Comments on: Honda CR-Z Hybrid Coupe Defies Its Critics

By: PG

PG — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:29:50 +0000

It’s a great little fun car to drive for a great price… I drove all the mid-sized cars (Accord, Altima, Sonata, etc.) but none had the sports car feel I was looking for to replace my 2003 BMW 325… then I drove the CRZ and in Sport mode it’s a blast to drive. Well worth the money… and the MPG averaging around 38 is a nice perk.

By: Woolco

Woolco — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:38:05 +0000

Thanks, Hybridcars, for setting the record straight. Don’t know why critics absolutely HATE the CRZ. Just like they hate the Prius–like they need to criticize a car that gets trashed in every other movie anyway. Hey, the Prius is the reason we’re talking about other eco-friendly cars these days, because Prius made a market for them–kudos to Toyota for losing dough on every Prius, sorta the sacrificial lamb for the eco movement.

Now, the CRZ does what the Prius couldn’t–actually look like a fun car to ride–which the guys at Top Gear proved. But they still put it down. Critics are dumb, consumers are cool!

By: AP

AP — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:25:57 +0000

The guys at American Top Gear were "loving the CRZ", "the perfect car for SF", "a hybrid with attitude". They raced a bunch of bicyclists in downtown SF--the mecca for bicycle freaks. They lost, but they explained that SF should be renamed "the city of stop signs". Despite all the stopping and starting and putting pedal to metal, they still got MPG's in the 30s.
People are trashing Honda these days anyway, so it's not about the CRZ. They say Honda's lost its edge, but what about offering the ONLY hydrogen-powered vehicle for consumers, the Clarity. What about offering the ONLY natural gas vehicle for consumers for barely 25K? What about being just being named Union of Concerned Scientists' Greenest Automaker for 2011, for the 5th year in a row? Or having the greenest car for 2011, the civic NGV, awarded by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy?
People hate the idea of Green company that also produces cool vehicles--too much to handle for 'em. So they automatically trash the CRZ--and pretty much all the eco-friendly stuff that Honda has been putting out long before green or eco was cool.

By: Lancewex

Lancewex — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:43:06 +0000

The CR-Z hate is so weird. I am happy about this blog post, knowing that someone gets it. I really love my CR-Z. The MINI Cooper gets rave reviews, but its reliability is seriously lacking. And hardly anyone ever talks about it. And sure, it has back seats. But no adult would ever want to sit there. It’s just too small and uncomfortable (no, I am not obese). I had one for 3 years, and though it has much to like, I much prefer my CR-Z. It gets better real-world mileage, is more comfortable to drive, and as a Honda will be much more reliable. But again, raves all around for the MINI in the press. Also, everyone compares the new car gas mileage figures, but rarely talks about emissions (in the US anyway). But a hybrid that gets 37mpg has much better emissions than a gas-only car with 37mpg. So for people who actually care about the environment–and not just gas money–a hybrid wins. Also, the EPA testing does not take into account the start-stop features of hybrids, so MPGs are always wrong for hybrids. And as for telling me what is a rational car choice–get off your high horse. I live in a city, and there simply was no better choice for me. I very rarely have more than one other person in my car. And though I don’t want a sports car I do want a car that doesn’t handle like a boat. The CR-Z is perfect. The only other serious consideration I had was for a diesel Golf, but Honda reliability was the deciding factor.

By: usbseawolf2000

usbseawolf2000 — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:21:48 +0000

Ok, so you are saying tax credit should account for the number of seats?

Volt (compact) has 4 but Leaf (midsize) has 5 seats. How come Volt qualifies for the same amount as the Leaf, even though it has less than half the EV range?

Prius (midsize) with 5 seats get $0 tax credit. Why?

By: Nelson Lu

Nelson Lu — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:03:11 +0000

The day that the CR-Z can at least somewhat uncomfortably carry four passengers (I know, the Japanese domestic model does that, but apparently that is *very* uncomfortably so) is the day that it can belong in a discussion with the Volt. Right now, the argument that the CR-Z is more economically efficient than the Volt — which I disagree with, but I think is beside the point — is misguided because they are not equivalent cars in their capacity. It would be like comparing the Escape with the Tahoe.

By: usbseawolf2000

usbseawolf2000 — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:19:20 +0000

Nelson Lu wrote: "If you drive within the Volt's EV-only range, the Volt will get nearly ... infinite MPG."

What's your point here? Using your logic, a cordless hybrid gets infinite miles per kWh too. MPG is a measure of fuel economy (always had been). It is NOT a measurement of gallons consumed for the miles driven by electricity.

My point was the focus for the cost of EV miles with the Volt. It costs $20k (more than CR-Z) for the 35 miles EV range per charge. Once the battery runs out, Volt's gas engine consumes premium gas and emission is no better than a non-hybrid. Leaf provides a better EV bang for the buck. Prius provides a better HV bang for the buck. The upcoming Prius PHV should provide the best combination of both EV/HV experience at an affordable price that can be a single midsize family car (with the safest rear mid seat for the baby).

Nelson Lu wrote: "Given that the CR-Z is nowhere close to being the most efficient hybrid....why should it get *any* tax incentives?"

First, I am not a fan of Honda IMA. You can search many of my posts criticizing about it. I am not defending CR-Z but simply stating my opinion of the current incentive.

Isn't it the goal to reduce oil consumption and lower the tailpipe emission? CR-Z does both and it should get the tax credit incentive it deserves. Volt gets the same 37 MPG and emission higher than some non-hybrids so why does it get $7,500?

Sure, $7,500 may be for the 35 miles EV range. Why doesn't Leaf with 73 miles EV range get $15,600? That's right, the tax incentive was not based on the EV range. The incentives were designed for electric cars and Volt is a hybrid (plugin type to be specific). It favored the size of the battery pack that has the burden of carrying the weight of the gas engine and related components.

It appears you believe the current incentive is fair. When Ford comes out with Focus EV and C-Max Energi (plugin hybrid), they won't get their fair share of the tax payer incentive dollars. That's my opinion.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 05:07:34 +0000

CRX^^2 wrote: " I'll bet you could shave at least 150# off the car's weight by ...."

How about follow GM Cruze Eco or Hyundai ELantra/Veloster's route, ditch the space saving spare with an emergency kit???

It's a great idea in helping Elantra to achieve the targeted 40 MPG!

By: DownUnder

DownUnder — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:22:11 +0000

crxsquared wrote:

" . . . I refuse to own a car with working airbags (as an engineer, I know how dangerous the POS actually are), . . ."

Wow crxsquared! You are some engineer!
There must be a conspiracy saying that air bags save lives!
Maybe all other stuffs: ABS, seatbelts, stability controls, crumple zone, the list goes on. Thanks for your post!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:21:25 +0000

Why is it that so many people think that if it doesn’t make sense for them, it can’t make sense for anyone. There are a lot of people in the world with lots of different requirements and tastes. If you don’t like it, don’t but it. Why is everyone so angry?