[PearlWhiteCRZ]

The last time I looked into waiting for the car to warm up vs just driving off is that the wear on the cold engine will occur regardless. Just don't drive off and full throttle it until the engine warms up.

I agree with you, with my limited mechanical knowledge. But, wouldn't it be a safer bet to make it a habit to let you car idle until the cold engine indicator goes off? I'm assuming that light is there for a reason and not just a pretty blue light on the instrument panel.

I didn't mean that sarcastically. I'm literally asking that question because I'd like to know. In really cold weather that light can take upwards of 5-6 min to go away. In warm weather it's only like 2-3 minutes. But I'm going to continue to let my car idle until it goes away. I imagine that has to be better than driving off on a cold engine.

 

[Weigaldo]

I just take that light as a "don't do anything stupid until I turn off" indicator. I keep it under 3k on the tach until it turns off and definitely no sport mode. If I can get by without turning on my heat until that light turns off, I do that too. It seems that with the heat on, the car takes longer to get up to temp. Anyway, in my mind it's either "sit, idle until warm, and waste x amount of gas over 0 miles" or "drive slow cold, cover x amount of miles, waste x amount less of gas." The engine will be running either way.

 

[chimaera]

You're not damaging the engine by driving it cold. Keep it below 4,000rpm and don't hit VTEC as Chaz stated.

From a technical standpoint, it's better to get in, start it up and drive as soon as possible. Idling the vehicle contributes to wear and stress, and idling to operating temperature (which would take at least 10 minutes to full operating temp, not just until the blue light goes off) is even worse. Plus it's a waste of a lot of fuel as the ECU dumps fuel through the engine onto the catalytic convertor to warm it up faster (cold catalytic convertor does nothing) and contributes to more pollution, automobiles pollute the most when started up cold.

In the Helm manual, when doing a coolant flush/bleed they used to state to hold the throttle open at 3,000 rpm to get the car to temp and the radiator fans to come on, because idling @750 rpm until the radiator fans come on (full operating temperature) would take far too long, increases wear and wastes fuel.

One thing to note is, when the blue light goes off, the vehicle is not actually at 'operating temperature'. Blue light goes off at 125F, but the thermostat doesn't even start opening until 169-176F. Fully open at 194F. Operating temperature is generally considered the 'heat-soaked' temperature, when the vehicle has to employ the water-cooling system as is designed. This is the temperature range the engine is in when at operating temperature.

Waiting to drive a cold car because of concerns of engine wear is one of the longest standing car myths. You'll save money (gas), time and help the environment by starting it up and driving it.

From this thread.

 

[MartinT]

I said elsewhere in my impressions that the CR-Z is "not a fast car". I'd like to expand on that by saying that it's not a slow car, either. In fact, its ability to press on comes from a combination of using Sport mode together with the V-TEC's full rev range, as well as its impressive flowing handling around bends and through junctions. This allows for the serious making of progress.

I don't always drive that way, but it has to be said that it can be properly hustled along.

 

[scrz]

it hasn't been above freezing here in a month, nights down to 0 degrees F, haven't started with the starter yet, all IMA. only been about 1000 miles so far though.

I'd research honda hybrids starting with the original Insight (have wanted an insight for a while but crz is kind of the next generation so I'm happy) vs some one-off models that got bad reviews. IMO the civic (SI included) sucks in general but I'm loving the CRZ.

 

[tra-CRZ-y]

Great review. so glad to hear the ride is smooth, I'm wanting to buy a 2011 crz and I'm concerned about the harshness of the ride as honda's aren't the best with ride quality. BY THE WAY: I'm wanting to buy a Cr-z and I'd love to know if it has the same IMA horror stories as the civic hybrid. I read such terrible BS about the civic hybrid's i was scared away from honda hybrids.. but I really really want one of these. can you re-assure me it's okay and that the battery pack doesn't fail randomly? and that it does fine in cold weather, etc? just works relatively reliable in general? I've never owned any hybrid just regular ole' gasoline cars.

