I'M SURE you don't need me to tell you that today's motoring marketplace is stacked with wall-to-wall automotive excellence with cars of all makes, models, shapes and sizes strutting their stuff to tempt the discerning buyer.
But, with the growth of niche market products have you ever stopped to consider the increasingly complex choices open to you? Where once you could buy a hatch back, saloon or estate - or if you were lucky a sports car - today's marketplaces bristles with people carriers, off-roaders, soft roaders, lifestyle vehicles, hot hatches, warm hatches and coupe-cabrios. Not to mention RVs (recreational vehicles), MAVs (multi-activity vehicles), MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) and SAVs (sports activity vehicles) and the like. It won't be long before we'll all be driving a Ford Acronym, I reckon.
Even so, you can't help falling into line and recently I found myself making extensive use of some of this terminology when testing the latest Honda CR-V, a car renowned as a mid-size SUV - that's Sports Utility Vehicle - with 4x4 on demand.
The CR-V is in its sixth year in the UK, and this new, second generation version faces ever-widening competition in the soft roader market including the Land Rover Freelander, Mazda Tribute, Hyundai Santa Fe and the Toyota RAV4.
While not wishing to confuse matters still further, I should perhaps tell you that according to Honda, CR-V actually means Compact Recreation Vehicle. To date, more than a million buyers worldwide have sampled its recreational qualities in Mark I form.
The Honda CR-V Mark II is a larger and more refined version, in which much of the good work done by the engineering team who worked on the original has been carried over - Honda's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy was obviously influenced by the worldwide success of CR-V Mark I.
This latest version is British-made at Honda's Swindon plant and is built on the same modular platform as the Civic hatchback and Stream MPV, a cleverly conceived engineering ploy designed to fit nicely into Honda's efficient and flexible manufacturing process.
The CR-V Mark II is now much more mature looking and could even be said to have partly shrugged off the soft roader tag, judging by its recent performance in this year's What Car? magazine Car of the Year awards when the Honda was runner-up along with the BMW X5 and the Range Rover, to the eventual winner, the Volvo XC90, in the 4x4 voting.
High integrity build quality is much in evidence and, while slightly longer and wider than its predecessor, CR-V Mark II comes with a space-saving front strut arrangement and a compact suspension set-up that frees up more area for the cabin, and this has been put to extremely good use.
While perhaps a little dull looking, due to the proliferation of black vinyl, the cabin is hugely accommodating. The retention of the flat floor, generous space between the front seats, massive amounts of legroom in the rear and the innovative new handbrake which slots neatly into the centre console, all combine to create an even more practical walk-through facility.
The already comfortable seats have been widened to allow even more shoulder room, and the lifestyle people have been provided for with a larger folding tray table with cupholders, bigger picnic table, wet suit under-floor store in the boot plus a number of cubby holes in which to lose things, although I failed to find one rigged for silent running!
The luggage bay is also hugely accommodating being around one and a half times larger than in the Mark I, with a tonneau cover to keep prying eyes at bay, plus the versatile two-way tailgate has been even further improved.
Standard kit level is very good, the SE Sport test car coming with climate control air con, electric sunroof, headlight washer and hard spare wheel cover, the only items missing from the impressive list on the entry level SE, while both models are fitted with ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.
On the tarmac, the CR-V's road manners have been further tweaked up. From the high, command driving position, all round vision is extremely good and progress is comfortably enjoyable, whether in town or country, and a turning circle of just 10.4m makes it highly manoeuvrable when parking.
Honda's new iVTEC 2.0-litre petrol engine provides the urge, its operation smooth and seamless and, while it is, perhaps, not quite as involving a drive as some, the uprated suspension system provides a nicely compliant ride.
Most of the time you are piloting a front-wheel-drive car, the 4x4 operation kicking in only when conditions at tyre level decree, so it pays to avoid being over zealous at road junctions where spinning the front wheels can call on all-four!
Trawling the motorway is a joy, the two litre power unit providing that soothing cruising refinement you would expect from a Honda engine, ensuring that you have little need to drop down a gear to avoid trouble ahead.
While I didn't try the green laning bit, nor did I experience snow and ice, the Honda CR-V has a justifiable reputation for being one of the best of the soft roader brigade, realising its limitations when the road runs out. This newcomer looks to have more than what it takes to carry on the good work already established by its predecessor.
FAST FACTS
Honda CR-V SE Sport
Price: £17,995
Mechanical: 148bhp, 1998cc 4 cyl petrol engine driving front/ all four wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 110mph
0-62mph: 10.1 secs
Combined mpg: 31.0
Insurance group: 11
CO2 emissions: 216g/km
BiK rating: 25%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 90,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint