My mother bought one of these new in 2010 after they launched in the UK. Still has it today 8 years later. They are 'old school' Honda- reliable. Made in Japan. The build quality is excellent. They really are very solid small cars. They might not be performance cars, but there is fun to be hand from driving these. They are very nimble. The 1.5 VTEC unit is a gem. Smooth and eager to spin to the redline, aided by a snappy short throw six speed box and good braking response. A very underated little car unless you are in the know.
Due to this review I bought a 2015 CR-Z with 26k miles on it... I use it as a daily driver to work & across town, and i'll say this. This car is fun as hell to drive. If I'm feeling frisky, the sport mode really performs. If I'm feeling economical, the normal/econ modes do the trick too. Like you said, it doesn't do the best with being either sporty, or an economical hybrid, but it makes a best of both worlds sort of car. Thanks for the review, I found it one of the best for the car :)
I use a '11 CRZ as my daily driver. You can't beat it. I have the 6 speed. It handles very nice. Though it isn't going to win any drag races, you can have alot of fun rowing through the gears from a stop sign or up an on ramp. (Is it better to use 80% of a fun average car, or 10% of a very fast car?) The other benefit is if you drive it like you stole it it still gets high 30's mpg. Also, if you have to park in any of the big cities, the car will fit in any compact car space. Reliability is also absolutely awesome and the parts are cheap if you do need one. Again, as a daily driver, it's perfect.
@@alexandre007opa I only added that because I always got asked if it was fast. It's relative, but, to me, the answer was a no. It was probably the least powerful car I've owned. It was still reliable fun though. I recommend one as a daily still.
Great honest review! I own one.....original owner of a 2013 CRZ EX 6 spd.....in 'Merica dang it!! I have 130,000 miles, just put in new rear shocks, CV boots and after a 130k, new front brake pads......been the most reliable car I have ever owned, I will drive it until I can't in California! I have owned a few VW's this thing is waaayyyyy more reliable. I love this car!!.....
I just drove a CRZ for the first time today. I have to say it is the most impressive hybrid I've driven thus far. The Ford C-Max was very impressive to me as well in terms of performance and utility but I felt it lacked good styling. I currently drive a Civic and I'm now looking into getting a CRZ after finding out how fun they are to drive.
i have a 2015 crz and absolutely love it....best purchase i have ever made. oh yea cut my fuel bill from 280.00 a month to 80.00.....if you can grab one of these do so you will be glad you did.
Going from a Civic to a CRZ increased my fuel bill almost by a factor 2. Its NOT a "green" efficient car at all. It's shit in every single way. Handling, performance, mileage, build quality....
+Blade ManX I can tell by the kind of reaction you gave me that you are about 13 years old at the most. Why don't you come back in a few years when you actually have a driving license and some manners, kid.
After watching this review, and finding a good deal on one locally, I am pretty convinced this is going to be my first car. Cheers for the great review, subbed!
i bought this in 2013, after 450k km, recently 2023, i just changed Hybrid Battery. This car never disappoints me. It is still fun to drive even after 10years and 450,000km. No major issues at all. Worth every penny
FYI- here in the states in 2012, they released a dealer add-on supercharger kit which raised the HP to 200, and could achieve nearly the same gas mileage if you kept it out of boost.
The problem there is it costs $7200. And you have to remove the wheel and motor mount to change the belt. Then you need a special oil for the supercharger that they don’t make anymore.
AOMechMarine The estimate is from the dealership, but the instructions are from HPD. They printed everything out for me. All 53 pages of how to do it including the registration you need to fill out for HPD’s record. Yes, it really says it needs to change the traction oil and belt every two years. If you worked for them you can find the TSB.
It most certainly wasn't the first hybrid to have a manual gearbox. The first gen Insight was offered with a manual gearbox and the first Civic IMA hybrid was manual as well.
@@19Mako71 I own a 2013 CRZ EX. CVT, not manual, but much of what he said was of note to me. He drove it, gave some history and made some sensible comments, in my opinion. Still have it, just spent a Grand on new tires & 28,000 mile service. I bought it at age 61, and will say it is a bear to get in and out of sometimes, but after 5 ½ years, it is more fun to drive than ever.
I have had mine, a manual GT-Navi in black, since new in November 2011. As stock it was, as everyone says, under-powered, but also as my research showed there was a lot of modding potential, something which mine has benefitted from in the 7 years I have had it. With a 5 month delivery time (you may remember Japan had a tsunami that year - this caused a few issues when it was retuned because of the 2nd gen ECU fitted wasn't recognised by Hondata's Flashpro, though it is now thanks to TDI & Hondata using my UK spec as a guinea pig) I had plenty of time to plan my programme & start saving for my modding budget. Suffice to say mine is now close to the sports car I wanted when I originally bought it, mainly thanks to the new Rotrex supercharger (I wore the old Mugen SC out after 75,000 miles driving), a Bisimoto re-profiled cam, ported head, Wavetrac LSD, a brace of Cusco bracing struts, Mugen 5-way adjustable suspension, 18" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 8" wide alloys, Continental Contact Sport 5 225/35 R18 tyres (I like a bit of safety in the wet so Michelin Pilot Sport Cups don't quite cut it for my alloys' size), Spoon Monobloc front brake callipers, Dixcell Z-pads all round, Mugen exhaust back to the cat, FRS (fast road set-up) by TDI for the wheel geometry, Hondata FlashPro tuned, Mugen body-kit (front air dam, side skirts, rear wing), Mugen rear fog centre light, Cobra Sidewinder touring seats (I've always been a bit too big for bucket seats!), removed rear seat back & belts, HKS LA clutch, Mugen Assist meters, the larger manifold plenum from a Honda Jazz & many more mods all fitted over the 7 years by TDI (Torque Developments International of Thurrock, Essex). The dyno now says its putting out 210 bhp at the hubs, so that's probably around 245bhp at the fly. This all includes the electric boost generated by the regenerative braking, which has yet to be uprated from the original unit off the back of the Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries; I am starting to notice their more rapid depletion as the car ages with over 115,000 miles on the clock, so I am considering my options for when I will get the better Lithium-Ion battery swapped in. The uprated stereo is the only thing by others - that's courtesy of Sextons' ICE - it masks the new rattles that have sprung up following fitment of Innovative Mounts' poly-bushed engine mounts. So it is now so far from stock it probably is now closer to the CR-Z's most have wanted Honda to build. It's insured by Keith James Insurance & (unfortunately) Adrian Flux have never got close enough to them with a competitive quote, but I'll give them another go this year. Banzai magazine did a great article on it in summer 2017 (when it had its old Mugen SC) & did it justice. It's now a bit difficult to drive in traffic on my daily 50 mile commute but, if I leave early enough & don't hit too much clutch-pumping traffic, its a joy to use the extra power & listen to the grunt of the engine through the Mugen exhaust. Its no Porsche 911 but its not far off, with sub 5 seconds to 60 & plenty of torque making the Honda gearbox so very versatile in all the gears now. It's very much the CR-Z i wanted, though ideally to go on more track-days I would want 4 point harnesses & am considering what other future track orientated mods my budget (& wife's understanding) can accommodate. Each time I do a track-day I crave more (mods & money for my budget), but need to keep it going for my daily commute as well, so its a careful balancing act. Since the engine rebuild (stronger forged pistons etc added when the cam was re-profiled) the block has got a new lease of life for a further 100,000 miles, so I can see keeping it for at least another 8 years. Who knows what it will end up like, but I know whatever it will be another 8 years plus of thrilling driving. My only regret is just how much my obsession has cost me in both money & time (in the garage at TDI). Yes I could have got an Audi RS3, 4 or 5 or something in a similar vein, but I have always liked to be different & my modified CR-Z is exactly just that, so I am happy. I'd be pleased to hear your comments, Cheers, Rob
@@JayEmmOnCars Thanks. You should see the Banzai magazine article on it from July 2017. They certainly did it justice too, albeit with a few spec typos on the make of supercharger.
