According to TruckTrend.com; (http://blogs.trucktrend.com/6212713/suv-news/ford-explorer-falls-from-suv-grace/index.html)

The once very popular Ford Explorer overtook a new market of auto buyers when it first hit the production lines 10 years ago. And now the Honda CR-V holds the title for America's best-selling sport/utility vehicle.

The Explorer was known as the vehicle that jump-started the whole SUV craze and gave families on the go an alternative to the minivan. Since then, other manufactures have added SUVs to their lineups, creating more competition for the Explorer.

According to The Wall Street Journal online, more than 383,000 Explorers were sold in 1997, and three years later Ford sold more than 445,000 units a year.

So what happened?

When Ford Motor Co. introduced the Explorer, it averaged about 15 mpg while gas was just a little over a buck a gallon. WSJ speculates that rising gas prices was one of the causes for the plummeting sales. With rising gas prices came buyers seeking vehicles with better gas mileage.

The Honda CR-V was introduced in 1997, when the Explorer was at its start of its popularity. The CR-V barely broke the 67,000 mark in sales. The smaller SUV, later known as a CUV, didn't have a big takeoff from its debut. As gas prices rose, buyers began to notice the CUV. With the same amenities as the Explorer and better gas mileage on the road, 2000 sales jumped to around 118,000 units.

Between gas prices and steeper SUV and CUV competition, the Explorer's sales have dropped nearly 60 percent from its heyday, and most of the field has leveled out with newer, more fuel-efficient players. The CR-V now holds the title as No. 1-sold SUV, the same spot held by the Explorer 10 years ago. WSJ predicts the CR-V will hit the 200,000-units-sold mark by the end of 2007.

Could this be the end for Ford's SUV? WSJ thinks that, if Ford plays its cards right, it might regain the No. 1 spot with its recently redesigned Escape or the new Ford Edge.

http://imgup-lb.automotive.com:8080/files/6647587.w700.jpg



I saw this coming... :)

CR-V is very nice, if they would only give it some of the perks that the ACRUA RDX has, I would buy one in a minute. No power drivers seat is a big minus. I comend Honda for staying with the 4-cyl in this vehicle. The RDX went with the 4-cyl turbo, a MPG nightmare. RDX should have gone with the V-6 option. I may still consider the CR-V if I can talk my wife into doing without the power seat. I would have hoped that the '08 CR-V would have a power seat, not so.:(

I had the 07 CRV for 6 months before the RL and it's a great car, but I did hate not having the power seats. It would be okay if only one person is driving, but I found my boyfriend and I constantly switching and the cheesy pump seat gets annoying. Overall the car is great...just needed something to haul the motorcycle with.

I had the 07 CRV for 6 months before the RL and it's a great car, but I did hate not having the power seats. It would be okay if only one person is driving, but I found my boyfriend and I constantly switching and the cheesy pump seat gets annoying. Overall the car is great...just needed something to haul the motorcycle with.

Wake up Honda and listen!!!!:cool: :cool:

Our 03 CRV has only 40K with zero problems. We've changed the tires recently, which were not the greatest IMHO in the first place. Honda has stayed with their business plan for the CRV, and not making it bigger, heavier, and more powerful with a V6. It's an economical, dependable AWD platform that suits most of what people need. Sensibility, and a LEV is what Honda has achieved.

Honda has always been smart in this way, while other manufacturers start with economical vehicles ( Hyundai, Saturn etc.) and grow them into bigger more powerful vehicles beyond the segment of the population they were originally aimed at. Just my opinion.

Is it just me or does the front end styling of the new CRV remind you of a big, toothless grin? As sharp as this little CUV is, I have never gotten used to the front end design. Also, from a feature perspective, I would have considered the CRV except for the lack of auto climate control. Since I didn't like the long-in-the-tooth Pilot, I crossed party lines and purchased a new Hyundai Veracruz for my wife. This is a wonderful, upscale CUV that we love so far.

Reminder: we have a CR-V Owners Club (http://www.crvownersclub.com) too. Please check it out! :)

We had a '98 CR-V and a '95 Ford Ranger when we decided to go down to one car. My wife initially wanted another CR-V, but I didn't care for the styling of the new one (too "organic" for my taste), and I didn't want to give up the utility of the truck.

Fortunately, my wife thought that the RL was acceptable. :D

Now, she loves the RL and thinks it's the greatest car we've ever owned... ;)

Reminder: we have a CR-V Owners Club (http://www.crvownersclub.com) too. Please check it out! :)

T Mac, great site by the way!

Since you have a CR-V website as well, any chance of our user names and passwords working across the board as opposed to registering at the other site?

T Mac, great site by the way!

Since you have a CR-V website as well, any chance of our user names and passwords working across the board as opposed to registering at the other site?

Thanks for the kind words!

Unfortunately, your login does not work across the sites but my suggestion is to simply use the same user name and password on all sites, then check the box to "Remember Me" on login so you don't really have to log in for all forums anyway.

I hope to see you over there as well! Thanks!

Is it just me or does the front end styling of the new CRV remind you of a big, toothless grin? As sharp as this little CUV is, I have never gotten used to the front end design. Also, from a feature perspective, I would have considered the CRV except for the lack of auto climate control. Since I didn't like the long-in-the-tooth Pilot, I crossed party lines and purchased a new Hyundai Veracruz for my wife. This is a wonderful, upscale CUV that we love so far.

I don't mind the front end styling/changes... but the backend??
A van-like liftgate? I liked the swing gate... and the picnic table insert in the 2006 model.