Cars are like relationships. Here’s your choice:

Fast and furious: Thrills that run the risk of breaking down pretty quickly, parts strewn along the road and perhaps a long spell in the garage afterwards. Or dull, dependable partners that don’t provide those heights of excitement but who’ll always get you there in the end. And they’ll keep on doing it year after year. Great.

But then there’s the clever bloke that nobody really appreciates when you first meet him at the party.

Quiet, understated and perhaps not the best-looking guy in the room – all too easy to ignore at first glance. But you get chatting and he turns out to be really quite funny, and that cleverness is very useful. You might leave the party with the handsome tyrant, but when you find out later (thoroughly exhausted) from a friend that your clever, interesting acquaintance has left the country for a job abroad you feel more than a pang of heartache. You wish you’d made more of your time together and make a resolution not to squander missed opportunities…

And so it is with the Honda FR-V. We had the chance to spend some quality Christmas time with an EX 2.2 i-CTDi. To you and me this means the posh diesel version with a manual gearbox. It costs £21,476, so it’s not a bargain but then again it’s just so…clever. So clever, in fact, that not many people got on with at the the party and Honda have decided to send it to a premature retirement.

Which is a great shame. The FR-V seats six with no effort (on leather chairs with the EX). Yes, six. Not five or indeed the ubiquitous seven. And therein probably lies the root of its demise. We’ve all come to expect five or seven. “I need a seven-seater!” is the constant war-cry of yummy-mummy parenthood. Even though it’s a rare moment indeed when all seven seats are occupied and woe-betide you if you want to fill the boot as well. Or indeed park. The FR-V, however, seats six people of normal, human, dimensions, and still has a huge boot to boot. It’s a short car too, easy to park and fun to throw around. Quite wide, but manageable nonetheless.

When you don’t need six seats, the middle-front seat folds forward to reveal an incredibly useful table-like armrest with four cupholders. There are two more cupholders under the dash, so nobody will ever go thirsty in an FR-V. And talking of the dash, it provides a home to the gear-stick, handbrake, heater and stereo controls, leaving the space underneath completely free from intrusions and therefore offering your centre passenger all the legroom they need.

Needless to say, kids love it. During our time with the car the driver was the only adult allowed up front. No car sickness and the “best view ever” from the 11 and 6 year-olds. Result.

Downsides? Well, at speed there’s more noise from the tyres than we’d like and the key doesn’t fold up. And it looks quirky. On the other hand you get beautiful, sophisticated materials inside, bullet-proof build quality, space and…those quirky looks.

So two years on from Women and Wheels’ first encounter with the FR-V (the video and stills used here are from that test) it’s even more desirable than before. Perhaps that’s because we know we can’t have one? Personally we can’t even afford a used one (Honda’s second-hand values are the envy of many other manufacturers but a source of frustration for the casual bargain-hunter). Or perhaps it’s because Honda aren’t going to make any more FR-V’s? They’re still available new from dealers though, so…

The moral of the tale? Don’t let the clever one slip away again. Grab him while you can.

I was momentarily crestfallen when it was clear my sister-in-law thought I’d finally gone into therapy after I’d proudly told her I’d completed and passed my CBT course!

Maybe therapy is what I need, however, as there is nothing more satisfying than doing something new and challenging when sometimes you feel that life is passing you by. So perhaps passing the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) served the same purpose.

Having been looking forward to my day away from the kids and housework with something completely new (and potentially life-threatening) to occupy my mind, by the time the day actually arrived and we headed off to Evolution Training in Harlow thanks to Honda who had arranged the course for us, excitement and anticipatory nerves had been replaced by confusion and terror. Why? Because those who think they know best had filled my head with useful tips to help make the day go as well as possible. Confusion reigned! What was it the left hand controlled? Clutch? Brake? – HELP!

Of course the whole point of the the CBT is that it is ‘basic’. While it helps to know about the Highway Code any other knowledge about biking, while useful, is not compulsory, unlike the training itself, which is if you want to legally ride a 125 cc motorbike or 50 cc scooter on the public highway.

The instructors were thorough, knowledgeable, helpful and so encouraging. By midday, they were able to get a complete novice competent enough to be taken out on the road, earpiece in place for those vital instructions and directions from the instructor who was following closely behind on a considerably larger machine, like a mother duck taking her offspring out on the pond for the first time.

Now all I need to do is to get my right and left sorted out in my head – something that my husband has been making allowances for every since we met. These guys might be patient, but having to chase after me having taken a left instead of a right might even try theirs after a while.