@MrRetroshep would you be able to provide numbers in terms of how much money it cost to get to where you are? I’ve got a 2011 black GT that I’m hoping to modify in the coming years and have no clue how much I should budget
Hi Ronnie, it depends who you get to do the work.....I chose TDI in Thurrock, who whilst exceptionally knowledgeable and do great work, are pretty expensive. I was earning well at first, so I could afford it, but more recently I haven't had so much but the car continues to evolve, so I have to be careful with the work I have done. If you send me your email I can be more detailed with specs & costs etc
I had it for a while, but it really isn't all that great. The battery doesn't even last 3 minutes WOT, the weight in the back makes this sucker extremely tail happy when braking into corners, it has traction control which pretty much guarantees that the moment you figure out the previous point, you will shit your pants. It's also absolutely uneconomical, with mileage that doesn't go beyond 15km/l. It's not fast in any way, shape or form. It has suspension technology that was considered outdated 4 decades ago, and it shows. The only good things I can say about this car is that the chassis is stiff and it looks cool.
Flyingdutchy33 liar! I have my car since 2011 . One of the first to buy it actually. I get almost 40mpg . This car is not older people. It really should be promoted to college kids.
@@knightingg8324 Sorry if I pissed on your fire there, but 40mpg is almost exactly 15km per litre, which is what I said. And that, sir, is not at all economic compared to normal cars without the battery.
Hopefully doing it in the near future. Others have done it and the motor swaps in easy. The wiring takes a little work if you want the stock cluster but if you’re gonna use an AEM, Holley, or Motec dash it’s easy peasy. Just working on saving all the pennies because once I start the project I want it done because it sounds amazing in theory and people have enjoyed the ones built so far.
I bought one not expecting much, just needed a daily commuter and a friend advised me to go try one. So i ended up buying cause it surprised me a lot. I come from a background of older 80s 90s cars, i love my light hatchbacks, the most fun i own is a fiat seicento sport with a 1.4 16v from a fiat stilo with custom ecu exhaust etc. Making around 110hp and heavily modified suspension/wheel wise, so i wasnt expecting that the crz actually corners as good as ny little track car project and its stock haha very happy with it
Love my 2011 CR-Z and have driven it for nearly 250,000miles since the day I drove it off the lot. It still starts instantly, drove it through 18" of snow up hill coming over the hood and still kept traction controlling it to the top of a steep hill that had not yet been plowed.
Even if it was small, would have been nice to have backseat... in US. Homda did this with the CRX long time ago... Something to do with classifying the car in US to cut cost...
If only Honda made a Type-R trim level. Ditch the hybrid power train and all the associated weight, drop in a K20 and LSD, add a pair of Recaros and some aero and tighten up the suspension. Charge $5k on the base price and watch them roll of the lots. That would have been a true and worthy successor to the CR-X (2nd gen, NOT the del sol)
I never got the point of putting K20 into this thing...what's wrong with the Civic? It got irs vs the twist beam on this thing and can be just as light.
This was clearly meant to be a revival of the CRX (just look at the shape) and the CRX was quite a zippy car, especially if you managed to score an SiR (I did and it's awesome), therefore the CRZ needs an appropriate amount of power to shove its 1200+kg around. A B18C would probably do the job as well, it's just a bit older. There's nothing wrong with the Civic, but if you want something that stands out in a crowd, a Civic ain't gonna cut it.
@@elanjacobs1 this thing is more of a hybrid (pun intended) of crx and first gen insight, it was also a testbed for technology that found its way into 2nd gen nsx(that everyone hated as well), especially with the HPD supercharger that was available during the last couple years of its production. B series have been out of production for almost ten years when this car came out. So as a true enthusiast you care only about the looks? Crx also had irs if I think.
@@pn8024 I don't know how you came to the conclusion that I only care about looks. My point was that if you're trying to make a sporty hatchback, you need to at have a powertrain that will deliver, at least as an option.
I watched this car about a year and a half ago, I just got myself one and I love it! Thank you for this video otherwise I would not have known about this gem.
Had a crz for a month now and love it. 40mpg around town and easily 50mpg on motorway in eco. It’s just a lovely looking motor to look at and the interior is just as nice. I’ve had a few motors and this will take some beating. Nice review by the way.
The CRZ is a nice commuter car and build very well for long term use. May not be the fastest but as long as it gets me from A to B, with low gas cost I'm happy.
I own a 2015 Honda CRZ w/ 45k miles. The door handles are plastic shit that frequently break. Honda charges $500 for parts and labor to repair/replace the handles. The problem is the replacement parts haven’t been updated due to Honda discontinuing the model. FYI, parts are NOT cheap. One of my best friends is a service manager at a Honda in Florida. He told me that CRZ parts are THE most expensive that they order. You can go fast in the CRZ, but your top speed is limited to about 110-120mph. Using the Sport Mode and paddle shifting available in later models (2015-2016) has allowed me to accelerate more quickly than most other vehicles I share the road with. My favorite part about the car is that you can literally park anywhere. The car fits into spots that most other vehicles cannot. The vehicle also sits low to the ground, which sucks entering/exiting the vehicle, but also gives pause to anyone considering attempting to steal parts.
I have a very well kept 2011, and it's really a ton of fun to drive. Very little downshifts when overtaking others, average economy is high 30s(great for any car) and 2 seater in US(should have never had seats in the back) I don't have kids, not married. If you are considering a used one these days, do yourself a favor, and go drive one. In Sport mode. It's a magnificent commuter car!
High 30s isn't great at all anymore. Sure, compared to 6L American V8s, but that's local to US. Standard expectation really ought to be 45-60 for straight fossil burners.
@@ukmitch86 It's great when I drive it like i stole it every time, and beat a lot of these 6L V8s.... not like I'm trying to savor any of this so-called fossil you speak of.
My wife bought one and now having 60,000 miles she still loves the car . One thing I do like about this car is that it drive swell in the snow and rain .
I have a 2012. I love everything about it. In sport mode I quickly kick it up and being small an nimble I move smoothly through traffic. I only buy hatchbacks and am constanly hauling things. I don't get why everyone say's people don't like them, I will drive this until I can't find parts. Great gas mileage. Love,love, love it!!!
Driving my CRZ for 70k km now and it is great fun, great value, not super quick, bought it used fairly cheap, people still ask about it, in my town there's about 3 CRZs, we greet when we meet :)
I still have my 2011 CR-Z EX that I bought new when it came out (USA). I normally trade my car every year or two, but I've been driving this for a record 9 years now. I have never been bored with it, and I hope to keep it for many more years. Just regular maintenance, no problems ever. I have upgraded the head unit twice, and it's nice to be able to do that since the head unit doesn't control any essential car functions.
@Stonewall Thomas hmm. Okay thanks, I’m thinking of picking one. Mileage is a little high but I test drove it, checked it out, and it’s in great shape. Only $4500. Honestly I think even if the battery goes out on it soon it still might be a decent deal.
My GF has one of these and I love driving it. Looks great parked in front of my MK2 CRX. The MPG is great in town driving. GF is a community nurse and was putting 100 quid a week in my diesel Accord. The CRZ only uses 40 quid a week.
I drove it. Felt like a faster more modern crx with hybrid technology. I don’t usually get excited about anything built after 1999. I dig this car a lot
Perfect! I own one, a black GT from 2012, driven now for 5 satisfying years...i'm still in love with it! It now has 55.000 km, consumption is about 6.3 l/100 km...
Nice oddity review. And such a wasted opportunity by Honda, they could have done a cheaper, more funnier petrol-only version... some things I`ll never understand.
Exactly, no idea if homologisation, engeneering or managment limits decided for the one engine only option. I believe it could have been a nice selling car just giving people options like a bit sporty tuned 1.6-1.8vtec even below 150hp.
@@BmoreIrish why, not enough demand judging by the stupid moaning comments on this video...im glad they cancelled it. ppl dont appreciate efforts made to bring a car to market. just crying constantly. These same ppl are forced to go buy junk as a result
I don't care about sporty in terms of speed, I care about handling both in city and highway. I care about saving money on gas, I care about reliability, I care about ease of operation, maintenance, driving and parking. I'm not a big speeder, I rarely drive more than 30km above the limit so the best it needs to do on the freeway in Canada is 140kph
I have bought back in 2013 and still using it until today and it has reached 412k km mileage in total. I have never change the hybrid battery nor overhaul the car. It is really reliable car that is underrated. I still can drive up to 160km/h speed without any problem. For me it is the best car and investment.
Mine is just about perfect for my 110 mile round trip commute on a mix of rural roads and motorway. A great balance of fun, comfort, refinement and economy without having to resort to the horror of diesel. Even on such a long commute it gives me the thing I wanted most of all - at the end of a long day I actually want to get in it and have an enjoyable drive home.
I own this car and the fuel economy is pretty much the best I can get without getting a prius or an EV. Cars in north america don't really come better than 40 mpg. I don't need anymore power than this, not interested in the constant temptation and weekly speeding tickets lol. The look of most sedans and hatchbacks is so boring to me, that's why I chose this
Honestly, I'm an owner of a CRZ... A performance version would have been great... a k20 + IMA as the power plant. The car was designed for a K, but it supposedly couldn't pass crash test safeties. Still... It handles beautiful... Jeez the cockpit is easily the best I've been in.
The first gen Insight was the first hybrid with a manual. And the first production hybrid in the US! The CR-Z actually has a lot more in common with the Insight than the other. I'd say the CR-Z is the spiritual successor to the Insight
I have had two CR-Z a 2011 and 2015 the later I still own, which is a lot faster bigger wheels, bigger battery. they are great cars. Had people movers before them... children, now with the back down just my golf clubs joy!
My girlfriend has one and it is so fun it’s no hellcat but it’s nimble zippy and vary responsive the only complaints I have is it have many blind spots and it’s a little too low for my taste if I were to lift it it would only be an inch or two overall this is a great first car 8.8/10
This is a very underrated car. I bought the power upgraded version in 2013. Not a sports car but great fun. I can get a minimum of 48 mpg with enthusiastic driving. You have to know what to do to get the best out of this car. At 40000 miles it has just got run in. No problems or issues. A great car.
Malcolm Heavens Nail on the head Malcolm. Its a great little car. You definitely have to know how to drive it to get the most out of it. I like the flexibility it provides - a bit of zip with the ability to sip.
@@Mrzippy3 Great to hear from somebody who really understands this car. On our busy roads and you had a more powerful motor, you would get 28mpg and it would be so much more expensive to run. Then the bad news would be that when you looked in the mirror there would be the CRZ. Full of surprises. So much fun.
@@malcolmheavens2213 I owned one ,bought used about one year ago and is really enjoying every moment in it. Zippy enough to join the traffic and with the sport mode or s+ pressed , able to over take comfortably if need to.
I quite like mine. The styling has aged very well and the interior is extremely well layed out. I get well above the advertised fuel economy ratings even with larger Mugen NR17 wheels equipped too. It’s not fast, but neither is the CRX.
I disagree that it's not sporty. I think it depends on how you define it, and what you mean by "quick". I love the way the crz drives, especially on curvy roads (at least in the mt), and I really appreciate how it's styled. I wanted something practical and reliable and somewhat stylish and fun, which is exactly what I got in my crz. The seats in my EX are more comfortable than my sofa at home, and I find myself sitting in the car in my driveway long after I have pulled in just because I'm reluctant to get out. Love this car.
I love this car, could use a little more power but it works great! They're in huge demand now too. I had to drive 4 hours to buy one because there were only 2 being sold in the state of florida with a clutch.
A great, quirky car that was possibly the first to try and deliver on a number of fronts. I've owned mine a year and absolutely love it. Future facing cockpit with a fantastic factory sound system. Once up to speed it handles well and pulls nicely in sport mode - the thinking man's Tesla!
I was working at Marshalls Honda when this was in it last 3 years we had one in the showroom for 2 years could not sell it, they were ridiculously expensive for what they were.
is it just me or the value of this car is increasing every year? I am trying to find decent ex-l full equip with nav and I can't seem to find anything under 15 000$?? it feels really expensive if you ask me
Found a 2011 CR-Z while shopping for used cars. I was skeptical to start out with and wasn't too eager to pull the trigger on it, but after a few months of driving it, I think it may be one of my favorite cars of all time. Sure, it's not all that fast, but it's a very fun car to drive regardless, and having owned a fairly large SUV for some years, I am very impressed with the gas mileage. I think a few years down the line, if I can afford to, I'll get a manual transmission variant as a project car and turn it into the compact powerhouse it deserves to be.
Same here I have one with under 90,000 miles on it. 2006 5 speed manual. I kind of hate putting miles on it since one with that little of miles is rare. I was looking to get a crz to put miles on instead
Mugen actually released the CR-Z RZ (aka Mugen RZ) which came factory fitted with a supercharger. Sadly, it was sold in Japan only and it’s limited to 300 units.
I took my diesel Honda CRV for an MOT and service at my local Honda dealer. They had an offer on for £150 including inspection. I’d arrived a little early at the dealer and had to wait well over an hour to pick up my car. As way of an apology for keeping me waiting the service guy charged me £120. I’m willing to bet that is the cheapest MAIN dealer MOT, inspection and oil and filter service in the developed world.
Had my CRZ for 6 years . Never expected that . It's the facelift lithium iron battery with a combined output of 137BHP which makes quite a difference over the first versions. Serviced at the main dealer it now has over 100,000 trouble free miles. Had periods were I look to change it but keep coming back home in it. With the second hand prices going silly it's now worth 25% of it's new price and going up . Also found a 7 " sat nav which clips into the centre console no brackets required. You'll have to prize it of me one day.
I’ve been driving a ‘02 Yukon Denali since ‘04 and with the gas prices in the West Coast at record levels, am tempted to grab a 2011 for my daily... lots of negative reviews regarding lack of power at acceleration or on straight lines... but coming from a behemoth SUV this is quite a fresh change plus I get to change my other insurance to leisure only and just drive it on weekends or camping/fishing/hunting trips 👍
Just bought a 2011 CR-Z a few days ago in Germany, 95000km on it. As the kind of new potential young driver i feel like it fits me perfectly. I don't need a performance car and don't want a boring Eco car for the mileage, but rather the mix of it for a few years until i decide which way to go. The really neat look of it completely specced out doesn't hurt my CR-Z either. Do u think it will keep depreciating in price or eventually rise again? I guess it might rise again due to it's potential buyers audience becoming bigger and the market becoming smaller. loved your vid, keep it up.
@@rh1507 haha what the fuck. So it's not a "nightmare" when backing up? Jesus. Lol How long have you had it? And why did you get it? I'm thinking of getting one with 100k miles on it for around $6k Is that good?
I got a 2015 and use it to deliver pizzas at 109K. The driver side handle just went out. I have stretched the oil out to 30K, get about 37 mpg in the city, very comfortable, driver side seat has some wear and tear, and the brakes are easy to change. Over all, happy with this car.
Design wise, this is beautiful. So pretty. I wish the new Civic Type R could look more like this. Minimal , classy, arrow-looking. This looks so powerful with simple lines, Civic has fake vents? Really Honda?
I live in Los Angeles. My 2014 CR-Z gets me 40MPG on the freeway and I'm commonly the fastest thing on the road. For ~$20K USD for the base model, the car has been awesome.
Believe or not there is a lot of aftermarket support for this car through HKS and Spoon. The HKS car runs a 1:03 at Tsukuba I believe. There’s a supercharger kit that’s a clutch type so unless you’re heavy footed, your fuel mileage will stay the same. That SC alone can bring the car up to 180whp. Spoon makes a delete kit for the VTEC system. The VTEC in this car is like the old VTEC-E system where a certain number of valves are closed before the crossover. The Spoon kit deletes this and keeps it a 4 valve per cylinder car through the powerband and Spoon even sells this kit with an ECU reflash. If you google how much hp HKS makes with their CR-Z you’ll be floored considering the price of the car and it’s humble power figures.
Had one of these before my S2000, fantastic looking cars with a few simple mods. £20 road tax and fuel economy is a bit better than you say, town driving I would average 45mpg, motorway driving mid 50s.
My only complaint is that I cannot envision "my space". In other words, the car is so roomy that I cannot see the parking lines or "swing space". It surely is not a "racing car", but that would be a waste on my commute. I am very happy with mine, and I love driving "the twisties" in my six speed!
Thanks to your influence I'm going to consider (and probably buy) Honda CRZ as my first car. As you said it impressed me with her look and I don't really care about the performance. If you didn't lie in this video, this seems to be a perfect car for me. Have a good day and thank you again.
Love your videos, but thought I'd mention that the Civic Hybrid was available with a manual gearbox all the way back in 2001-2005. My ex had one, it was a fairly nice car for a commuter vehicle, around 55-60mpg (imperial).
People have actually used the space quite well. I saw one with a bunch of stuff in it. It does have little space, but if you know how to utilize the space, it's surprising how much space can be used. I own one, however I don't have a need for a bigger trunk. One thing that is shame is the lack of spare tire, in mine at least. For whatever reason, they decided to only offer spares in some of them.
Even before the Civic hybrid, the 1st generation of the Insight (approx. 2000 to 2006?) had a manual transmission. Did the U.K. get the original Insight? IOW, Honda gave the world at least 2 hybrid cars with a manual transmission BEFORE the CR ZED.
These were not hybrids in the modern sense. They had Intelligent Motor Assistance, or a small electric motor that gave an extra push when needed. The engine itself ran like a normal engine, not sharing tasks with an electric motor according tot the decisions of a computer.
Cletus, when you said weird and unusual, I was expecting you to introduce Clovis‼️ Referring to my favourite reviewer, where is the old dog❓ Honda stopped selling the CR-Z❓I always thought they never really started, and that was the problem. Love the fish-eyed lens, and the red Honda badge. It's not very nice calling your Lotus a dog, even though it may not be inaccurate. Hondas are always well made and very easy to live with. If I may be sexist, chauvinistic and politically incorrect, cars are like women; a hot, fast one is great fun for a quick blast, but easy to live with is of overriding importance for the long haul. Never mind all this pre-holiday camera fodder, where are the USA films⁉️ A very good review ( sales pitch? ) of a car that I'd forgotten about. Thank you for the excellent refresher.
If you live in North America, I always recommend buying a 2013+ 6 speed MT. I have a 2011 CVT and have missed out on the Sport+ and the handsfree upgrades w/ touchscreen NAV. Also the upgraded IMA Batteries are a huge plus.
Have a 2013 CRZ uplift model with K&N Short Ram intake and cat delete. About 75k miles and tbh I hope to hold onto it until it's so far in future it's seen as a retro rarity. Had 2x type R's (90s era) a Type S, Mini Cooper S (Supercharger not Turbo among my faster cars and this one (for me) is just a fun wee ride. I love it.
I'd suggest that a £1000 price tag to replace some worn out batteries on a £6000-7000 car is A LOT in percentage terms. Saying that, I suppose it's offset as for some strange reason these are excellent value for money now. These look fantastic, if only they'd fitted the K20 into them.
A 1000 euro expense on a car that's paid off is cheaper than buying another car. The only time repairs are pointless, are if the repairs would be more expensive than just buying another car.
Don't listen to the haters. I held off till finally over the 'battery'. So happy with this car. The power is entirely usable all the time and plenty. Top speed stability is superb. It's built like it was chiseled from a slab of stone. It gets low 40's US all day long in city or 70mph. Have hauled serious goods with the hatch and flat floor. 40,000 miles and just oil changes, tire rotation, and cabin filter. Mid life crisis wanted v8 mustang or corvette but this "2 seater" has ended that itch and cost $17,500(leftover 2015 in 2016) new as opposed to 40 and 60k for v8's. I catch people looking at it. Win, Win, Win. Its the same with my motorcycle Honda NC750X, all the haters and so glad I didn't listen, usable power, economy, storage, solid chassis, DCT, etc, etc, go Japanese made Hondas!
Nice review, and aligns with the reasons I recently bought a 2010 GT for my 16 year old lad (he turns 17 next month) - I consider him very lucky to have a car such as this for his first motor. Indeed, I’ve been driving it around for the last few weeks myself, and am seriously impressed with it - as you say, a nice place to be! Costs about the same as a 1.4 Mini to insure as a new driver, and yet is so much cooler. Not being able to fill the car with his mates is a bonus too - no peer pressure to ‘show off’ behind the wheel.
I'm thinking of buying one since they're pretty cheap and ULEZ compliant. Right now it's between this, a Bentley Continental or a Rev 5 MR2. I've never owned a car made this century or a hatchback and I despise hatchbacks, but these look quite nice and you can essentially get rid of pointless back seats. A decent sound system which I'm not sure about, looking at the way it's integrated, a set of decent alloys and hopefully the ability to add an arm rest between the seats and I'm sold.
I have a 1989 CRX and a 2010 CRZ. Both great cars. If pushed I would say I prefer the CRX but the CRZ is still a great car. One main flaw to look for in the CRZ if you are looking to buy an older car though is the door handles. Its quite a crap design and the mechanism wears so that on hot days it can be hard to open the door. It can be replaced but its a very fiddly job. As for the battery pack, mine is now 13 years old. Got 110 thousand miles on it and its still going strong. Sometimes if I let the battery go down to two bars it dissapears to zero instantly and then the car is very sluggish without the electric assist motor. Its a sign that the batteries are nearing the end of their life I think but I have found a UK company who offer a more powerful replacement option for £1600. Maybe in a few years I will be giving them a call. All in all my CRZ is a lovely car, its great looking and can be fun to drive but honestly the old CRX is even more fun.
honestly, giving a review saying that a 124hp car is not fast... you don't have to be a genius to do that. This car is about driving pleasure, fun and reliability. It can be compared to the MX5. It's a great little car!
Worst feature of this car that is not mentioned in this video is the “auto shutoff” The car cuts on and off every time you stop unless you have the ac running, no other bypass that I know of, that is my only complaint about this car other than the lack of power, other than that-great car!
Honestly just moderate tuning turns a CR-Z into a fun car. Toss out the hybrid stuff, stiffen up the suspension and add a centrifugal supercharger or a smaller turbo and there you go. A really fun car. Or leave it stock and enjoy a comfy quirky hybrid.
People were disappointed as they thought this was the successor of the CRX. It isnt, as the Del Sol isnt either. I doubt the CRZ has been aimed at the regular Honda enthusiast.
My mother bought one of these new in 2010 after they launched in the UK. Still has it today 8 years later. They are 'old school' Honda- reliable. Made in Japan. The build quality is excellent. They really are very solid small cars. They might not be performance cars, but there is fun to be hand from driving these. They are very nimble. The 1.5 VTEC unit is a gem. Smooth and eager to spin to the redline, aided by a snappy short throw six speed box and good braking response. A very underated little car unless you are in the know.
JDM Guy Exactly. Well said.
I bought mine in 2011 - fast forward to 2024 - still have it - minimal issues
Due to this review I bought a 2015 CR-Z with 26k miles on it... I use it as a daily driver to work & across town, and i'll say this. This car is fun as hell to drive. If I'm feeling frisky, the sport mode really performs. If I'm feeling economical, the normal/econ modes do the trick too. Like you said, it doesn't do the best with being either sporty, or an economical hybrid, but it makes a best of both worlds sort of car. Thanks for the review, I found it one of the best for the car :)
I use a '11 CRZ as my daily driver. You can't beat it. I have the 6 speed. It handles very nice. Though it isn't going to win any drag races, you can have alot of fun rowing through the gears from a stop sign or up an on ramp. (Is it better to use 80% of a fun average car, or 10% of a very fast car?) The other benefit is if you drive it like you stole it it still gets high 30's mpg. Also, if you have to park in any of the big cities, the car will fit in any compact car space. Reliability is also absolutely awesome and the parts are cheap if you do need one. Again, as a daily driver, it's perfect.
