Twin Tested & Ripped: New Honda CRV AT v/s New Suzuki Grand Vitara MT

Dippy · 15th July 2007, 16:52

Its Sunday once again and test drive day. Had to drop of my mom for some chores and had lots of time on hand to kill before I could pick her up again. Luckily for me there was a Maruti and Honda showroom within a few meters of each other. So I thought why not to a twin test this time around? So off I went to the Honda dealership to sign up for a TD followed by one of the new Grand Vitara. Fellow member shuvc has already started a thread on the Vitara but I thought of starting a new one for a comparo test. So lets get down to business.

Exteriors

The CRV is huge leap from its predecessor. It has done away with the slightly boxy edges and has now given the CRV more curves overall. To me its more like a love it or hate it thingy. About me I love it. The CRV now has a much more agressive look overall. The C pillar somewhat resembles that of an Audi Q7 but only just. The all new headlights and face grille add to the agressiveness.

The Vitara on the other hand has a more contemperory design. Its very pleasing to the eye but not ground breaking. Finishing is very good and overall its quite likeable. I quite liked the tail lamp design which is quite fresh.The front end reminded me of the X Trail. Unlike the CRV it doesnt really have that agressive look. Nice one neveretheless.

Interiors

This is where the CRV scores. Finishing of the interiors is top notch. All the controls are well placed and within easy reach. The car I drove had beige interiors. The handbrake however is under the dash unlike the conventional placing. Seat height nd position adjustment is electronic you get a very clear view of the road ahead of you. I found the driver's seat very comfortable and to my liking. Of course you have your regular cubby holes and cup holders. Steering is nice and has a meaty feel to it.

GEt into the Grand Vitara and you feel you have entered an SX4. The dashboard layout is way too similar to Marutis latest offering in the mid size segment. The centre console, ac vents all similar to the SX4. Quality if plastics is good but still low if you compare it to the Honda. Headlight and indicator controls are again to the left unlike any other Maruti. I wonder why? The steering also seems straight out of the SX4 or the Swift if you take away the stereo controls. I didnt find height adjustment on the drivers seat and you have to change your seat position manually. I found the driving position decent though. Overall I rate the interiors less than the Honda.

The Drive

The CRV comes with the tried and tested 2.4 ivtec engine which also does duty in the 2.4 Accord. I drove the AT CRV. Slot the lever into D and the CRV surges forward. The acceleration is very smooth and the refinement of the engine shows. She goes through the gears very confidently. The kick down on this is fun but still nowhere compared to that on the 3.0 Accord. I wonder what that engine will do to the CRV (of apart from guzzling more fuel). Throw her around corners and shes takes it quite well though there definately is noticible body roll. The CRV is definately not for the performance oriented driver but she doesnt do all that bad either.

The new Vitara unlike the earlier model come with a 2.0 litre 4 pot engine. Start her up and shes very quiet indeed. I drove the manual version. I think fellow member drove the AT. From a standing start red line her in first gear and the torque is impressive. But somehow it loses it in the second gear for some reason. It comes up again in 3rd and stays there in the 4th to some extent. Cornered her in the same area as the CRV and I found the body roll to be a little less than that of the Honda. The gear throw was good but the gearbox felt horribly notchy. I can give it the benefit of doubt since it was a brand new piece. The guy from Maruti very well agreed with the points I mentioned saying Maruti need to launch the new 3.5 V6 in the Vitara. The guy knew his stuff well and one thing led to another and we ended up talking about.. yes the OHC Vtec

since owns one and is his daily driver and he saw my OHC. He told me hes a Honda fan.

Summary

The CRV has a brilliant engine. Its not a very exciting car to drive but does its duty well as a soft roader. It has agressive looks and interiors smack of quality. At the end I still feel its quite overpriced. 3 lakhs over the old model isnt justified at all. A lakh here and there would have been fine. But those who swear by the Honda badge will want nothing else.

The new Grand Vitara hits the Indian roads claiming to be in competition with the CRV. Its a nice car overall but cost cutting is evident at places. The SX4 lifted dash, steering and other tit bits. The quality of plastics on the interior is good but still not what one would expect in a car on the higher side of 10 lakh rupees. Maruti have priced the Vitara at 15.xx lakhs on road. Its a bit on the higher side and they could done away with a lakh and a half atleast.

hondadude · 15th July 2007, 20:20

Cool! Thanks for very good review. I am planning to TD both of the these myself next weekend.

How about Ride quality and rear seat comfort ?

