New HRV - any thoughts?

[AmitG]

Has anyone looked at one or even bought one? If so I would be interested in your thoughts.

Thanks.

[AmitG]

I had a look at one yesterday.

Things I liked:

• Looks really good, especially in light colours (white and silver).
• Masses - and I mean masses - of interior space. Honda claim the exterior is smaller than a Juke but the interior is bigger than a Qashqai, and it feels true. Ludicrous amounts of rear legroom. Massive boot. You get the magic seats like in the Jazz. And the front passenger seat folds down for long loads.
• I like the glass-covered climate control unit. It will probably get covered in fingerprints but it looks really nice IMHO. A nice touch.
• Comes with a CD player so us Luddites can listen to music. A lot of cars in this segment no longer have CD players.
• Can take a spare wheel.
• Feels well built. You get the impression that it'll run forever on minimal maintenance. It has that classic Honda vibe.

Things I didn't like:

• Rear is a bit boring style wise. The rear lights are too big IMHO.
• Instrument cluster looks a bit cheap, as though it is from a car of 2 generations ago.
• The only auto option is a 1.5 litre N/A petrol. It looks OK performance wise but nothing to write home about.
• No hybrid or 4WD versions. Apparently the UK will not get them.
• It does seem expensive for what it is. The top model - with LED headlights and pano roof - weighs in at something like 27k including metallic paint and a spare wheel.

I am thinking of taking a test drive, but 27k is an awful lot of money for the posh version.

[AmitG]

Thanks for the clubjazz link - that looks like a really good forum.

I confess to being a bit baffled by the price, particularly of the EX version. To put it in perspective, for an extra 2 grand, you can have a Lexus NX!

I will find out about dealer discounts, but I am not hopeful, since Honda dealers tend not to discount much (in my experience).

[AmitG]

^^^ Same here.

Every time I have been to a Honda dealer they have been basically deserted, even on a Saturday.

I also got the "VIP event" stuff, along with phone calls exhorting me to go along and secure the deal of a lifetime...which turned out to be 500 quid off a Civic.

Interesting article here

http://www.motortrader.com/motor-trader-news/mt-in...

Interested to hear opinions on this. It appears to paint a rosy picture - but it ends up sounding like a rather selective account. He boasts that Type-R is sold out, but it was a niche model, so it doesn't strike me as a huge sales achievement. He also boasts that HRV is sold out; given that since launch I have seen precisely 1 on the road, I can only conclude that they ordered minimal stock. Globally I am sure it is doing well, but globally they aren't asking silly prices for a mediocre spec.

He boasts that they have maintained volume on the Civic...which, translated, probably means that nobody was buying them before and nobody is buying them now. The brokers are offering 6 grand off a decent spec Civic.

I decided not to test drive the HRV in the end. The dealer said that there were no discounts to be had, and I couldn't pay 26 grand for that car even if I liked it. For that money you can have a Toyota RAV4 hybrid! Come on Honda - are you serious?

The Jazz is nice, but again the top end EX model is 18 grand, and has a weedy engine. For that money you can have a Toyota Avensis with a non-weedy engine. There are loads of EX demonstrators available with low miles for about 15 grand, but they are all yellow, and I am going to struggle with that colour