Can I make love with it?
@@edxander7169 u could if ur into that lol
@@brandontalley4288 ;DDD
"isn't going to win any drag races" *looks at my country were most tuners are just old shitty and smokey seats* yeah...sure
@@alexandre007opa I only added that because I always got asked if it was fast. It's relative, but, to me, the answer was a no. It was probably the least powerful car I've owned. It was still reliable fun though. I recommend one as a daily still.
picked up my 6-speed crz with 115,000 miles for $5000 a few months ago, i've been loving it!
Great honest review! I own one.....original owner of a 2013 CRZ EX 6 spd.....in 'Merica dang it!! I have 130,000 miles, just put in new rear shocks, CV boots and after a 130k, new front brake pads......been the most reliable car I have ever owned, I will drive it until I can't in California! I have owned a few VW's this thing is waaayyyyy more reliable. I love this car!!.....
I just drove a CRZ for the first time today. I have to say it is the most impressive hybrid I've driven thus far.
The Ford C-Max was very impressive to me as well in terms of performance and utility but I felt it lacked good styling.
I currently drive a Civic and I'm now looking into getting a CRZ after finding out how fun they are to drive.
i have a 2015 crz and absolutely love it....best purchase i have ever made. oh yea cut my fuel bill from 280.00 a month to 80.00.....if you can grab one of these do so you will be glad you did.
Going from a Civic to a CRZ increased my fuel bill almost by a factor 2. Its NOT a "green" efficient car at all. It's shit in every single way. Handling, performance, mileage, build quality....
How much are they
@@Flyingdutchy33 lool stop crying
+Blade ManX
I can tell by the kind of reaction you gave me that you are about 13 years old at the most. Why don't you come back in a few years when you actually have a driving license and some manners, kid.
Flyingdutchy33... bye 👋
After watching this review, and finding a good deal on one locally, I am pretty convinced this is going to be my first car. Cheers for the great review, subbed!
Synct thinking of buying this also as my first car, have you buy yours? How was it? Please tell me how was ur experience, thanks!
@@hahnselativ695 this us absolutely one of the best choice for first car mate
did you end up buying one and how is it?
@@mark-qi6di he crashed it
@@mark-qi6di yup he crashed it and killed other people involved in the crash..
i bought this in 2013, after 450k km, recently 2023, i just changed Hybrid Battery. This car never disappoints me. It is still fun to drive even after 10years and 450,000km. No major issues at all. Worth every penny
Wow
How much was the battery
FYI- here in the states in 2012, they released a dealer add-on supercharger kit which raised the HP to 200, and could achieve nearly the same gas mileage if you kept it out of boost.
The problem there is it costs $7200. And you have to remove the wheel and motor mount to change the belt. Then you need a special oil for the supercharger that they don’t make anymore.
AOMechMarine I have the estimate from the dealership. Once every two years or 50k miles. Whichever comes first.
AOMechMarine The estimate is from the dealership, but the instructions are from HPD. They printed everything out for me. All 53 pages of how to do it including the registration you need to fill out for HPD’s record. Yes, it really says it needs to change the traction oil and belt every two years. If you worked for them you can find the TSB.
erm, you can get one for $2600 including all parts. Looking at upgrading mine at some point soon and at under £2k it will make it a new car.
just K swap it for less...
It most certainly wasn't the first hybrid to have a manual gearbox. The first gen Insight was offered with a manual gearbox and the first Civic IMA hybrid was manual as well.
Yes sir. I stopped watching as soon as he said it. Can't trust anything he says after that because he obviously didn't do his homework.
I believe it was the first hybrid with a SIX SPEED transmission, my error
19Mako71 and there was a Mugen Edition as well.
@@19Mako71 I own a 2013 CRZ EX. CVT, not manual, but much of what he said was of note to me. He drove it, gave some history and made some sensible comments, in my opinion. Still have it, just spent a Grand on new tires & 28,000 mile service. I bought it at age 61, and will say it is a bear to get in and out of sometimes, but after 5 ½ years, it is more fun to drive than ever.
@@JayEmmOnCars Good save lol
I have had mine, a manual GT-Navi in black, since new in November 2011. As stock it was, as everyone says, under-powered, but also as my research showed there was a lot of modding potential, something which mine has benefitted from in the 7 years I have had it. With a 5 month delivery time (you may remember Japan had a tsunami that year - this caused a few issues when it was retuned because of the 2nd gen ECU fitted wasn't recognised by Hondata's Flashpro, though it is now thanks to TDI & Hondata using my UK spec as a guinea pig) I had plenty of time to plan my programme & start saving for my modding budget.
Suffice to say mine is now close to the sports car I wanted when I originally bought it, mainly thanks to the new Rotrex supercharger (I wore the old Mugen SC out after 75,000 miles driving), a Bisimoto re-profiled cam, ported head, Wavetrac LSD, a brace of Cusco bracing struts, Mugen 5-way adjustable suspension, 18" Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 8" wide alloys, Continental Contact Sport 5 225/35 R18 tyres (I like a bit of safety in the wet so Michelin Pilot Sport Cups don't quite cut it for my alloys' size), Spoon Monobloc front brake callipers, Dixcell Z-pads all round, Mugen exhaust back to the cat, FRS (fast road set-up) by TDI for the wheel geometry, Hondata FlashPro tuned, Mugen body-kit (front air dam, side skirts, rear wing), Mugen rear fog centre light, Cobra Sidewinder touring seats (I've always been a bit too big for bucket seats!), removed rear seat back & belts, HKS LA clutch, Mugen Assist meters, the larger manifold plenum from a Honda Jazz & many more mods all fitted over the 7 years by TDI (Torque Developments International of Thurrock, Essex).
The dyno now says its putting out 210 bhp at the hubs, so that's probably around 245bhp at the fly. This all includes the electric boost generated by the regenerative braking, which has yet to be uprated from the original unit off the back of the Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries; I am starting to notice their more rapid depletion as the car ages with over 115,000 miles on the clock, so I am considering my options for when I will get the better Lithium-Ion battery swapped in.
The uprated stereo is the only thing by others - that's courtesy of Sextons' ICE - it masks the new rattles that have sprung up following fitment of Innovative Mounts' poly-bushed engine mounts.
