The Honda CRZ and Honda Fit are stablemates in the Honda showroom. They are based on the same ACE body structure also shared with the current genration Honda Insight. They share the same suspension components and geometry and both utilize a very similar 1.5 liter Honda engine. With all these similarities I was expecting that these two cars would perform very similarly. And that was an incorrect expectation.
Both these cars have different missions in Honda's marketing and product mix. The Fit is aimed at the high volume, low cost, small car segment where it soundly beats all of it's competition [footnote 1] including the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Hyundai Elantra Touring, Toyota Yaris 5-door, Nissan Versa, Scion D and even to some extent the Honda Civic sedan. Buyers in this class seek value and utility most of all. And while it is not the least expensive car in the category, there really is no competition for the Honda Fit in terms of it's utility and efficiency. It beats all others in space, while being one of the smallest on the outside. It beats most of it's competition in fuel economy while offering the best in class performance. And it offers the best combination of decent ride and exceptionally good handling. In my opinion, the Honda Fit is one of the best designed and engineered vehicles on the market. and I have owned one for the past 2 years and have never been disappointed in it's performance.
The CRZ competes in a totally different segment of the market than the Fit. For Honda, the CRZ has been cast the part of halo car. Even though it is among Honda's less expensive cars, its style and hybrid technology is designed to set the tone and future direction for the entire Honda line.
I would say for most CRZ buyers it's unique style is the primary attraction. From that point the secondary attraction to the CRZ varies widely among it's diverse buyers. For some it's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid engine brings appeal in the expectation of high fuel economy and/or added performance. To this end the CRZ may compete with other cars who's mission is high fuel economy like the VW diesels, MINI Cooper or even the Toyota Prius.
However, the competition for the CRZ is far wider than that of the Fit. Because of it's 2 seat limitation, CRZ buyers are typically willing to sacrifice utility for personal desires such as uniqueness and style. In this way, the CRZ may sometimes be shopped against cars with much higher price tags who exist as a splurge for their owners, cars like the Mazda Miata, BMW Z4 coupe Audi TT or even a Nissan 370Z. But the biggest competition for the CRZ seems to come from a 20 year old memory of it's fore bearer the Honda CRX. The CRX's memory seems to set the standard for what many expect from the CRZ and for this reason I will make some caparisons to this iconic model.
But this comparison is between the Honda CRZ and the Honda Fit. As I just illustrated I don't believe these two cars really compete against each other in the marketplace. But if they did, I believe that the utility and value of the Fit would so far outweigh the style of the CRZ that the Fit would be declared the winner. For me, I now own both cars and am enjoying both, but they are significantly different cars and perform quite differently in many areas despite their very similar roots and underpinnings.
PRICE
First a comparison in price is in order. The 2011 base Honda Fit starts at $15,850 and the CRZ at $19,950. Some, less thorough, reviews have concluded this means the price difference is $4,100. But this is not a valid comparison. The base CRZ is equipped similarly or even a little better than the Fit Sport. So a more fitting price comparison for the base CRZ would be the $17,610 Fit Sport. This brings the price difference to $2,340.
Further consideration shows that the CRZ offers some standard equipment that exceeds that of the Fit Sport, like automatic A/C, a feature that costs an extra $500 on a MINI Cooper. The CRZ also offers rear disk brakes and a 6-speed, rather than 5-speed, transmission in the Fit. These upgrades are worth at least an additional $750. The Fit Sport comes standard with fog lights that are lacking on the base CRZ, this is typically a $250 option. All this totals an additional $1000 of equipment on the CRZ
With this $1000 of equipment difference figured in, the price difference between the CRZ and the Fit is $1340. I would call this difference the "hybrid premium." By this, I mean, if the CRZ had not been delivered as a hybrid and had been fitted with the 1.5 liter Fit engine without the IMA, it likely could have been sold for $1340 less. This is by far the lowest "hybrid premium" compared to all other hybrids on the market that range from $3000 to $7500 price premiums over their non hybrid stablemates.
Price-wise I think both cars are real bargains.
Driving Dynamics
The driving dynamics of these two cars is significantly different. I own a 5MT Fit and a 6MT CRZ, so my comments will be restricted to these manual transmission cars only.
The Honda Fit has a driving dynamic that I think compares similarly to the legendary CRX. Both these cars have a light tossable nature, where you feel well connected to the drivetrain by the shifter, accelerator and steering wheel. The CRX offered a more pure feeling and was a better platform for designing a real track car. But I think the Fit holds it's own in driving dynamic with the old CRX. (of which I owned a 1985 CRX Si) A side effect of this "lightness" and connection is a bit more noise vibration and harshness as well as a tinniness that comes from low levels of insulation and cushioning.
