LA AUTO SHOW: Which is MORE Impressive? New Ford Escape Or Honda CR-V?

Exterior design, a tip of the hat towards the Ford.
Interior layout, again Ford
Interior Materials, I think Honda takes the cake. I'm not sure what kind of weird plastic they used in the Ford but it sure isn't pretty in those pictures.

Joe, my wife is an owner of a 2007 Honda CRV with the leather seating surfaces.

The interior materials are garbage on the CRV. The vinyl is peeling and torn on the driver's side arm rest. Both door arm rests are torn and peeling.

The materials on the sides of the seat (not leather) are just rediculously cheap looking.

Honda, with their cars made in Japan, are clearly suffering from the strength of the yen versus the dollar. They are cutting corners big time.

The longtime Honda fans who are frustrated by Honda's "falling behind" on design and technology (come on, the new CRV STILL has a 5-speed automatic?) understand what I'm talking about. I have a 2005 Acura RL. The interior materials are only slightly better than my wife's CRV. And cursed by that awful 5 speed auto. With the low bottom end torque, it needs at least 6 and perhaps 7 speeds. It only took Acura until 2009 or 2010 to add the 6-speed to the RL. By then, sales had died a slow and painful death.

good to know, my opinion was based purely on the aesthetics of the materials shown in the above pictures.

I'm not sure that they're falling behind with a 6 speed transmission. Who has a 7-speed SUV under $30k? I think Audi's Q5 has an 8 speed automatic, but starts at probably $37k.

I think we're certainly very close to the point of diminishing returns when it comes to speeds in a transmission. Adding to the complexity, adding to the weight. I guess there is the CVT's, but the ones I've driven are horrendous.

Neither

The CX-5 looks nicer, will drive better, and probably get better fuel economy than both.

I think the new Escape is a hands down winner for the exterior and interior over the new CX-5.

The CRV interior looks like a mini-van --- awful....the interior of the Ford looks great in person, I also like the catfish front end. The back of the CRV looks like its drooping.

To me the Ford is just another vanilla tasted SUVs outer, nothing to be remembered, And the Honda, my goodness, is just horrendous, but It doesn't come as a surprise, 'cause HONDA is desperately in need of an Italian Designer, maybe then they'll come up with something that doesn't hurt my eyes everytime I look at one.(And I owned 3 Hondas in the past), so it's not bias.

Honda looks like a volvo xc90....

Couldn't give me a Ford....

My god could the crv get any uglier, Honda in general looks so bland and weird. The ford interior is really nice. But I would take the new Mazda CX5 for looks and fuel economy.

I'd take a BMW X6M, but they aren't in the same category of vehicle so I wasn't about to say it lol.

The Ford by far; can't believe I am saying that. What happened to Honda?

Ford looks better on the outside but the interior of CRV is simple and better looking than the too busy interior of the Ford. Also CRV is more specious, reliable..etc. CRV is the smarter choice. Hope Honda fix the bland front end design when time comes for the facelift.

New Mazda CX-5 is the best looking car in it's class IMO.

The CR-V looks very XC60 to me

This segment is extremely competitive, but Hondas approach with their desing is a bit weird specially the rear end.

I hope Honda doesn't mess up with the new Accord just like it did with the CR-V (specially that rear end, yikes!)

This Honda just ups the ante on Ugly.It is getting towards the Aztec style.The Ford looks way nicer.The Equinox kicks ass in looks,interior and then some.

The new Honda on the outside has some odd looking proportions. The Honda dash is a bit boring looking to me.

The new Ford Escape is exciting inside and out and has class leading features.