So it is now so far from stock it probably is now closer to the CR-Z's most have wanted Honda to build. It's insured by Keith James Insurance & (unfortunately) Adrian Flux have never got close enough to them with a competitive quote, but I'll give them another go this year. Banzai magazine did a great article on it in summer 2017 (when it had its old Mugen SC) & did it justice. It's now a bit difficult to drive in traffic on my daily 50 mile commute but, if I leave early enough & don't hit too much clutch-pumping traffic, its a joy to use the extra power & listen to the grunt of the engine through the Mugen exhaust. Its no Porsche 911 but its not far off, with sub 5 seconds to 60 & plenty of torque making the Honda gearbox so very versatile in all the gears now.
It's very much the CR-Z i wanted, though ideally to go on more track-days I would want 4 point harnesses & am considering what other future track orientated mods my budget (& wife's understanding) can accommodate. Each time I do a track-day I crave more (mods & money for my budget), but need to keep it going for my daily commute as well, so its a careful balancing act.
Since the engine rebuild (stronger forged pistons etc added when the cam was re-profiled) the block has got a new lease of life for a further 100,000 miles, so I can see keeping it for at least another 8 years. Who knows what it will end up like, but I know whatever it will be another 8 years plus of thrilling driving.
My only regret is just how much my obsession has cost me in both money & time (in the garage at TDI). Yes I could have got an Audi RS3, 4 or 5 or something in a similar vein, but I have always liked to be different & my modified CR-Z is exactly just that, so I am happy.
I'd be pleased to hear your comments, Cheers, Rob
Sounds like an awesome and very different build to me
@@JayEmmOnCars
Thanks. You should see the Banzai magazine article on it from July 2017. They certainly did it justice too, albeit with a few spec typos on the make of supercharger.
@MrRetroshep would you be able to provide numbers in terms of how much money it cost to get to where you are? I’ve got a 2011 black GT that I’m hoping to modify in the coming years and have no clue how much I should budget
Hi Ronnie, it depends who you get to do the work.....I chose TDI in Thurrock, who whilst exceptionally knowledgeable and do great work, are pretty expensive. I was earning well at first, so I could afford it, but more recently I haven't had so much but the car continues to evolve, so I have to be careful with the work I have done. If you send me your email I can be more detailed with specs & costs etc
MrRetroshep ronniekenny67@gmail.com
I bought my 2011 CRZ 6 years ago, I still love it. It's fun to drive.
Best underrated car of the last decade. Hands down.
No
Would the insight fall under this category too?
I had it for a while, but it really isn't all that great. The battery doesn't even last 3 minutes WOT, the weight in the back makes this sucker extremely tail happy when braking into corners, it has traction control which pretty much guarantees that the moment you figure out the previous point, you will shit your pants. It's also absolutely uneconomical, with mileage that doesn't go beyond 15km/l. It's not fast in any way, shape or form. It has suspension technology that was considered outdated 4 decades ago, and it shows.
The only good things I can say about this car is that the chassis is stiff and it looks cool.
Flyingdutchy33 liar! I have my car since 2011 . One of the first to buy it actually. I get almost 40mpg . This car is not older people. It really should be promoted to college kids.
@@knightingg8324 Sorry if I pissed on your fire there, but 40mpg is almost exactly 15km per litre, which is what I said. And that, sir, is not at all economic compared to normal cars without the battery.
Not only is my 2012 CR-Z my daily driver, it also brought me my fiance. She drives a 2011 and that is how we met. ;)
Needs a K swap.
Hopefully doing it in the near future. Others have done it and the motor swaps in easy. The wiring takes a little work if you want the stock cluster but if you’re gonna use an AEM, Holley, or Motec dash it’s easy peasy. Just working on saving all the pennies because once I start the project I want it done because it sounds amazing in theory and people have enjoyed the ones built so far.
Save money adding a turbo kit or supercharger
Torsion beam rear axle?
I love mine. Great little commuter car.
Same it's great
@@jamesevans4366 that's what I love about it you can drive it as hard as you like and still save money on gas it's great
yer i love mine aswell
Same, it's perfect for dense city driving too... I've had mine for over 5 years now, plan on refurbishing it when I have the money to.
I bought one not expecting much, just needed a daily commuter and a friend advised me to go try one. So i ended up buying cause it surprised me a lot. I come from a background of older 80s 90s cars, i love my light hatchbacks, the most fun i own is a fiat seicento sport with a 1.4 16v from a fiat stilo with custom ecu exhaust etc. Making around 110hp and heavily modified suspension/wheel wise, so i wasnt expecting that the crz actually corners as good as ny little track car project and its stock haha very happy with it
Love my 2011 CR-Z and have driven it for nearly 250,000miles since the day I drove it off the lot. It still starts instantly, drove it through 18" of snow up hill coming over the hood and still kept traction controlling it to the top of a steep hill that had not yet been plowed.
Have you had it since new?? Also have you had to replace the battery yet?
If Honda would have made a 4 seater version in America it might have actually kept up with the market.
It is a 4 seater.
Although the back seats are pretty small.
@@bradcogan8588 It was a 2-seater in USA. They removed the back seats and placed two plastic trays instead.
Would have survived if it wasn't a hybrid. I knew I wanted one, only if it was just a gas engine
You'd only be able to fit children in the back.
Even if it was small, would have been nice to have backseat... in US.
Homda did this with the CRX long time ago...
Something to do with classifying the car in US to cut cost...
If only Honda made a Type-R trim level. Ditch the hybrid power train and all the associated weight, drop in a K20 and LSD, add a pair of Recaros and some aero and tighten up the suspension. Charge $5k on the base price and watch them roll of the lots.
That would have been a true and worthy successor to the CR-X (2nd gen, NOT the del sol)
DREAM Automotive did this I think
I never got the point of putting K20 into this thing...what's wrong with the Civic? It got irs vs the twist beam on this thing and can be just as light.
This was clearly meant to be a revival of the CRX (just look at the shape) and the CRX was quite a zippy car, especially if you managed to score an SiR (I did and it's awesome), therefore the CRZ needs an appropriate amount of power to shove its 1200+kg around. A B18C would probably do the job as well, it's just a bit older.
There's nothing wrong with the Civic, but if you want something that stands out in a crowd, a Civic ain't gonna cut it.
