OMG!!! I bought a hybrid, and I love it! (Shh, don't tell anybody.)

I grew up on high octane, high compression heads, and real fuel. Fuel injection gets me high, and it's best when blown. I've owned several pieces of heavy american steel: '67 Chevelle, '69 Camaro, '76 T/A, and a handful of old IHC trucks. Of course gas being almost $4 a gallon makes these less, and less practical to drive, and more, and more pieces of memorabilia in a garage. The 10% ethanol fuel literally kills them.

So, in the late 90s I started buying current cars, and have driven fairly nice modern cars for daily drivers, and relegated the street rods, and muscle cars to play time. Up until a few weeks ago I would have told you that you would never, ever catch me behind the wheel of a hybrid. Why? Because they are soul-less cookie cutter cars that rape you of your masculinity. They force you to succumb to the blah of mundane existance in the name of fuel economy. Even the exhaust note of a Prius sounds like a fragile old lady trying to sneak a fart. If you like the Prius I feel so sorry for you, if you own one, I'm afraid you are beyond hope. If you are a male, and own one, I must demand that you relinquish your man card immediately, and put down the tabasco sauce. For your protection of course you might go into anaphylaxis due to your obvious over sensitivity. All joking aside they are UGLY, and have no power whatsoever.

I went car shopping earlier this fall. I drove this, that, and the other. I was ambiguous as nothing "did it" for me. Yes, I'm picky about my cars. I was about to give up, and just keep driving old faithful a few more years when I happened by the Honda dealership. I was looking for something small, fast, fun, and affordable. Everything else I drove was either too cheaply made, had no power, or was rediculously expensive for a small car. It caught my eye form the road, and I had to go see what it was. I made the mistake of letting the salesman see me oogle the car like a dirty old man. Honestly I didn;t know he was watching.

I test drove it, and fell in love. Not the fastest thing in the world, but that also is not what I wanted. I want spirited, and fun, not necessarily bowel voiding romp. I already have that. It also gets 40+MPG combine between city, and highway. It has a 360 Watt 7 speaker sound system with built in Ipod dock, blue tooth, 10" subwoofer, and noise cancelling. It is a CVT transmission which I wasn't crazy about, but the wheel mounted paddle shifters give you back a bit of a sense of control. Power everything, and it only seats 2! A plus in my book as I like small sports cars, and the back seat in them is a joke, and only adds weight anyway. Instead it has a cool storage compartment where a seat would be. The cargo space in the hatch is enormous, again because Honda didn't "pretend" to put a back seat in it. It handles emmaculately well, very good ride for a small, light car. Much less road noise than I expected. Almost flawless fit, and finish of interior components. Enough get up to go from zero to sixty in just a tad shy of 8 seconds, and I have had it up to 133 mph, although that was really maxed. Still, will a Prius ever see 130mph? Ok, dropping one off of a cliff doesn't count. Back to the story... I fall in love with this car. First newer small sporty car that has pushed the right buttons in a while. then I go around to the back of the car and my jaw drops. I felt gut punched, the salesman even laughed at the look on my face when I saw the little badge on the deck of the hatch. There laughing, pointing at me like manifest karma "hybrid" NO! Say it ain't so!

So I swallowed my pride, and bought it. A 2011 Honda CR-Z. It is the grandson of the venerable pocket rocket the CR-X. I just couldn't pass up zippy, sporty fun, great looks, and way cool features for under $25K, and 40MPG. I have put almost 10K miles on it already, and I still love it like the day I drove it home. The only thing about it that even belies that it is a hybrid, short of lifting the hood and seeing the massive power cable going to the IMA motor, is the little "hybrid" badge on the back. The exhaust note is quietly reminiscent of an older Civic Si. I may have to fix that(the quiet part). I have already spanked a few 4 bangers with it, and it's fun to have them ask what I did to it to make a "hybrid" go so fast. Of course the truthful, and honest reply is "nothing." It's bone stock.(for now, mwahaha)

However... before my fellow gear heads, and velocifiles disown me, and accuse me of having sold out, do me but one favor first. Withold judgement until you drive one. You may be very surprised at the "cool factor" Honda has engineered in this hybrid. I love it because other hybrid owners hate on it because it gets about 3mpg less mileage than a strict hybrid, but has three times more power, and a whole order of magnitude better styling, and looks. I'll give up a few mpg to keep my testicular organs right where they are thank you. I think it's hybrid jealousy. They could have waited for a cool car, but settled for the 1950's toaster on wheels, or the sculpted bar of soap car. Besides I get 35mpg around town if I drive nice, and 45+ on the highway if I drive nice. I even went on a hypermiling test, and drove as conservatively as I could and got 52mpg highway once. However if I choose I can hit the sport mode, slap my lead foot on the gas feed, and haul arse if I want. Other hybrids don't have the latter option.

Does anyone else on ATS have a CR-Z? It would be way cool to meet some other Z owners.

