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Honda CR-Z Official Car Review Thread

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#101 ·
^ i liked that article. It really puts the CRZ in perspective when you can compare it to another car. the Jetta isnt a hybrid but i think in the end the comparison ended up being more fair than it seemed in the beginning.
 
#104 ·
South Africa magazine review

Honda CR-Z vs Honda CR-X | topCar magazine online

A very colorfully-worded review from Top Car magazine in South Africa!

Quote:

"It’s the car that you fall in love with after the first corner, Honda’s new hybrid-hatch is a brilliant little handler as well as an entertainment powerhouse thanks to multimedia connectivity provided in spades, as well as a cockpit that comes alive with an organic lighting system that makes the Millenium Falcon look more antiquated than ever."

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#107 ·
Honda's Hot Rod Hybrid

Honda's hot rod hybrid

From nwi.com in Indiana.

Quote:

"Last week's Midwest Automotive Media Association's Fall Rally assembled 2011 model year vehicles for the Automotive Press to drive. Among them was a surprise: the 2011 Honda CR-Z."

--

"CR-Z's handling is razor sharp with go-kart like dynamics that make it fun to drive at any speed. Off-the-line acceleration is exhilarating in Sport mode."

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#111 ·
A week in the 2011 Honda CR-Z: Fuel economy

A week in the 2011 Honda CR-Z: Fuel economy - National Autos | Examiner.com

Quote:

"Fortunately, the CR-Z that's been spending the week with the Autos Examiner has done what most test cars have not: handily crushed its EPA ratings in real-world driving.

In-dash trip computers can sometimes be optimistic, which was on the forefront of this reviewer's mind as the CR-Z pulled into a gas station this afternoon with a readout of 41.7 miles per gallon. But 353 miles after its last fill-up, it needed just 8.4 gallons. The trip computer was slightly conservative, as that works out to just over 42 miles per gallon.

Those miles were done primarily in the car's "Sport" mode; its "Econ" and "Normal" modes' blunted acceleration performance didn't seem to result in extra gas mileage, as you just have to dig further into the throttle to get moving. The car stalls easily from a stop in those modes, too, without lots of gas."
 
#112 ·
wish honda would come up with a bypass for the auto/stop feature. have had a couple of anxious moments....almost dangerous from that moment of hesitation not being able to take off quickly after stopping for half a second only to find that the engine fell asleep.
 
#113 ·
Consumer Reports: CR-Z scores too low for CR recommendation

Ouch.

We know what you're thinking: Hondas typically do well in Consumer Reports testing. And since Consumer Reports emphasizes good fuel economy, a hybrid should score highly in our tests, right? Not so much.

The two-seat CR-Z is derived from the Insight, a five-passenger hybrid hatchback that also scored too low to be recommended. To be sure, there are improvements in the CR-Z: the interior isn't so glaringly cheap, and handling is much more nimble than the Insight. The CR-Z's manual transmission is crisp and easy to shift and 35 mpg is nothing to sneeze at.

But compared to a long list of drawbacks, that good news isn't enough to recommend the car.

Handling is short on steering feel, a recent (and unwelcome) Honda trait. Even for a small sports coupe, the ride is stiff and noise levels are high. The stability control intervenes too late when it's needed, so the CR-Z's tail can swing out mid-corner. Lousy rear and over-the-shoulder visibility made changing lanes "like Russian Roulette," according to one tester's logbook comment. A diminutive 400-lb. payload capacity somewhat negates the large cargo hold and speaks to a real limitation in a country where 200-lb. adults are commonplace.

Even the details rankle: The car shuts off when stopped to save fuel -- but unlike most other hybrids, the air conditioner shuts off too, making it a drag on a hot day. The exterior door handles are awkward to grab, and you basically lunge in and out of the low-slung car.

So just because it's a Honda doesn't mean it's a good car. Even if the CR-Z turns out to be reliable, it scores too low for us to recommend it.
Click to expand...
A video at the original article page.
 
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#114 ·
I think I'd disagree with all those points except the ones about payload and getting out of the car.

The steering feel is fine for a modern car and sport mode improves it. The ride is quite supple (most reviews comment positively on this) and there's a bit of road noise but minimal engine and wind noise. If the tail is stepping out, you must be driving like an idiot and lifting off hard mid-corner. Aside from backing out of a space, visibility is not a problem if your mirrors are set correctly and unless I'm mistaken, if the climate control needs the aircon on then auto stop won't work. The door handles are a little awkward, but they look nice enough that I'm prepared to put up with that.

Sounds like yet another reviewer bending the truth to generate attention to me.

