I'd welcome information - especially from owners - on the Honda HR-V. It's to replace an Audi 80 estate. I'd like someting which (1) above all, will be reliable over, say, 8 years / 80K miles with excellent build quality; (2) can cope with the ever-deteriorating roads (i.e. not too fussed about potholes); (3) has boot space like an estate car, but offers higher driving position (4) has reasonable running costs - insurance, service, mpg etc.
Performance not too important (other car gives the thrills); won't be used off-road, nor for towing.
Any advice, please?
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Haven't driven an HR-V, but can tell you that next months new CRV has a staggering 2.0 litre engine. Very smooth, very torquey and very revvy which gives a huge range to 3rd gear on a mountain road. Will write up a road test when I get the time, but new Polo has to come first.
HJ
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KB: shall buy a new one.
However, I've just looked at the Lexus RX300 [it's pouring here in Cardiff!] and it's the fatal tug of war between head and heart! But as I said in my original post, reliability and longevity are the dominant requirements. Lexus is almost double the cost; gives only 20mpg against the new Honda's 30.
Is it worth it, I ask? I appeciate that I may be comparing chalk with cheese - and the Honda seems a good car, but is the Lexus worth the price....?
Shall sit here in confusion hoping for enlightenment from you out there!
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We run 3 HRV's - so far they've done 30K in a year. They're used on mainly short trips around town (we are a doctor's out of hours emergency service).
So far they've been a. 100% reliable b. comfortable c. economical (35mpg) d. reasonable performance (well pretty nippy actually if you rev them) e. competent in all weathers.
They get driven by lots of different drivers and they universally praise them.
BTW we had 3 CRVs before - total bliss over 90K miles and 3 yrs - only changed to HRV as didn't need 5 door.
HTH
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For a kick off Gareth, expect some stick for (a) buying new - that get's the thumbs down with the majority here and (b) for buying a four wheel drive - you've got to have good excuse before you get the seal of approval for that as well.
However, I'd have said, yes, chalk and cheese and as such it's difficult to know exactly what your reasoning is, why you want it and how much you want to spend. I'm not going to knock you for getting something you fancy, but can you come back with an even tighter criteria?
The HRV is a bit , well how do you say...something of a.......No I can't say that here. If I said I thought it had something of " a "young ladies/wished I was still a young lady/hairdressers/not very serious off-road but rather hip and trendy" type image I'd get slaughtered so I won't say that. But I'm surprised that you're looking at that AND the Lexus. Some of the others have a more capable, rugged sort of image and capability and the HRV isn't one of them.
A new Toyota Rav4 VX top of the range 5 door (petrol or diesel) comes with most things you're likely to want and has leather and traction control (which lower spec. models don't) and an auto. option on the petrol, but is a good bit cheaper to buy and run than the Lexus, and you have mentioned economics as part of your decision making. I think I'd look at that if I were in your position. Then there's the new Nissan X Trail which again, in top spec, has all the goodies plus some off-road/bad weather ability, and again is cheaper to finance than the Lexus. And as HJ says, the new CRV Honda is due soon and that is going to be in fierce competition with the others I mentioned, and again is all the things you asked for.
This is the sector that I feel you should be in rather than the Lexus/BMW X5 one, or at the other end of the scale - HRV, Vitara, Jimny.
Note, I avoided Land Rover. If you want a real off-roader, which you don't, then you would look at the Defender. But it strikes me that the poor reliability of other L/R models precludes consideration. If you ask Mark(Brazil), he is extemely fond of the Freelander and owns several and can't get enough of them, but not everyone shares his undisguised enthusiasm and incontrovertible admiration, and many view them in a poor light.
Come back with further thoughts in due course.
KB
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KB: very many thanks for your later email. I now feel a complete prat - because haveing just looked at the glossy brochure, the car I test drove this afternoon was not the HRV but the new CR-V with the new i-VTEC engine (to which you and HJ have referred).
The factors influencing me in going for a CR-V or a Lexus RX300 include the higher driving position, and luggage capacity similar to that of the outgoing Audi 80 estate.
For the CR-V is the fact that it's not constantly-coupled 4x4 (hence better mpg), and (comparing like with like i.e. automatic top spec version CR-V against the RX300) it's some £14K cheaper.
For the Lexus is its reputation (I HATE the process of changing, and so want to keep for many years): my brother has one in USA and says it's outstandingly reliable: absolutely nothing ever has gone wrong. It's also very sumptuous etc etc.
[I realize that this talk of buying new, and buying 4x4 etc, will not endear me to the Oily Ones - but I've been there and done that in my youth. I'm now mid-50s and have had my fill of keeping my beetles going over 30 years! ]
This email exchange has been an excellent discipline in forcing me to analyse my motives! I suppose what I'm really asking is: Will the Honda be as reliable and last like the Lexus? And I guess the answer is likely to be "You get what you pay for!"
But I'd still welcome any views, and am grateful to you, KB, in particular for taking the trouble.
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KB wrote:
>
> For a kick off Gareth, expect some stick for (a) buying new - that get's the thumbs down with the majority here and (b) for
> buying a four wheel drive - you've got to have good excuse before you get the seal of approval for that as well.
Getting a little Bitter, young KB ?
Mark - currently two 4WD, both bought new.
>If you ask Mark(Brazil), he is extemely fond of the Freelander and owns several and can't
> get enough of them, but not everyone shares his undisguised enthusiasm and incontrovertible admiration, and many view
> them in a poor light.