Absar · 15th July 2007, 21:37

Hey Dippy! Nice review! Do these cars have Cruise Control?

A

mclaren1885 · 16th July 2007, 00:16

You said it. The looks of the CRV are either hate it or love it! Personally I don't like the front, specially the grill part. The GV on the other hand looks more soothing to the eye. Simple. But, I love the looks of a certain other car too. So don't take my word for it. I am weird.

The indicators are to the left since its a CBU. Since the SX4, GV, swift share a similar platform I guess we will find a lot more things in common. Something that we have to live with. What the car needs is the V6. The H27A was a scorcher.

What would I pick? No brainer. GV, dish out the 3L+ on a turbo kit

. Told you I am mad.

sanchits · 21st July 2007, 01:59

hey guys...i know we are talking about the grand vitara. but have you seen the new suzuki XL-7 launched in US. it is the most good looking vehicle you'll ver see. its in a while new dimendsion. i hope they could have launched that.

however both CRV and GV look gud. CRV looks like a beautifully crafted city car. whereas, GV has an aggressive look and is more of an offroader. i mean you can take this car for a offroad run, thi not really practical with the CRV. but then again, whos gonna go offroadin. so its CRV for me.

Mod's Note: Please do not create too many posts unnecessarily. Put in your thoughts in one post where it can be done, particularly when you post two posts simultaneously in a minute's difference.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 21st July 2007, 07:59

Wonder why this thread has only 4 replies in all these days?

No one interested in GV/CRV battle? Or it should have been a manual GV/ CRV and auto GV/CRV?

Or everyone jealous at our dear mod who drove the ... ?

swathyd · 21st July 2007, 08:55

That is not the reason. It seems that no one is interested in these petrol gulping japanese sumos.

car_crazy1400 · 21st July 2007, 08:57

I had gone for a test drive, but the vehicle wasn't available at that time. Thinking of replacing my 3 year old corolla with either this or the accord.
Any suggestions?

I know these are two different vehicles, but mainly gonna be used in the city plus no chauffeur, as me & my dad love drive.

But mainly worried 'bout a 15 lac rupee Grand vitara having the same interiours as a 5 lac swift.

swathyd · 21st July 2007, 09:04

Wait for a month and get the chevy captiva with torquey diesel engine.

car_crazy1400 · 21st July 2007, 09:21

Thanks swathyd! I think i will wait for a month's time.If they launch it within a month, fine, or else I'll have to look some where else.

hondadude · 21st July 2007, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by swathyd

Wait for a month and get the chevy captiva with torquey diesel engine.

A month? Where did you hear that. In today's papers (either ET or Business Standard), there is a talk about Captiva being launched either at the end of this year or early next year.

BunnyPunia · 21st July 2007, 12:23

OT : why do members here use the word "ripped" so many times in the topic name when they drive a new vehicle? Is test driving a car all about just seeing how fast it is?

Im referin to other topics like these as well - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...ghlight=ripped , http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...ghlight=ripped , http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...ghlight=ripped , http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...-ripped-4.html ,

raul · 21st July 2007, 19:23

Most of the reviews I have seen of the Captiva complain about bad handling and too much body roll, I guess we will have to wait and see the pricing and what the test drive here says.

The CRV is overpriced and in the Indian context the GV seems to be better value for money but they should have got a diesel and priced it at 15 for the wow.

The VW Tiguan seems to be interesting and maybe heading to India, apparently they have a 1.4 diesel that outputs a astonishing 178bhp! and 38mpg! Now thats something I would like to see a thread about. How does a 1.4 engine deliver so much power?

BUSA · 21st July 2007, 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by raul

The VW Tiguan seems to be interesting and maybe heading to India, apparently they have a 1.4 diesel that outputs a astonishing 178bhp! and 38mpg! Now thats something I would like to see a thread about. How does a 1.4 engine deliver so much power?

Huge Turbo and Supercharger, something which VW has done with the Golf 1.4 FSI

speedzak · 22nd July 2007, 00:29

Thanks Dippy for that nice Test drive report. Nicely written and well explained.

Grand Vitara if launched with a diesel engine and a great price, that will be too tempting for any car buyer looking out for SUVs/Soft roaders/image boosters/VFM.

It is indeed a bit sad to know that the GV was not as exciting as the SX4 when launched.