Here is my three cents worth....I have had Trudy for almost one year and 15k of enjoyable miles. I have not regretted my purchase and this does not figure to change! I have not been a Prius fan...and they are common as ticks on a dog around here.. The Crz was love at first sight and the Hybrid aspect was just icing! I hope you luck on your decision! As for cold weather...well around here under 50 is cold.

 

[Ichii]

Great review. so glad to hear the ride is smooth, I'm wanting to buy a 2011 crz and I'm concerned about the harshness of the ride as honda's aren't the best with ride quality. BY THE WAY: I'm wanting to buy a Cr-z and I'd love to know if it has the same IMA horror stories as the civic hybrid. I read such terrible BS about the civic hybrid's i was scared away from honda hybrids.. but I really really want one of these. can you re-assure me it's okay and that the battery pack doesn't fail randomly? and that it does fine in cold weather, etc? just works relatively reliable in general? I've never owned any hybrid just regular ole' gasoline cars.

My 2011 crz is about 100k miles on it and no issue with IMA so far *knock on wood* so far things i had to replace was the car battery which I did a month ago.

 

[CRZnotCRV]

After 1000 miles on the car here are my thoughts..

Pros:
1) Good acceleration
2) Good mpg
3) Nice look
4) More fun to drive a slow car fast, and I actually feel like im going fast.

Cons:
1) Once it hit about 40ish mph, it doesn't really get any faster if you step on the gas, it just gets louder
2) Big blind spot
3) It seems the cold engine takes too long to warm up
4) DRL could be brighter, once the low beam headlights comes on, you cant tell if the DRL are even on
5) Handling is not so great on the highway on windy days.

Overall I love this car.

 

[foyleside]

impressions of crz after 8 months

Greetings from Eire fellow Zedders,

Thought I would update you on my impressions of the Zed which I purchased in Ireland eight months ago.
Just a quick reminder if you haven't seen my previous posts in new members section, I bought a pearl white CRZ GT with all the toys including glass panoramic roof, heated leather seats, HID headlights etc.

Have racked up about nine thousand miles, mainly driving in Eire, Northern Ireland, but also in England and Wales.

I'm still grinning like a Cheshire Cat, I just love that car!!!!
Previous cars included a 94 Honda Prelude which I had for ten years, superb car but expensive on petrol and upkeep......then a 1.8 04 Toyota Celica which I had for seven years.
Decided to change over as I find once a car reaches ten years, then the big bills can start happening!!!
Anyway got a few thousand euros for the Celica which I put towards the CRZ....instant saving of about 500 euros a year on road tax as well!!!!
45 euros of petrol usually keeps me going for up to three weeks, driving around North Donegal and across the border into Derry/Londonderry/Doire in Northern Ireland.
[The city has three names for political reasons!!!]

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS...
I find driving around town and on most country roads in ECON mode is good enough....get great mileage, and it's a smooth relaxing drive.
Mainly use SPORTS mode for overtaking, or sometimes just to have a bit of fun.
Scared the be-jaysus out of a friend when floored it from zero in SPORTS mode.....the car just took off...the torque is unbelievable.....but you have to be careful to have a firm grip on the wheel!!!
I find the Z ideal for the twisty country roads and lanes in Donegal, and great for tootling around urban centres.
The V-Tech engine is superb...quiet as a mouse when just tootling along ...and then screaming like a Banshee when red lined!!!!

ICE
Love the six speaker stereo with subwoofer, currently blasting out Duran Duran as Summer approaches!!!

OTHER BITS

Glad have got a panoramic glass roof as that really brightens up the interior.
I really like the blue accent lighting at night.

The dash is fab...full of relevant information to help you get the best out of the engine, and all laid out perfectly.

The HIDs are a revelation after halogens on all the other cars I've owned.

The interior is pretty easy to keep clean, though I've put down a couple of silver mats in the front, as I do a lot of walking on beaches in the area, and didn't want to mess up the original mats with sand and mud.

When I bought the car I had the stock 16inch alloys, upgraded those to the 17 inch gunmetal alloys which look superb against the white pearl paintwork...the only disadvantage being I have to be VERY careful not to kerb them as they have low profile tyres!!!!
I'm also still very careful where I park to help avoid dings and scratches...so far [touch wood] the Z has avoided any such damage.

The Z still makes me smile when I see her each day, inside and out....

I know it almost sounds like I work for Honda in the write up I've given.......I've tried to think of any negative points, but I can honestly say for me there are none.
It's not a sports car, but is a sporty car......if you want mega 0-60, then you'll pay out a lot more for such a vehicle both in the initial outlay, but also for running costs, insurance etc.
Also if you want massive figures for miles per gallon, then again I would say the Z isn't the car for you....it's about compromise, and for me it hit the nail on the head, it does reasonable mileage, is a hoot to drive, and in my humble opinion is one of the sexiest looking small coupes on the road!!!

You're probably aware that Jeremy Clarkson{he of former Top Gear fame}rated the Z when he wrote a review shortly after the model came out....he said it made him happy every time he got into the car...I would certainly agree with that....he called the CRZ odd...but in a pretty way!!!

The Z has now been withdrawn from Ireland and UK and I think the rest of Europe as well.
Never really caught on in the Emerald Isle as wasn't practical enough, but as mentioned in previous posts that was part of the attraction.....a VERY exclusive car on the roads here.
Could only find about three second hand ones for sale here on line.

The Z always reminds me of cars I used to see on a children's SciFi show on TV in England when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s called UFO.

Slan go foill,

Foyleside

 

[CRX-CRZ]

After 2,500 miles, first impressions

It looks so much better than a damn Prius!
There is nothing but good to post and I drove from Bend to Salem on 3.5 Gallons/201 miles !!! (mostly downhill) but 57+ MPG!!!! wahooo

Being 6' 2" and 230 I fit fine and on a 5 hr drive was still comfy.
I drive my C-5 Vette less and less. Might need to sell it for added garage space.
This car is made with quality and dependability in mind. I would buy it again.

 

[LOTSC]

The crz feels light, nippy, well balanced, effortless and easy to drive. Eager to corner without any part of the car feeling off balance or weighing it down. These are all feelings, sensations that cannot be described by numbers in a spec sheet. You have to drive the car yourself in order to discover this. Also feels solid, quality and effortless.

I liked the car since its launch but the press reviews were so bad that I didn't buy the car until I test drove it 2 years later. As soon as I test drove it, I walked out and placed the order (in 2012). The press never "got" this car. They never understood what its designers' mission was or what honda was trying to achieve.

This is the only car I have owned that I will be happy to keep for as long as I can, until it stops moving.

 

[Davem]

New owners review 2013 CR-Z CVT

Hi All,
These are my driving impressions/short term review of my 2013 CR-Z CVT. Red with about 33k. 3 weeks and 700 of my own miles.

The exterior of this vehicle is exciting to look at. The front end is aggressive and confident but not over done. It looks like a car that is much faster than it is. I found the interior immediately fascinating because of its futuristic vibe, vivid sharp colors, and a ton of information relevant to a mpg loving hybrid owner.

I really enjoy the light pattern when starting car and the smooth vroom as the engine starts. Once running the exhaust settles into a subtly sporty note.
One of the first surprises after shifting into D was the noticeably abrupt start after releasing the brake pedal and pressing the gas. It felt like a manual car when you let the clutch out quickly with low throttle input. This is discussed in a few threads on this forum.

Once driving the CVT is really smooth. The rpm response to the gas pedal seems well thought out for ECON and Normal modes. Sport mode earned my respect driving a steep curvy road with many tight turns. The power is plenty good for real world driving. The car has no issue keeping with normal acceleration of surrounding traffic at 1.5k-3k rpm. Although its 0-60 time doesn’t sound special on paper, the combination of its exhaust sound and overall feel with the engine floored put a smile on my face.

The tire noise above 45 seems slightly higher than most cars. The blind spot is large but with practice and extra care it’s easy to overcome. The auto stop is great overall but sometimes activates at awkward times. This is a unique car to drive that requires a little more involvement and thought from the driver, but it rewards you more than appropriately in return. I have zero regrets of buying it so far and am loving the CR-Z experience!

 

[Whackadoodle]

2014 EX CVT

It's the first car I've ever bought new. After having been on nothing but a motorcycle for a year, working construction, I was done wrestling traffic, being cold, or wet, or hot.

I was infatuated with the 2g insight, since I always wanted the 1g and just didn't have a dealer near me when I was in the market way back. After driving one though, well, it wasn't gonna do for me. I liked the storage, the back seat and the visibility, but it really is an economic car, and I4 isn't too forgiving.

The CR-Z however, had the looks, performance, lithium batteries, but it really pushed my budget. I liked the idea of not being a taxi for my friends, and what I had read about the little thing made it the car to get.

There were three deal killers. Had to not be black, Had to have the manual transmission, and had to have a backup camera. Well, that lasted right up to wheelin' dealin' time. Turns out the stick shift is a hard one to come by down here, and the leftover was both black and CVT.

28 thousand miles in one year later, I am supremely happy with my choice.

The Pros
Reasonable maintenance, both cost and time inbetween
Plenty of storage in the back. Tools, text books, cold weather clothing for work, lunchbox, weeks worth of laundry; it all gets swallowed up by the hatch.
Handling is spot on, though it feels like I run out of suspension just after I run out of tire.
Mileage, I drive it like a 1g insight sometimes, best I've done is 62.4 mpg, average about 42 when I'm not doing my second job. I have actually gotten mad because it cost more then 20 bucks to fill up. I like that.
Straight line performance is great for a hybrid. Hit the S+ button, or tap the sport mode and it'll give you a smile every time. I wish there was a way to keep the weighted steering in sport mode everywhere else.
Parking is really great with the backup camera. School parking is in short supply, and I fit perfectly in the compact spots.
Forward visibility is really great.
Style, every time I get out of the car and start to leave I always look back and what I see makes me smile.

Cons. Not necessarily deal breakers, just things I've noticed that bug me.
Massive C-pillars. Crazy blind spots trying to cross a highway. The bar across the back is nice though, keeps high beam morons from blinding me.
No lumbar support. Really sucked when I threw my back out.
CVT transmission. Not horrible, but fickle as hell. Still, in traffic it's nice to have.
The rear windshield wiper really needs to go down about an inch more.
The fog lights do nothing so far as I can tell. I turn them on in bad weather just to say I used them. The HIDs are amazing.
I wish the range was a bit more. I do a lot of driving and it would really help to have a bigger tank.

Overall, I love the car. I was going to trade it at the end of my apprenticeship, but as long as the batteries hold out, I'll keep it plugging along.

 

[SPICCIANI]

2014 EX CVT

I wish the range was a bit more. I do a lot of driving and it would really help to have a bigger tank..

More range? God in heaven... My current motorcycle has 5 gal tank and im happy to get 200 miles and that is all i can stand in one go. My old car (miata) had 11gal and could go 260 miles which was also all i could sit through.... You want more than 400 miles?

How did you through your back out?

 

[Whackadoodle]

More range? God in heaven... My current motorcycle has 5 gal tank and im happy to get 200 miles and that is all i can stand in one go. My old car (miata) had 11gal and could go 260 miles which was also all i could sit through.... You want more than 400 miles?

How did you through your back out?

The bike I traded had a spare tank, I had about a 450 mile range to E, and I could steadily do that all day. As a matter of fact, I'm collecting parts to build a stampede style chopper, and depending on the engine I'm shooting for a 700 mile range on it.

I wouldn't mind having around a 600 mile range on this car, something close to the VW TDI ranges. I know a lot of it has to do with weight (of the fuel) and packaging. As it is, I have to stop once a day during my second job to fill up, and it gets frustrating.


I tweaked my back while lifting an Evo V-twin engine off a stand on the ground. I lifted more with my back then my knees and it did me in for a bit.

 

[Sydney CRZ]

got my CRZ 10 days/250 km ago. 2012 Luxury CVT (fully optioned model aimed at Aus/NZ/SA mkt) Polished gunmetal colour

car before this was 08 Civic Type R which I didnt really take to, and before that an 88 CRX which is one of the best, most under-rated cars ever made by any company.

First Impressions:

Positives
- seats comfortable
- fast enough and agile enough for 97% of real world driving scenarios
- very good sound in ent system and very good sat nav design
- Huge boot relative to size of car
- no one else has one
- very pleasing shape - liked it at first and like it even more 10 days later
- best wipers I have ever experienced on any car of any price

Negatives
- straight line rear vision is fine but oblique rear vision almost non-existent, quite dangerous
- No clock unless you have the radio on...WTF how did that happen in the design process???
- If you wear a suit the seat lifter controls catches and rips your trouser turn-ups when you exit the car..every time!!!
- dont really see the point of the econ setting - cant imagine i will ever use it
- low tank range

I have a couple of questions for other owners but i will try to find the right forum thread for them

 

[luddite]

The crz feels light, nippy, well balanced, effortless and easy to drive. Eager to corner without any part of the car feeling off balance or weighing it down. These are all feelings, sensations that cannot be described by numbers in a spec sheet. You have to drive the car yourself in order to discover this. Also feels solid, quality and effortless.

I liked the car since its launch but the press reviews were so bad that I didn't buy the car until I test drove it 2 years later. As soon as I test drove it, I walked out and placed the order (in 2012). The press never "got" this car. They never understood what its designers' mission was or what honda was trying to achieve.

This is the only car I have owned that I will be happy to keep for as long as I can, until it stops moving.

I agree about keeping the Zed until the wheels stop turning.
I intended to buy a new one every five years but as it's suspended in the UK I would have to import one so I'm keeping mine until it stops.
Apart from being a looker it's just such fun and easy to drive.

 

[fluffsta]

Just picked up my CRZ Sport. A few thoughts!

Very impressed with the weight distribution of the car, sport mode was more impressive than I thought it would be considering the BHP.
Honda always do decent interiors, the CRZ is very impressive inside.
The driving position can take a little getting used to (I found it the same in the CRX)
I commute up to 70 miles a day for work so I was looking for something that 'feels nice' to drive with decent MPG. I thought the CRZ would be 'nice' but after getting my new car I would replace 'nice' with 'fun'
The factory head unit, sub speaker in the boot and front component speakers are far better than I expected it to be! I really thought I might need to replace the lot.
MPG is very impressive! I can get higher with my Nissan Qashqai but for faster driving the CRZ wins. Pushing the CRZ (I only had the CRZ 2 days!) the minimum MPG I am getting is 44MPG but if I drive the Qashqai hard I can go as low as 37MPG

All in all I am very impressed! The car I got looks great and is a little headturner and also is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I have driven and owned many Honda's in the past and right away this little baby ranks right up there! Considering the last Honda I owned was the Prelude Type S with the ATTS system I thought the CRZ would be decent at best but I am honestly surprised at how nice the CRZ drives and even the power considering the low BHP. Sports mode is a joy to drive.

 

[Defiant]

....I can get higher with my Nissan Qashqai

It really isn't good for you to be smoking that stuff, and you should put all effort into ceasing its abuse.

The car I got looks great and is a little headturner

If you'd like to have some fun, park in front of a cafe where you can see the car, and go inside for a nice lunch. Watch and see how many people stop and look at the Z as they pass by. You'll be surprised.

 

[Ken]

If you'd like to have some fun, park in front of a cafe where you can see the car, and go inside for a nice lunch. Watch and see how many people stop and look at the Z as they pass by. You'll be surprised.

Very true. I get as many compliments on my CR-Z as my S2000.