While not entirely sure what I plan to do with my new-found skill, apart from the sheer pride I feel, I do have two years in which to take my full licence before it runs out. While hints about getting a second-hand Honda to keep my skills up seems to be falling on deaf ears, I have not given up hope and regularly trawl the local paper’s ‘for sale’ section!

However, I dread the day when my eldest son starts to show interest in taking to the road on a bike. Having gone through the training I’m amazed at how more bike-aware I am. The training focuses heavily on the safety aspect of biking, so perhaps by letting teenagers learn to ride a bike and to drive a car in unison, rather than just taking the car test, we could be producing safer drivers and riders on our roads?

However, I now feel totally immersed in the biking culture and have come away fluent! Actually that’s rather an exaggeration, but I do feel as if my understanding and knowledge has taken a leap on the learning curve.

I spent a long but amazing day at Bedford Autodrome where we were treated to a day of motorbikes. Mostly men, and mostly decked out in their biking gear.

I had feared that I would be bored to tears. But within minutes I was swept along in the enthusiastic holiday atmosphere and made my way to the novice area, where I was reliably informed I would learn to ride a bike. Just like that.

By the end of the morning, having sample a couple of 125’s, a scooter and a 500cc monster, I ended the morning going round the mini circuit on a Harley Davidson! I could barely breathe from the sheer excitement of it. I even managed to change gears but sadly, just as with my car driving, my clutch control was rubbish.

I just find it so amazing that within a 90 minute period I could go from complete novice (never having ridden a motorcycle before), to driving round a small track and even weaving between cones on a Harley with some amount of control.

Now I understand why more and more women are taking to the open road on motorbikes, be it for recreation or commuting. And not only that, but the atmosphere of the day spoke volumes to me about the great community feel there is amongst bikers.

The first words my husband spoke to me as I entered the house was, ‘you’re not having one’. We shall see…

To me it smacks of being out of control and has the potential to be highly dangerous. I still have in the back of my mind my father telling me the tale of someone’s cruise control getting stuck with disastrous consequences. Where he’d heard such nonsense I’ve no idea, but it still spooked me to the point where I’ve gone for 30 years of driving never having operated this button.

Very recently, I stepped out of my comfort zone and pressed it. I actually felt I had very little choice in the matter. I’d been given strict instructions and a practical demonstration – while the car was stationary, so not that practical – by tech man Paul. I was preparing for my journey north with three kids and two cats in tow – alone again as John, true to form, was playing the absent father.

The kids have stopped asking and I failed to recognise his voice this morning when he phoned.

Poor boy, he works so hard, but we seem to be the only ones reaping the benefits. I’ll phone him tomorrow – that will make him happy, and let him know what a fun time we’re having without him in sunny Derbyshire.

The car we had to test was a delicious looking red Honda CR-V. Leather throughout, camera to help when reversing and the aforesaid cruise control with an added twist. Paul reliably informed me that once the speed and the distance between my car and the one in front was set, then I should sit back and enjoy the ride!

Skeptical being my middle name and the fact that I’ve always dismissed cruise as a lazy man’s choice, I thought I give it a go for a couple of miles and them resort to driving the car myself.

I always like to be in control, possibly because I never am, but here the car was in control and it completely freaked me out. However, I did manage it for the majority of my three hour journey, despite the heavy traffic and the constant distraction of the cats crying. The kids for once were quiet.

I was surprised at the cats as I did feel the ride was smoother than normal because of the cruise control. The car gently slowed down and accelerated as cars came and went in my path. Just think, if everyone used this, the traffic would just flow.

It’s a very odd having both feet planted firmly on the floor feeling rather redundant. It’s easy to disengage the whole thing with a press of the brake or the accelerator, but this was rarely needed as I began to trust the car and its amazing technology.

While I still don’t feel 100 % comfortable with the whole notion of ‘over to you car’ I can see the attraction and for once I arrived at my destination without a sore right leg – just sore ears from the by now hoarse cats!

Our Review First Published March 2008

Honda’s latest Civic flavour – the Type S – is pitched as a sporty three-door hatch just below the ultra-quick Type R. It’s billed as a more comfortable, less expensive and less, well, extreme alternative to the Type R, I was keen to see how it coped with the demands of family life with the usual kids, shopping and mess that entails. Could it do all that and knock a few years off as well? Let’s have a look…

The Look

What a great looking car – bit like a batmobile with funky twin exhausts and the most amazing belt of lights to the front and rear. It’s very neat with sleek lines and a pert but ample posterior not unlike my own! The shape continues with the door handles which looked great but I felt were rather awkward to open. My first impressions were showy, but not flashy. A car I’d definitely like to be seen in.

