Honda FR-V (2007-) Review

On the road

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The great advantage of the FR-V over most compact MPVs with more than five seats is that nobody is stuck in the boot. As well as being a more friendly way to accommodate your passengers, it also means you keep a good-size boot at all times and nobody has to squeeze through a small gap to get to their seat.

Honda has achieved this by making the FR-V wider than most cars of this type. Most but not all; it's the same as the Renault Scenic, and narrower than the Fiat Multipla. There's room for three adults in the back - and what's more, they can adjust the angle of their seatbacks, as well as sliding forwards and backwards independently.

In the front there's a third seat where the handbrake or armrest would normally be. It can slide backwards or forwards, to be closer to the parents in the front or the other kids in the back, for instance. It can also be folded over to become a huge armrest or small table. This front seat is ultimately, however, of limited value as a seat: OK for very small children, and OK for larger people for short distances, but that's as far as it goes.

The gear lever juts out of the dash, but feels just the same as a conventional floor-mounted stick in operation, and the parking brake is also on the dash when the manual gearbox is fitted, but is foot-operated in automatics.

The engines are both very good, and familiar from other current Hondas. The petrol is strong and lively, but the equally powerful and more torquey diesel has it beaten for economy and acceleration without being much less refined. The petrol gets to 62mph in 10.6 seconds (12.4 for the automatic), with a top speed of 118mph (115mph for the auto). The diesel has a 0-62mph time of 10.1 seconds and, again, a top speed of 118mph.

How highly you rate the FR-V from a driving point of view depends to a large extent on what you compare it with. Next to most MPVs, SUVs and crossovers, it feels car-like: low, well balanced, responsive and reasonably agile. But drive it after a proper car, such as Honda's own Civic or Accord, and it feels high, wide and heavy. But either way, the ride is good: comfortable without being wallowy.