Honda Forum

[gchild]

First post

I thinks this may be the car for me. Seen quite a few 2.0 SE/Sports in the small adds. Question is, what is this like for real world fuel economy? I usual do a mix of town driving with at least 10 trips between London and manchester a year (each journey being 440 miles ish).

i know the obvious answer will be to get the diesal, but they are more pricey than a 2.0.

Also, are there any common issues i should look for when viewing such cars?

[Jeffrz]

Hi,

I have a 2.2 diesel and average 44. May or may not be of relavence to you as you want the petroly one.

I have had few issues with mine other than tyre wear to be honest. Put nearly 50k on the clock now and everything is still in good nick. My drop down drinks holder (front 3-holder) has broke in the down position but that is more to do with my daughter jumping on it one day. Still holds drinks though. There is a recall for the EGR valve but I havent had this done yet as local dealer cannot get them. Not sure if that is for diesels only or not. We have been to Disneyland three times with 6 in and a full boot no glitches, and is used to lug loads round for the missus business so it gets a fair bit of abuse and seems to be holding up quite well.

Hopefully some petrol owners will comment too.

Good luck - how much are you looking to spend if you don't mind me asking?

Cheers

Jeff

[sohell]

Hi gchild, welcome to the forum

i would agree with everything that jeffrz says. I have the diesel as well, and get about 34 mpg internal and about 45 mpg on the motorway. I have had no problems, and don't expect any either. One thing I would say, however, is that compared to some of the other MPVs, which can have about 2000l of space when the seats are folded down, the FRV has considerably less, almost half in fact. This might be a consideration for you. But the boot with the seats up is bigger than most of the 7seaters.

Saying that, I believe that this car is the best compromise for luggage and number of people it can carry. Service is reasonable, especially if you go somewhere like KwikFit. I travel to Birmingham about 10 times a year (approx. 220 miles), and the journey is a breeze for all of us. I hope to travel to Europe with the family and luggage soon too.

I would recommend one thing, though - go for the highest spec you can afford. The one with as many toys as possible. I have the SatNav and I cannot imagine not having it. I bought mine in December, and it was three years old, and had done 84,000 miles - it felt like new. I have owned a Ford Mondeo, BMW 5series, and the Honda FRV. The FRV is the best car I have owned so far, in terms of comfort, built quality (not better, but at least equal to the BMW), and practicality.

Any more questions, please ask. Let us know what you have decided

[gchild]

Thanks for the responses.

I've now left a small deposit on a 55 plate, 2.0 SE. wanted the sport, but couldn't find one at a reasonable price. The mileage is 24k, and the honda dealer wants £9k. They will through in full tank, and a years tax, but seem to be relunctant to provide fitted mats - are these an expensive after market item?

My real concern is the handbrake - how easy is it to operate in a hill start situation? also the fuel economy, the official urban figure is around 25mpg which seems very low for a 2.0

[sohell]

Congratulations! Welcome to one of motoring's best kept secrets. Sounds like you have a great deal, especially with the tank and tax. I paid £7k for my 55plate, with 84k miles.

I picked up my mats from here: http://www.barland.co.uk/matmainHONDAFRV.html -- very good quality, and better than the price suggests. It fits the car perfectly, and completely.

Regarding the mpg for the 2.0, hopefully someone who has real-life experience can comment on it.

[gchild]

Cheers, hopefully will be trouble free motoring for a while.

How do you find the handbrake in yours?

by the way, thanks for the link to the mats - i will defo get a set from there if the dealer continues to play hard ball!

[sohell]

The handbrake, like most things, is awkward until you get used to it. You'll adjust - at first, you'll pull it too much, and then you won't pull it enough, and finally, you'll pull it just right.

Pulling off on hill made no difference, just as much control as you would on a regular handbrake. When will you know if you get the car?

[gchild]

i put a holding deposit down. Intending to see it this weekend, and pick up the following week.

Need to see how my mrs can handle it too on a test drive

[Jeffrz]

Good luck!!

[gchild]

How do Mrs FRV owners find the cars?