OFFICIAL: Driving Impressions/Review

From BMW M3 to Honda CR-Z - The Review

Ok after a few weeks of driving, I feel I've had enough experience to do a review. Firstly, I'm coming out of a 430HP M3. My car before that was an M3. And before that was an M Roadster. And before that was an M3. Seeing a pattern? LOL. (BTW I'm not rich, I just usually spend beyond my means :grin: )

Anywho, with a new son, too much debt from stupid spending, too high maintenance ($1,800+ for brakes and that's not even BMW price, etc.), along with skyrocketing gas prices ($4.56 per gallon sort of was the straw that broke the camels back for me), I sold my beloved sports car and got a 2013 Honda CR-Z EX (and paid off some debt).

I have a one hour+ commute three times per week (110 miles round trip, 70% highway). I was one of the guys driving 85 MPH the ENTIRE way on the highway portion (mostly along with traffic in the fast lane). I was the guy annoyed by slow driving vehicles.

Ok... Enter CR-Z.

Fun Factor

Firstly, I love the car. I am actually having more fun, MUCH more fun, trying to beat my MPG "Score" like every commute (except for short trips around the city, where I zip around in sport mode). It's like playing a video game the whole time. And even though I'm driving a LOT slower (usually LESS than the speed limit to hypermile), the time flies by faster.

I'm also less stressed. Although now I get stressed because I don't want to hold up people behind me, even if I'm in the slow lane and they can pass me. I feel bad about that. But there are two lanes. Except for back roads, where I go the speed limit unless someone is behind me, in which case I go about three miles over.

I like the technology with all the graphics, etc. The dash and tech are far superior to any of my previous cars.

I love the Sport+ button, although I really see the difference in Econ mode, and not so much in sport mode. But in Econ mode, when I need to move, I hit that baby and I'm outta there. Love it.

Economy

A-W-E-S-O-M-E. They WAY under-rated this car. I got 52.1 MPG today on my way to work. Did I say AWESOME??? Forget Priuses!! Especially since I can hit sport mode and fly by them. :grin:

Performance

Obviously, this is not 430 HP. But I knew that. However, it is peppier than I imagined. Maybe that's the torque from the electric engine. I think the acceleration is good. I actually like the wheel chirp between first and second. The M3 did the same under high acceleration.

I do however, want the supercharger. The car will be perfect I think with 200hp if I can maintain my MPG in econ mode.

Although I had gone with the DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) on the M3, I am back to a manual on the CR-Z, and loving it. Can't beat the fun there.

The car is on rails around corners. It feels lighter than the big V8 M3 but shows no roll and snaps right around without issues.

Sound System

This was a BIG factor for me. I wanted a premium stereo as part of my trade off for speed. The EX stereo is PHENOMENAL!!! Especially with the hatchback / subwoofer combo. BLOWS away any stereo in the BMW's I had.

Summary:

Pros:

1. Quick acceleration and great handling
2. Sport+ Button in Econ mode is awesome for when I need to move
3. Three drive modes (I use Econ and Sport mostly)
4. Beautiful looking car inside and outside. I like it better than the BMW's actually.
5. Mods are aplenty and affordable (BMW supercharger is $14K for the starter model)
6. Fun. Like a video game to drive.
7. 49 - 52 MPG so far in Econ. This is with me hypermiling of course.

Cons:

1. Passenger window is not automated (I know I can order a part but I'm miffed it's not included.)
2. Steering wheel stereo track advance button does not allow scanning (aka fast forwarding or reversing through a song). But I can do it on the main unit so it's ok.

Those are small cons!!!! That said, I rate this as the FUNNEST and most MONEY SAVING (until I mod the hell out of it at least :grin: ) car.

Loving my CR-Z so far! :thumbup: I'm also glad there is an active community here to share the fun and enthusiasm.

The OS for the Navi model is...blah. While this is the most advanced car I've ever owned, I'm sure GPS can be better than this. Using a joystick to scroll around the map--why can't I just touch the map on the screen to move it and focus on certain areas? Why does the OS feel so slow when booting up (last thing to load is the ability to input an address)? GPS guidance will freeze up occasionally but not often enough for me to see a pattern. Inputting an address is slow and typing in a Place Name usually gets you something pretty far away, despite sorting by distance. Additionally, audio customization is too basic: bass and treble.

