What they said when the Honda Stream was new… (Sep 10 2001)
UNTIL now, Honda has only dabbled in the Multi-Purpose Vehicle market with its former Shuttle model.
But it has returned, and with a much more modern design, in the shape of the Stream.
One of the new generation of mid-sized people carriers, the Stream seats seven, has five doors and a choice of 123bhp 1.7 or 154bhp 2.0 litre engines. It falls into insurance groups 9 and 12 and costs £16,400 or £17,000 depending on model.
I tested the more powerful version which is expected to be the better seller and this shares standard equipment with the less powerful model including alloys, air conditioning, electric sunroof, remote deadlocking, four front airbags with ABS, full belts, powered windows and heated mirrors.
It is a good specification for the price and the design means you have a choice of seating seven with a small boot or just two infront with capacity tripled. However, folding the rear seats was not particularly easy and needed a number of manoeuvres to achieve a fairly flat load area.
Legroom in the rearmost bench seat was very tight and suitable only for a small child but the middle trio of seats were better and more comfortable than the fairly flat rear bench.
In the front the access was easiest and the seats deeply shaped to locate occupants. There was a good adjustment range.
Ride quality was good throughout. Although called the Sport, the suspension was soft and not really conducive to press on driving. But it did absorb bumps very well even it meant it rolled too much for my liking on tighter turns.
Up front the engine was extremely smooth and willing if a little noisy and with the five-speed gearbox it pulled the Stream Sport to 60mph from standstill in about 10 seconds, onto a maximum over 120mph and yet it was capable of returning approximately 32 mpg.
The lightness of the controls would be welcomed by any driver and their positioning was very convenient. Instruments were simple yet clear.
The air conditioning system worked well and was backed up by an electric roof and powered windows all round, giving maximum choice to occupants.
In keeping with so many Honda models, the Stream really loved to be revved and although it sounded very fussy when stretched it performed very well and began to live up to its Sport badge.
A Sport MPV may seem a contradiction but if you can live with its roly-poly handling you would appreciate its straight-line performance. I am not sure it would be so pleasing with the smaller engine.
This is one Stream that likes a rapid flow and not much meandering.
Words: Robin Roberts
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