Honda is treading on tender parchment with its new CR-V. Is it a yet another mini-sport utility? Or is it a revisionist/retro station wagon? Actually, it's neither. Or it's both, depending on your aesthetic/measurement.
As such, it bests many of its immediate competitors in both qualitative and quantitative measures, while trailing in a few minor areas. At the same time, it faces off against a major, up-scale demi-ute bearing a logo more often seen on a squared-off 4X4 loping across sand dunes or winching a lesser vehicle out of a bog.
The new CR-V still isn't an off-road vehicle, but it is a major improvement over the previous model.