In the world of passenger vehicles, the crossover SUV has been steadily dominating the market for the past decade. Combining SUV like utility with the stature and fuel economy of a compact to mid-sized vehicle, crossovers are a jack of all trades, and one particular model has stood at the forefront of the trend since it started. In 1996 Honda released their iconic Comfortable Runabout Vehicle. You probably know of it as the CRV. Equipped from the factory with plenty of cargo space, a fuel efficient 2.0l 4 cylinder engine, all wheel drive, and enough ground clearance to handle any grocery store parking lot entrance, the CRV quickly earned its title as the car that could do pretty much everything. It didn’t take long for other automakers to notice the extreme success of the CRV, and various other toaster shaped SUV’s started popping up on roads overnight. This particular CRV is a Japanese Market example complete with factory navigation and, with rugged off road inspired styling, this CRV is ready to tackle whatever US roads throw at it. The exterior is near perfect, thanks to a fresh respray of Honda Supermarine blue pearl. For the adventurous, this CRV was optioned from the factory with a front bull bar with PIAA fog lights and a roof rack up top. The exterior shows incredibly well, with only a few light dings here and there around the body. The black plastic trim is in surprisingly good condition, and the OEM alloys still wear their original silver finish quite well. The CRV interior was one of it’s original claims to fame. There’s ample room for 5 passengers and any additional cargo to sit comfortably, and the styling leaves little to be desired. The OEM patterned cloth seats are in great shape and are free of any rips, tears, or bolster wear. The dash is clean, with no cracking or fading whatsoever, and all controls work as expected, down to the Air Conditioning and extremely neat factory navigation system. While the navigation obviously doesn’t work on US turf, it’s a neat conversation piece in an otherwise uneventful interior. The original 4 spoke steering wheel almost looks untouched and the vinyl is free of any cracking or peeling. The instrument cluster is fully functional and displays only 113,928 km’s on the clock (70,791 miles.) Our records from Japan indicate a slight discrepancy with the miles, but even though we aren’t able to verify them the condition of the vehicle is definitely in line with the displayed mileage. CRV owners already know about the hidden picnic table stashed under the rear carpet, arguably one of the coolest features in any 90’s JDM car, and the rear seats fold down to allow for plenty of additional cargo room for the solo traveler. Turn the key and the 2.0 B20B engine fires right up. One of Honda’s most well-known powerplants, the trusty B series does a great job paired to a 4 speed AWD transmission and gets the vehicle to highway speeds effortlessly. Shifts are smooth through the automatic transmission, and the factory suspension is still in great shape, soaking up bumps and other imperfections on the road with ease. If you’ve been in the market for a reliable, do-anything import at the fraction of the cost of a full sized SUV, the CRV is one legendary Honda any driver can get comfortable with.