Honda Vamos

Honda Vamos: which version to buy

If you are choosing a Honda Vamos rather than learning what it is, the short answer is this: there is only 1 generation (June 1999–May 2018), a Microvan, and 12 versions that all share the catalogue names 0.7 AT or 0.7 MT.

If you are choosing a Honda Vamos rather than learning what it is, the short answer is this: there is only 1 generation (June 1999–May 2018), a Microvan, and 12 versions that all share the catalogue names 0.7 AT or 0.7 MT. The real split is not generation-to-generation — there is no second generation in the data — but naturally aspirated versus Turbo, RWD versus AWD, 3-speed versus 4-speed Automatic versus 5-speed Manual, and a 656 cm³ versus 659 cm³ Turbo pair. The slowest measured 0–100 km/h is 31 s (0.7 AT, 45 hp, RWD, 3-speed Automatic). The fastest measured 0–100 km/h is 18.2 s (0.7 AT, 64 hp, Turbo, RWD, 4-speed Automatic) — 12.8 s quicker. Top speed is not measured on 11 of 12 versions; fuel consumption (city, highway, combined), CO2 and eco class are not measured on all 12. Buy on power, torque, drive, gearbox, kerb weight and ground clearance, not on mpg figures that are not in the data.

Generations: one generation, twelve versions

The Honda Vamos has 1 generation in this catalogue: 1 generation, start 1999-06-01, stop 2018-05-31, body Microvan, 12 modifications. There is no later generation to “wait for” and no earlier one to avoid. Restyling is not listed as a separate generation. For a buyer that means every comparison below is inside the same generation and the same production window. What changes is the powertrain row, not the model year band.

Engines and specs

Every version is Gasoline, 3 cylinders, Inline, 4 valves per cylinder, engine location Central, fuel system Distributed injection (multi-point), bore × stroke 66 × 64. Boost is No or Turbo. Gearbox names in the data are Automatic or Manual. Drive is RWD or AWD. Fuel grade in the data is 95 or 92.

Power per litre (hp ÷ displacement in litres): 0.7 AT 45 hp at 656 cm³ = 68.6 hp/l; 0.7 AT 46 hp = 70.1 hp/l; 0.7 AT 52 hp = 79.3 hp/l; 0.7 AT 53 hp = 80.8 hp/l; 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo at 656 cm³ = 97.6 hp/l; 0.7 MT / 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo at 659 cm³ = 97.1 hp/l. Turbo adds 19 hp versus the 45 hp NA rows (+42%) and 34 Nm versus 59 Nm (+58%). Peak torque on Turbo versions arrives at 3700 rpm, versus 5000 rpm on the 45–46 hp NA engines.

Compression ratio is a buyer flag, not a footnote: 10.5 on the 45 / 46 hp 95-fuel Automatic and 45 hp Manual rows; 9.8 on 0.7 AT 53 hp NA and on both 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 656 cm³ rows; 10 on both 0.7 MT 46 hp 92-fuel rows; 8.5 on both 659 cm³ Turbo rows. The 659 cm³ Turbo pair is the only place displacement is not 656 cm³ (+3 cm³).

Performance and economy

0–100 km/h (measured):

• 0.7 AT 45 hp RWD 3-speed: 31 s; kerb 990 kg
• 0.7 AT 46 hp RWD 3-speed: 31 s; kerb 980 kg
• 0.7 AT 52 hp AWD 4-speed: 26.3 s; kerb 1070 kg
• 0.7 AT 53 hp AWD 4-speed: 26.3 s; kerb 1060 kg
• 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo AWD 656: 19.3 s; kerb 1060 kg
• 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo RWD 656: 18.2 s; kerb 1030 kg
• 0.7 MT 45 hp AWD: 28 s; kerb 1030 kg
• 0.7 MT 45 hp RWD: 27 s; kerb 990 kg
• 0.7 MT 46 hp RWD 92: 27 s; kerb 950 kg
• 0.7 MT 46 hp AWD 92: 28 s; kerb 990 kg
• 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 659 AWD: 18.7 s; kerb not measured
• 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659 AWD: 0–100 not measured

Top speed: 130 km/h on 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659 AWD only. On the other 11 versions top speed is not measured.