Speaking of audio, the car gets confused when it connects to my phone via Bluetooth and I also plug in the USB cable to charge the phone. Makes me unable to choose Pandora stations on the phone because it's Accessory Mode, and I have to switch to USB input, change the station, then switch to Bluetooth to hear it.

I have almost never used the S+ button. I drive around in Sport all the time and the S+ button is ignored--it seems like it would be better for the CVT. Throttle is a little sensitive in 1st and smooth starts take extra effort. Otherwise, transmission feels second nature to me but I remember how nice shifting felt when first getting the Z. Clutch delay is noticeable, though.

The interior would be a lot better if it didn't have red accenting on the seats and door panels. I think it would've been appreciated to get to choose either no accenting or a different color. Seats aren't the most comfortable for me and I'm not sure why, but my lower back doesn't like 'em.

Tire quality seems unsatisfactory. Ordered new wheels and tires which will be put on next week.

So, those are the complaints. On to the good stuff:
Though the car is slow by non-hybrid standards, it manages to satisfy my desire in a car: a nice balance of fun and practical. My last car was a 1986 Fiero v6 which makes the CR-Z feel like a luxury car and I definitely don't miss my old MPG. I've driven cars that were faster but with the amount of cruising and getting lost I do, it's nice to not worry about how much it's costing me.

The CR-Z is sexy, and manages to show some of the sporty driving feel in its exterior appearance. I remember a couple years ago I saw one for the first time and my friend with a CRX told me what it was.

In fact, a related point is it's just a unique car. There aren't a whole lot on the road and you stand out even without appearance mods. Even though I have a crush on the Subaru BRZ, I see them so often and one of those would cost more in multiple ways.

Here are some thoughts after 4 weeks of ownership (CPO 2012 Ex, 6MT, purchased at 17600 miles).

Pros:

1. Good acceleration at lower speeds.
2. Stays relatively flat when turning and the car feels agile.
3. Good brakes.
4. Gives the sense that I've moving at higher speed that I actually am.
5. 6MT with good shifter action/feel.
6. Distinct looks and some unintentional "exclusivity", perhaps due to slow sales?

Cons:

1. Have features I don't need: Hill Assist, Delayed Clutch return, various efficiency related gauges, etc.
2. No water temp gauge: I added Ultra Gauge to get around this.
3. TPMS.... Urgh. But I understand that it's not unique to CR-Z.
4. Glove box can be a little bigger.

CR-Z was on my list but was put aside since I wanted to try something other than a Honda (owned Civic Si, Accord couple and Prelude Type-SH), namely Infiniti G37x w/Sport Package. But when I drove one, I found everything about it to be quite "muted" (automatic, fast felt slow, leaned more than expected when turning, super quiet, etc.). I drove a couple of more G37x's to make sure and they all felt the same. After driving some more cars, I settled on CR-Z since it gave me the feeling closest to the one I got when I bought my Prelude Type-SH. It looks like my Prelude will stick around for a while, so I have the pleasure of alternating between 2 cars.

My impressions of my 2013 CR-Z

6,000 miles since purchase in Feb 2014. My Base 2013 CR-Z with CVT ( I wanted manual but none were available) ....this is a very fun little car. The CVT is actually one of the best in the business,far superior to Nissan CVT's and Mitsubishi CVT's. The storage bins in back are great to keep stuff from flying around when cornering hard. I carry alot of work gear/work out of my car and this CR-Z more than holds it all with room to spare. The power is more than adequate. The fuel savings are EXCELLENT!!! The stop start is smooth/can barely feel it...much smoother than my 2014 Mini Cooper stop start...fortunately on the Cooper there is a switch to disable the stop start. The back up cam is helpful but small, as it lives in the rearview mirror on the base model. The looks are very sexy/unique. Mine is black and I learned that black on black is not good for warm climates/car gets very very hot and takes a while to cool the interior...ah well. Stock stereo is good not great. The car seems durable and tough/I ran over a retread tire at 60+ mph on the highway...car survived it well with minimal damage. I am getting in the 40's avg most days. My best was 46.1 mpg avg a few days ago. Overall a fun, sporty car that gets great MPGS and doesnt look like everything else out there.

