"Jonathon Klein" (jonathon-klein)
04/09/2014 at 13:29 • Filed to: Sittin Waitin Wishin, Honda CR-Z
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"Jonathon Klein" (jonathon-klein)
04/09/2014 at 13:29 • Filed to: Sittin Waitin Wishin, Honda CR-Z | 3
| 10 |
Honda fun. Well that used to be a true statement. Back when they made cool Civics, the S2000, and the NSX. But long has it been since Honda was referred as a fun car manufacturer. Sure, you can still get a Civic Si, but even those are unbelievably boring and really just a hot'd up commuter beigemobile. The NSX is the biggest Nigerian Prince scam ever concocted. It has been what 48 years since the first concept? Still no car. I firmly believe that my children will be in college before we ever see this car in production and I don't even have children yet! In addition, the rear panel on the new Civic Si is ungodly fugly. I was sitting behind one the other day coming back from work and I threw up a bit in my mouth. It is not good looking to put it mildly. However, Honda, wanting to shed some of that outlook of its product by testing the water a few years ago, coming back to the fun market with the CR-Z. Something to challenge the styling and performance of other front wheel drive hatches. The only problem? They made it a Hybrid. It came to save the outlook of the brand being that econo-mobile manufacturer and came up short. They gave it a beautiful exterior that made all the Honda fan-boys collectively weep, and then mated it with the spawn of Satan.
( What heretical sorcery is this?! )
I feel like the CR-Z was a colossal flop, why, because I almost never see any on the road. In my view, it's as rare of a car as a McLaren. You just never see one of them out in the wild. I've never even seen one at a dealership! It couldn't have been successful. I went to a tuner show, which is full of Honda fan-boys, and didn't see a single CR-Z. I think personally it's a disservice to the car since it actually looks brilliant in its styling. Nevertheless, Sittin Waitin Wishin isn't about good looks or shitty motors, we're about interiors and how the car feels on your butt. However, being the rare car it is in my eyes I jumped at the chance to check this car out. I've liked it since it came out a few years ago! Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. The car's trunk is diminutive, but being the car is no longer than my bathtub, I can't say I expected anything more. I am happy that the Honda engineers saw that there was absolutely no room between the front seats and the trunk and decided to forgo seats for other passengers. I think more small cars in this segment should really just delete the rear seats. In all reality, they just add weight and are completely useless, unless you need it to baby, then they could be useful. However, I don't think the CR-Z could even baby.
( Maybe a baby arm ?)
The front seats look like those great sport buckets that all of us love, but unlike the Fiesta ST buckets, these are some shoddy Recaro by Ford design that kind of suck. These are just lovely normal buckets, manual levers and knobs to control the seats orientation, nothing to interfere with driver comfort or ability. They are however, super comfortable for bucket seats. They aren't hard or unforgiving, they are actually super nice.
The gauge cluster is equally great, it looks like it comes from the future! The future people, the future! And that's where Honda wants you to be when you sit and look outwards from the cockpit in this car. It's just cool looking. Not hokey or boring, but fun and cheerful! Nothing feels like it's going to fall off after touching it. It feels solid and looks like most Honda's that will stand the test of time.
One weird thing was that the glove box was really more of a sunglasses box, meaning it was tiny, super tiny. You might wanna look into that Geico mobile Insurance card app if you buy this car because you don't have enough room in that box for anything more than your chapstick! The rest of the interior is also very nice. The dash is well proportioned; the switches and dials feel very well made, not cheap like some of their rivals' interiors. The Piano Black plastics have got to go though. The entire show, like was mentioned in previous SWW's, was dominated by this ugly interior design. Honda threw in the towel with this addition and negatively marked a great little car.
(WHY!!!)
Besides that, Honda really stepped up their game on both design and production of this car. The interior is by far one of the best interiors around. Except for the Piano Black plastics, if I have a dying breath on the subject, it will be get rid of all the Piano black in cars, it's not high class unless it's actual wood and even then, it doesn't belong in a car. I will harp on this until all the manufacturers stop making this an option on their cars! However, based solely on the interior and exterior of this car, it is a winner. Add the dumb power train and you get a resounding meh. Nevertheless, the interior of this car is the tops. You can't get a better interior in a small hatch than this one. The Fiesta ST feels cheap, the Mini is too expensive for the build quality, the Kia's are just terrible, and Toyota really doesn't do this market anymore. This car is awesome and gets the SWW stamp of "Hell yes!"
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Photo Credit to Honda and Jonathon Klein
Reigntastic
> Jonathon Klein
04/09/2014 at 13:37 |
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CRZ is just a disappointment, nothing more. So much potential, yet such a flop; this was the car that basically put me off Honda. It is cool that they made a manual version for the hybrid, it has to be one of the only hybrids with that option, if not the only one.
BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
> Jonathon Klein
04/09/2014 at 13:38 |
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I've loved every CR-Z that I've driven. Is it hyper-fast? No. But the handling is amazing and go-kart like. I think it's the perfect DD. In reality, you'd have to struggle to get the mileage under 35, and with the new motor/engine/battery started in 2013, the 0-60 has dropped under 8 seconds.
Oh yeah, and Honda transmission with a 6 speed.
HammerheadFistpunch
> Jonathon Klein
04/09/2014 at 13:43 |
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What kills me is that this car is literally so close to being amazing its sad. Drop the hybrid, swap in the k24Z7 thats already federalized and would fit...and done. 205 hp, CRZs that would still get 30's highway.
Milky
> Jonathon Klein
04/09/2014 at 13:49 |
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No practicality, FWD, low HP, not great MPG's …. yupp still don't see the point to this thing existing.
Frosted
> BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
04/09/2014 at 14:04 |
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If it had a regular little 4 cylinder motor and was priced about 15k, it'd be a highly competitive subcompact.
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Jonathon Klein
> Milky
04/09/2014 at 14:07 |
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Neither do I, but I like that it's still here.
BaconSandwich is tasty.
> Milky
04/09/2014 at 14:09 |
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Agreed. It isn't super-sporty, fast, practical, or fuel efficient. It has basically nothing over my current 13 year old Civic. I see no reason to get one.
Now if they offered it with a small gas engine only (no hybrid system), or an entirely electric version, that would be a considerably different game.
Übel
> Jonathon Klein
04/09/2014 at 14:11 |
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I like the idea of the CRZ but not the execution. They tried to appeal to both kinds of hot hatch buyer but in the process made a car for neither. It has the efficiency to appeal to the practical-minded buyer, but then doesn't have adequate seating or storage. On the other hand, the people who aren't concerned about practicality are going to love the wild body style and small size, but will be turned off by the poor acceleration. What Honda really should have done is make the CRZ a normal hot hatch, and then made a Civic Si hybrid for the practical crowd.
JR1
> Jonathon Klein
04/09/2014 at 14:17 |
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I always have and always will like this car. I think it looks great!
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BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
> Frosted
04/09/2014 at 14:52 |
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Most of the other regular subcompacts can do what this car can do. 0-60 under 8 seconds and 35+ mpg? Please find me a car that costs 15k that can do both of those.