HONDA'S best-of-all-worlds family car at one time was the Stream MPV and in the 0 to 60 sprint, it was quicker than every other similar vehicle on the market bar one. So in the in the older secondhand market, there is no need to compromise on a family holdall that is also great fun to drive. It’s even quicker than the three-litre V6 offerings from Renault, Ford and VW which, when you realise it only has a two litre powerplant, is a huge achievement. As well as this superb model, which has an excellent 154bhp, there is also a 1.7 but it’s much slower. The two-litre is hugely enjoyable to drive and with all the seven seat practicality of any MPV and it is the one to go for as far as I'm concerned. There is no diesel option, but the petrols are reasonably economical at an average 31mpg. Ride is very comfortable and handling the best of any MPV from that era and right up with the best from today. Interior The Stream has a very car-like driving position, with an excellent view all round, and a flat floor throughout thanks to the excellent dash-mounted gearshift. Honda consistently comes close to the top of all reliability and customer satisfaction surveys so lasting is not a problem as long as you have service history. FAST FACTS Honda Stream 2.0 SE Sport Price: Pay about £3,800 for an ‘02 02-reg £4,700 for an ’03 53-reg or £6,300 for an ’05 05-reg Mechanical: 154bhp, 1,998cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via a 5spd manual gearbox Max speed: 127mph 0-62mph: 9.1seconds Combined mpg: 32 Insurance group: 12 CO2 emissions: 203 Marks: 10/10 Main Rivals: Ford Galaxy, Vauxhall Zafira GSi. |