The preceding post was written mostly in the "tongue-in-cheek" font with liberal application of the "sarcasm" font. Cheeky, sarcastic defense of the Prius is expected, and appreciated. If you are truly, and deeply offended by preceding post please unread it, and go watch the teletubbies.

reply to post by Binder


52 mpg?
My Mom got better than that out of her Subaru Justy in 1987, full on gas with plenty of power.
This is progress??

I get 50mpg (imperial measurement) out of my diesel Rio if I drive it like its stolen.

But I can understand that diesel is not popular in the USA, so it is harder for people to buy a diesel over there.

Shame really as the newer diesels are very quick.

reply to post by g146541


My dad had an '84 Brat (same engine). Smooth, quiet, bullet proof, great engine by many counts. Plenty of power, not so much. Marginally adequate power would be a better discriptor. It wasn't gutless per se, it just didn't get real excited about accelerating.

With the Z we're talking about eye popping "I can't believe it's a hybrid." (or an economy car for that matter) power. No it is not as fast as say a Subaru WRX, not even close, but in it's class, and for it's genre where all other offerings have only 1 or 2 horses in the show, the CR-Z is the whole circus. Fast, fun, affordable, great looking, and easy on the wallet at the gas pump. Besides the Justy is only slightly better looking than the Prius. Although most cars in the 80s were ugly so it gets more of a pass. Toyota has had 20 years from the 80s to make that car so ugly. lol. The Brat was ugly too, but they were great cars.

reply to post by diddy1234


50 mpg imperial is equivalent to 41.6mpg US. Which is about what I average, and I would be willing to bet the Z would take you 0-60mph, and in the standing quarter mile. My car maxes out with conservative driving at 62.5mpg imperial. The idea behind the car was not to create a "strict" hybrid with off the charts low fuel consumption. The idea was to make a fun car that also gets better than average gas mileage. Compromise, give a few MPGs to gain a few BPHs. It isn't the fastest, or the most economical, but it is the fastest small hybrid, and by a LONG shot the best looking. No other hybrid comes with manual shift as an option. The CR-Z does. No other hybrid will cruise over 100mph, and still get 35-40MPG. You wouldn't drive any other hybrid to a car show. Z's already have their own car shows.

However I completely agree with you that diesel is a great way to go, and the new engines are quite impressive. I do wish they were more popular over here. The only downside being diesel is about 30 - 50 cents more per gallon here than gasoline. The gain in mileage over gasoline would have to be considerable to make it the cheaper option. We mostly see diesel engines in towing rigs, and over the road trucks. I drove a diesel Mercedes once, and it was quite nice. I had no complaints about the performance, and fuel consumption.

pics or it didnt happen

reply to post by pez1975


Sure! What do you want pics of?

reply to post by Binder


Sounds like a good car.
The main reason i like diesel is the high torque (176 ft/lb) for a small engine.
So stop start driving in traffic works like a car with an automatic gearbox and also no change down needed to overtake other cars.
Just prod the right pedal at the right time and i am dragged past other cars.
The 0 - 60 mph time isnt great (11 seconds) due to a large turbo on a small engine but once in boost its quick.

reply to post by diddy1234


Diesels are also lower cost to maintain over the life of the vehicle because the engine has fewer complex moving parts, no ignition system. Yes, the high torque is quite nice. That is also a cool plus to the CR-Z. The IMA motor(the electric motor) is only rated at 15 HP, but that is not a very accurate picture of the assist it provides as electric motors are all torque. When in sport mode the car's computer uses the IMA motor to help the car accelerate faster giving it a LOT more torque than a standard 4 banger. The other cool feature of being half electric is that the car only idles selectively, so you aren't wasting petrol at a stop. The engine stops when you depress the brake and slow to below 6mph. When you take your foot off the brake the engine instantly starts again, and away you go. This makes for GREAT mileage in city traffic.

Congratulations on your new CRZ !

Hondas overall are a great value for they've captured the driving pleasure of the German cars at an affordable price.

I like the D16 Engine same as used in the Honda FIT with the IMA which really works like a supercharger in aiding in adding low end torque. I can imagine how much fun that is !

Put a K&N drop in replacement air filter same as the Honda FIT and it actually helps your mileage and performance. Also remove the restrictive resonator on the intake.

I've owned several German cars (BMW & Porsche) which have great engines as well as Honda cars and bikes and the Honda's silky smooth all aluminum engines ala the German's love to rev making plenty of power but still sip gas.

That is what many people who've never driven one don't understand.

There is a reason as to why Indy Race Cars use Honda engines and not Chevy or Ford or Toyota ...or Subaru.

As well as why Honda Motorcycles have won more Grand Prix titles than other manufacturer.

Once again Congratulations on your new CRZ !



I currently own a Honda Pilot and an Acura TSX as well as a Honda CB550 Supersport bike & all are very fun and Fast ! And reliable !!

reply to post by Binder

CR-Z Hybrid benefits cost analysis...in Dollars and Sense

I have been a fan of the Honda CR-Z and have been researching it.

