Skip advert
Advertisement

Honda FR-V eS

Quirky MPV offers space for six in a quality package.

Six-seaters are a rare breed, but the Honda FR-V shows how practical they can be. It arrived in 2004 with three-abreast seating over two rows in the style of Fiat’s Multipla.

The major advantage of this configuration is that even when all the seats are occupied, there’s still plenty of luggage space, so the Honda has a generous 439-litre boot capacity. And due to its wide track, the handling is good compared with rivals.

That’s not to say the FR-V is perfect, though. Access can be tricky, for starters – the body is so wide that when parked in a standard bay, there isn’t much space to swing open the doors. And then there’s the issue of who sits alongside the driver.

With three people up front, the middle passenger has to rub shoulders with the person behind the wheel, which makes changing gears a cosy affair. As a result, it’s always the last place to be filled – and while children might relish the chance to sit up front, adults will prefer to leave it empty if possible.

The rear of the cabin is much more comfortable, as the boxy dimensions provide plenty of leg and headroom. The solidly built interior feels as if it is able to stand up to the rigours family life, too. With a full complement of passengers, the FR-V makes financial sense, and it scores well in terms of costs and CO2 output.

Although the £17,540 price sounds expensive, it works out at £2,923 per seat – a figure only the huge Hyundai can beat. And CO2 emissions of 29.5g/km per seat rank the Honda third here.

So it’s a shame that these impressive figures are undone when every one of the six seats is occupied. Adding four extra bodies has a marked effect on the FR-V. Most notably, the 1.8-litre petrol engine has to work hard to haul the extra weight. When fully laden, it took two seconds longer to cover 0-60mph, at 12.1 seconds.

Braking ability was also compromised: from 70mph, it took us 51.7 metres to bring the Honda to a halt – 2.5 metres longer than when there were only two people on board. That equates to a 5.1 per cent rise – one of the worst on test.

With two seats occupied, the FR-V is good to drive, offering precise steering and slick changes through the neat dash-mounted gearlever.

It feels more like a family hatchback than a tall-riding people carrier, largely thanks to the comfortable ride and tidy handling. In this test, Honda’s excellent 2.2-litre i-CTDi diesel variant might have performed better as it has more torque and lower CO2 emissions – but it also costs more to buy.

So is the petrol model good enough to make six seats the ultimate cabin capacity in the final analysis?
 

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,391 off RRP*Used from £15,600
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £11,895
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,721 off RRP*Used from £8,699
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £2,598 off RRP*Used from £7,250
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Sacre bleu! The Renault 5 keeps getting cheaper
Renault 5 - front full width

Car Deal of the Day: Sacre bleu! The Renault 5 keeps getting cheaper

The modern-day Super Cinq comes with a super price. It’s our Deal of the Day for 14 May
News
14 May 2025
Want a new small car? You probably can’t afford one and car bosses blame the EU
Luca de Meo - Renault 5

Want a new small car? You probably can’t afford one and car bosses blame the EU

Renault and Stellantis bosses demand changes to the emissions rules driving up new car prices
News
15 May 2025
Best electric cars 2025: the top 10 best EVs you can buy
Best electric cars header

Best electric cars 2025: the top 10 best EVs you can buy

Thinking about making the switch to an electric vehicle? Here are the EVs that should be on your shortlist, and why…
Best cars & vans
14 May 2025