John Kendall takes delivery of his new hybrid CR-V long termer.

Honda’s CR-V SUV

Honda CR-V 2.0i-MMD AWD Hybrid SR e-CVT 

P11d: £36,950 BiK: 37% | £228 (20%) / £456 (40%) MPG/CO2: 39.8 (combined)/161g/km Test MPG: 40.8

A Honda long-termer is a first for me. I have never run one before, even though I have long admired the company’s engineering skills. So being able to spend some time with the latest CR-V is something to look forward to.

First impressions are that the CR-V is a large car these days, with a huge boot and abundant legroom for rear seat passengers. Meanwhile, I’m still getting to grips with the dashboard menus. For instance, the tyre pressure monitor warning came up after a few days and although I’ve checked the pressures and adjusted them, I haven’t yet managed to work out how to clear the warning, which still comes up every time I switch on.

The Honda hybrid system is based on a serial hybrid, which means that the two-litre petrol engine does not drive the wheels directly at lower speeds, it only drives a generator to supply power to the battery and electric motors. Above a certain speed, which I have not yet verified, Honda has modified the serial hybrid concept to provide direct drive to the all-wheel-drive transmission system through a simple clutch that delivers direct drive above this speed and disengages when the speed falls again. It feels a bit odd to start with, but it works seamlessly.

Long travel soft suspension means the accent is on comfort rather than sharp responses. Ride over poor surfaces is the winner here, with the Honda handling potholed and uneven surfaces with confidence.