Honda Forum

[boyde]

Hi,

Me and the wife looked around for a suitable car/towing vehicle (caravan)
We thought the Honda FR-V was the best we saw, we havent looked at the mercedes c class

We want to buy used, looking to spend max 10500.
Require 2.2td sport

1. are these good towers?
2. private or franchised dealer? (Dealer offers 12 months warranty and 12 months breakdown but are more expensive)
3. MPG around town, what is the norm for around town?
4. They have now discontinued the FR-V, so does that mean parts will be hard to find (this is my only niggle) planning to keep for at least 7 years

Any other advice welcome

[gchild]

Hi,

I have a 2.0l petrol, so may be someone with a diesel can reply to your specific questions.

for what its worth and for comparison, i get around 25mpg in town risign to around 35mpg on longer motorway runs.

The FRV is a great choice and i wouldn't worry about parts as it shouldn't go wrong!

I got mine from a dealer with warranty and stuff, but to be honest go for wherever the price is right.

[Jok]

Hi boyde, welcome to the forum.

I have a towbar on mine, but have only ever used it with a trailer so can't help you with your caravan query I'm afraid. I'd imagine that the wide stance & good size/weight and ample power would make it a competent tower though.

I bought mine privately when it was just 11 months old, and from a family friend, so I had the re-assurance of knowing where the car had been since new, and it had almost 2 years of warranty left at that time. I have been thinking of selling mine for a few months now and will probably try privately first so hopefully people won't be put off by the lack of warranty or breakdown. Good breakdown cover will cost you under £100 to buy yourself, so it really depends on what value you would put on 12 months warranty - you'll probably save at least £1000 by buying privately instead of off a forecourt. This is a Honda remember - so it will probably be trouble-free between annual services.

I've never paid much attention to the mpg computer, and I am probably too heavy on the right foot to get decent results anyway. I have seen over 50mpg on a longer journey, and I think it's around 35-ish around town.

As gchild says, I wouldn't worry too much about parts - you won't need many.

[boyde]

Thanks for the replies, the one we are looking at is in the link below, we have noticed some with roofbars and some without, any reason?

http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/used/search/details/?stockId=515679

[gchild]

link didn't work for me. The roof bars may be a option or part of a pack. It may be worth getting hold of a FR-V brochure as all the details should be in there on standard spec and any options that can be had.

Your local dealer should still have some brochures

[mlws]

Hello. Another new visitor here. Looking to buy a FR-V, 3-4 years old, diesel, Sport or Exec. Any suggestions on good places to buy? Or alternatively anyone looking to sell?
Also, can anyone confirm that there's enough leg room for a 6'2" driver - I haven't test driven one yet and this is about my only reservation based on what I've seen and heard.
Thanks, Mlws

[Jok]

"Or alternatively anyone looking to sell?"

I'm well overdue for changing mine (I've had it 18 months longer than I usually keep a car) - partly due to me loving the FR-V, and partly due to having no idea what to replace it with. As I said a couple of posts above, I'm thinking of advertising mine shortly.

It's maybe too old for you though (55 plate), but it's a good one - 'Sport' with loads of added extras (leather + heated seats, privacy glass, parking sensors, detachable towbar,ipod connection + more), 42k miles with full Honda service history.

[boyde]

Took it for a test drive yesterday, my thoughts

FR-V 5 door Sport 2.2 i-CTDi Aug 06 32000 miles Sparkle Grey

engine very responsive
seat, felt cramped until i adjusted the seat, nice and comfy, 6ft and 17 stone
gadgets, its like a cockpit lol it even had rear sensors which was a bonus.
steering accurate
Drivers seat Too much to the right?, i thought it was good TBH
6 seats
Gear Change

negatives

boot, not very big, but we would junk them up anyway.
view out the rear was not clever, but this luckily has sensors
no cup holders in the middle seat, just a tray
Towbar will cost between £470 and £570


After some thoughts we are going to buy, i cant think of any car out there which is as good as this for the price, engine and gear change swung it for me over the small boot.

BTW how much does it cost for the ipod connection?

[marky]

Glad you liked it, yes the driving position is slightly over to the right but this is expected with 3 seats up front, dont worry your soon get used to it.
The towbar prices seem very high( i assume thats a mainstealers price!), i have seen towbar kits on ebay for £150.00 and you would just need to pay some one to fit it.
As far as ipod connection goes, i guess its about £100.00 from honda or if you go to an independant car stereo specialist you may get it cheaper. Some other people on the forum have had it fitted so i'm sure they will give you a better idea on price.

Mark.

[sohell]

Hi Boyde, Welcome to the forum

I have the diesel, and get about 35mph around town, and closer to 50mph on the motorway, but that's with careful (read: boring!) driving at 60mph - I am having a massive conflict with having a fantastic 2.2l, and then only travelling at 60mph with it

I believe the diesel has enough torque for towing, so that shouldn't be a problem (saying that, I have never towed, so take my advice what it is!)
The rear window is bonkers, but you get used to it - parking is a doddle for me, and I don't miss having rear parking sensors.
The boot is big enough for me with all six seats up, and five of us plus luggage (three kids 6 and under, so that includes a pushchair and so on), but having the flexibility of folding down and re-shuffling the kids to get any extra luggage in is a real bonus.

Regarding the price, I guess all I have to add is you can choose a high-mileage, and get it cheaper, or a low-mileage and pay a bit more. I have a lot of faith in Honda, and went for a high-mileage. What I would advise, however, is getting one with as many toys as possible - it'll help selling it on, and it's always nice having a few toys to play with

Oh, and by the way -- are you sure about the cup-holders? It should be tucked into the dash, just to the left and below the hand-brake...

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.