Fuel consumption (city / highway / combined): not measured on all 12. CO2: not measured on all 12. Eco class: not measured on all 12. You cannot rank Honda Vamos versions by mpg from this dataset.

What the numbers do rank: among Automatics, moving from the 3-speed 0.7 AT 45 hp (31 s) to the 4-speed 0.7 AT 52/53 hp AWD (26.3 s) cuts 4.7 s. Moving from that NA AWD pair to 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo AWD 656 (19.3 s) cuts another 7.0 s. Dropping AWD on the same 64 hp Turbo Automatic (0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo RWD 656, 18.2 s) cuts 1.1 s versus the AWD Turbo Automatic at 656 cm³, with 30 kg less kerb weight (1030 vs 1060). On Manual 45 hp, RWD is 1 s quicker than AWD (27 vs 28). On Manual 46 hp 92, RWD is also 1 s quicker than AWD (27 vs 28).

Weight per horsepower (kerb kg ÷ hp), where kerb is measured:

• 0.7 AT 45 hp RWD: 990 / 45 = 22.0 kg/hp
• 0.7 AT 46 hp RWD: 980 / 46 = 21.3 kg/hp
• 0.7 AT 52 hp AWD: 1070 / 52 = 20.6 kg/hp
• 0.7 AT 53 hp AWD: 1060 / 53 = 20.0 kg/hp
• 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo AWD 656: 1060 / 64 = 16.6 kg/hp
• 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo RWD 656: 1030 / 64 = 16.1 kg/hp
• 0.7 MT 45 hp AWD: 1030 / 45 = 22.9 kg/hp (heaviest per hp)
• 0.7 MT 45 hp RWD: 990 / 45 = 22.0 kg/hp
• 0.7 MT 46 hp RWD 92: 950 / 46 = 20.7 kg/hp
• 0.7 MT 46 hp AWD 92: 990 / 46 = 21.5 kg/hp
• 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659: 1010 / 64 = 15.8 kg/hp (lightest per hp among measured kerbs)
• 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 659: kerb not measured, so kg/hp is not measured

Dimensions and weight

Fuel tank: 37 l on all 12 versions. Wheel sizes: not measured on all 12. Gross weight: 1230 kg on the two 659 cm³ Turbo versions (0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo and 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 659); not measured on the other 10. Payload on 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659 is 1230 − 1010 = 220 kg; payload on 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 659 is not measured because kerb is not measured.

Kerb weight range (measured): 950 kg (0.7 MT 46 hp RWD 92) to 1070 kg (0.7 AT 52 hp AWD) — 120 kg spread. AWD versus the matching RWD row: +40 kg on 0.7 MT 45 hp (1030 vs 990), +40 kg on 0.7 MT 46 hp 92 (990 vs 950), +30 kg on 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 656 (1060 vs 1030). The 3-speed 0.7 AT 46 hp RWD at 980 kg is 10 kg lighter than the 3-speed 0.7 AT 45 hp RWD at 990 kg.

Ground clearance: 190 mm on every Automatic and on the 46 hp and 64 hp Manuals; 165 mm on both 0.7 MT 45 hp rows (AWD and RWD). That is 25 mm less than the 190 mm group. If clearance is the buying criterion, do not pick 0.7 MT 45 hp.

Chassis that is the same on all 12: front suspension Independent, spring; front brakes Disc; rear brakes Drum. Rear suspension is Dependent, spring on 10 versions and Independent, spring only on the two 0.7 MT 46 hp 92 rows. Those two are also the only versions specified for fuel 92 rather than 95.

Which version to choose

If you want the quickest measured Automatic: 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo RWD 656. It is the only row at 18.2 s 0–100, 16.1 kg/hp, 1030 kg, 190 mm, 4-speed Automatic, RWD. Versus the matching Turbo Automatic AWD at 656 cm³ you give up AWD, save 30 kg and 1.1 s. Versus 0.7 AT 45 hp 3-speed RWD you gain 19 hp, 34 Nm, one extra Automatic gear, and 12.8 s on 0–100, at +40 kg kerb (1030 vs 990).

