Over the years, the Honda CR-V has cemented itself as the darling of Malaysian car buyers looking for a spacious SUV.

Ever since it was first introduced back in 1997, the CR-V has found a place in close to half a million homes, or perhaps more.

It is not difficult to see why it is so popular either. The CR-V offers a pleasant combination of comfort, practicality and advanced features.

Over the years, the CR-V has found itself in the crosshairs of aggressive competitors. First it was competition from other Japanese marques, particularly the Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester and the Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Then came the Koreans with the Hyundai Tucson and the Kia Sportage. Later the Americans joined the fight too with the Ford Escape and Chevrolet Captiva.

Of course, the competition has been relentless with more salvo’s from within Japan with Mazda introducing the CX-7, Mitsubishi and the Outlander / ASX and even the Europeans with the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Peugeot 3008.

Fast forward a couple of years though, and it is safe to say that the competition has never been more heated.

Now, we have fights on almost all fronts. Proton shook things up with the X70 and Chinese marques like Chery and the Tiggo 7 and the Haval H6 has meant that the CR-V is now a big fish in an ever-decreasing pond.

It is a good time to be a buyer though because you are spoilt for choice. So, in a world of choices, does the Honda CR-V still make a solid case for itself to convince you to part with your hard-earned money?

We think so, and here are five reasons why:

In the context of the flagship Honda CR-V RS e:HEV, efficiency is something that it excels at.

Honda Malaysia claims that the hybrid CR-V can travel 20km on just a litre of fuel. Now car makers have a tendency of overestimating the capabilities of their cars, so we put that claim to the test earlier this year and achieved a remarkable 19.8km per litre. That is pretty close and good enough for us.

So, in a time where everything seems to be getting more expensive and unpredictable, a car that is consistently efficient should be a relief.

A good audio system should never be underestimated. We spend a lot of time in our cars and one of the best things to do is to listen to your favourite music in absolute clarity.

A lot of car makers offer decent connectivity these days with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, but very few offer a good sound system.

We have tried out the BOSE sound system and it is simply remarkable. And let’s not forget that BOSE was once only available in more expensive cars, so the fact that Honda Malaysia is offering it in its flagship CR-V is commendable.

Another point never to be underestimated. Not sure about you, but we find it incredibly annoying when wind and tyre noise is noticeable inside the cabin. That is a deal breaker, and a lot of car models have been ticked off the list by buyers simply because their cabins were noisy when on the move.

Not the Honda CR-V RS e:HEV though. It offers a silent, refined interior which it achieves by using two key pieces of technology: wheel resonators and active noise cancellation.

Wheel resonators are small chambers in wheels with enclosed plastic or rubber materials. These are usually attached to the surface of the wheel to absorb sound and vibrations.

And the Active Noise Cancellation technology is a clever piece of technology which was first introduced in the headphones worn by pilots some years ago. This technology emits sound frequencies through the speakers that cancel out ambient sounds, making the cabin quieter.

And there is no better indication of a premium car than a cabin that remains quiet in all situations.

How do you tell apart the “OG’s” from the newcomers? From the way they drive of course.

So, there might be a lot of newcomers to the SUV market, but there is one thing that almost all of them will struggle to match and that is the driving dynamics of Honda cars.

This may not be important to all car buyers, but after you have driven a car with a well-tuned ride and handling, it will be difficult to drive anything else.

Have you ever felt dead spots in a car’s steering? The part where you turn the steering wheel, but nothing happens? Annoying, isn’t it? You don’t get that in a Honda.

Honda cars are designed to respond to all your steering input and it is something that you must feel to believe. So, visit your closest Honda showroom to feel it for yourself.

Safety, safety, safety. Every car maker talks about it and every car has it. Honda included.

But what is Honda Sensing you might ask? It is basically a suite of advanced safety systems designed to keep you and other road users safe. And the Honda CR-V RS e:HEV comes filled to the brim with safety systems.

It comes with such systems like Forward Collision Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Departure Warning and even Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow.

It has many other systems, but the hybrid variant is the only CR-V to come with Adaptive Driving Beam. This ensures you don’t accidentally blind oncoming cars by automatically moving the light beam away to illuminate other dark spots on the road. Clever, isn’t it? Thought so too.

Never a better time to buy a Honda CR-V.

It’s true. Among the many competitors, the Honda CR-V has made a name for itself as a purveyor of space, comfort and practicality.

And Honda Malaysia has further sweetened the deal with its Mid-Year Bonanza rebates.  This is where you will get to enjoy total combined rewards of up to RM13,000* (RM10,000* in cash and RM3,000* service voucher and valid until 31st of July 2025).

So, if a big SUV at under RM200,000 is what you want, the Honda CRV e:HEV RS is the one you want.

*Terms and conditions apply