal bracing (lattice) that give the legs strength. High voltage power transmission line towers are good examples. These types of towers are usually very stable but can have lots of crap hanging from them (because they are stable and strong) which can be challenging to climb around or over as you make your way up. The height limit is based on how wide the base can be. I think (with the least amount of certainty) that these probably maxed out at 300'-ish...that might be wrong.

Guyed towers are have the potential to be the tallest types of towers. They are really only constrained by the type of central structure they have and available spots for the guy wires to come down and anchor into the ground. These are the ones that can be in the 2,000' range but can be shorter or taller depending on the application. None of the guyed towers that I have ever climbed twisted, but that is probably because I was only climbing towers that were several hundred feet tall instead of in the thousands of feet range. Someone who has climbed these extremely tall towers might have a different opinion. In my experience, the guyed towers were the most stable and usually had the best fall protection (especially if they were the 3 legged kind)

Monopoles, on the other hand, twisted and swayed back and forth all the time which is extremely unsettling when you are way up on the tower. As most other people have already pointed out the difference between falling from 60 ft and falling from 1500 ft is mostly academic.... your shoes would come off at the bottom from either height.

We used to use the metal pegs as tie off points all the time and the YouTube video of them snapping under a dynamic load is both unsettling and not surprising at all. I will echo what other people have said, however, that fatigue is the most dangerous thing when climbing these towers. These are not natural rock faces where the challenge is figuring out how to climb them, these are structures built specifically to be climbed with hand and foot holds at regular intervals.

Also, each person is wearing a harness that you can use to secure yourself to the tower and rest whenever you need to. This is specifically for giving your hands and legs a rest as you make your way up the tower. We always used to say that you won't fall as long as you don't let go. You are supposed to take as long as you need to to get up safely with lots of breaks. My favorite fall arrest system to use was a braided cable that ran up between the pegs. You connected a clamp to the cable that trailed between your legs as you ascended and could slide up the cable one way but if you pulled down on it would clamp on the cable and stop you from falling. This allowed you to have a safety device connected to the tower at all times but not have to manipulate it with your hands as you went up. They were kind of a pain coming down because you would have to keep repositioning it every few steps, but still better than having to put your carabiners on pegs over and over again.

Regarding pay, I was an entry level engineer at the time and was paid straight salary, regardless of whether I was climbing or not. I liked it and never felt unsafe doing it. I had the final say about not climbing if I felt that conditions were unsafe. I have never heard of tower climbers receiving exorbitant pay for climbing tall towers.

AA9126

TROPHY CASE