​Owner Review: A simple yet decent 7-seater family car - My 2017 Honda BRV 1.5 V

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_{Simple but nice}

Basic information about my car:

2017 Honda BRV 1.5 V CVT

Reasons why I bought this car(purpose)

I didn't buy it, instead I exchanged my Myvi with a family member's car. She bought it as transportation for her and her students. Covid-19 made us change our car as she doesn't need a 7-seater anymore, while I want to increase my probability of getting a passenger as I'm an e-hailer.

_{MPV that looks like SUV}

Car selection process

She had a 100k budget. At first, she considered a cute Honda Jazz 1.5 CVT, but instead she bought a 7-seater. She just wants a new car. Fuel economy is a concern too. Then, she also saw her friends traveling around with their students in their 7-seaters without no one left behind. So, she decided to get one. Sadly, she can only use it a few times before the pandemic hits and the school closes.

_{Boxy like an SUV}

_{Rear end design is nice but I'm not sure why it has a chrome moustache. Hmm…} 

User Experience

We (mostly me) have already done 65,000 km with average fuel consumption of 16 km/l. Since I have it as my daily, I feel so grateful. Considering my past experience with 1st gen Myvi 1.3 AT, the BRV makes me feel I'm in a better car: the engine is more powerful, the transmission is smoother, the contact patch is grippier, the AC is colder. It even has rear AC (but the temperature is controlled with front AC). Overall, I'm satisfied with this BRV.

Lots of legroom in the 2nd row and more than enough headroom for everyone. Big windows too. 

_{View from the 3rd row. No claustrophobic at all.} 

Pros and Cons

Pros of my car

1. Decent engine output. The 1.5l engine produces 120 ps and 145 Nm of torque. It is not a big number for such a big car but more than enough for Malaysian roads. Climbing Genting with 7 adults, a little bit roaring but still arrives on top without any hesitation.
2. Encouraging ride & handling. Compared to my Myvi, the chassis feels more rigid and the steering gives better feedback, and the suspension is a bit stiff but absorbs bumps better. If upgrading, maybe just a front strut bar. The brakes are also quite good (when I'm alone or with 1 passenger). It's almost precise to the pedal feel.
3. Smooth transmission. Compared to MT and conventional AT, CVT puts down the power smoothly like butter. It suits my job so much as I "transfer" people a lot. I received lots of 5 stars since then. Coincidence?
4. Adult-sized 3rd row seat. I'm 174 cm and can sit in the 3rd row for a long journey. In fact, I used to sit in the 3rd row before "owning" it even though the 2nd row can fit 1 more person.

   _{"Cukup-cukup makan" 3rd row legroom if 2nd seats are slid as far back. I'm 174 cm.} 

5. High ground clearance. With 200mm of ground clearance, this car can be parked almost anywhere. High speed bumps are also not a problem. The body rarely touches the curb.
6. Legit roof rail. The roof rail is equipped from the factory and it is rigid. There's lots of modification possibilities for it. Roof tent or roof rack maybe, like the one on off road SUVs.
7. OK fuel consumption. On the highway, this car can get up to ++19 km/l fuel consumption, while on city roads, around ++14 km/l. With good handling and less braking, less fuel used. My Myvi, with a mix of city and highway driving, can only achieve +/-17 km/l. 

_{S Class legroom}

 8. Available spare parts. Can get parts for maintenance and modifying quite easy. It's a Japanese car, so some of the other manufacturers' parts can also fit in. For RH driveshaft boots, to fix it ASAP, I didn't go to Honda SC and got the spareparts from X-Trail or Civic (sorry, I forgot). It has the same engine as the City GM6, I think.

 9. Evergreen design. I like sleeper's car rather than ricer's car. The design doesn't shout out "I'm the fastest!!! or I'm the angriest!!!". It doesn't look old, doesn't look too futuristic. The only eyesore is the rear chrome piece over the number plate. It seems out of place.

