The Honda CR-V roadtest

Described by Top Gear as 'the first SUV to come out of the closet and admit that it's never going off-road', the Honda CR-V is making a break and appealing directly to the Yummy Mummies. But is this five-seater automatic fit for full-throttle family life?

Mum-of-five Debbie Dooley is a regular on the iVillage message boards , and with a child age range of three to 19 she's the ideal candidate to road test the CR-V. From days out at the beach to university pick-ups, here's how Honda handled half-term with the Dooleys...

Tell us a little bit about who used the car...

Debbie: The car is a five-seater but we all had a ride in it and went for several days out. My Fiance Ian and I drove, and our children Christie (19), Chloe (17) Connor (15), Cassidy (6) and Caiden (3) were passengers.

Is it enjoyable to drive?

Debbie: It is lovely to drive and, being an automatic, everything is so much easier. The handling is superb and visibility is excellent as you are sitting high. Motorway driving's a doddle, just flip it into Cruise Control and let it go. The only minus is that it has a small turning circle, so manoeuvring takes a bit longer.

How family-friendly is the CR-V?

Debbie: It is family friendly, but perhaps geared more towards an older family. There's a nice big boot and plenty of room on the back seat for someone to sit between the child safety seats.

However, we found it was quite fiddly to plug in the belts around the safety seats, and it might have been easier if the sockets had the option to fasten to the back of the seat so they didn't move around. Still, the car's height means you don't have to bend very far to do this so it was manageable. Also, the sill on the back door is quite slippery and both little ones slipped trying to get in and out of the car and had to be lifted.

Are there any special features for children?

Debbie: My teens loved it and were thrilled with the USB adapter under the glove box to plug in their iPods.

How did you use the car?

Debbie: On the first day I went alone to do the family shop. The boot is so big I fitted all my shopping in easily - which was fab. And there's a nifty little shelf above the main boot which I used for delicate items like eggs, bread etc. That was particularly handy.

We had two great trips to the beach, I could quite easily fit a pram and all the necessities, and we could stand the little ones in the boot to get them dried and changed after a dip (I think we left a fair amount of sand to prove this). We also brought my eldest daughter home from University for the summer, so again the spacious interior was fab as we fitted her and all her stuff. I really was very impressed with the boot space and layout. And I used the car to meet up with one of my dearest iVillage friends - very appropriate in the circumstances - who gave her seal of approval.

How much does it cost to run?

Debbie: Not sure about this, the car already had a full tank so we didn't have to tank it up at any point. I did put in £10 the day before it went back, and it had done about 350 miles on the full tank, so not bad at all. Ian says it averaged at about 34 miles per gallon, which for a car its size and engine capacity is quite economical.

What was your overall impression of the CR-V?

Debbie: I think it's a lovely car, the interior is luxurious and very comfortable, my geek of a partner loved the Sat Nav and techie bits and I loved the automatic gear box, it has certainly turned me on to the idea of buying an automatic. I feel converted now! I would definitely look at buying a Honda in the future and, in fact, Ian has been looking at the Honda Civic (Automatic) for himself already! Quite an impression.