There’s a wait list for the brand new 2012 Honda CR-V. But, lucky duck that I am, I got to take one for a spin.

The first thing I notice? It drives like a car. A small, responsive car. It doesn’t feel like an SUV with space for me, my four best friends and all our luggage, but that’s exactly what it is.

See how comfy I am? That’s because these new models actually have leg room for the person who gets the middle seat on our next road trip to Whistler, Portland or Tofino.

My German shepherd loves the mountains as much as I do so I need a car that’s big enough to fit him and all my gear. The CR-V is. It has space in the trunk for all my junk -- snowshoes, yoga mat and weekend bag. It’ll fit a snowboard too if you fold down the seat.

And speaking of folding down seats, those in the front double back to form a recliner so you can take a nap while you wait for the Gulf Islands ferry in the summertime.

And while you’re cruising around you’ll want to hit the fancy-shmancy Econ button. These new CR-Vs get good mileage no matter what, but this magic little button will save you even more coin at the pump.

Now, I don’t mean to, well… toot my own horn, but parallel parking is one of my hidden talents. With the three settings on the CR-V’s rearview camera I’d be able to maneuver into the smallest of spaces.

But I’m swooning the most over the Bluetooth compatibility – the CR-V can read out your text messages while you’re driving (OMG!). That’s just one of the many reasons the CR-V will be your new BFF.