USED Honda FR-V MPV (04 - 09)

My car

Have had Dsl FRV from new has all the toys which is nice and very safe, but what I like the most is three seats up front so when my daughter who is now eight and only get to see her every two/three weeks can sit up front quite legal with the approved seat so she finds it fun so she can talk to the adults and does not feel left out,it is comfortable to drive, a good fuel return, very satisfied have even got the extra 5yr excluding wear and tear warranty as intend to keep for a few years yet, a good buy, (well it is a Honda) The follow up by the Dealer and Honda was also very comforting that they cared

My car

I have had the car for 2.5 years. The only things I can complain about are : Driving in Malta is like driving in a city- short distances with frequent change of gears. I only average around 26 mpg; which is much less than the dealer promised me prior to buying the car. The leg room in front should be more- I am 6ft 3 inches, especially when one sees the the large amount of leg room at the back. The last thing is that there was a slight twiching noise from behind the driver's sunvisor, and the dealer told me that they would have to remove all the roof upolstery- so I preferred not having the job done . Other wise it has a nice ride,and practical for my large family, large bike and my Under 15 players team that I coach and transport

My car

We were keen on a car with front three-abreast seats as we wanted our only child in the front with us. So we tried a new automatic Honda FR-V earlier this year. The ride was much worse than I expected, being too hard and bouncy and distinctly not family friendly. M Sah has a similar comment. However when we tried a 2005 2.0 litre SE (which we bought) we found the ride distinctly more comfortable than the new version, having a French-like soft edge.

So, in facelifting the FR-V earlier this year, have Honda hardened the ride? If they have, I regard it as a big mistake.

Other aspects of the car are good. Five of us travelled to the South of France and back this Summer, and the car was comfortable. There was no problem with lack of shoulder width with three adults in the front, though none of us are big. For me the design strikes a good balance between interior room and keeping the external width to a minimum. Other good points are a refined engine, a slick gearbox, good handling and it has good build quality. We have not noticed wind noise problems commented on by some others.

I have only a few criticisms. The fuel consumption can be mediocre. Bigger Multipla-like side windows would be preferred. The steering is sensitive to road camber hence on UK roads I am usually correcting a slight tendency to pull to the left which is tiresome. Is this a common feature of modern cars or am I picky?

My car

I needed something more practical than my Accord saloon, and this fits the bill perfectly.

It returns 35mpg, and you get good performance and quiet running from the 2.0-litre engine. I thought it would be underpowered after my 2.3 Accord, but it's fine, with better fuel economy.

It has a comfortable ride, adaptable interior (is the 3+3 layout a drawback? No, because middle seat is fine for kids - how many people really carry six adults?). It has a decent-size boot, too.

It's good looking for an MPV, doesn't roll when cornering like you think it should - its wide track keeps it under control. It comes with the usual Honda quality and is well equipped in Sport trim.