Talk me down - CR-Z

I've not driven it yet. Maybe tomorrow.

I'm thinking about trading my 04 G35 6MT coupe for a 11 Honda CR-Z.

I'm thinking it'll be great to have the extra space and better mileage. The interior space reminds me of my old RX-7 - two seats, followed by two bins, followed by a ton of space under a hatch. That's really nice to have. I admit the bluetooth integration is appealing, and I'd really want the navigation and the 6 speed manual is the only contender. The note should be the same, but the last payment will move 18 months into the future.

The thing that scares me is the ho-hum attitude towards the little car.

Motor Trend put it right behind a base Mini in a comparison, and ahead of the new New Beetle, the 3 door'd Hyundai, the TC (by Scion, not Maserati). I'll try to make a point to drive a Mini, though my last test drive in one left me mostly unimpressed.

Also, my impression is that a five-year-old Honda is a better car to be in than a five-year-old Mini.

Someone talk me down.

Me being a tall guy had a hard time getting in. My dealer had a loaded version at $23,000+.

Transmission is wonderful, the interior is reallllly cool, and you can do better than the EPA if you know how to drive it.

Have you looked in the hatch though? There's really not that much room, the batteries sit back there, so it's not as big as it seems at first. Maybe it's all relative to you, but I personally wouldn't purchase it based on "utility." More like, fun, spunky, transportation, that you can fit a few things in.

If this had the engine from the Civic Si, I think everyone would be all over it.

It will not be as fun to drive as the G-ride. That said, I'm a small car guy, and have an affinity for the cr-x. Can't say I haven't considered one for myself. Haven't driven one yet.

I drove one with the CVT, and if we didn't absolutely require rear seats, we would be driving that instead of the Saturn. It really felt like an old CRX Si in power mode.

Had a friend of a friend get rid of his rx-8 for a CR-Z seeking better mileage, said it was the biggest mistake ever. Apparently there's a setting similar to bmw's/subaru's i-drive? that mute's throttle response for fuel efficiency making it awful to drive. Again, all hearsay.

Why not side-grade to a TSX? or civic si sedan?

I was never impressed by them. The interior and exterior styling are cool but the driving experience was null. I think if it just had the 1.5L from the Fit or even an R18 it would be a much better performer. That would nix the weight of the batteries as well making it much lighter.

Yep, there's a button that will let you select three different modes - the eco one is downright lethargic. The sportiest one though, is manic – and noisy. Much nicer to drive with a stick. It's a fun little car, but I sure wouldn't call it roomy.

Would be a great drive with a K24.

We looked at one and tried it out when we bought our MINI, and were not that impressed with the overall car.

does look really cool though...god luck to you!

Hasbro wrote: Would be a great drive with a K24.

Amen, brother. I can't believe Honda hasn't done an Si version yet.

My total experience is sitting in one at an auto show, street racing one, and riding in one and watching it at autocross.

I may be slightly partial because i love the layout of my 1g insight, but i REALLY liked the interior of the CR-Z. Im 6' and didnt feel any space constraints, either. In fact, ive have people up to 6'7 in my smaller Insight without any major cramping.

The fact of the rear load shelf being high is true.. but in my Insight ive actually found that to be really great because when i open the hatch the load surface is basically at the same height as a table or desk. You can stand there and screw with papers or parts or luggage etc without having to bend over at all to reach anything. Ive fit luggage, pillows, cooler etc for a weeklong trip for two back there in the past. I frequently load mine down so that it's hitting the bumpstops all the time but i hardly ever actually run out of SPACE. I imagine the CR-Z has a slightly bigger cargo area. My car also has a fairly large 'hidden' compartment in the back that i keep a 50lb toolbox in, and the cr-z might have that too.

After reading about the acceleration here and elsewhere and seeing the early reports of low-16 second 1/4 mile times, i was very surprised the first time i raced one. I had a 4th gear highway race with one in one of my dodge dynasties that later ran 15.2@89 with no changes, and i did NOT beat the cr-z by as much as the numbers would suggest. I was REALLY impressed. I no longer think of the cr-z as being all that slow, and i know first hand from my Insight that the torque added by the electric motor means you have practically the same amount of power at any rpm.

