I see a lot of references to consumer guide reports - personally i don't trust their recommendations since they are greatly influenced by their sponsors - there was a long discussion about this somwhere in the net. Again ask for a test drive - styling is subjective of course - what might be bland to some maybe elegant and streamlined for others. So again we go back to specs, features and overall driving experience in making a decision which will show that the CRV spec sheet is bland compared to that of the outlander