[edit]Heh, reposted this as a comment on the review![/edit]
 
#115 · (Edited)
I just got my January 2011 Consumer Reports magazine where they tested The Ford Fiesta SES, Ford Fiesta Se, Mazda 2 Sport, Mazda 2 Touring, Honda CR-Z EX and the Volkswagen Jetta Sport Wagon TDI. Any guess which one took the hardest kick to the groin? let me repeat there quote "The CR-Z also scores too low in our road tests for us to recommend" but when you look at the side by side data sheet, the CR-Z nearly overall beats all the competition. As you look at the side bar they put the CR-Z grouped with the MINI Cooper, Honda Civic Si, and the Kia Forte Koup. Lets take them one by one.

MINI Cooper; having owned MINI's, worked on them and modified them, I know them very well. MINI on it's best day can not even come close to Honda reliability. My Classic Mini has been more reliable than the new MINI and that is saying something if you know anything about British cars. A nearly fully loaded CR-Z is still cheaper than an striped down MINI and the CR-Z gets better gas Mileage. Even Consumer Reports discourages buying a used MINI. Add into the fact you might have to travel several if not hundreds of miles for service and repairs makes it less practical for a daily driver. The only thing MINI excels in is handling and it has a touch less horsepower and much less torque.

Honda Civic Si....... Really? That is compairing Apple's to Oranges. It is like compairing a Fiat 500 to a Ferrari. They are owned by the same company but are two different animals. I think C.R. is way off on trying to compare the two.

Then you have the Kia...... a Kia....... Yes, it has more HP and is more practical for 3 or more people but it resembles what would happen if Lancer mated with a Scion Tc and it looks like it has as much excitement and flavor as week old toast. Do we even want to talk about resale value, reliability, and fit and finish?

C.R. recommends all these vehicles but the CR-Z. To me the comparison is not fair and flawed with the exception of the MINI but with the cost comparison over the lifetime of the vehicle the CR-Z would win.

Then as I read the one page write up it seams all they really can find is superficial gripes like "door handles being difficult to use", wanting "More radio knobs" and the tachometer "not as legible" as the rest of the gauges. The only legit gripes I see are limited visibility and maybe a lack of power but when compared to the others in the test the CR-Z nearly beat all the competition in all categories on speed performance.

Then when you move to the side by side stat sheet it looks like this;

1. The CR-Z is the second highest priced in the test but is also the second highest in horsepower yet manges to hold on to second best MPG's. Only the Jetta is more expensive and has higher horsepower. However, the CR-Z is quicker in the 1/4 mile and the 0- 60 but is slower in the 45 -65.

2. The CR-Z gets top notch for it's transmission and only shares it with the Mazda 2 Sport.

3. For Routine Handling It gets an above average score when the the Fiesta SES, Mazda 2 Sport and Touring get top notch and for emergency handling it gets a below average score, avoid maneuvering is the second lowest, braking is above average with second best in wet and in the middle for dry.

4. Headlights are below average.

5. Comfort and convenience; has a couple of average but for the most part is above average but gets dinged for access with a below average but all the others with the exception of the Jetta, all have more black marks than the CR-Z.

6. The CR-Z has the second best average fuel economy and has the lowest annual cost than all the others. It is also the second roomiest for the driver but does have the lowest load capacity.

To me the way C.R. grouped the CR-Z shows they really didn't understand what the CR-Z is about and nor did they give it a fair shake. It is as if they are polarized that it HAS to be either a hybrid or a sports car and it can't be both and with Honda trying to combine the two cultures only confused the hell out of C.R. and other car review reporters hence all the CR-Z bashing by the automotive media.

Honda is the first manufacture to take the mundane, as fun as a enema, geometric shaped challenged, stereo typed tree huger type of a car and turn into a fun, reliable, cheap, easy on the eye's type of car thats fun to drive, and where even the most staunch anti- environmentalist would look at it and say, "Yeah, I would buy and drive that". Most of the automotive media can't accept that- to them it has to be one or the other.

I think it is absolute genius what Honda has done. I just hope with all the bad media Honda wont kill off the CR-Z before it's time.
 
#116 ·
^Agreed... Totally.
I nearly dropped a tear. As I'm sick to death of people judging it mainly from what the car looks like, or what they've heard from another.. and it just keeps going on. TEST DRIVE IT properly, or yet better, buy it - no regrets.
I can see next year all the critics will be eating their words.
 
#118 ·
I read that review too and was disgusted--especially at that door handle complaint. They are odd, but so effortless to open. No one complains about MINI door handles but they are like using grip pliers to open--stiff and clunky. It's so obvious when people start with such lame complaints that a rationalization is in the making. I had a 2007 MINI for 3.5 years, and the CR-Z is a far better car over all. The MINI wins in handling and visibilty. But otherwise it is no contest.
 
#119 ·
Car and Drive in their 10 Best issue awarded the CR-Z for the best 2010 for EPA city gas mileage. Yet, in their review of two issues earlier, they said it did not get good gas mileage as non-hybrid cars. Go figure.

The CR-Z is a Sport hybrid not a hybrid sports car!
 
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