By contrast, the CRZ offers a noticeably more refined, but slightly less "connected" driving dynamic. This refinement is exhibited in ride and the control of bumps and road imperfections. The CRZ nicely absorbs these bumps with less jolt coming through to the driver. The CRZ's ride is more comfortable, but this comfort and refinement comes at the expense of less sportiness.
Both cars have excellent gearboxes that require no real skill to shift, just like the old CRX. The six speed in the CRZ is a bit shorter in throw than the Fit's five speed. The only criticism I might offer at either of these gearboxes is that they don't like to be rushed. You have to maintain a reasonably slow shift pace to engage either box smoothly. The reality is that both these cars shift better than the old CRX ever did.
The manual rack and pinion steering of the old CRX was very communicative and was perhaps it's best feature that few other cars could match. This was due in large part to the CRX's light weight. The Fit has lost much of that feel with it's electric power steering and 400-600 pound greater curb weight and the CRZ seems to be even a bit less communicative than the Fit. While I am not complaining about how either car steers, neither can point to this as area that differentiates them from other cars in the marketplace. While Hondas from the 80's and 90's could always check off steering feel as a big advantage, This is an area where I feel Honda has lost ground to the best in class like Porsche and BMW.
The Fit is significantly taller than the CRZ and as a result is much more susceptible *to being affected by cross winds. Driving down the road in the Fit on a windy day can be a bit busy as the car wonders with the gusts. The CRZ by comparison seems far better planted to the road.
In a nutshell, the CRZ feels like a well sorted personal luxury car in the way it steers, absorbs bumps and takes corners. Slamming the CRZ's doors makes a nice thunk, where the Fit and the CRX both sound a bit tinny So the Fit feels a bit more like an economy car in these areas. But it is that same "economy car like" transmission of bumps that also makes it feel a bit sportier and more like that of the old CRX. My point being that if you truly long for the feeling of the old CRX, you will find more of that feeling in the Honda Fit than you will the CRZ.
Acceleration
From the seat of the pants, the acceleration of these two cars feels very similar, but I can definitely feel the additional weight of the CRZ's batteries slowing things down a bit. In side by side acceleration tests between my Fit and CRZ, the Fit easily walks away from the CRZ in any gear at any RPM, but in real world driving, they offer pretty similar acceleration. In a drag race, my 5 speed Fit outran my CRZ up to about 70 mph. That is as fast as my wife and I raced, and I suspect the lower profile and better aero of the CRZ would begin to help it catch it up and by 90 mph the CRZ might even take the lead. But in the 1/4 mile the CRZ will be consistently beaten by the Fit.
Continued
1. http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...parisons/10q3/2011_ford_fiesta_vs._2010_honda_fit_2011_mazda_2-comparison_tests
Both these cars have different missions in Honda's marketing and product mix. The Fit is aimed at the high volume, low cost, small car segment where it soundly beats all of it's competition [footnote 1] including the Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, Hyundai Elantra Touring, Toyota Yaris 5-door, Nissan Versa, Scion D and even to some extent the Honda Civic sedan. Buyers in this class seek value and utility most of all. And while it is not the least expensive car in the category, there really is no competition for the Honda Fit in terms of it's utility and efficiency. It beats all others in space, while being one of the smallest on the outside. It beats most of it's competition in fuel economy while offering the best in class performance. And it offers the best combination of decent ride and exceptionally good handling. In my opinion, the Honda Fit is one of the best designed and engineered vehicles on the market. and I have owned one for the past 2 years and have never been disappointed in it's performance.
The CRZ competes in a totally different segment of the market than the Fit. For Honda, the CRZ has been cast the part of halo car. Even though it is among Honda's less expensive cars, its style and hybrid technology is designed to set the tone and future direction for the entire Honda line.
I would say for most CRZ buyers it's unique style is the primary attraction. From that point the secondary attraction to the CRZ varies widely among it's diverse buyers. For some it's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid engine brings appeal in the expectation of high fuel economy and/or added performance. To this end the CRZ may compete with other cars who's mission is high fuel economy like the VW diesels, MINI Cooper or even the Toyota Prius.
However, the competition for the CRZ is far wider than that of the Fit. Because of it's 2 seat limitation, CRZ buyers are typically willing to sacrifice utility for personal desires such as uniqueness and style. In this way, the CRZ may sometimes be shopped against cars with much higher price tags who exist as a splurge for their owners, cars like the Mazda Miata, BMW Z4 coupe Audi TT or even a Nissan 370Z. But the biggest competition for the CRZ seems to come from a 20 year old memory of it's fore bearer the Honda CRX. The CRX's memory seems to set the standard for what many expect from the CRZ and for this reason I will make some caparisons to this iconic model.
But this comparison is between the Honda CRZ and the Honda Fit. As I just illustrated I don't believe these two cars really compete against each other in the marketplace. But if they did, I believe that the utility and value of the Fit would so far outweigh the style of the CRZ that the Fit would be declared the winner. For me, I now own both cars and am enjoying both, but they are significantly different cars and perform quite differently in many areas despite their very similar roots and underpinnings.