15th July 2007, 16:52	#1
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,561 Thanked: 2,474 Times	Twin Tested & Ripped: New Honda CRV AT v/s New Suzuki Grand Vitara MT Its Sunday once again and test drive day. Had to drop of my mom for some chores and had lots of time on hand to kill before I could pick her up again. Luckily for me there was a Maruti and Honda showroom within a few meters of each other. So I thought why not to a twin test this time around? So off I went to the Honda dealership to sign up for a TD followed by one of the new Grand Vitara. Fellow member shuvc has already started a thread on the Vitara but I thought of starting a new one for a comparo test. So lets get down to business. Exteriors The CRV is huge leap from its predecessor. It has done away with the slightly boxy edges and has now given the CRV more curves overall. To me its more like a love it or hate it thingy. About me I love it. The CRV now has a much more agressive look overall. The C pillar somewhat resembles that of an Audi Q7 but only just. The all new headlights and face grille add to the agressiveness. The Vitara on the other hand has a more contemperory design. Its very pleasing to the eye but not ground breaking. Finishing is very good and overall its quite likeable. I quite liked the tail lamp design which is quite fresh.The front end reminded me of the X Trail. Unlike the CRV it doesnt really have that agressive look. Nice one neveretheless. Interiors This is where the CRV scores. Finishing of the interiors is top notch. All the controls are well placed and within easy reach. The car I drove had beige interiors. The handbrake however is under the dash unlike the conventional placing. Seat height nd position adjustment is electronic you get a very clear view of the road ahead of you. I found the driver's seat very comfortable and to my liking. Of course you have your regular cubby holes and cup holders. Steering is nice and has a meaty feel to it. GEt into the Grand Vitara and you feel you have entered an SX4. The dashboard layout is way too similar to Marutis latest offering in the mid size segment. The centre console, ac vents all similar to the SX4. Quality if plastics is good but still low if you compare it to the Honda. Headlight and indicator controls are again to the left unlike any other Maruti. I wonder why? The steering also seems straight out of the SX4 or the Swift if you take away the stereo controls. I didnt find height adjustment on the drivers seat and you have to change your seat position manually. I found the driving position decent though. Overall I rate the interiors less than the Honda. The Drive The CRV comes with the tried and tested 2.4 ivtec engine which also does duty in the 2.4 Accord. I drove the AT CRV. Slot the lever into D and the CRV surges forward. The acceleration is very smooth and the refinement of the engine shows. She goes through the gears very confidently. The kick down on this is fun but still nowhere compared to that on the 3.0 Accord. I wonder what that engine will do to the CRV (of apart from guzzling more fuel). Throw her around corners and shes takes it quite well though there definately is noticible body roll. The CRV is definately not for the performance oriented driver but she doesnt do all that bad either. The new Vitara unlike the earlier model come with a 2.0 litre 4 pot engine. Start her up and shes very quiet indeed. I drove the manual version. I think fellow member drove the AT. From a standing start red line her in first gear and the torque is impressive. But somehow it loses it in the second gear for some reason. It comes up again in 3rd and stays there in the 4th to some extent. Cornered her in the same area as the CRV and I found the body roll to be a little less than that of the Honda. The gear throw was good but the gearbox felt horribly notchy. I can give it the benefit of doubt since it was a brand new piece. The guy from Maruti very well agreed with the points I mentioned saying Maruti need to launch the new 3.5 V6 in the Vitara. The guy knew his stuff well and one thing led to another and we ended up talking about.. yes the OHC Vtec since owns one and is his daily driver and he saw my OHC. He told me hes a Honda fan. Summary The CRV has a brilliant engine. Its not a very exciting car to drive but does its duty well as a soft roader. It has agressive looks and interiors smack of quality. At the end I still feel its quite overpriced. 3 lakhs over the old model isnt justified at all. A lakh here and there would have been fine. But those who swear by the Honda badge will want nothing else. The new Grand Vitara hits the Indian roads claiming to be in competition with the CRV. Its a nice car overall but cost cutting is evident at places. The SX4 lifted dash, steering and other tit bits. The quality of plastics on the interior is good but still not what one would expect in a car on the higher side of 10 lakh rupees. Maruti have priced the Vitara at 15.xx lakhs on road. Its a bit on the higher side and they could done away with a lakh and a half atleast.
	() Thanks

15th July 2007, 20:20	#2
hondadude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,044 Thanked: 69 Times	Cool! Thanks for very good review. I am planning to TD both of the these myself next weekend. How about Ride quality and rear seat comfort ?
	() Thanks

