Honda Concern is famous not only for its motorcycles, but also for cars. World famous models Civic, CR-V, Accord, Prelude and many others have long won the hearts of fans around the globe. Of course, the Honda is not only sports coupes, comfortable sedans and all-wheel drive crossovers. A compact part of production has always been occupied by compact family cars - minivans. "Honda Stream" is one of them, and it will be discussed about him in this article.
Story
"Stream" (translated from English. - "stream") - a compact minivan with seven seats, debuted back in 2000 on the Japanese market. And in less than a year, the model appeared on the European market. At that time, a gap had just formed due to the discontinuation of the Shuttle and Civic models in the Aerodek body. To fill it, a Honda Stream was created. The technical solutions that this model was equipped with did not give a clear understanding of the line between the minivan and the passenger car represented by Stream. That is why he was and continues to be a great compromise in choosing a car for everyday driving with the whole family and alone.
At the moment, the Stream family has two generations, the first of which has undergone restyling and some changes. The second is still produced today and is one of the most preferred compact family car options around the world. The ratio of price, quality and reliability gives an undeniable advantage over a number of competitors.
Appearance
So, the first generation of the Honda Stream car, the photo of which in various finishes is presented in this article, had a relatively low body, which allowed not only to give the car a sporty image, but also very effectively lower the center of gravity. The result of these decisions was to give the car attractiveness and a fairly rapid appearance. But, if someone says that the small clearance takes away the comforts of passengers, he will be absolutely wrong: on all three rows of seats, passengers feel cozy and comfortable, due to the thoughtful arrangement of parts under the bottom.
It is worth noting that the body of the Honda Stream was made in a streamlined style and looked spindle-shaped. The red line of the rear lights that encircled the glass of the trunk lid looked very unusual and modern. The rich color gamut of the line made it possible to find a suitable option for any, even the most demanding car enthusiast.
Salon
As mentioned earlier, the car had seven seats. But do not forget that automakers often change the configuration and characteristics of cars, respectively, "Honda Stream" existed in a five-seater version. It should be added that the seven-seater model after restyling turned into a six-seater, since a dividing armrest appeared on the back sofa for the convenience of passengers.
In a fairly compact and limited space, Honda engineers have adapted all the necessary amenities for the driver and passengers. In the cabin, Japanese minimalism prevailed: all lines are monosyllables. Basically, the inside of the car consisted of dark gray and black plastic. In various places hidden a large number of different shelves and boxes for little things. In order to dilute the slightly boring appearance of the plastic, titanium-colored inserts were made and the dashboard, which has an orange fluorescent backlight, was very nicely decorated.
Engine
The first generation "Honda Stream", the technical characteristics of which excite the consciousness to this day, was equipped with several versions of gasoline engines of 1.7 and 2.0 liters. The reviews highlight the two-liter unit, the body of which was all-metal, and the engine itself had a modern system of intelligent dynamic control of the gas distribution phases and the height of the i-VTEC valve lift. This "monster" was untwisted to a cutoff in a matter of seconds and allowed already in second gear to reach the coveted hundred from the start in just 9.5 seconds.
The 1.7-liter VTEC engine, which was borrowed from the American Civic Coupe, was not spared. This "heart" did not give such playfulness and dynamics, but it allowed to save fuel in any driving conditions.
Transmission
There were several variations of the gearbox: a five-speed manual gearbox and two automatic options. For the 1.7-liter engine, a four-speed automatic was offered, which did not allow to develop a large maximum speed, but gave the dynamics during acceleration.
The two-liter "row-machine" was equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential mode. The location of the gearbox selector on the center console was particularly convenient. The main advantage of the automatic transmission was a soft and virtually silent gear shift. A nice addition was the ability to switch the box to "manual mode".
Chassis
The suspension of the Honda Stream, the characteristics of which are given below, differed, depending on the vehicle equipment. In any case, the car was equipped with an independent suspension of each wheel, front and rear anti-roll bars. Sports versions had stiffer shock absorbers with a smaller stroke, and the rear anti-roll bar was distinguished by a larger diameter.
I would like to note that the car’s drive directly depended on the distribution location. For example, models that were supplied to the foreign market were equipped with front-wheel drive. But all-wheel drive variations occupied a small part of the Japanese market only.
Safety and comfort
An important factor when choosing a Honda Stream car was that a suitable compromise was found between the safety and comfort of all the people in the cabin. The car was equipped with four airbags, a central lock, belts with tensioners, an ABS system, an air conditioner, heated mirrors and front seats, electric sunroofs, windows and mirrors, as well as alloy wheels and fog lights. A variation of a car with a 1.7 liter engine called “G” was equipped with an immobilizer and shift paddles.
Second generation
In 2004, the model was changed, giving it a new look. The exterior and interior were redesigned, which allowed for a more harmonious combination of the materials used. The radiator grill has become more aggressive, and transparent headlights have also been installed. All trim levels now began to use circular fog lights installed in the new bumper. The rear bumper has undergone refinement and changes, and fog lights and reversing lights have migrated to the trunk door.
The technical filling of the Honda Stream car, reviews of which have always been positive, has not changed after restyling. The front suspension is also equipped with MacPherson struts, while the rear uses double levers with jet drafts.
In the end, a few words about the more expensive and luxury trim levels. The S nameplate on the tailgate means the presence of “smart” discharge headlights; the SS Package and Absolute variants use alloy wheels made of dark gray metallic aluminum. A distinctive feature of the expensive Honda Stream trim levels, the photos of which are impressive, is also the presence in the cabin of holders for mugs and a folding table, and an ignition key illumination.