“Honda Stream?” I asked for confirmation.

“No no no, Honda Streamyx”, he said with a very assured look on his face. 

“Uh… right. I’ll get to it.” 

Unsurprisingly enough, I was presented with a four-wheeled love mobile instead of the internet package I was led to believe I would be taking a look at.  ( ..ok editor.please jokes aside )

Just when we thought the 2007 Honda CR-V was a “Sedan-like-driving-vehicle” on high heels, we were proven to be wrong and will have to confer that award to the 2007 Honda Stream instead. I prefer to call this one a 7-seater sedan instead of a minivan, MPV or anything of the likes. You just need to sit down, start the engine, release the footbrake, engage the gear to D and enjoy a TRUE sedan-like-driving-MPV for the rest of your trip. And don’t forget to buckle up - the warning sound would not go off until you do.  

How’s that for a friendly car? 

The new silhouette reminds me of a miniature Honda Odyssey, a compact one at that.

Exterior 

Our test unit’s color was called Royal Blue Pearl and as far as colors go, blue always takes the cake in my books, royal or not.This one also comes with full Modulo bodykit package that creates a more sporty , aggressive and lower to the ground look with front aero bumper, rear under spoiler, side under spoiler and finished with a tailgate spoiler.

The new silhouette reminds me of a miniature Honda Odyssey, a compact one at that. The new Stream also stands at an overall height of 1,545mm featuring a low-floor platform. In addition to this, the front profile is a dead ringer for a sedan, the side profile reminds you that it’s not one, and the rear end confirms that it is definitely a Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV). Our grandpa still calls it a Van. Like any typical van this Honda Stream has the spare tyre carrier located under rear body ,we are not sure whether this one is a winch type like the rest of the Van ( i.e Toyota Unser ) but whatever type it is make sure you have the AAM guys on speed dial. 

 To date, this low slung vehicle is one of the nicest compact 7-passenger MPV around. This second generation was very well designed, revised and improved for that sleek and attractive mini/compact MPV look.  

You can only marvel at the practicality and comfort from the way the cabin flows.  

Interior

Stepping inside this 2nd gen Honda Stream, you can only marvel at the practicality and comfort from the way the cabin flows.  

I found myself fumbling with the Kenwood head unit because of the very small radio buttons (which reminded me of the 2^nd gen CR-V). It can prove to be quite troublesome for people with spectacles, and it’s even worse at night when you are desperately hunting the correct buttons to switch over to IKIM FM because of the ‘sudden extra passengers’ you may have picked up en route from Bukit Putus. The steering wheel could have been better if it was one of those multi-function steering wheels like the ones from the 2007 Accord, CR-V or the Civic. A sunroof lets the driver and the front passenger have extra fun sliding and opening it for whatever reason you will want to, like getting rid of ‘sudden extra passengers’, perhaps. The rest of the control buttons were conveniently-placed and big enough to be seen or toyed around with. Cup holders! - Are cup holders the main thing when you are looking to buy a new car ? Worry not the Stream got plenty of cup holders for the driver itself and the rest of the passengers.( See photos ) 

There was a surprise in the interior for passengers seating in the third row seat as there were no aircond blower here resulting in "kepanasan yang agak berlebihan" if you didn't opt for a V-kool tint.

Other than that, the cabin is comfortable enough to seat six adults but personally, just make sure the two dudes taking the third row seat are space-efficient (check it out, ma! PCP at its best!). Or better yet, shove those noisy little brats your wife claims to be yours right there at the last row where they belong – away from you. Hey, it’s a security matter. You wouldn’t want me to careen off road suddenly while reaching for the noisy brats now, do you?

Granpda wouldn’t like that. 

Driving Experience 

Bear in mind that the Stream was designed as a 7-seater vehicle with sedan-like driving comfort, bundled in with excellent road manners that will make your grandmother proud. Grandpa will be proud of the van too. In this MPV, bumps and potholes are all neatly absorbed, thanks to the front equipped MacPherson Strut while the rear gets the Reactive Link Double Wishbone setup. No complains from the driver but the back passengers felt the ride was a bit on the bumpy side (uncomfortable seats?). 

This Honda Stream also comes with Rack and Pinion with Power Assisted (Electric Power Steering) or EPS which makes maneuvering in tight spaces seem very natural like my daughter’s trike ( see photos ). 

Test-driving the Stream on a particularly twisty road (to be exact, the famous Bukit Putus), I found myself easily impressed by the handling of the Stream. We pushed it hard (but don’t tell anyone we did that) through every nook and cranny; even harder towards the end of the Ulu Bendul and found that the R18A SOHC i-VTEC engine with an output of 140ps @ 6,300 rpm power was more than adequate for a weekend family hauler. During our hard driving through Bukit Putus, the average fuel consumption was about 10.5 liter per 100 km. 

Being the nice guys that we are, we suggest not driving the Stream like a sports car. Not only will it upset Grandpa, but this thing was never meant to be driven like a sports car. It handles well at corners but with tight corners, one can never be sure.

We were quite surprised that this model was not equipped with a Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) as a standard equipment. We think this will definitely give the driver a peace of mind and that extra edge in driving confidence. 

This may very well be your best bet as it comes with 3 years of warranty and free servicing for the first 6 months. It’s all yours for RM149,800.00 (on the road price with insurance).  

Conclusion 

If you are looking for a new car that can comfortably accommodate 7 or 6 people in a sub-RM150K while you are still having that rush of wanting to own reconditioned unit from Japan such as the Toyota Wish, the 2^nd gen Toyota Estima, the Toyota Ipsum or the low spec Toyota Alphard, this may very well be your best bet as it comes with 3 years of warranty and free servicing for the first 6 months. It’s all yours for RM149,800.00 (on the road price with insurance).  

If the R18A power output is not your cup of tea, keep your eyes peeled for the hi-spec Honda Stream RS-Z that is reportedly said to be equipped with R20A 2.0 liter i-VTEC with a 7-speed CVT transmission ,paddle shifter,VSA and TCS !  

You can be sure that Grandpa’s ‘van’ will come in very handy at outrunning ‘sudden extra passengers’.

1. 2007 Honda Stream Photos and Details

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