With a budget of only 5 million VND, buying Tet gifts in the city can be a difficult task. Therefore, we had to rely on the Honda CR-V to go to the countryside to minimize costs and ensure that we can celebrate a happy Tet holiday while still saving money.
Why choose the Honda CR-V to go home for Tet shopping?
Firstly, we must affirm that the Honda CR-V is a practical car! Of course, practical in this case should be understood in a positive way, meaning: effective and economical.
Spacious interior
In terms of efficiency, in the same crossover 5+2 segment, the CR-V can carry up to 7 people, but the rear seats can also be folded down and transformed into a model enough for 5 people with a spacious trunk space to easily bring “the whole Tet” home.
Compared to its competitors, the Honda CR-V is always highly appreciated for its spacious view, equipped with a panoramic sunroof, and the interior space is among the widest in its segment. This spaciousness and convenience have also won the favor of many consumers and are the reasons why we used it for this shopping trip to our hometown.
Fuel efficiency
And although it can carry up to 7 people, the Honda CR-V “eats” surprisingly low fuel – just under 6L / 100km on the highway and even lower if driven continuously on the highway. This fuel consumption rate is equivalent to popular 5-seater models today and is considered a low record for a high-profile car.
In addition to its economical operation, the VTEC Turbo 1.5L engine combined with the CVT continuously variable transmission on the CR-V can generate 188 horsepower and 240 Nm of torque, helping drivers drive confidently, even overtaking other vehicles – including on mountain passes.
Safe operation
The place we chose to go shopping for Tet is the provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La, located on the familiar Northwest route of many drivers. This road, although not long in terms of geographical distance, is winding and treacherous, with many long slopes and high passes that can be challenging for many drivers.
In addition, the pre-Tet period is when the weather is often unfavorable. Just passing through Hoa Binh city and reaching the Cun slope area, clouds can wait and pour down on the road at any time. Natural conditions like these will restrict visibility to extremely low levels (often below 10m) and bring about wet road surfaces and reduced traction.
In such conditions, operating a modern vehicle like the Honda CR-V can help minimize risks and increase safety factor significantly. The Honda Sensing package on the CR-V can help the vehicle automatically follow the vehicle in front; warning and assist in steering if the vehicle deviates from the lane, at the same time, assist the vehicle to keep in the correct lane; support braking to minimize collisions and adjust lighting for proper visibility.
In particular, I highly appreciate the collision warning system – braking assist. In dense fog conditions, the CR-V’s camera and radar systems still prove to be effective in picking up signals from people and vehicles in front. This feature can make each trip safer, so that drivers and passengers can return home to celebrate Tet safely with their families.
Not to mention, the Honda models from the past to the present have always been highly regarded for their “good driving” tradition. The joy of driving comes from a steering wheel that can provide authentic feedback from the road surface. Thanks to that, the driver can confidently adjust the steering and control the vehicle to run on the desired trajectory through winding sections with sharp turns.
In fact…
The Honda CR-V has met our expectations – just as we predicted. With only 800,000 VND in petrol, the car was able to transport 4 adults to roam around the local markets in Tan Lac district and even further to Lac Son district of Hoa Binh province.
The shopping destination we chose was Ngoc My market, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province. Ngoc My market only opens two sessions per week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This is where local people gather to exchange and trade clean agricultural and food products.
Here, visitors from far away can easily find locally raised chickens, ducks, fish, pigs… Many types of naturally grown fruits and vegetables or even “specialties” of rural areas that are hard to find in Hanoi, such as Cat Meo cabbage and especially fresh crawfish caught from small streams.
Just like other rural markets, the food and groceries sold at Ngoc My market are much cheaper than in the city. Especially, the prices of vegetables and fruits are only half the cost if bought “upright”.
Along the road from Ngoc My market to National Highway 6, we stopped by stalls of ripe pomelos that were attractively displayed by local people along the road, and quickly “loaded” two tarpaulins full of pomelos with prices ranging from 8-12,000 VND per fruit, depending on weight and size, all plump and juicy. These are truly “bargains” that are hard to find in the city.
Just like any other citrus orchard, Honda CR-V maneuvered through rough and gravelly roads to get to the heart of a cam forest.
We were allowed to pick our own oranges, then neatly packed them into each cardboard box and loaded them onto the car. This was a very interesting experience or even considered a “fun” stress-reliever for office workers.
With a trunk already filled with rustic Tet gifts, the Honda CR-V turned back to Hanoi to find peach blossoms for Tet. After passing through the foggy and low-visibility mountainous roads, the car brought us to Van Ho district, Son La province. Small low-roofed houses appeared on both sides of the road. The Honda CR-V turned onto a small dirt road, going deeper into the mountains.
Through the fog hanging in the mountains, the CR-V brought us to a small valley filled with the cold of the Northwestern region, with a peach blossom and apricot orchard blooming by the roadside.
After a while of admiring and selecting from the garden, we finally picked a large wild peach branch that could be hugged by three people for only 100,000 VND. The owner said that if bought from outside vendors along the national highway, the price could be 5-6 times higher.
After securely fastening the large peach branch, the Honda CR-V rolled back and returned to the capital city. With 500,000 VND in petrol, the car had more than enough fuel to bring Tet home. So, counting quickly, with only 1.3 million VND in petrol and about 3 million VND in shopping for Tet gifts, we have completed a simple and economical shopping trip that still fully meets our budget of 5 million VND. Moreover, upon recounting, we still have more than 600,000 VND left – enough to enjoy food and coffee along the way.
In conclusion, special praise must be given to the Honda CR-V! The spacious seating, super-spacious trunk, outstanding performance, and excellent safety features have helped us complete a safe journey through the Northwest region despite the foggy weather conditions and unfavorable road conditions. The car has helped us “bring Tet” home safely with a reasonable cost.
Mr. Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
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