2015 Honda CR-Z - Review

2015 Honda CR-Z - Review 

  The 2015 Honda CR-Z, now in its fifth year on sale, has always been a very specialized car that never found its specialty. Intended to channel happy memories of the sporty, nippy, fuel-sipping CRX two-seater of two decades ago into a modern, ultra-efficient sports coupe, the CR-Z instead is neither very sporty nor terribly high-mileage. In fact, its gas mileage--rated by the EPA at 37 mpg combined for the more fuel-efficient model--is walloped by the 50-mpg combined rating of the far larger, more capacious, five-seat Toyota Prius. Especially in its design, the CR-Z was always meant to be a followup to the beloved Honda CR-X, a small Civic-based hatchback that put an emphasis on handling and low weight. The CR-Z was to take that car's concept, add a simple hybrid powertrain for fuel economy, and keep the fun dream alive. Unfortunately, modern safety and the hybrid powertrain added a lot of weight, and the feeling that resulted just couldn't compare to the CRX, a car from another era entirely. In a car market that increasingly opts for utility vehicles over passenger cars, the CR-Z's small size and two seats present a major drawback for many--and its very limited cargo capacity undermines its suggestion of hatchback practicality.

 The 2015 CR-Z's styling blends elements of the classic CRX--long hood, long doors, not much behind that--with a few cues from the first-generation Insight hybrid two-seater. Those include the narrowing tail and the extra vertical rear window in the hatch. It's a good-looking car from most angles, but its sporty looks aren't adequately backed up by its driving character. Inside, the two-tier instrument panel uses bright colors to convey vehicle operating information as well as the usual speed and engine revs. The seats are well bolstered, although a number of reviewers have suffered back aches as a result of their limited range of adjustment. The CR-Z's engine is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder unit that's paired with a 15-kilowatt (20-horsepower) electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission. A 2013 upgrade boosted the output to 130 horsepower, and the six-speed manual version now has rated torque of 140 lb-ft. CR-Zs now also include a boost function: a "Plus Sport System" lets the driver press a steering-wheel button marked "S+" that directs the motor to deliver an extra jolt of electric torque for up to 5 seconds if the battery's charge is sufficient. The battery pack uses lithium-ion cells--the CR-Z was the last Honda to make the switch--which are lighter and have higher energy density than the nickel-metal-hydride pack used in early CR-Zs.

 To address some of the criticism that the CR-Z isn't quite sporty enough--finally--Honda will begin offering a kit that should go a long way toward transforming the car's character. For CR-Zs equipped with the manual transmission, the Honda Performance Development (HPD) kit includes a supercharger for the engine, an HPD clutch, a limited-slip differential, new front brakes, a sport suspension, 18-inch wheels, a sport exhaust, and several aero and dress-up parts. Engine output climbs to 187 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. For CVT-equipped models, the engine is left alone but the other dynamic and aesthetic improvements apply. It's likely that fuel economy will suffer a bit, swinging the CR-Z's balance farther toward sport, but since it's a dealer-installed kit, the setup doesn't get tested by the EPA. The 2015 CR-Z weighs 2,600 pounds--fully 700 pounds more than the CRX of 30 years ago--and its fuel efficiency ratings are notably lower than those of the original (much slower) Insight. It has a full complement of airbags for two people, and its longer front end reflects considerably more robust crash structures.

 The old CRX had no airbags and would likely be horrifying in today's tougher crash tests. Fuel efficiency depends on the transmission you choose. Get the continuously variable transmission (CVT), and the car is rated a combined 37 mpg (36 mpg city, 39 mpg highway). It's also available with a six-speed manual gearbox--making it one of very few hybrids indeed with a stick--which gives it a sportier driving character, but reduces mileage to 34 mpg combined (31 mpg city, 38 mpg highway).

 The CR-Z's challenge is that there are sportier cars out there, but there are also more fuel-efficient models. The Chevrolet Sonic and updated-for-2014 Ford Fiesta are both five-door subcompact hatchbacks that offer more space and real-world fuel efficiency in the low 30s for less money. If you want sporty, there's the Fiat 500 Abarth, the Chevy Sonic RS, the Ford Fiesta ST, and the standard Mazda 2. Or if you're all about fuel efficiency, four separate Toyota Prius models are all rated higher than the CR-Z--though none of them are remotely sporty. The CR-Z has suffered from this betwixt-and-between identity since its launch, and sales have been correspondingly low.