The Interior

While fooled momentarily by the need to press the red starter button, once found it hasn’t failed to delight. The engine starts beautifully with such a satisfying sound. While panicking that I wouldn’t be able to start the car I had a moment to observe my surroundings. First the chrome foot controls are awesome. Moving up, the cavernous depths of the dashboard are amazing. It gives the sensation of looking into a beautiful, deep pool where the dials seemingly float. The digital speedometer is big and highly visible – it needs to be as I certainly had to keep my speed in check.

The front seats are extremely comfortable and firm. They are easy to adjust and feel extremely sporty – which apparently is the whole idea. They are designed to surround the pelvis which gives support while cornering. Something I later fully appreciated, although my passenger Deb did not! In all fairness it was raining heavily and visibility was extremely poor.

The feel and the position of the gear stick is just right. More over to your left than in you average car with a very sporty feel to it. And back to those pedals. So shiny and big. Who would have thought they could be such a great feature? ~The steering wheel is also funky and sporty being covered in leather and has audio remote control switches on the left. The dual sunroofs are very cool and the covers retract in a delightful way. When open, they give a very different feel to the car making it even more spacious than it already is. The manual does describe it as tardis like and I have to agree. From the outside the car looks so neat and small, but there is a great deal of space inside. Even enough for my large husband to manoeuvre about in the rear while attaching children to car seats. ~What is particularly useful is the storage room underneath the rear seats – bit like being on an aeroplane – so useful for handbags or toys. It’s very comfortable in the back and while there are seat belts for three, two would be the optimum number of passengers. There are also anchor points for child seats, but why anyone in their right mind would want to have screaming children aboard is beyond me – hence I let my husband do that trip. However, while at first glance I would have pigeon holed this car for a girl about town with no babies in tow, I can see that having a baby on board would not cramp your style. Getting into the rear seat is made easy by the front seats gliding forward to allow an almost lady-like entry and exit.

Storage

There are plenty of storage compartments and the boot is positively cavernous. Popping to the supermarket was a joy and I filled the boot up with a huge weeks shop for five people with room to spare. It was only later that the delights of the lower boot space was revealed to me.

The Drive

Wow – what an exciting ride. It positively glides along and with the slightest touch of the wheel – turns. The diesel engine is amazingly responsive and quiet. I got back into my diesel automatic and thought I hadn’t released the hand brake! This car zips around town and my only problem was the speed bumps (which it handles very nicely) and the hoards of learner drivers (which I do not handle well) which stopped me from pressing those lovely shiny pedals. It’s a joy on the motorway despite atrocious weather. I quickly got it into sixth gear which is still a mystery to me, but it sped along effortlessly. Apparently it’s very good for economic fuel consumption.

I must say, when I heard we had a Honda Civic to review my heart sank and visions of grannies holding up traffic filled my head. As soon as I saw the car, I realised there would be no grannies in sight. This is a car for those girls about town, with money in their pockets, or those grannies about town who just what to have fun.

Night out

Driving around London late at night was a joy. The blue lights of the dashboard look so cool and clear. Heading for Knightsbridge we felt as if we really fitted in with all the trendy young things. Shame my new shoes were killing me as I hobbled into the trendy wine bar. I was more than happy to be the sober driver – I had thought there would be a scene about who was going to drive!

Minor Whinges

I just don’t think Honda have got it right with the wing mirrors. It’s great that they can be brought in by a push of a button, but you have to remember to do this. ~The number of times I’ve had to turn the electrics on again in order to press that button. I even drove home from Brent Cross with the mirrors still in – rather worrying that I didn’t notice this until very close to home. Couldn’t this all be incorporated into switching the engine on and off? At least my car does that – one of the few positive thing it has going for it! Having said that, they are very large and allow a great rear view, so perhaps you can’t have everything?

The rear window was not liked by any of us due to the window being split in two by a bar.  I also felt that the glass either side of the bar was distorted and interfered with visibility.

Safety

This car is apparently one of the safest cars in its class, if you are in it, but only gets a three star pedestrian safety. It has a very clever braking system which helps the driver to maintain control during cornering, acceleration and sudden manoeuvres. For front and side impact it receives a five star rating and the front head rests help to protect against whiplash injury in the event of an accident. For child safety it gets a four star rating.

Going Green

Its hard to imagine this lovely, zappy car can have any green credentials, but apparently it has. This is Honda’s first in-house developed diesel engine and they claim that while it delivers outstanding performance, which we definitely agree upon, it actually creates low emissions due to its catalytic converters. Being diesel it produces less CO2 than the petrol engine although the power is still the same.

