Honda Civic Car INSURANCE

The Honda FR-V

The FR-V is Honda's answer to the growing market of compact MPV's. The FR-V (which stands for Flexibility Recreation and Versatility) went on sale in the UK in 2004. It features a 3 + 3 seating arrangement, enabling it to carry up to 6 people without scrimping on storage volume. It's available in SE and Sport trim levels with prices ranging from £15,390 - £18,290, with a choice of two petrol engines (the 1.7i VTEC 5-speed and the 2.0i VTEC 6-speed) and a diesel engine. The diesel engine is the 2.2i CTDi, the first to be fully designed and developed in-house by Honda.

The FR-V is a relatively wide MPV, this is to accommodate the seating arrangement. It is still a composed and well-balanced car to drive, riding well over bumps and potholes. Visibility is good, although bulky front and rear pillars do hamper vision. The dash mounted brake was a little difficult to use, but apart from that, the cabin is uncluttered and controls are easy to use.

The six independent seats in the car mean that the FR-V has a flexible layout with many loading and seating possibilities. Both the front and rear center seats have ISOFix fittings, and a tether anchor point is on the rear of the back seat. The front center seat folds down into a picnic table and features a pull out tray for extra storage. Opening up the luggage area can be done in 3 very easy steps. The seats completely disappear into the floor, to give you a completely flat floor surface. Head, leg and shoulder width room is excellent, ensuring the FR-V is easy to get in and out of. It did become apparent, however, that the center front seat is definitely better suited to a child. To have 3 adults in the front is a bit of a tight squeeze.

There are a wealth of thoughtful interior features offered in the Honda FR-V 2.0i VTEC, including front seat back pockets, rear seat back pockets with bottle holders, glove box, folding door mirrors, 3 cup holders in the front, 4 x grab handles, boot light, 12v power socket in the boot, front door bins and luggage tie down rings. The steering column is adjustable for rake and reach enabling you to find the optimum driving position. The seats are well padded, although not terribly supportive. The drivers' seat is adjustable via levers, which is disappointing as we would rather the precision of a rotary dial.

The overall refinement level is high in the FR-V, including climate controlled air conditioning system with pollen filter, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, foot rest, cruise control, driver and passenger vanity mirrors, power assisted steering and front/rear electric windows. The sound quality of the single slot CD tuner is good, possibly down to the boxy shape of the car.

Once again, Honda have included top of the range safety and security features as standard in the FR-V. They include VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist), front & rear disc brakes, ISOFIX child seat restraint mechanism, 6 x 3 point seatbelts, height adjustable front seat belts, front seat belt pre- tension ers, side impact protection beams, high level rear brake light, EBA (emergency brake assist), EBD (electronic brake force distribution), ABS (anti-lock braking system), dual curtain SRS airbags front & rear, dual side SRS airbags, dual front SRS airbags, 3 x ISOFIX child seat restraint mechanism, Thatcham category 1 alarm system (interior monitoring), lockable glove box, tonneau cover, high security integrated audio, central locking, remote keyless entry, VIN (externally visible vehicle identification number), Honda Superlocks (deadlocks), rolling code ECU engine immobiliser and front fog lights.

All in all, the FR-V is a practical and attractive 6-seat MPV that is both an enjoyable drive and easy to live with. Hondas excellent residual values mean that the FR-V is good value for money too. It comes highly recommended.