[Honda N-WGN 4200km test drive] Considering the fierce bargain price, what more do you want [Part 1]

I had the opportunity to tour around 4200km with Honda's light tall wagon "N-WGN (N wagon)", so I will deliver my impressions.

In 2014, the first-generation model of the N wagon appeared as the third model of Honda's new-generation minicar "N series." It was 2019, five years after the baton was passed to the 2nd generation, but the platform and engine will be renewed to new products common to the 2nd generation "N-BOX". It was an unusually gorgeous full model change in the world of automobiles. In terms of equipment, all-around airbags, steering control with driving support system "Honda Sensing", etc. are standard on all models, making it a model that shows Honda's extraordinary enthusiasm.

The N Wagon has a standard type with round headlamps and a “custom” that emphasizes design with multiple LED lamps, but this time we tested the standard type “L Honda SENSING”. The engine is a 0.66-liter naturally aspirated engine, and the drive system is a basic specification of FWD. The driving route is from Tokyo to Kagoshima, and the total mileage is 4198.4km. Within Honshu, both outbound and return journeys are via Tokaido and Setouchi. In Kyushu, I took the route of the west coast on the outward trip and the east coast via Miyazaki-Oita on the return trip.

First, let's list 5 pros and cons of the N Wagon.

■Strengths
1. Excellent packaging with a perfect balance between living space and cargo space, as well as sufficient interior volume.
2. Excellent steering stability. High-speed cruises are especially good.
3. A high-performance engine that stands out among the naturally aspirated mini models.
4. Very good fuel efficiency once you get the hang of the shift schedule of the CVT.
5. Although it is a cheap car, it has a driving support system with steering control.

■Disadvantages
1. The texture of the interior feels completely defeated by the competing model of the tall wagon.
2. The storage space in the living quarters, such as small items, is below average.
3. Compared to N-BOX, the vibration and noise are larger.
4. It may be a matter of taste, but the front mask looks like TED2 and it's a little crazy.
5. Fuel economy is mediocre if the CVT setting is a little loose and you drive aimlessly.

Compilation of "small cars that can be used big"

Rear view of Honda N-WGN L Honda SENSING. I can hardly feel the playfulness of the design. However, there were many parts that felt strangely costly, such as the curvature of the side panels of the body.
The reason why I decided to try a long-distance drive on the lower grade of the N wagon was that in the spring of 2020, I rode a small distance of about 700km with the second-generation N-BOX. It's not very good at cornering, but its flatness is so high that it might even beat the company's mid-to-high class 'Insight' and 'Accord'. There was something that made me want to go anywhere in this car.

The N wagon is a tall wagon with a swing door that shares the same platform as the N-BOX, but the price of the N wagon is about 200,000 yen cheaper than that of equivalent equipment grades. I thought that if the ride quality was the same as the N-BOX, it would be unbeatable as a car for daily use and as a touring gear.

When I actually drove it, the dynamic texture was completely different from the N-BOX, and it remained in the area of ​​a light car. It seems that the difference caused by the price difference of 200,000 yen was not only the overall height and the presence or absence of a sliding door. Looking at the spec sheet, there are quite a few differences, such as the N-BOX having stabilizers on the front and rear suspensions, while the N Wagon has only the front.

However, the N wagon was still a really good car for practical use. In everyday use, the ease of boarding and exiting, the spaciousness, and the sense of openness inside the car were positively felt. A small car that can be used in a large size is a point that Honda has been showing a strong commitment to for a long time, but the N wagon felt like the culmination of that. In the compact car class above this, there is a "Fit" that deserves the highest evaluation for its high space utility, but when you ride an N wagon, even that Fit seems unnecessary.

Given the bargain price, what more could you want

From the instrument panel to the dashboard. It's made very functionally, but the way the texture of the plastic is brought out is crap. I don't need to use expensive materials, but I want ideas that make me feel good.
Of course, if you look for dissatisfaction points, there are enough. The texture of the interior is generally low, especially the resin parts. It is true that minicars and basic cars with tight cost constraints cannot use expensive materials, regardless of the manufacturer, but in the case of the N wagon, it feels like there is no design ingenuity, and the cheap ones are generally cheap. It tended to look cheaper. There is also a shortage of glove compartments, which increase the number of parts and man-hours required for assembly. As mentioned above, the ride quality is also cheap compared to the N-BOX.

However, considering the bargain price of 1,364,000 yen with a full-spec driving support system, such a negative factor seems to be irrelevant. Such a cheap car has such high functionality, runs so well, and is so easy to use, but my impression of what more I wanted from it never changed until the end of my 4,000km drive, 3,000km of travel + 1,000km of daily use. .

Cruise stability is one of the advantages of the N wagon

The N wagon ran very solidly. The change in geometry of the front suspension when rolling seems to be small, and the characteristics hardly change with the strength of cornering G. The followability of the rear suspension is also excellent.
Let's get into specific impressions. First of all, regarding driving performance, the N wagon had almost no complaints about its basic performance. Maneuverability was basically mild, and settings were made with a sense of security that is tolerant of driver mistakes and over-operation.

Although the straightness was a little weak against strong crosswinds, it was generally good. Even on local highways and high-standard arterial roads, where the road surface had become dilapidated and rutted, almost no steering correction was required. The stability of this cruise can be said to be one of the advantages of the N wagon.