If you want Turbo and AWD in an Automatic: two rows share the name 0.7 AT at 64 hp. Distinguish them by displacement and compression: 656 cm³ / 9.8 / kerb 1060 kg / 19.3 s, versus 659 cm³ / 8.5 / kerb not measured / 18.7 s / gross 1230 kg. The 659 cm³ Automatic is 0.6 s quicker than the 656 cm³ Turbo AWD Automatic on 0–100; power and torque are the same (64 hp, 93 Nm). Specific output is 97.6 hp/l (656) versus 97.1 hp/l (659).

If you want Turbo and a Manual: there is only 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659, AWD, 5-speed Manual, kerb 1010 kg, gross 1230 kg, clearance 190 mm, 0–100 not measured, top speed 130 km/h (the only measured top speed in the model). It has the best measured kg/hp (15.8). You cannot compare its 0–100 with the Automatic Turbos because that figure is not measured.

If you want AWD without Turbo: four NA AWD rows. Automatic: 0.7 AT 52 hp (1070 kg, peak power at 7000 rpm, CR 10.5, 26.3 s) versus 0.7 AT 53 hp (1060 kg, peak power at 5500 rpm, CR 9.8, 26.3 s). Same 0–100, 1 hp and 10 kg apart; the 53 hp row makes peak power 1500 rpm lower. Manual: 0.7 MT 45 hp AWD (1030 kg, 165 mm, 28 s, fuel 95, rear Dependent, spring) versus 0.7 MT 46 hp AWD 92 (990 kg, 190 mm, 28 s, fuel 92, rear Independent, spring). Same 0–100; the 46 hp 92 AWD Manual is 40 kg lighter and 25 mm higher.

If you want the lightest Honda Vamos: 0.7 MT 46 hp RWD 92 at 950 kg, 27 s, 190 mm, 5-speed Manual, rear Independent, spring, fuel 92. Versus 0.7 MT 45 hp RWD (990 kg, 27 s, 165 mm, fuel 95, rear Dependent, spring) you get the same 0–100, 40 kg less mass, 25 mm more clearance, and 92 instead of 95. Versus 0.7 AT 46 hp 3-speed RWD (980 kg, 31 s) the Manual 46 hp RWD 92 is 30 kg lighter and 4 s quicker.

If you want Automatic and will accept the slowest 0–100: 0.7 AT 45 hp and 0.7 AT 46 hp, both 3-speed, both RWD, both 31 s, both 190 mm, both fuel 95. The 46 hp row is 1 hp and 1 Nm up and 10 kg down (980 vs 990). Neither is AWD. The step up to 4-speed Automatic is the 52/53 hp AWD pair at 26.3 s.

If ground clearance is the filter: skip both 0.7 MT 45 hp versions (165 mm). All other ten versions are 190 mm.

If you need a measured top speed: only 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659. If you need a measured gross weight: only the two 659 cm³ Turbo versions (1230 kg). If you need measured fuel use or CO2: not measured on every version — the catalogue does not rank economy.

Reliability and problems: this dataset does not measure failure rates, recalls or typical faults. Do not infer reliability from hp, kg/hp or 0–100. What is measured and shared across the range is the same Gasoline Inline 3-cylinder Central layout, Distributed injection (multi-point), Disc front / Drum rear brakes, and a 37 l tank.

Practical shortlist inside 1 generation: fastest Automatic RWD — 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo RWD 656 (18.2 s). Fastest measured Automatic AWD — 0.7 AT 64 hp Turbo 659 (18.7 s). Lightest — 0.7 MT 46 hp RWD 92 (950 kg). Only Manual Turbo — 0.7 MT 64 hp Turbo 659. Lowest kg/hp with a measured kerb — that same Manual Turbo (15.8 kg/hp). Slowest Automatic — 0.7 AT 45 hp or 0.7 AT 46 hp at 31 s. There is no second generation to trade against; the buy is which of these 12 rows matches drive, gearbox, boost and the figures above.