2016 Honda CR-Z: Fresh Car Review
2016 Honda CR-Z: Fresh Car Review
Car Buying
Most hybrid cars are all about fuel economy and practicality — but not the two thousand sixteen Honda CR-Z. Instead, Honda’s little hatchback concentrates more on style and sportiness, providing up a larger interior and an all-out concentrate on gas mileage in order to be the joy hybrid. After all, Honda has other models — the Civic Hybrid and Accord Hybrid — for the practical, fuel-efficient side of the hybrid world.
So does the CR-Z accomplish its purpose of adding titillating qualities to a hybrid? Yes and no, as we explain below. In brief, it’s a valiant effort — and it’s a lot more pleasurable than many hybrid rivals. But don’t buy this car if you’re expecting the spectacle of a Corvette or a Ferrari, because you won’t get it. Instead, consider the CR-Z a stylish, titillating alternative to many of today’s mainstream hybrids — and love the fact that you can look good and have joy while returning almost forty miles per gallon.
What’s Fresh for 2016?
The CR-Z sees minor switches for 2016, including revised front- and rear-end styling, updated wheels, a slightly improved interior with a revised center control stack design, a standard push-button starter and a 7-inch center touchscreen. Honda’s excellent LaneWatch blind spot camera is also freshly available.
What We Like
Distinctive design; unique driving practice
What We Don’t
Little interior; neither sporty nor exceptionally fuel efficient; aging styling
How Much?
Fuel Economy
All CR-Z models use a 1.5-liter hybrid 4-cylinder engine that makes one hundred thirty horsepower. When tooled with a manual transmission, the engine is good for one hundred forty lb-ft of torque; with the available continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), it’s one hundred twenty seven lb-ft. Fuel economy is thirty one mpg in the city and thirty eight mpg on the highway with the manual or thirty six mpg city/39 mpg hwy with the CVT.
Standard Features & Options
The CR-Z offers two trim levels. There’s a standard-level model called simply the CR-Z, and there’s an upscale CR-Z EX.
The CR-Z ($21,200) includes alloy wheels, keyless entry, a push-button starter, a backup camera, a 7-in center touchscreen with HondaLink and Pandora compatibility, cruise control, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, steering-wheel audio controls, automatic climate control, total power accessories (think mirrors, locks and windows) and an iPod/USB interface.
Step up to the CR-Z EX ($23,100), and you get LED running lights, Honda’s LaneWatch blind spot camera, automatic headlights, an upgraded audio system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, xenon headlights, a 7-speaker sound system, improved interior trim and heated mirrors.
Like most Honda models, the CR-Z doesn’t suggest many options. The only one is a touchscreen navigation system with voice control, and it’s only available on the EX. Of course, drivers can also choose inbetween a 6-speed manual and a CVT automatic transmission.
Safety
Standard safety equipment in the CR-Z includes front airbags, side airbags, side-curtain airbags, active head restraints, anti-lock brakes and a backup camera. Honda’s LaneWatch blind spot camera is optional, however the CR-Z doesn’t suggest the latest safety features, such as forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning or a blind spot monitoring system.
In government testing, the CR-Z earned four overall starlets out of a possible five. That includes five starlets in the rollover test, four starlets in the frontal-impact assessment and three starlets in the side-impact test. The CR-Z has not yet been fully tested by the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Behind the Wheel
Honda has touted the CR-Z as a sport hybrid. But in spite of its sport-inspired features, the CR-Z isn’t actually very sporty. However, it is fairly agile, gripping the corners confidently, and the engine sounds spirited at higher rpm. The most joy part, when drivers truly notice the power boost from the hybrid system, is right off the line, especially in the Sport model, which offers peppy acceleration. But above twenty miles per hour, there’s not much of a high-performance feel to the CR-Z.
Drivers looking to achieve both a sporty driving practice and excellent fuel efficiency will be disappointed with the CR-Z. Making the most of the CR-Z’s limited sporting attributes in the city, drivers will see fuel economy numbers closer to the mid-20 mpg range, rather than the mid-30 mpg range that Honda claims. If customers come at it from another mentality, however, they will find the CR-Z much more pleasant. We figure the word to best describe the CR-Z is quirky.
The CR-Z is puny, light and nimble, and it indeed can’t be directly compared to any other vehicle on the market. Yes, there are other subcompacts out there, but the CR-Z provides a totally different motoring practice than anything else on the road. Drivers should lodge in and love the CR-Z for what it actually is: one part go-kart, one part spaceship and one part hybrid.
Other Cars to Consider
2016 Toyota Prius c — With only ninety nine hp from its gasoline-electric powertrain, the 5-door Prius c hatchback is far from sporty. But at fifty three mpg city/46 mpg hwy, the littlest Prius model is super thrifty on fuel. The Prius c is also reasonably priced — and unlike the CR-Z, it has a back seat.
2016 wise fortwo — If you’re interested in an unusual city car with bold styling, the clever fortwo is a good competitor to the CR-Z. And while it isn’t a hybrid, the fortwo still gets thirty four mpg city/39 mpg hwy, largely due to its puny size.
Used Mazda MX-5 Miata — The recently redesigned MX-5 Miata doesn’t suggest a hybrid drivetrain, but it’s a 2-seat sports car that provides exactly the joy we suspect many CR-Z shoppers are interested in. More importantly, it still manages thirty mpg in combined city and highway driving.
Used Toyota Prius — If you’re after fuel economy more than excitement, consider the Prius. It offers better gas mileage than the CR-Z, along with a larger interior and more room for cargo, but the driving practice hardly matches the CR-Z’s.
Autotrader’s Advice
For customers enamored with the two thousand sixteen Honda CR-Z’s distinctive looks and driving feel, we recommend they step up to the EX with navigation. Featuring a 6-speed manual transmission and Honda’s satellite navigation system with voice recognition, the CR-Z features most of the sporting and technological features an eco-conscious urban driver could want.