Car review: 2011 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V may not be the most handsome or capable model in its class, but it delivers precisely the qualities a small crossover ought to. This time around, I evaluated two EX-L models: one with front-wheel drive and one with all-wheel drive. Honda still has a few things to iron out -- chief among them being the CR-V's jittery ride -- but to call foul on the market's best-selling crossover over a few loose threads would be to ignore the whole closet's worth of things the CR-V gets right. Since the current generation arrived in late 2006, I've driven the Honda CR-V during four model years in four states on six occasions. 4-liter four-cylinder pulls the CR-V up to speed with sufficient power. The automatic kicks down to 4th or 3rd gear on the highway aggressively and with little delay -- which is necessary given that, characteristic of a Honda four-cylinder, the CR-V has modest low-end torque. The EX-L caps off a lineup that also includes, in ascending order, LX, SE and EX trims....