Sufficient cornering performance. The tires are 155/65R14 size Bridgestone "Ecopia EP150", which is very common in minicars, and the absolute value of speed is of course not a big deal. However, I was impressed that the grip of the front and outer tires was really sticky even when high G was applied on the curve. The rear suspension responds well to changes in the road surface, and even on rough wet roads, the rear tires rarely lose the stickiness of the front tires and become unstable.

The tires are 155/65R14 size Bridgestone Ecopia EP150.
I was able to confirm this characteristic not only by feeling it, but also by looking at it. Light cars and minicar class cars with narrow left and right wheels are vulnerable to rolls, and when driving on mountain roads at a high pace, the front tires always go over the shoulders and the sidewalls contact the road surface, leaving traces. However, I could hardly see it in the N wagon. The design of the front suspension must have been very ingenious.

If there is a weak point, it is not the movement itself, but the driving information. The feeling of the tires, especially information about understeer, was a little difficult to convey to the driver, and it was difficult to grasp what percentage of the car's ability was currently being driven.

Lack of information is usually not noticed, but on mountain roads and wet highways, it feels like "Is it okay to run at this pace on the road surface in this condition? I think it's okay, but I'm a little worried..." A vague anxiety arises. I don't think it has anything to do with the sales of the basic light, but if the driver can tune it to make it easier for the driver to grasp the feeling of grounding, it will be more appreciated by users who enjoy long rides.

I have no complaints about the ride quality for a light car

Honda N-WGN L Honda SENSING. Commemorative photo with the Seto Inland Sea in the background.
As mentioned earlier, the ride comfort is at a level where there is no dissatisfaction with a light car, but it is not as smooth as the N-BOX, which shares the platform. With the N-BOX, it honestly conveys rattling when passing through road repair marks and steps that you would only feel like "What happened just now?" Other harshness, flatness when passing through undulations, and sound insulation are similarly inferior to N-BOX. By the way, there is a considerable price difference between the standard and custom versions of the N wagon, but perhaps there is a difference not only in design and equipment, but also in comfort. I would like to try it if I have the chance.

Riding comfort is not only affected by the brand of tire, but also by the internal pressure of the tire. The author decides to try various things, such as increasing or decreasing the tire pressure during a super long drive that refuels multiple times. Depending on the car, the specified value is the best, or higher or lower than the specified value is better, and it really varies.

In the case of the N Wagon, 270kPa, which is a little over 10% higher than the standard cold 240kPa (approximately 2.4kg/cm2), was by far the best. I could hardly feel any adverse effects such as stronger hits from the road surface, and it became a very comfortable ride with effective damping. In addition, it feels like the steering feeling at curves and lane changes has also gone up one rank. It's just a standard Ecopia EP150 tire, but I personally recommend this internal pressure.

What is the only clear weakness of Honda Sensing

Adaptive cruise control is standard equipment. It is unique to Honda that the function can be canceled with a single button in scenes where the lane keep assist is in the way, such as on mountain roads.
Next, about the driving support system that is useful for long distance touring and daily use. Honda Sensing, which is standard equipment on the N wagon, is a system that uses a monocular camera and a millimeter-wave radar together, and the 4th generation Fit, which was released at about the same time, and the recently debuted 2nd generation "Vezel" monocular camera system. different from

According to Vezel's engineers, the accuracy of recognizing obstacles and lanes is better with the later monocular camera type, but the N wagon system also worked well. Fortunately, there was no opportunity to test its performance, but it is said that it also supports bicycle jumping out at night, etc., so it will contribute to reducing accidents. The control of the cruise control that follows the vehicle in front, which is compatible with all vehicle speeds, is also natural, and I was not dissatisfied.

The Honda Sensing has one clear weakness. It has a hypersensitivity to the lane recognition, and it judges that it has left the lane without stepping on the lane, which often stops the road departure prevention function. Basic functions such as lane keeping are maintained even when stopped, so there is no actual harm, but it is not pleasant to have the alert sound frequently. According to Honda's engineers, this is also improved by increasing the accuracy and widening the angle of the camera in the monocular camera type. The problem is clear, so I would like to expect performance improvements with minor changes to the N wagon system.

The headlamp is simple with only a high/low beam automatic switching mechanism. LED lamp is optional.
While touring, I thought that this was a good safety-related headlamp. The standard product is a classic halogen type, but the vehicle I rode this time was equipped with an optional LED type. It's a simple high/low beam automatic switching system, and it doesn't have an active high beam that avoids preceding and oncoming vehicles, but this LED headlamp was very good.

Honda cars tend to have sloppy headlamp designs, and on dark mountain roads, the back of the corner is often not illuminated, which is often scary. The exception is the N-series, which started with the N-BOX and "N-ONE", and all models are excellent. The 2nd generation N wagon is no exception, and it can be said that the brightness, the irradiation range, and the lack of irradiation unevenness are all OK, and the performance is outstanding. There must be some touring enthusiasts among the N series development team.

In the second part, I would like to touch on powertrain, comfort, utility, etc.

At Sotaro Station on the Nippo Main Line between Miyazaki and Oita prefectures. Limited express trains pass through this station, but local trains only make one round trip per day.