15th July 2007, 21:37	#3
Absar BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Madras Posts: 560 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	Hey Dippy! Nice review! Do these cars have Cruise Control? A
	() Thanks

16th July 2007, 00:16	#4
mclaren1885 BANNED Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bangalore (the city of modded cars) !! Posts: 4,820 Thanked: 45 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (10)	You said it. The looks of the CRV are either hate it or love it! Personally I don't like the front, specially the grill part. The GV on the other hand looks more soothing to the eye. Simple. But, I love the looks of a certain other car too. So don't take my word for it. I am weird. The indicators are to the left since its a CBU. Since the SX4, GV, swift share a similar platform I guess we will find a lot more things in common. Something that we have to live with. What the car needs is the V6. The H27A was a scorcher. What would I pick? No brainer. GV, dish out the 3L+ on a turbo kit . Told you I am mad.
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 01:59	#5
sanchits BANNED Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: gurgaon/delhi Posts: 331 Thanked: Once	hey guys...i know we are talking about the grand vitara. but have you seen the new suzuki XL-7 launched in US. it is the most good looking vehicle you'll ver see. its in a while new dimendsion. i hope they could have launched that. however both CRV and GV look gud. CRV looks like a beautifully crafted city car. whereas, GV has an aggressive look and is more of an offroader. i mean you can take this car for a offroad run, thi not really practical with the CRV. but then again, whos gonna go offroadin. so its CRV for me. Mod's Note: Please do not create too many posts unnecessarily. Put in your thoughts in one post where it can be done, particularly when you post two posts simultaneously in a minute's difference. Last edited by Zappo : 21st July 2007 at 02:24. Reason: Unnecessarily broken down into two posts.
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 07:59	#6
CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 17,183 Thanked: 73,527 Times View My Garage	Wonder why this thread has only 4 replies in all these days? No one interested in GV/CRV battle? Or it should have been a manual GV/ CRV and auto GV/CRV? Or everyone jealous at our dear mod who drove the ... ?
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 08:55	#7
swathyd BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: thiruvananthapuram Posts: 774 Thanked: 25 Times	That is not the reason. It seems that no one is interested in these petrol gulping japanese sumos.
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 08:57	#8
car_crazy1400 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: DL/UP16/PB10 Posts: 647 Thanked: 330 Times	I had gone for a test drive, but the vehicle wasn't available at that time. Thinking of replacing my 3 year old corolla with either this or the accord. Any suggestions? I know these are two different vehicles, but mainly gonna be used in the city plus no chauffeur, as me & my dad love drive. But mainly worried 'bout a 15 lac rupee Grand vitara having the same interiours as a 5 lac swift.
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 09:04	#9
swathyd BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: thiruvananthapuram Posts: 774 Thanked: 25 Times	Wait for a month and get the chevy captiva with torquey diesel engine.
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 09:21	#10
car_crazy1400 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: DL/UP16/PB10 Posts: 647 Thanked: 330 Times	Thanks swathyd! I think i will wait for a month's time.If they launch it within a month, fine, or else I'll have to look some where else.
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 12:23	#12
BunnyPunia BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 895 Thanked: 1,258 Times View My Garage	OT : why do members here use the word "ripped" so many times in the topic name when they drive a new vehicle? Is test driving a car all about just seeing how fast it is? Im referin to other topics like these as well - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...ghlight=ripped , http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...ghlight=ripped , http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...ghlight=ripped , http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/new-in...-ripped-4.html ,
	() Thanks

21st July 2007, 19:23	#13
raul BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 920 Thanked: 372 Times	Most of the reviews I have seen of the Captiva complain about bad handling and too much body roll, I guess we will have to wait and see the pricing and what the test drive here says. The CRV is overpriced and in the Indian context the GV seems to be better value for money but they should have got a diesel and priced it at 15 for the wow. The VW Tiguan seems to be interesting and maybe heading to India, apparently they have a 1.4 diesel that outputs a astonishing 178bhp! and 38mpg! Now thats something I would like to see a thread about. How does a 1.4 engine deliver so much power?
	() Thanks

22nd July 2007, 00:29	#15
speedzak BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: India Posts: 4,347 Thanked: 27 Times	Thanks Dippy for that nice Test drive report. Nicely written and well explained. Grand Vitara if launched with a diesel engine and a great price, that will be too tempting for any car buyer looking out for SUVs/Soft roaders/image boosters/VFM. It is indeed a bit sad to know that the GV was not as exciting as the SX4 when launched.
	() Thanks