CR-Z - what's it like to live with?

[jjmonaghan]

Hi all,

The time has come to get rid of my ailing MkIII Clio dCi. It's served me (relatively) well in the 2 years I've had it, but its myriad of electrical gremlins combined with a coolant leak and various worrying noises has led me to look for something more reliable. There's also the issue of ULEZ zones being introduced in my city later this year, so I think a petrol/hybrid is the way to go this time. I don't drive quite as much as I used to, but still average 10-12k a year including a long-ish commute at least twice per week on motorways and A-roads, so I want something that is still capable of that without making me miserable. The rest of my driving is done within the city, so it also needs to handle that without burning a hole in my pocket. It needs to be fairly cheap to run and not crippling on insurance for a 21 year old, and I have a budget of £5-6k.

Taking all of the above into account, I keep coming back to the CR-Z. On paper at least, it would appear to be a very capable replacement for my Clio: economical, cheap to tax, not dismally slow, somewhat interesting, in a fairly low insurance group, and most importantly, Japanese reliability. There aren't very many for sale near me, but I have found a couple of 2010-2012 models with acceptable mileage for well within budget. I've almost talked myself into it, but there's one thing that concerns me...

...the back seats. Or lack thereof. As much as I tried to convince myself they might be usable at a push, I accept that, by all accounts, they're as good as useless for actually carrying humans. On one hand, this shouldn't really bother me, as I very seldom carry passengers in the rear. But on the other hand, I've always owned 4/5 seat cars with usable rear seats, so I am used to having the option when I need it. I'm just not sure how happily I could live with what is effectively a 2-seater, and fear this would become frustrating quite quickly. I'm hoping this car will serve me for a few years, so I need to be sure I make the right decision.

I'd be interested to hear from CR-Z owners who have come from 4/5 seaters: how did you find the transition? Does it become annoying, or does the rest of the car's merits make you overlook this?

I'd also like to know what the performance is like to live with. Many reviews emphasise that it "isn't quick", but I assume that is relative to its competitors. As someone coming from a 1.5 diesel with 88bhp, I imagine it'll be fine for me, but having not test-driven it, I can't be sure. I'm aware that it'll feel different to the diesel, and I'm prepared for that, but are there any circumstances under which it feels truly underpowered? Will it handle the motorway with relative ease? I'm not someone who likes to cruise at a ton, but don't want to be constantly working the gearbox just to make any sort of progress (like I had to with my old Aygo - it wasn't an enjoyable experience).

I'm interested in any opinions, positive or not. And if for any reason you think the CR-Z wouldn't be a good fit for my needs, I'd be open to other suggestions.

Thanks

[Bobtherallyfan]

We’ve had ours for ten years now so here are a few observations.

Great fun to drive. Vikki Butler Henderson liked it and she has good taste.
Like a lot of Honda’s, a bit noisy on the motorway but we manage a four hour drive to Cornwall.
Easy 45mpg driven gently, 55mpg on a longer run.
Never even attempted to get a child in the back sheets, let alone an adult. We just leave the seats folded down and then it’s a usefully sized boot.
Three driving modes. Economy...just forget it. Normal which the wife uses and Sport which I use. The later gives a little boost on acceleration and tightens up the handling.
The car feels plenty quick enough and being a Honda enjoys being revved. Of course a diesel will smoke it away from lights but it’s fun to drive in a way that small coupes can be.
Driving position is spot on but the passenger side has no seat height adjustment and I get cramps after an hour.
No problems, touch wood, with the hybrid battery. It still charges completely.
GT model is worth having...zenons, leather, great stereo, panoramic glass roof and nicer alloys.
Cheap to run, cheap to insure and always seems to great a positive reaction from other drivers.
Hope that helps.

[jjmonaghan]

Bobtherallyfan said:

We’ve had ours for ten years now so here are a few observations.