I compared Honda's next smallest car the Honda Fit's mileage as well as horsepower and torque figures to the CRZ since they both have fairly identical 1.5 SOHC VTEC engines in order to assess what the IMA (Intregrated Motor Assist) is contributing for mileage as well as what the IMA and it's batteries are adding as far as weight.
The CR-Z's outputting around 122 HP and Torque and the Fit only about 106 but also weighs less.

As far as EPA gas mileage ratings go:

Honda CRZ 35 City 39 Highway w/CVT
Curb Weight (MT/CVT) 2657/2712

Honda FIT S 27 City 33 Highway
Curb Weight (MT/AT) 2540 / 2617

Doing the Math that translates to practically the CR-Z having 30% ( @ 29.62%) better gas mileage than the All Gas engined Honda FIT on the City mileage scale. And (20%) better on the Highway where all Hybrids contribute slightly less benefits to the mileage figures. We have a 25% better overall average mileage gain.

So overall 25% better mileage ratings with the IMA (Intregrated Motor Assist) and only 100 pounds added weight....@ 20K miles per annum is saving you almost $600. per year in gas expenses alone due to the Hybrid system.

And besides the CR-Z looks way cooler than the Fit does !

Golf TDI vs Honda CR-Z

Most of us car guys are well aware of the strides the Germans have been making with their Turbo Diesels over the years ....

I've driven a couple over in Germany on the Autobahn (Mercedes 220CDI) and they are FAST !

Simply due to Diesels having an abundance of low end torque and coupled with a Turbo for the higher revs....
long story short is that you don't really miss a gas powered engine after driving one of these...and the gains in fuel economy especially at Euro prices makes them well worth the transition.

The TDI Golfs post some pretty impressive mileage figures ....This is a nice comparison test of the two technologies as well as a feather in Honda's CR-Z''s engineering hat.

reply to post by nh_ee


nh_ee You have just got to, got to, got to, got to drive one. CAVEAT!!!: You WILL bring it home. I have also owned a few Hondas in the past, and have always been a fan, but they really, REALLY took the cake on this little gem. I once had a Fiat X1-9 with all the handling upgrades, and tons of performance work. Long story short it was a sweet, zippy little ride, the CR-Z would kick it's backside all over the place hands down, out of the box, no mods. Watch the thunderhill footage of a pack of little Zs making everything else on the track run, and hide. Yes it does get better mileage on the highway than in town contrary to most other hybrids, and it travels quite well 1 or 2 up. I have gone on two 1000+ mile trips in it already, and it was comfortable, rock solid, and had excellent highway manners. Never bobbled when being passed by a tractor trailer rig in 40mph cross winds.

Another thing I have noticed about Honda, they are very conservative on their numbers. I have not dyno'd the car, or weighed it, but Honda is very careful about what they advertise. I have a firm suspicion that 122 HP is conservative, and that real world numbers are more likely to be in the mid 130s. It also gets better mileage when driven conservatively than advertised. I get upper 30s in town, and mid 40 on the highway. If I drive it in sport mode, and accelerate like I have a rubberband attached to the horizon I still get upper 20s, and low 30s. If I really hypermile I can get 42 in town, and 52 on the highway. I have already put a bunch of 4 bangers down with it, and a few V6s, and it is in factory dress, I haven't touched it, yet, mwahahaha.

Bisimoto has already produced a turbo charged monster variant that lashes out at over 500 HP!!! 0-60 times, and 1/4 mile ETs are ridiculous. This is the new pocket rocket. Everthing underhood begs to be modified. Thier are extra bolts, and hangers that serve no apparent purpose until you start visualizing intakes, and exhaust. Honda has directly told Mugen, and Bisimoto to go nuts, no holds barred. This is not your aunt Suzy's hybrid. This is a serious offering on the performance market. Look down your nose at it to your own peril. The most common complaint is that it doesn't have enough power to be a true sports car. #1 there is a LOT of room left for improvement, and #2 It is a lot faster than a lot of people give it credit for. The deceptive thing is that it is so smooth, and quite you do not realise how fast you are really accelerating until you run someone, and they just can't keep up.

reply to post by Binder


I have been a big fan of Hondas ever since working at a local race track back in the 80's and seeing how well they gave the German Engineered cars quite a run for their money at half the price and with great reliability.

I know .....and that is exactly why I need to keep my distance from my Local Honda Dealership !
I have no car payments and don't need any !!!!



The key here is that the CR-Z only weighs 2700 lbs which is fairly light and knowing how well Hondas VTEC engines respond to additional air flow and as to why I recommend the removal of the intake resonator and a freeer flowing K&N air filter.

But speed is relative and in the land of 30 mph speed limits and 65 mph on our Highways you really don't need all of that horsepower to have fun.

The fact that you can have fun and fuel economy is in my book really the best of both worlds.

Enjoy your new Honda CR-Z !

Peace