Goldfish11
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
- Messages
- 846
- Car
- C220 CDI (09/11 - Facelift) & SLK200
Not sure where this thread should be General, Off topic or bodywork I apologise if I have got it wrong.
Wifey has just got a new toy. We needed the capability to carry two Grandparents and a family of four. We checked out all the small MPV 7 seaters like the new Grande Scenic, Zafira, VW Touran and Toyota Vario because we didnt want a "real" 7 seater due to the size. The problem is with these 7 seaters is the two back seats are not for adults (even when they claim they are) and after wifey (size 10/12 5foot 6inch) nearly had to be mechanically extracted from the rear of one of these things in a dealership
we nearly gave up looking and then found the Honda FRV. Got one yesterday, went to outlaws today and it really works. 3 adults in front 3 in back (but no dog in boot as we have not got one but I guess we could put the fish tanks and gerbils in it).
Picked it up and the garage had done a reasonable job on the pre delivery valet. But if you follow the body work section in the forum you know my opionion of dealership treatments but even a new vehicle needs some protection. As soon as I got it home I set to work. Treated all the interior with 303 fabric guard which is far superior to scotch guard, all plastics inside and out with 303 aerospace protectant. This seals the plastics makes it UV proof. (www.303products.com ) I then treated all the exterior paint with the Klasse Sealant Glaze. (known in UK also as Carlack long life acryl wax ) (You can get these from "The Polishing Company" in the UK or Autopia if you want to import) What was amazing is the finish on the car. Far better than the dealership could get it really looks stunning. The interior trim now looks far better and looks less plasticy. Total cost of stuff about £35 and I have not used it all, plenty left for further coats or other cars. Also good news is, I now know with regular washing and the occasional re-coat this vehicle will be easy maintainance.
A few comments on the FRV.
Build quality is very good, interior a bit black and lots of plastic, metal work on bonnet and roof seems thin (it would bow slightly as I polished it, but I am used to polishing my E Class which I know has thicker steel). 2.0 i vtec engine is very quiet and very smooth. The 3 in front 3 in back concept is fantastic you really can get 6 adults in and loads of leg room, shoulders only slightly squashed for middle passengers plus their luggage. The spec is good with climate etc but those nice little things like automatic oil level sensors dont come with it. Honda seems to have a traditional approach, sound engineering but not many gadgets. Options are really expensive e.g. Parking sensors as they all have to be dealer fitted. But for £300 you get 5 years servicing! Dealer throw this in for free, so no worries on that front until it reaches 62K miles. Summary - excellent value and we are really pleased with it .
Still love my E Class but at least now I wont be travelling down a motorway at 40mph in convoy with aging parents dictating this speed and wondering why lorries nearly crash into us every few minutes . It will be interesting to see how the new MB B class 6 seater does the job.
Wifey has just got a new toy. We needed the capability to carry two Grandparents and a family of four. We checked out all the small MPV 7 seaters like the new Grande Scenic, Zafira, VW Touran and Toyota Vario because we didnt want a "real" 7 seater due to the size. The problem is with these 7 seaters is the two back seats are not for adults (even when they claim they are) and after wifey (size 10/12 5foot 6inch) nearly had to be mechanically extracted from the rear of one of these things in a dealership
we nearly gave up looking and then found the Honda FRV. Got one yesterday, went to outlaws today and it really works. 3 adults in front 3 in back (but no dog in boot as we have not got one but I guess we could put the fish tanks and gerbils in it). Picked it up and the garage had done a reasonable job on the pre delivery valet. But if you follow the body work section in the forum you know my opionion of dealership treatments but even a new vehicle needs some protection. As soon as I got it home I set to work. Treated all the interior with 303 fabric guard which is far superior to scotch guard, all plastics inside and out with 303 aerospace protectant. This seals the plastics makes it UV proof. (www.303products.com ) I then treated all the exterior paint with the Klasse Sealant Glaze. (known in UK also as Carlack long life acryl wax
) (You can get these from "The Polishing Company" in the UK or Autopia if you want to import) What was amazing is the finish on the car. Far better than the dealership could get it really looks stunning. The interior trim now looks far better and looks less plasticy. Total cost of stuff about £35 and I have not used it all, plenty left for further coats or other cars. Also good news is, I now know with regular washing and the occasional re-coat this vehicle will be easy maintainance.A few comments on the FRV.
Build quality is very good, interior a bit black and lots of plastic, metal work on bonnet and roof seems thin (it would bow slightly as I polished it, but I am used to polishing my E Class which I know has thicker steel). 2.0 i vtec engine is very quiet and very smooth. The 3 in front 3 in back concept is fantastic you really can get 6 adults in and loads of leg room, shoulders only slightly squashed for middle passengers plus their luggage. The spec is good with climate etc but those nice little things like automatic oil level sensors dont come with it. Honda seems to have a traditional approach, sound engineering but not many gadgets. Options are really expensive e.g. Parking sensors as they all have to be dealer fitted. But for £300 you get 5 years servicing! Dealer throw this in for free, so no worries on that front until it reaches 62K miles. Summary - excellent value and we are really pleased with it
. Still love my E Class but at least now I wont be travelling down a motorway at 40mph in convoy with aging parents dictating this speed and wondering why lorries nearly crash into us every few minutes
. It will be interesting to see how the new MB B class 6 seater does the job.
