Honda Stream 2007 (Second Generation)

Like some of history’s structures that have been unwaveringly resilient, so has the 2007 Honda Stream. Here it stands in all its glory, a true testament to the quality and durability that Honda has always strived for since Soichiro Honda founded the brand in 1948.

The Honda Stream is built on a lengthened Honda Civic platform, and in many ways, it shared the overall style aesthetic of the more compact Civic. The Japanese designers gave this generation a narrower headlight and more defined grille for a sleeker look over its predecessor.

Spacious versatile interior

This model came complete with a Japanese infotainment system, a reversing camera, and a Jukebox time capsule, which is packed full of music stored by the previous owner. There is an eclectic mix of European and Japanese artists, some I could recognise like the Bee Gees and the Sound of Music soundtrack.

Every row features two cup holders, the middle row cup holders are stowed in the armrest and the front two cup holders are illuminated by a blue halo ring of light, which looks futuristic.

There is ample storage with two storage bins situated below the climate controls, which are a great place to store and forget sunglasses. And another large bin which sits neatly between the front seats.

Having the option of using all seven seats is great, however the final row of seats feels slightly confined and should be reserved for the petite. With all the seats deployed there is not much room left to store your road trip luggage.

The other option is to fold down one of the rear-most seats thus converting the vehicle into a six-seater, often the best solution if you are traveling somewhere for a few days, however one passenger may feel a little neglected being essentially placed in a crowded storage area.

Folding the rear-most seats down gives you plenty of room for large suitcases, adding in the middle row will offer you station wagon like room for larger more heavy objects.

Drive

The cockpit cocoons the driver, with the gear selector mounted high, giving an almost aeroplane like feel, especially at night when a soft blue backlight illuminates the instrument panels, cup holders and even the foot well.

The Stream features the lower spec R18A 1.8-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine which is shared with the Civic. Officially it produces 104kW (140bhp), which can be quite rev happy at times, yet its power is sufficient for a car of this size.

The higher spec variants of the Stream boast an additional engine choice, the larger R20A engine with a variable length intake manifold, and a CVT transmission with optional seven-speed paddle shifter. There is also a five-speed automatic transmission that comes in the AWD 2.0l variants, however these models tend to be rare to find.

The five-speed automatic gearbox fitted to this model, while dated, makes all the right decisions especially during conservative driving - although not quite as smooth as the CVT variants.

This variant has dual front airbags, ABS braking with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) a technology that automatically varies the amount of force applied to each of a vehicle's wheels based on road conditions, speed, loading, etc. The middle row of seats also features ISOfix points for child seats, which is very handy providing you have a compatible baby capsule.

The ride in this car is probably a bit firm for its purpose, there is little roll, and it feels much more like a small passenger car. This is likely because of its dimensions, at just 4570mm it’s 92mm shorter than the 2021 Civic sedan despite being a seven-seater. It has a high seating position and good vision with plenty of head room.

Verdict

The Honda Stream is cheap to run and maintain, and a very practical car with great handling. However, don’t be fooled by those chrome embellishers and blue lights, the Stream is no sports car and while performance is pleasant it certainly isnt powerful.

Its biggest rival is the Toyota Wish, which is similar in design and in many ways competes well. The Stream’s main advantage tends to be its firmer ride and performance, especially round the bends.

Features include:

• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Airbags
• Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD)
• ISO Fix Points
• Electronic Power Steering (EPS) 
• HID headlights 
• Air Conditioning 

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