Its because I`m careless with the boat, so I throw Freelanders over the side and use them as disposable anchors. I only recently realised that other people drove them.
Mark.
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Many thanks to all of you who took the trouble to respond to my query. In the end, it will be up to my Manager: she usually gets her way!
No - seriously - I'm frightened of the anecdotal reputation (whether deserved or not) of the F/L; That's also why I rule out Disco (and, to be fair, I don't need its off-road capability).
Not the MB or the BMW (both risk aggression / envy attacks with screwdrivers when parked.
The Honda impressed me, and the Bank manager would also be happier. But as this may well be the last major car I'll buy (as I'd never be able to afford when in retirement), I want something which will be ultra reliable and will serve me for at least 10 years. I won't do big miles in it, so the lousy mpg won't be that much of a deterrent (though I'd have preferred a diesel if there was one, which there isn't). The RX300 is nicely understated, and - so everyone assures me - will do what it says on the box ... for ever(ish).
And above all, the Manager has spoken.
Many thanks to you all. What an excellent forum this is. Diolch yn fawr iawn, as we say around here.
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Not sure about the pot-holes part, as the HRV is only a jacked-up car running car sized wheels and low profile tyres.
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Sod it, I've just slated the HRV and now see Penport's glowing praise. Why couldn't you have put that there a bit earlier and saved me the embarassment. Penport?
What I really mean't to say, Gareth, is that despite what I said earlier, the HRV really does have some most favourable points and shouldn't be dismissed out of hand and is driven, not only by venerable hair styling professionals , but by a far wider user base as well. Sod it.
KB
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You can't win them all KB !!!
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You're very welcome. Indeed, the Lexus is perceived - and very probably is - bombproof and everything you would hope it would be. It's very much in competition with the X5 and it needs someone with more expertise than I to say which is the better buy. I suspect most would go for a BMW X5 Diesel,and indeed it is formidable. However, I still say spend a bit less on the CRV/RAV4/X Trail and pocket the difference and would fully expect any of these three (especially the CRV/RAV4) to last as well as you would hope and be cheaper to run. The Honda has no diesel option as yet, to the best of my knowledge, and this may influence you a bit. The RAV4 VX Diesel manual does 39.8mpg - combined, 46.3 - extra urban and 31.7 - urban. Pretty good for what it is.
Toyota dealers, in my experience, are as good as any and better than many and I've been pleased with my one. Have no personal knowledge of Honda after sales, but wouldn't expect much grief with them. They're all OK BEFORE you've bought.
Enough said, good luck.
KB
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Honda/Lexus your buying the best,you cant go wrong.
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If you ask me about the dealer service on our HRVs ........ it's been less than helpful and in complete contrast to the quality of their product
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Yes, what I was saying earlier, Gareth, is while the HRV is vehicle I would recommend / wouldn't recommend (delete where appropriate) the service from the Honda dealer can be expected to be excellent / mediocre (delete where appropriate).
I wish I'd kept my nose out of this! Had you considered a Maestro Gareth?
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Blimey, I can't do a thing right tonight. I just stuck a pseudo humorous bit on the AUDI A2 topic, started by Dai Woo, added to by Hal Ford and I stuck my oar in with Al Mostboke. (Being perceptive and forward looking as I am). And I then embarassed myself by forgetting to revert to KB, which just happens to be my initials, in case you wondered!!!
I'm having an early night - surely I can't do anything wrong in bed?????
KB
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I'm glad you came back to me, Mark. As you can see, I'm having a 'mare here tonight. It would just have been my luck to have got a load of abuse for taking your name in vain. I'm not absolutely sure whether Gareth knows your feelings about Freelanders and he might not have understood my 'tongue in cheek' comments. I'm sure you won't mind clarifying them for him, given that the Freelander is in the category of 4X4 he's looking at.
Actually, I do think it's a shame that the F/L has got such a bad name. If it delivered as well as it's name and intention promised, I think it would be a cracker. Even so, it sells like hot cakes round my way. How many more would it sell if it had the reliability and capability of some/most of it's Japanese counterparts?
KB (not Al Mostbroke, he said with humility).
PS. No, no bitterness Mark, I stick by what I said. 4X4's and new cars are not well liked on the whole here. I've defended both new and 4X4, AND new 4X4's, but think I'm in the minority. No change there!
Please come back to Gareth with your 'real' opinion of Freelanders as I'm sure he'll appreciate it.
Regards, KB
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Gareth,
I know you didn`t ask, but I`m going to tell you anyway, about my opinions concerning the Freelander, especially given the fact that KB is a total mess tonight and should probably avoid using anything electrical for a while until he`s back together.
> Performance not too important (other car gives the thrills);
> won't be used off-road, nor for towing.
This makes you 50% closer to being an ideal Freelander owner than most people. If you weren`t going to drive it on road and were going to park it on your drive to store the mower in it, then you actually would be the ideal Freelander owner.
well, at least you would be except the storage space, seating folding method, door opening space and the lockable sandwich box make it as crap for storing your lawn mower in as it is for driving, looking at, being in, being near, owning, passing, borrowing, rescuing or anything else.
Its rubbish.
>
> Any advice, please?
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So there you have it Gareth. What's it to be?
I'm off, as promised, to rest my head and, given the the advice that Mark has offered me, I won't be switching on the electric heater on the commode or the electric blanket, or using the Stannah stair lift.
KB.
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