Trader Dreamer: Honda FR-V

In 2000 the Fiat Multipla was launched to critical acclaim, its clever seating plan allowed 6 people to fit in a car that wasn’t massive like an Espace, and still had boot space with 6 occupants. It won Top Gear’s family car of the year award 4 years in a row, and in its launch year managed runner up in the ECOTY. With MPV’s very popular at the time, and Fiat bringing this new idea to the table, you could presume that it would be a sales hit. This however was not quite the case, currently there are 13252 registered on the road, compare this to the decidedly mediocre Fiat Stilo, which wasn’t winning any awards, but sold in more than twice the volume. Some reckon the car would have been more successful, if it were not for Chris Bangles controversial styling, and this is where the Honda FR-V comes in.

 

Picture from 'Imnop88a'

Where the Multipla looked like some sort of futuristic space ship, the FR-V looked like a bigger Honda Jazz. The Fiat and the Honda have very similar dimensions, yet to my eyes the FR-V hides its heft far more successfully. Yes it’s hardly a stunner, but it’s certainly not bad looking either. Like the Fiat you’ll find 6 seats arranged in a 3+3 arrangement inside, the downside of this is that you’ll feel unusually close to the door and away from the centre of the car. The upside is that the car is only 19mm short of a 996 Turbo in width, meaning the FR-V is a planted car in the corners and a stable motorway cruiser, as well as capably riding out most poor surfaces.

Unfortunately it falls 264bhp short of said Porsche in its most powerful configuration. It was launched with 1.7 and 2.0 i-VTEC’s and Honda’s 2.2 i-CDTi followed in ’05. The petrol’s were replaced by the 1.8 i-VTEC in ’07, while the diesel carried on until production ended in 2009. As is the norm these days, diesels are most sought after, it’s 251 lb-ft of torque useful for hauling the car and 6 people around, while the 2.0 petrol will be easiest to find.

Inside you’ll find a pleasant dashboard, with the handbrake and 6 speed manual shifter (or rare auto) all mounted on the dashboard. Standard equipment is strong, 6 air bags, electric everything and climate control. ES adds cruise control and parking sensors while EX gets heated leather, there are also Sport models which came in many specifications, some with sat nav. Pre 2007 models feature a wood dash which was replaced by a ‘carbon effect’ trim, a feature which all 6 passengers will look at from their individual seat with 3 point seat belt. The middle front slides fore and aft and folds to reveal more storage, while the rears slide and fold, even with them up you get more boot space than the 5 seat Renault Scenic. You’ll also get Honda’s well known reliability, and reasonable servicing and insurance costs.

In essence this car brought the idea of 3+3 seating to the masses in a less controversial body shell than the Multipla that preceded it by 4 years, I thought it would be a sales hit when I saw it. In the UK Honda did manage to shift slightly more in 5 years than Fiat did in 10, but less versatile cars, like Fords unimaginative C-Max, far outsold it. Clearly not many people were ready for 3+3. The FR-V went off sale without replacement in 2009 while its undoubted inspiration, the Multipla followed it a year later. Still what’s wrong with a good idea coupled with some exclusivity, how often do you see one?

Here's Some I Found

This is about as cheap as they come, private seller is offering this 135k mile 2.0 petrol for £3,495. Yes 135k miles, but it does claim to have a service history and even if it does break down you won’t be left bored; the car features factory sat nav, Bluetooth handsfree and a PS2 with rear screen.

Splash out another grand and this 2.0 petrol with a mere 61k miles and full service history could be yours. No flashy options this time, but the car appears straight and is sold from a dealer.

Stretching to £4,995 will get you a 128k mile diesel model from this private seller. With a long tax and MOT combined with full service history this car could be well worth a look.

At £7,995 this car seems strongly over-valued. It has got a full Honda service history, factory navigation, rear DVD player, heated leather and privacy glass. It’s being sold by the company whose car it was, I would be aiming for £6k at least.

Specs (pick of the range)
2.0 i-VTEC
0-60 10.5 seconds
0-100 ? seconds
Top Speed 110mph
Power 148bhp @ 6500rpm
Torque 142 lb ft @ 4000rpm
Weight 1447kg
Insurance Group 10
MPG 33.6

2.2 i-CDTi
0-60 10.1 seconds
0-100 28.8 seconds
Top Speed 110mph
Power 138bhp @ 4000rpm
Torque 251 lb ft @ 2000rpm
Weight 1575kg
Insurance Group 11
MPG 44.8

Warrenty Direct Reliablilty Index N/A
How many left 13888