I didn't see this section until now. Here are my first impressions yesterday:

Today I test drove a GT-T 6MT dealer demonstrator, just four months old with 3,000 miles on the clock. On first sight it looked superb in Polished Metal metallic finish (I also had my eye on two other demonstrators in black, but forgot all about them once I saw it in this colour). The sweep of the bonnet (hood) and roofline was especially nice in the flesh. It's fully loaded and comes with 17" alloys, glass roof, hi-fi/sat-nav with subwoofer, Bluetooth, auto lights/daytime running, cruise control, leather, heated seats, folding mirrors, rain sensor, parking sensors, fog lights etc.

First impressions on sitting in it was how nice the cabin feels, quite big inside with the space obviously favouring the front seat occupants (which suits me). There are a multitude of controls but they're all arranged in logical groups. The main console really does look 3D, with the speedo digits floating in space. Everything has a quality look, which surprised me considering some of the negative comments I've read. The leather seats are very comfortable, as is the steering wheel.

Driving it the overriding impression was one of holding the road very well. Cornering and general grip were excellent on the Michelin Pilot Sports tyres. It felt like a bigger car than it is in terms of the ride quality, which is well damped and comfortable. I don't like soft suspensions! The steering is direct like a Mini Cooper's and the car is very much point-and-shoot, again like driving a Mini. Getting used to the IMA (it's really like an F1 KERS) was very easy and I could feel as well as see the assistance in action. It makes the engine pull and feel like a bigger unit than the 1.5l VTEC that's installed. Low down torque is especially impressive for its size. Regeneration on braking is snatch-free and energy recovery on the overrun is completely seamless. There was quite a lot of traffic, limiting my fun moments, and the only time I really felt the electric assist kick in was when engaging the S+ mode on the steering wheel and flooring it, when it felt like a small turbo spooling up. It's not a fast car (not compared with my BMW, an unfair comparison) but it's nimble and responsive and on overtaking delivered the goods in order to complete the manoeuvre very easily. This was almost all in Normal mode. Sports mode felt even more responsive and that's still left for me to explore. Again, I was left with the impression of a very well sorted chassis with a quiet interior, great ride without being floaty and a big feel inside, despite being small and cute on the outside!

I had a figure in mind at which I would buy the car there and then, and after sending the personable salesman away to discuss it with his boss, he came back and agreed the price. This is with 5 years warranty, 5 years servicing included, LifeShine treatment and free delivery (88 miles). I simply couldn't say no!

So on Friday I shall be the rather pleased owner of one of the last CR-Zs in the UK, since Honda UK in their crazed thinking have withdrawn it from sale.

CR-Z owners impressions after 5,000 miles:

So, I hit 5,000 miles on the drive home yesterday. I was sad I've already put 5,000 miles since October 7th, but hey, cars are meant to be driven.

Pros:

(1) Excellent handling

(2) Torque in every gear is very nice and surprising

(3) Sport mode is a lot of fun (My car start up ritual consists of waiting for the cold light on the dash to go away, seat belt, and of course Sport mode 24/7)

(4) PWP color looks amazing and give the car an expensive look

(5) Braking is excellent. I can't wait to see what the HPD BBK can do!

(6) Auto sensing headlights are awesome! (Love the DRL LED's)

(7) Seats are very comfortable and give you that racecar low center of gravity feeling

(8) I'll admit it, I get head turns just about everywhere you drive. People constantly ask me, "What is that car?" "Looks great man" or a thumbs up on the highway

(9) Interior is well laid out and build materials are excellent. The stereo is surprisingly good even though Honda has has a reputation for poor stereo quality in years past

(10) Back up camera! I'm not 100% sure if the base models get one, but on my EX version I have one. Best thing ever, since we have a pretty bad blind spot.

Cons:

(1) Gearbox. It's chunky, albeit, I think mine has started to finally settle in somewhat.

(2) Black mesh seats are impossible to keep clean, but that's just me nit picking

(3) I hear random rattling from the rear hatch, which I've heard others mention

That's about all I can think of. I was trying to be as honest as possible. I'm sure I've missed something.