Money Matters

It’s not a cheap car coming in at just under £20,000 with the metallic finish, but what a fantastic toy that gets you from A to B in comfort and style.

Review first published by us in 2008

The Look

It doesn’t immediately make you want to go ‘wow’, but it quickly grows on you. At first glance it just looks like any boring old saloon – or as Deb’s son commented ‘it’s an old man’s car’. At first I thought the big round brake lights were rather dated until someone suggested that actually they were quite retro – so I’ve changed my mind. It was unfortunate that we had a maroon one – always reminds me of a school uniform I’d rather forget. It would definitely look better in any of the other metallic colours on offer. I’d recommend the Royal Blue Pearl.

It is sleek, no doubt about it, and apparently the aerodynamics of the car have been greatly improved upon. I wondered whether the wheels looked too small, but they have been designed to reduce drag which increases efficiency.

The Interior

The old man feel continues with seats that look like armchairs, but like armchairs they are extremely comfortable. It’s very spacious inside and ideal for the taller ones among us – with more head and leg room. My husband normally gets out of a car with half his hair flattened down and a cricked neck. We drove a hybrid with leather seats but this does add £300 to the price which I think is worth it.

The dashboard is very clear and has an upmarket feel. Its positioning is good with all the driver needs to see right in front of them, so sensible and obvious once it’s been done. The digital speedometer is highly visible as are the gauges showing the clever things the engine/battery is up to.

The front seats can be heated which is a great advantage if your passenger likes it cold – at least your butt will be warm. I liked the easy to use controls especially for the climate control. The steering wheel is stylish with controls at your fingertips and the central storage compartment doubles up as an armrest.

The Drive

This car is so easy to drive, yet still satisfying once you’ve got used to the engine noise, or rather lack of it. Despite being a good sized car, I felt it nipped around town with plenty of power and responsive steering. I really enjoyed the ride. My first experience of city driving was following a friend from the salubrious delights of Kilburn to the depths of Hackney. Rather than waiting for me to catch up at junctions and lights, he seemed somewhat keen to lose me. Hence the need to whiz round double deckers, large vans and other cars who kept coming between us. Not only was I driving it for the first time and getting used to its quietness, I had to be constantly on the look out for his car as it sped away round unknown corners. However, I survived and enjoyed the trip despite being told to lock my doors – didn’t look any worse than Kilburn!

My next experience was very different as I followed a fellow scouting parent up the A41. What a lovely considerate driver – just a shame he didn’t put his foot down so I could fully appreciate the cars power. He must have wanted to go faster than 63m/hr in his merc.

When I did finally give it a blast on the M1  I found that it glided along and accelerated easily. Comments have been made about the level of the road noise but I didn’t notice as I was child free and making the most of blasting my eardrums with the CD player. There was some buffeting by passing lorries, but I couldn’t decide whether this just due to bad gusts of wind. But looking at the spec of the car, it has been designed to be as light as possible to help reduce fuel consumption further, so maybe this is the price you have to pay.

Storage

Taking two boys to scout camp, I realized that the capacity of the boot is not huge. They did have rather a lot of gear despite only being away for two nights. The spare wheel is under the floor of the boot, so there is no extra space there and the boot lacks depth due to the location of the battery – I suppose it does have to go somewhere especially as it’s such an important component of the car. Also, these days we are used to hatchbacks which allows the pile up affect. This is your traditional boot. Storage around the rest of the car is great with compartments for a mobile phone, drink holders and all the normal bits you would expect.

Safety

The car has a solid feel yet is agile to drive. The brakes are very effective and took a while to get used to and occasionally were quite shockingly quick to respond. Honda rate it as one of the safest cars in its class. It automatically assists in cornering, acceleration and with sudden manoeuvres by applying the brakes to the right or left side as necessary. Very clever.

Plenty of thought has been given to pedestrian safety. In the event of a collision involving an adult or child’s head, the bonnet and wings are designed to deform – sounds hideous. There are six airbags for passenger safety and ISOFix child seat restraint mechanisms.

Green Issues

This car is meant to feel like an everyday car, and apart from the lack of engine noise I suppose it does. But because of the engine, you get more miles out of one tank of fuel with incredibly low CO2 emissions. The technology is all based around providing power from recycled energy which comes from the battery pack. Going downhill, the wheels act like dynamos to charge the battery pack. The spooky part is when you come to a stop at a junction and the engine stops.

Cost

For all the amazing technology that is involved in this car – most of which I’m still trying to get my head around, I think that it’s quite reasonably priced at £16,300. For an extra £300 you can have leather seats. However, the running costs are lower that your average car due to reduced fuel costs, insurance being 10% lower and no congestion charge.