PRICE
First a comparison in price is in order. The 2011 base Honda Fit starts at $15,850 and the CRZ at $19,950. Some, less thorough, reviews have concluded this means the price difference is $4,100. But this is not a valid comparison. The base CRZ is equipped similarly or even a little better than the Fit Sport. So a more fitting price comparison for the base CRZ would be the $17,610 Fit Sport. This brings the price difference to $2,340.
Further consideration shows that the CRZ offers some standard equipment that exceeds that of the Fit Sport, like automatic A/C, a feature that costs an extra $500 on a MINI Cooper. The CRZ also offers rear disk brakes and a 6-speed, rather than 5-speed, transmission in the Fit. These upgrades are worth at least an additional $750. The Fit Sport comes standard with fog lights that are lacking on the base CRZ, this is typically a $250 option. All this totals an additional $1000 of equipment on the CRZ
With this $1000 of equipment difference figured in, the price difference between the CRZ and the Fit is $1340. I would call this difference the "hybrid premium." By this, I mean, if the CRZ had not been delivered as a hybrid and had been fitted with the 1.5 liter Fit engine without the IMA, it likely could have been sold for $1340 less. This is by far the lowest "hybrid premium" compared to all other hybrids on the market that range from $3000 to $7500 price premiums over their non hybrid stablemates.
Price-wise I think both cars are real bargains.
Driving Dynamics
The driving dynamics of these two cars is significantly different. I own a 5MT Fit and a 6MT CRZ, so my comments will be restricted to these manual transmission cars only.
The Honda Fit has a driving dynamic that I think compares similarly to the legendary CRX. Both these cars have a light tossable nature, where you feel well connected to the drivetrain by the shifter, accelerator and steering wheel. The CRX offered a more pure feeling and was a better platform for designing a real track car. But I think the Fit holds it's own in driving dynamic with the old CRX. (of which I owned a 1985 CRX Si) A side effect of this "lightness" and connection is a bit more noise vibration and harshness as well as a tinniness that comes from low levels of insulation and cushioning.
By contrast, the CRZ offers a noticeably more refined, but slightly less "connected" driving dynamic. This refinement is exhibited in ride and the control of bumps and road imperfections. The CRZ nicely absorbs these bumps with less jolt coming through to the driver. The CRZ's ride is more comfortable, but this comfort and refinement comes at the expense of less sportiness.
Both cars have excellent gearboxes that require no real skill to shift, just like the old CRX. The six speed in the CRZ is a bit shorter in throw than the Fit's five speed. The only criticism I might offer at either of these gearboxes is that they don't like to be rushed. You have to maintain a reasonably slow shift pace to engage either box smoothly. The reality is that both these cars shift better than the old CRX ever did.
The manual rack and pinion steering of the old CRX was very communicative and was perhaps it's best feature that few other cars could match. This was due in large part to the CRX's light weight. The Fit has lost much of that feel with it's electric power steering and 400-600 pound greater curb weight and the CRZ seems to be even a bit less communicative than the Fit. While I am not complaining about how either car steers, neither can point to this as area that differentiates them from other cars in the marketplace. While Hondas from the 80's and 90's could always check off steering feel as a big advantage, This is an area where I feel Honda has lost ground to the best in class like Porsche and BMW.
The Fit is significantly taller than the CRZ and as a result is much more susceptible *to being affected by cross winds. Driving down the road in the Fit on a windy day can be a bit busy as the car wonders with the gusts. The CRZ by comparison seems far better planted to the road.
In a nutshell, the CRZ feels like a well sorted personal luxury car in the way it steers, absorbs bumps and takes corners. Slamming the CRZ's doors makes a nice thunk, where the Fit and the CRX both sound a bit tinny So the Fit feels a bit more like an economy car in these areas. But it is that same "economy car like" transmission of bumps that also makes it feel a bit sportier and more like that of the old CRX. My point being that if you truly long for the feeling of the old CRX, you will find more of that feeling in the Honda Fit than you will the CRZ.
Acceleration
From the seat of the pants, the acceleration of these two cars feels very similar, but I can definitely feel the additional weight of the CRZ's batteries slowing things down a bit. In side by side acceleration tests between my Fit and CRZ, the Fit easily walks away from the CRZ in any gear at any RPM, but in real world driving, they offer pretty similar acceleration. In a drag race, my 5 speed Fit outran my CRZ up to about 70 mph. That is as fast as my wife and I raced, and I suspect the lower profile and better aero of the CRZ would begin to help it catch it up and by 90 mph the CRZ might even take the lead. But in the 1/4 mile the CRZ will be consistently beaten by the Fit.
Continued
1. http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...parisons/10q3/2011_ford_fiesta_vs._2010_honda_fit_2011_mazda_2-comparison_tests
