Car reviews

Introduction

Honda FR-V is quite a unique car in the UK as it comprises of a 3+3 seating configuration. Launched in 2004, the Honda FR-V is an effective MPV and with a high-quality cabin that is designed to ensure it can conveniently managed everyday family life. The FR-V is very similar to the Honda Civic of this time and many of the design aspects were shared between the two models.

Exterior & Interior

The exterior of the Honda FR-V is very similar to the Honda Civic. Many of the design aspect used on the Civic have been carried over to the FR-V. The main difference is the height of the FR-V has been increased to give the vehicles occupants more room. Compared to other MPV’s on the market the FR-V is actually quite compact and this helps to add to the style of the vehicle. Overall the car isn’t going to win any style awards, but it is a solid looking vehicle that is likely to be popular with families.

The FR-V has a seat configuration of 3+3. This is very unusual for vehicles in the UK market but it does work quite well and allows six seats to be placed within a relatively small vehicle. The interior is versatile and the centre seats in both the front and back row of the cabin can slide backwards. The front middle seat can also be folded forward when not needed and can act as a large arm rest for the two remaining front seats. There is not a huge amount of storage space in the FR-V and the space that is available can be fiddly to use.

The driving position is comfortable and the dash is well suited to the driving position, although some of the instruments will be slightly out of comfortable reach for some drivers. As in the Honda Civic, the FR-V uses a dash-mounted gearlever which is surprisingly is easy to use.

Drive

The FR-V is a pretty good car to drive if you need a vehicle that the whole family can use on a day to day basis. If you are looking for something sporty then this is probably the wrong choice, although the 2.2-litre diesel and the 2.0-litre petrol will provide enough performance to keep most people happy.

The suspension set-up is soft which provides a comfortable ride and doesn’t compromise the handling. All of the engines are strong and smooth benefitting from their Japanese engineering. The FR-V is generally a solid car that will not set the world on fire, but will do a good job for the family providing comfort, reliability along with a good level of equipment.

There is one common problem with this vehicle in the fact that it has a thick rear pillar which can make parallel or reverse parking a bit tricky.

Faults & Repairs

The FR-V has a very good reliability history and joins the rest of the Honda range as being very steady and well built cars. You are unlikely to experience a particular fault with this vehicle although suspension and wheel alignment should be checked, but this is standard with all vehicles.