A cr-z was winning h-stock for quite a while around here. I raced against him in a friend's near stock 2.2/auto impreza and beat him, but he got star specs after that and then jumped out ahead by a good margin. I rode with him, and honestly his driving was terrible but with star specs the thing would keep turning and turning to the point that he was able to beat better drivers on lesser tires. I tried explaining to my friend that he was already a better driver and he just needed better tires but he wouldnt believe me. That car was CVT

So far the only thing i HAVENT liked about the cr-z was the CVT, but that's just implied. I have hated CVTs since ~2005 when i first drove one. I like everything else about the car. People are getting 50mpg out of them with careful driving and AVERAGING ~39 with normal driving.

My .02. I say try it!

Why would you trade a sport GT coupe for a hybrid? Other then just wanting something newer and getting better gas mileage your downgrading in every way and losing money at the same time.

A good friend of mine has the same car as you lowered except i think his has a track pack but it rides on a set of eibachs and has a set of roll bars and its a fantastic car.

It's at the top of my wife's car shopping list right now. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

Mark me down as another person who would have alot more interest in this car if it wasn't a hybrid. I like the looks, seems like it could be fun, but with the way I rack up miles and abuse on a car I need it to be user serviceable and I dont like electricity :)

JThw8 wrote: Mark me down as another person who would have alot more interest in this car if it wasn't a hybrid. I like the looks, seems like it could be fun, but with the way I rack up miles and abuse on a car I need it to be user serviceable and I dont like electricity :)

+1

Seems like a cool car. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on driving

The CR-Z was my "realistic dream car" before I became enamored by the FR-S. I have not driven one, but I love its styling, and I really love the interior. It just fits me perfectly. I will probably evaluate both of them a little harder when I'm actually on the market for a new car, whenever that may be.

Weak engine, horrible trans, lame handling, looks and MPG are the only strong points.

GameboyRMH wrote: Weak engine, horrible trans, lame handling, looks and MPG are the only strong points.

Why is the trans horrible? Honda 6 speed manual.. Lame handling can be fixed with a few mods.

Compare with a 2006+ Civic Si first.

CR-Z: Hybrid that get's only 35-37 MPG...check. CR-Z: Slow 0-60 time...check. CR-Z: Low Horsepower..check.

Civic Si: Possibly 30+ MPG...check. Civic Si: 0-60 in 6.7 seconds...check. Civic Si: Approx. 200 HP...check. Civic Si: No Hybrid engine crap....check. Civic Si: Also comes in 6-speed and has navigation that you want...check. Civic Si: More fun...check. *Ok, so I never have driven either. Just going by common sense and owner reviews. Civic Si: Back seat...check. Hey, you did say to talk you down. My 2004 Civic with 105,000 miles still get's 39 MPG and it's not a hybrid. Why the CR-Z is a hybrid is beyond me. Stick the Si engine in it Honda.

JThw8 wrote: Mark me down as another person who would have alot more interest in this car if it wasn't a hybrid. I like the looks, seems like it could be fun, but with the way I rack up miles and abuse on a car I need it to be user serviceable and I dont like electricity :)

Wuss! Just remind yourself that the other guys who work on them aren't super human, they're regular guys just like you or me and it's not impossible to learn. Actually, it's kind of fun...but I might be biased.

Bryce

clutchsmoke wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Weak engine, horrible trans, lame handling, looks and MPG are the only strong points.

Why is the trans horrible? Honda 6 speed manual.. Lame handling can be fixed with a few mods.

I actually didn't know you could get them with a manual, I thought it was CVT-only...

I like the CRZ a lot, and the fact that its a hybrid isn't really a detractor for a DD in my eyes.

That said, if you don't mind the looks, you should check out the Fiat 500 before you plop down your money on one of the current high-MPG hatches. I bought one last week and haven't looked back.