Peak Drive: Honda CR-V (2003)

I’ve always had fond memories of Baguio. I could remember the Christmas stories by the fire place and the freshly baked cookies that go with them.

The breath-taking sights and almost Americana setting is without difficulty though as there are certain vehicular prerequisites. From memory, my dad always recommended a car with a big displacement and a comfortable ride. Come to think of it, the only two vehicles of ours to make it unscathed were the two-door Toyota Corona and the Nissan Maxima.

The memories of the warm wood fire and chewy chocolate treats over a decade ago were more than enough to convince me to take the trek once again.

Being a car buff, the first consideration for such a journey would be the car. Based on my dad’s criteria, the new Honda CR-V 4×4 fits in nicely with its gutsy 2.0-liter engine and retuned suspension.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past years, you’d know that the current CR-V was introduced as an odd ten-seater, front-drive AUV. Die-hard loyalists cried foul, and before they started to torch Honda’s office, the Japanese car company rectified this problem with the CR-V 4×4.

Like the CR-V it replaced, it features the Real-Time All-Wheel Drive system. This means that the CR-V is essentially a front-wheel drive car with the ability to transfer power to the rear wheels if slippage is detected. In addition, this version attempts to re-align itself with the true meaning of CR-V as the “Comfortable Runabout Vehicle”.

Honda Cars Philippines wanted to demonstrate the traits of their Civic-based SUV, and thus organized the CR-V Peak Drive last November.

Departing from Honda Cars Makati, the convoy headed north. Taking the driver’s seat, it’s easy to feel the CR-V 4×4’s new-found soft ride. Not having to carry eight adults and two midgets, the five-seater 4×4 actually behaves like a luxo-barge. It takes any road rut or cut with composure, much better than its competition.

Reaching the North Expressway, I let the CR-V rip it, hitting 140 km/h before backing down in fear of a chasing traffic cop. Despite being “unbroken in” yet, I didn’t fear than the i-VTEC would let me down. History precedes it: out of 15 million units made, there were no warranty claims for any of Honda’s trademark engine.

Swapping positions with my partner, Lester Dizon of The Philippine Star, I finally got to fiddle with the CR-V’s radio. I swear, despite my higher than average mechanical aptitude, it took a while to find the FM station preset button. Finally deciphering the Pioneer’s illogical controls, I found the disco-ish, chameleon changing to be equally cheesy and downright stupid. Still, I have to admit, changing the face displace to match the CR-V’s orange instrumentation is a nice touch.

Once we reached Tarlac, the scenery blurred and I dozed off. The powerful air conditioning and excellent leather seats with arm-rests are surely to blame. When I woke up, we were about to climb up Baguio.

Because of the non-stop rain, we climbed not through the steeply graded, two-lane Kennon Road; but via (blank) instead. The engine and transmission were up to the task, but with the thinning atmosphere coupled with the i-VTEC’s revvy nature, a slight loss in pulling power was felt.

It was nearly six in the evening when we reached the city proper, and to my amazement, Baguio has become quite a bustling town. It was like a small piece of Manila: commercialized and crowded, heck, it’s got its own Starbucks already. The traffic wasn’t helping either when all of us just wanted to call it a day.

I didn’t do much that night as I just wanted to prepare myself for the day ahead. I slept just as comfortably in Camp John Hay Manor as I did in our Pearl White CR-V.

Day Two began as what other people thought was an ungodly hour. Still, leaving for Benguet is still an additional four-hour drive from Baguio’s city proper; and we just had to avoid the rush hour traffic.

Scooting off, the scenery began to change: from being crowded to serene. As each kilometer passed, it was as if I was going back in time, with the Honda CR-V as my time warp machine. Soon, the road too disappeared, leaving nothing more than a one-lane dirt path. The real test of the CR-V is about to begin.

The moment we first hit dirt, the CR-V simply went over them with its comfortable ride. In addition, the steering’s responsive enabling me to make last minute maneuvers easily.

The all-wheel drive worked transparently, as it should, enabling us to cross puddles, pebbles and anything other than pavement. At first, my companions commented that this CR-V felt no different than the 4×2. Looks behind at the Peak Drive chase cars were enough to convince them otherwise.

When the 4×4 simply glided through even the softest of muds (remember, it rained the day before), the 4×2 had to find a comfortable path, swerving left and right trying to find traction.

Though preppy for the urban commute, I find that the CR-V’s linear performance to be a bit disappointing on the rough stuff. The engine’s not to blame as all 150 horses are serenading an i-VTEC song. It’s the rather confused auto box. It required a shift to’1’ just to give sufficient boost for an overtake.

The tires too could use improvement as they lack convincing grip. The 205-mm width was simply too small for such a vehicle as the CR-V. However, one improvement has been the quelling of the front-wheel torque spin. The Real-Time system is to thank for this.

Midday, the convoy reached the highest peak of the Philippine Highway System. At 7,400-ft, the view was spectacular and the weather unforgivably cold. After a few souvenir shots, we headed to Mt. Data Hotel for a short rest stop.

By night-time, we were back in Baguio. With Lester once again behind the wheel, I was trying to memorize the city streets for future reference. However, the more I tried, the more I got confused. Eventually, I gave up and was more than happy to get back to the Manor. Déjà vu indeed.

As we departed for Manila, I reflected on the days that have passed. More than a mere test drive, it was a personal journey to my past–remembering the young and innocent years.

However, it seemed that I found that the spirit of Baguio was no longer there. With its own gigantic malls, monster traffic jams and irritating street vendors, it felt like Manila, only colder.

Urbanization, it seemed, has reared its ugly head. My memories weren’t destroyed or ruined. More than ever, I’m glad to have gone there when Baguio was a retreat from city life.

I smiled and looked out the window. With Lester driving, the scenery effortlessly blurred, and once again I was sleeping soundly.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang