phee

iTrader: (5)

ken, had you already purchased the b18?

Ken1997TL

Ken1997TL

Yes, I resold it and made some $$$.

ttribe

Cool little car. Congrats again.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

cooooool interior!

Ken1997TL

Driving Impressions:

I'll start off by describing the driver's space...

The seats are comfortable and not overly bolstered. The fabric feels high quality and nicely textured. They're quite adjustable as is the steering wheel which tilts and telescopes. I was able to get comfortable immediately. There is a lot of leg room in this car and the footwells are large as well.

Visibility in this car is good until you're looking over your shoulder to change lanes. I set the side mirrors and eliminated the blindspots. Still, I'd prefer better visibility, having been spoiled by numerous Hondas that felt like a fighter jet. The rear is acceptable, the split glass view is straight from the Insight(s) and CRX.

The steering wheel is small, even smaller I think than the TSX's. The controls on the wheel are almost identical to current Acura products.

The sport/normal/eco buttons are to the left of the steering wheel, I almost always use sport mode. The throttle seems to be easier to manipulate vs. the clutch from a start than in other modes.

The controls and instrumentation are very driver oriented. The layout reminds me of the S2000 and RSX. Plenty of information such as instant MPG, average MPG and outside temperature can all be displayed at the same time.

Now as for how it drives...

Lets go back to my mention of the RSX, this car feels and drives like a base model RSX.

The suspension is 'fun' but not sports car serious. It soaks up the bumps without fuss or thumping, has some lean but always feels light and secure. For a short wheelbase, this is a good thing. It has less tire noise than an equivalent RSX or even the newest Civics. Wind noise is very much muted. The body doesn't shake or rattle over bumps, in fact it feels like a much heaver car in this aspect. Very solid.

The engine is very quiet unless you're accelerating, then it has a 'boomy' quality to it. It sounds quite good past 3,500 rpms. The redline is low, a very un-Honda 6500 or so. Remember this is a tweaked Fit motor not a K series.

And it definitely does not feel like 122 hp. With electric motors giving you plenty of torque, it feels more like a 2.0 liter engine. Again, like a base RSX. Dyno tests have proven the CR-Z motor to be underrated. It realistically puts down 118 hp at the wheels and a 130 foot pounds of torque. Not shabby at all. My 'butt dyno' says this car could do 0 - 60 in 8 seconds if the gearing were a little different. The 2-3 shift is just before 60 mph.

The steering is electrically assisted, it has decent feel and some nice weight to it if you're in Sport Mode. In eco mode it just feels dead and lazy but with enough weight at highway speeds to be acceptable. If you've driven a 2011+ TSX (which is much improved over the previous years) you'll have an idea of how the steering is.

As for gas mileage, we drove on the highway for 22 miles yesterday. We set the cruise to 65 mph, left it in eco mode. The MID claimed we got 46.8 mpg. Very impressive...

I'll have more information as we continue to drive it

zac

Fun little car, I like the color. Sounds like its plenty quick enough for normal driving.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Like the look of the interior.

Any issues with the AC controls being where they are? That seems a bit odd.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

46.8mpg

Ken1997TL

No, they're quite handy. A little odd at first but a lot like the S2000. Speaking of A/C and heating, the heat kicks in very quickly in this car. It has an electrically driven water pump and compressor of course.

Shoofin

I always loved the CRX,and was in high anticipation when I saw the CR-Z prototype, but walked away a little disappointed with the finished product. My biggest bother is how long of an overhang the front end has. In all though, it's a nice little car. If they build one with more power (Like an Si motor - Honda, you listening?!?), I'd be all over it.

From the NY Auto Show:

Ken1997TL

The overhang in that picture looks bad. It's really no worse than any of Honda's current products. I haven't had any issues with dips in the roads/intersections.

Shoofin

I know, that's not as much of a concern of mine, unless it's slammed. I don't know, I just don't like how long the overhang is..

Ken1997TL

Yeah it could be better but when you have a FWD car with today's 'pedestrian collision compatibility' standards... you end up with a nose like that.

teranfon

I agree. The overhang doesn't look that bad. I actually find the overhang on my 7th gen 6MT more bothersome.

vas25tl

Look good! Congrats on the new purchasES.

CCColtsicehockey

Wow at the Protype red one.

Chef Andre

Nice pick up!!!

LawnPro

nice crz Ken! That blue is so sharp! Its nice to hear your wife likes the manual tranny. My wife refuses to drive an auto in any of the cars she drives/ owned. She wanted a small suv with a 5m/t, and the only suv was a saturn vue - manual. We picked up a 2004 and she actually likes it! When she gets home im gonna show her the above pics of your crz. I would like to see her in another honda/acura car in the future.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Great review...having driven a Swiss 6MT, I not only concur, but could not have worded it so eloquently and to the point. Nicely done!

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Now... let the modding begin...

Ken1997TL

Well I bought her the illuminated side sills for Christmas (among other things)

Costco

Not gonna lie, I hate hate hated the CR-Z when I first saw the production photos. Admittedly there was bias carried over from the failure of the Insight and preexisting and unrealistic hopes for what the CR-Z would be. But it's grown on me in person and I've always liked the interior. I like futuristic looking ones, and at the same time it looks very ergonomic. Reviews from both you and Colin convince me that it's a fun car. Glad to hear that it's still possible to swap in rear seats, though I still think they should have came with them.

46.8 mpg.... I'm jelly

Ken1997TL

Drove quite a bit this afternoon in the CR-Z, we got 46.5 MPG over 170 miles

PortlandRL

Nice. Where'd you go?

ineedmyfixofacura

iTrader: (2)

the interior is very nice, I love that cluster! NOW SLAM IT! tehe.

Ken1997TL

All over the Rogue and Applegate Valley. The dog's soft kennel just barely fit.

Ken1997TL

The nose scrapes on a stock setup on Oregon intersections designed to handle heavy rain. Besides, stock it sits quite well and the wheels fill the wheel wells.

mrstak

iTrader: (1)

That's the exact color of the one I see when I walk to the train station. on the color and interior pics. Question though, where's the USB port located? I can't tell where it is from the pics.

Ken1997TL

Directly below the stereo, it has its own compartment with a closing door. Fits an iPod or similar device perfectly!

F23A4

I stopped by my local Honda dealership to pick up some mats for my Accord and had the chance to look at the CR-Z. It occurred to me that this one car that is starting to grow on me.

However, I'd love to see the CR-Z with a hybrid K24Z3 motor....sort of a CR-Z Si deal.

TommySalami

They should call a powerful version the CR-X

uhohkaitlina

Nice! i was looking at the CRZ for a little bit but then realized I would only want the 6MT and the Mugen body kit. (And that is EXTREMELY over priced!!!). Then I figured that I will be starting a family soon (hopefully), so a 2 seater clearly wold not cut it.

Happy with my decision but every time i see one of these in the road a little part inside of me wants to jump in there just to see how it drives.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

This should be a great competitor for BRZ and FT86.

Ken1997TL

That would be a LOT of torque for this car.

Ken1997TL

Definitely check them out with the 6MT. They drive great in 'Sport mode', lots of useable power up to about 70 mph. Then it's kinda gutless, but most people are trying to save gas at those speeds

Hapa DC5

Jealous. My wife makes us buy a Highlander you get to rock a CR-Z.

neuronbob

CR-Z rocks. Thanks for sharing your experience with it.

FiftyFive

Awesome car, awesome wife, and awesome review. After having two CR-Xs back in the day, I absolutely love these things!

PortlandRL

My dealer has three right now (black, red or white), all of which have been around for about a year, if not longer. You would make them so happy if you bought at least one of them.