Great fun to drive. Vikki Butler Henderson liked it and she has good taste.
Like a lot of Honda’s, a bit noisy on the motorway but we manage a four hour drive to Cornwall.
Easy 45mpg driven gently, 55mpg on a longer run.
Never even attempted to get a child in the back sheets, let alone an adult. We just leave the seats folded down and then it’s a usefully sized boot.
Three driving modes. Economy...just forget it. Normal which the wife uses and Sport which I use. The later gives a little boost on acceleration and tightens up the handling.
The car feels plenty quick enough and being a Honda enjoys being revved. Of course a diesel will smoke it away from lights but it’s fun to drive in a way that small coupes can be.
Driving position is spot on but the passenger side has no seat height adjustment and I get cramps after an hour.
No problems, touch wood, with the hybrid battery. It still charges completely.
GT model is worth having...zenons, leather, great stereo, panoramic glass roof and nicer alloys.
Cheap to run, cheap to insure and always seems to great a positive reaction from other drivers.
Hope that helps.

Thanks for the response- it all sounds very positive! I don't mind noise on the motorway (I've never owned a particularly refined car anyway), as long as it has enough shove to keep up. The six-speed is a perk too. My Clio averages around 52mpg with mixed driving, so the fuel economy you're getting isn't much of a dip at all. Another plus point: I ran some insurance quotes this morning, and even though the CR-Z is 4 groups higher than my current car, I'm getting quotes of approx £20 less per month than what I'm currently paying - result! The GT is very tempting, but sadly all the examples I've seen for sale have been over budget. Most seem to be Sport models, which seem well enough equipped for my needs. The only "extra" feature on the Clio that I regularly use and appreciate is the cruise control, which seems to come as standard on the CR-Z anyway. All things considered, the whole package seems to have plenty enough going for it that I could overlook the back seat issue. I'm pretty sold at this point, it's now just a case of finding the perfect example. I'm hoping to buy within the next month or so, so I'll keep an eye out to see what comes up.

Cheers again

[Bobtherallyfan]

jjmonaghan said:

Thanks for the response- it all sounds very positive! I don't mind noise on the motorway (I've never owned a particularly refined car anyway), as long as it has enough shove to keep up. The six-speed is a perk too. My Clio averages around 52mpg with mixed driving, so the fuel economy you're getting isn't much of a dip at all. Another plus point: I ran some insurance quotes this morning, and even though the CR-Z is 4 groups higher than my current car, I'm getting quotes of approx £20 less per month than what I'm currently paying - result! The GT is very tempting, but sadly all the examples I've seen for sale have been over budget. Most seem to be Sport models, which seem well enough equipped for my needs. The only "extra" feature on the Clio that I regularly use and appreciate is the cruise control, which seems to come as standard on the CR-Z anyway. All things considered, the whole package seems to have plenty enough going for it that I could overlook the back seat issue. I'm pretty sold at this point, it's now just a case of finding the perfect example. I'm hoping to buy within the next month or so, so I'll keep an eye out to see what comes up.

Cheers again

I run a 911 and an MR2 but always enjoy taking the CRZ out...sometimes 0-60 times don’t reflect the fun that can be had in a car. Good luck.

[tozerman]

Had my 2011 sport for 4 years and 45k miles now.
Spacious they are not, as you say forget the rear seat completely.
Fairly nippy performance, fairly refined too. Wind noise is perhaps the most annoying though ! I drop the windows about 1-2mm and this bizarrely seem to help.
Fuel economy ranges from 42 - 55mpg although I have seen 60!
I'm getting on a bit now and sometimes find to seat a bit too low..
A paragon of reliability. I would have another in a heart beat..

Good luck..

[OverHonda]

Resurrecting this thread rather than create a new one - just said goodbye to my CRZ after 7 years of ownership. It ended up being a second car for the household, only doing a couple of thousand miles each year, and Mrs. OH found the seats uncomfortable for her back - so its coat fell off the proverbial shoogly peg.

Really enjoyed it - felt a little bit sporty without being crazy, comfortable driving position (for me at least), lots of gadgets, and just felt 'right' when on the road. Had the reliability I experienced with my previous Honda. In the real world I got around 50 mpg - tended to use it in Normal mode, but shift to Economy when on the motorway, which may have helped. And I had a smile on my face each year when paying the vehicle tax of £20.

Downsides: the rear seats were a token effort, for children at best; visibility through the rear window was rubbish; boot space not great.

A relatively rare car, with an unusual combination of hybrid engine and manual transmission, I remember seeing one drive past and saying to myself "what on earth is that...?". Will miss it