_{S Class legroom with footrest}

_{Can fit IKEA Stora  with 2nd and 3rd row seats down even though not flat.} 

Cons 

1. Poor NVH. The CVT roaring, OMG. The road noise, OMG. The wind noise, OMG. The engine noise, OK laa.
2. High seating position. I used to sit in the lower Myvi seat, and the 1st gen seat is quite low. The driver seat in BRV although can be lowered, it is still higher. When cornering at high speed, I feel like "I'm flying without wings ~". 
3. The big A pillar. The A pillar is not just big, the side mirror position also contributes to the blind spot. It Happened to me several times: I didn't notice any vehicle when entering a right-turn junction. Once, my car almost hit a backhoe. Alhamdulillah I manage to respond quickly as soon as I see it. 
4. Noisy rear AC. The rear AC is so loud even at the lowest blower's speed. The cooling effect is very subtle to the point where I thought there's no evaporator (actually, it has).

_{I like the dashboard design, everything is placed where they should be but the equipment is just basic.} 

_{Very basic infotainment. Low quality rear view camera and nothing can be seen on the screen in broad daylight.} 

  5. Driveshaft boots problem. Exactly around 3 years after owning (most BRV's owners), the driveshaft boots will leak. Usually the RH side first, then the LH side.

  6. Honda kedekut. There's only 2 airbags for 7 people? No LED headlamp. Not enough interior light (transmission, buttons on the side doors, & trunk), very thin seat cushion, no cruise control, non-user friendly cheap touch screen HUD (ugly UI, hard to adjust volume, low light, cannot mirror with phone), and no windshield air vent. 

   7. Unflat seats fold. 3rd and 2nd row seats are not flat when folded. There's a huge climb at the 3rd row and a huge gap between 3rd and 2nd row.

_{1.5 SOHC i-VTEC with 120 hp and 140 nm. Plenty enough for carrying 7 adults. When flooring, the engine characteristics change. It keeps pushing and pushing.}

Ratings:

Total Score: 4

Performance: 4

Quality & Features: 2

Space :5

Ride comfort: 4

Fuel Economy: 5

Price & cost: 5

_{The hood can be open almost 90°.}

Summary:

For just under 100k 7-seater in 2017, for me this is the best. It has enough engine output, decent handling, enough space for 7 adults, good fuel consumption and peace of mind ground clearance. To sum it up, BRV is an MPV that wants to be an SUV but drives like a sedan. In 2021, this car feels a little bit outdated. The old version of Jazz has auto cruise, why not a family car such as BRV? So far, I'm so grateful I have this car as a daily. Nothing more, nothing less, it is just a decent 7-seater.

_{From Bridgestone Ecopia 195/60/r16 to Toyo CR1 195/55/r16. Quiter, gripper, and save fuel cost a little bit.} 

Interesting things:

For just under 100k 7-seater in 2017, this is the best. It has enough engine output, decent handling, enough space for 7 adults, good fuel consumption and peace of mind ground clearance. To sum it up, BRV is an MPV that wants to be an SUV but drives like a wagon. In 2021, this car feels way outdated. The old version of Jazz has auto cruise, why not a family car such as BRV? So far, I'm so grateful I have this car as a daily. Nothing more, nothing less, it is just a decent budget 7-seater.

Simple but nice. MPV that looks like SUV. Boxy like an SUV. Rear end design is nice but I'm not sure why it has a chrome moustache. Hmm… Lots of legroom in the 2nd row and more than enough headroom for everyone. Big windows too. View from the 3rd row. No claustrophobic at all. "Cukup-cukup makan" 3rd row legroom if 2nd seats are slid as far back. I'm 174 cm. S Class legroom. S Class legroom with footrest. Can fit IKEA Stora  with 2nd and 3rd row seats down even though not flat. I like the dashboard design, everything is placed where they should be but the equipment is just basic. Very basic infotainment. Low quality rear view camera and nothing can be seen on the screen in broad daylight. 1.5 SOHC i-VTEC with 120 hp and 140 nm. Plenty enough for carrying 7 adults. When flooring, the engine characteristics change. It keeps pushing and pushing.The hood can be open almost 90°.From Bridgestone Ecopia 195/60/r16 to Toyo CR1 195/55/r16. Quiter, gripper, and save fuel cost a little bit. 

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