Honda 2003 CR-V Owner's Manual page 199

Driving Guidelines
Your CR-V has higher ground
clearance than a passenger vehicle
designed only for use on pavement.
Higher ground clearance has many
advantages for off-highway driving.
It allows you to travel over bumps
and unpaved roads. It also provides
good visibility so you can anticipate
problems earlier.
These advantages come at some cost.
Because your vehicle is taller and
rides higher off the ground, it has a
high center of gravity. This means
that your vehicle can tip or roll over
if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
To prevent the risk of rollover or
loss of control:
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passenger
vehicle.
198
Driving
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers whenever possible.
Do not modify your vehicle in any
way that would raise the center of
gravity.
Do not carry heavy cargo on the
roof.
Four-wheel Drive Models
Your CR-V is equipped with a unique
four-wheel drive (4WD) system.
Normally, power is delivered only to
the front wheels. When the system
senses a loss of front-wheel traction,
it automatically transfers some
power to the rear wheels. This gives
you better traction and mobility.
While this system can provide
increased traction on slippery
surfaces, you still need to exercise
the same care when accelerating,
steering, and braking that you would
in a two-wheel drive vehicle.
See page 226 for additional guidelines
for driving off-highway.