2011 Honda CR-Z
by Jim Prueter -10/2010

A Sporty Hybrid (?)

You have to hand it to the folks at Honda who keep plugging holes in their product portfolio. Three of its 11 models are among the top-ten best selling vehicles (Accord, Civic and CR-V), and they’ve just added a third gasoline-electric hybrid to the lineup, joining Insight and Civic Hybrid.

With the new 2011 CR-Z, Honda introduces a bipolar car that attempts to blend fuel efficiency and performance in a hybrid product. It employs essentially the same hybrid powertrain as the Honda Insight introduced last year, although the Insight uses a slightly smaller four-cylinder than the CR-Z (1.3 liter vs. 1.5). Efficiency performance? Sporty hybrid? Yet another oxymoron to make fun of?

CR-Z isn’t Honda’s first two-passenger sporty hatchback; tuner boys will recognize the car’s unmistakable CRX heritage. The CRX hatchback was part of Honda’s lineup from 1984 to 1991 before giving way to the Targa-topped, Civic-based Del Sol, a sporty two-seater.

While the CR-Z looks like something the CRX would have evolved into had production not ceased, CR-Z is about a foot longer, inches wider, almost 800 pounds heavier and just as quick, or phlegmatic, depending upon your point of view.

The gasoline engine is rated at 113 horsepower and combines with a 10-kilowatt electric motor to produce a constant 122 horsepower. Honda calls its hybrid system Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), a rather simple design in which the electric motor is effectively mounted to the crankshaft and only operates when the engine does. The gasoline engine automatically turns off when the car comes to a stop, and the electric motor restarts it when you lift your foot off the brake. Unlike with the Toyota Prius, there’s no cutting in and out of the engine except when the gas engine shuts down at a stop light. Manual shifter models will only shut off when the driver brakes, depresses the clutch and shifts into neutral. The engine restarts as soon as another gear is selected. Think of it as a kind of electric turbocharger.

What really makes the CR-V different is that it is the first and only hybrid vehicle available with a six-speed manual transmission as well as the typical continuously variable transmission (CVT), which uses bands and pulleys instead of fixed gears. The six-speed manual actually makes the CR-V enjoyable and downright sporty to drive. Honda tells us that only 25 percent of buyers will opt for the manual shifter, but since we found it so easy to drive we would strongly encourage you to consider the manual even if you weren’t previously. The manual shifter also has a “hill assist” feature that keeps the car from rolling backwards for a second when starting out.

The concept of a “sporty hybrid” is foreign to hybrid buyers because we use the perception of the Prius buyer as a benchmark. To most Americans, the function of a hybrid isn’t fun, rather, it’s deemed to be the responsible choice — green, producing less of a carbon footprint, meant to make a statement as opposed to creating a driving experience that’s inspiring, sporty and (ahem) fun.

Still, don’t expect CR-Z’s improved fuel economy to fund your 401k, because you might never afford to retire. The EPA ratings are just 31 miles per gallon city, 37 highway and 34 combined for the six-speed manual shifter model, and 35/39/37 for the CVT. That’s hardly impressive for a hybrid, especially for a small two-seater. By comparison, the larger Ford Fusion hybrid gets 41 mpg city, 39 highway and 36 combined; Prius’ ratings are 51/50/48. Even the non-hybrid Mini Cooper gets 28 mpg city, 37 highway. The original Honda CRX got a whopping 51 mpg city and 67 highway. Still, the CR-Z is projected to be in the top five of all EPA-rated vehicles for 2010-2011.

Similar to the Insight, the CR-Z offers a three-mode drive system – eco, normal, and sport — that adjusts the throttle response, steering, and electric motor input by actuating a switch on the left side of the dash panel. These three distinct choices change the driving response. Select “eco” mode and performance is significantly muted, cutting back on air-conditioning compressor engagement and fan speeds, and selecting a higher transmission ration for lower engine rpm. But, it delivers the best fuel economy. Switch to the “normal” mode and performance improves with noticeable throttle response. “Sport” mode makes the CR-V almost peppy, with transmission ratios shifting to maintain a higher engine rpm for improved performance.

The CR-Z’s interior is more impressive than I expected, even for a sub-$20,000 vehicle. At 6 feet 6 inches tall I had as much legroom as I needed, with no worry about crowding the rear-seat passenger since it is only a two-seat vehicle. Seats are comfortable and mostly supportive with manual adjustments for fore-aft, up and down.

There’s plenty of headroom, the steering wheel tilts and telescopes (nice), but there’s no center console armrest, which was sorely missed. All interior materials are hard plastic with a mixture of textures, colors and shapes. There is some faux metal trim, but we liked the quasi-three-dimensional, brilliantly illuminated gauges, including the colored ring between the analogue tachometer and digital speedometer. Dash lights are red when you’re driving in sport mode, blue in normal and eco modes and green if you’re driving responsibly and economically with a light foot on the pedal. Like the Insight, when you behave by driving conservatively, CR-Z gives you an “eco” score in the form of a green leaf cluster when shutting the vehicle off.

A few gripes: rear visibility is poor due to the fat rear roof pillars and design of the rear hatch, the ride is very firm, and a sunroof or heated seats aren’t available.

Standard safety features include front, side-impact and curtain airbags, active head restraints, standard antilock brakes, electronic stability and traction control systems. It has not been crash tested as of this writing.

The CR-Z starts at just $19,200 for the base model and $20,760 for the EX that adds a premium audio system, fog lights, Bluetooth, HID headlamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel and textured aluminum pedals. Add $1800 for navigation system and $650 for the CVT. CR-Z is available in a choice of five exterior colors with grey cloth the only interior color choice.