@@elanjacobs1 this thing is more of a hybrid (pun intended) of crx and first gen insight, it was also a testbed for technology that found its way into 2nd gen nsx(that everyone hated as well), especially with the HPD supercharger that was available during the last couple years of its production. B series have been out of production for almost ten years when this car came out. So as a true enthusiast you care only about the looks? Crx also had irs if I think.
@@pn8024 I don't know how you came to the conclusion that I only care about looks. My point was that if you're trying to make a sporty hatchback, you need to at have a powertrain that will deliver, at least as an option.
I watched this car about a year and a half ago, I just got myself one and I love it! Thank you for this video otherwise I would not have known about this gem.
Had a crz for a month now and love it. 40mpg around town and easily 50mpg on motorway in eco. It’s just a lovely looking motor to look at and the interior is just as nice. I’ve had a few motors and this will take some beating. Nice review by the way.
Thanks Terry
The CRZ is a nice commuter car and build very well for long term use. May not be the fastest but as long as it gets me from A to B, with low gas cost I'm happy.
I think it has beautiful styling. I personally think this should be the egg shaped civic hatch like what we used to get
I own a 2015 Honda CRZ w/ 45k miles. The door handles are plastic shit that frequently break. Honda charges $500 for parts and labor to repair/replace the handles. The problem is the replacement parts haven’t been updated due to Honda discontinuing the model.
FYI, parts are NOT cheap. One of my best friends is a service manager at a Honda in Florida. He told me that CRZ parts are THE most expensive that they order.
You can go fast in the CRZ, but your top speed is limited to about 110-120mph. Using the Sport Mode and paddle shifting available in later models (2015-2016) has allowed me to accelerate more quickly than most other vehicles I share the road with.
My favorite part about the car is that you can literally park anywhere. The car fits into spots that most other vehicles cannot. The vehicle also sits low to the ground, which sucks entering/exiting the vehicle, but also gives pause to anyone considering attempting to steal parts.
I have a very well kept 2011, and it's really a ton of fun to drive. Very little downshifts when overtaking others, average economy is high 30s(great for any car) and 2 seater in US(should have never had seats in the back) I don't have kids, not married. If you are considering a used one these days, do yourself a favor, and go drive one. In Sport mode. It's a magnificent commuter car!
High 30s isn't great at all anymore. Sure, compared to 6L American V8s, but that's local to US. Standard expectation really ought to be 45-60 for straight fossil burners.
@@ukmitch86 It's great when I drive it like i stole it every time, and beat a lot of these 6L V8s.... not like I'm trying to savor any of this so-called fossil you speak of.
My wife bought one and now having 60,000 miles she still loves the car . One thing I do like about this car is that it drive swell in the snow and rain .
Yes, amazing in the snow. A surprise.
I have a 2012. I love everything about it. In sport mode I quickly kick it up and being small an nimble I move smoothly through traffic. I only buy hatchbacks and am constanly hauling things. I don't get why everyone say's people don't like them, I will drive this until I can't find parts. Great gas mileage. Love,love, love it!!!
Driving my CRZ for 70k km now and it is great fun, great value, not super quick, bought it used fairly cheap, people still ask about it, in my town there's about 3 CRZs, we greet when we meet :)
I still have my 2011 CR-Z EX that I bought new when it came out (USA). I normally trade my car every year or two, but I've been driving this for a record 9 years now. I have never been bored with it, and I hope to keep it for many more years. Just regular maintenance, no problems ever. I have upgraded the head unit twice, and it's nice to be able to do that since the head unit doesn't control any essential car functions.
I am still driving my 2011 (bought in 2010) and my CRX (bought somewhere around 2006?). I refuse to trade them.
How many miles, if I may ask?
Have you had to replace the battery pack yet.
@Stonewall Thomas hmm. Okay thanks, I’m thinking of picking one. Mileage is a little high but I test drove it, checked it out, and it’s in great shape. Only $4500. Honestly I think even if the battery goes out on it soon it still might be a decent deal.
@Stonewall Thomas you sure about that. I thought the hybrid battery is what is used to start the car.
This has been my car I've been lusting after since they came out. Saving mode is fully on now i've graduated.
My GF has one of these and I love driving it. Looks great parked in front of my MK2 CRX. The MPG is great in town driving. GF is a community nurse and was putting 100 quid a week in my diesel Accord. The CRZ only uses 40 quid a week.
I drove it. Felt like a faster more modern crx with hybrid technology. I don’t usually get excited about anything built after 1999. I dig this car a lot
Just bought one with 125k on the clock - still feels tight
Perfect! I own one, a black GT from 2012, driven now for 5 satisfying years...i'm still in love with it! It now has 55.000 km, consumption is about 6.3 l/100 km...
Nice oddity review. And such a wasted opportunity by Honda, they could have done a cheaper, more funnier petrol-only version... some things I`ll never understand.
They should’ve had three engine options: the hybrid, a standard ICE engine R18 or older K20 (160hp version), and a Type R (200-210hp version.)
Exactly, no idea if homologisation, engeneering or managment limits decided for the one engine only option.
I believe it could have been a nice selling car just giving people options like a bit sporty tuned 1.6-1.8vtec even below 150hp.
Lack of interest I suspect and lack of funds because of that - hence the cancelled Mugen version
Most people who say stuff like that never driven one.
@@BmoreIrish why, not enough demand judging by the stupid moaning comments on this video...im glad they cancelled it. ppl dont appreciate efforts made to bring a car to market. just crying constantly. These same ppl are forced to go buy junk as a result
I don't care about sporty in terms of speed, I care about handling both in city and highway. I care about saving money on gas, I care about reliability, I care about ease of operation, maintenance, driving and parking. I'm not a big speeder, I rarely drive more than 30km above the limit so the best it needs to do on the freeway in Canada is 140kph
I have bought back in 2013 and still using it until today and it has reached 412k km mileage in total. I have never change the hybrid battery nor overhaul the car. It is really reliable car that is underrated. I still can drive up to 160km/h speed without any problem. For me it is the best car and investment.
Mine is just about perfect for my 110 mile round trip commute on a mix of rural roads and motorway. A great balance of fun, comfort, refinement and economy without having to resort to the horror of diesel. Even on such a long commute it gives me the thing I wanted most of all - at the end of a long day I actually want to get in it and have an enjoyable drive home.
I own this car and the fuel economy is pretty much the best I can get without getting a prius or an EV. Cars in north america don't really come better than 40 mpg. I don't need anymore power than this, not interested in the constant temptation and weekly speeding tickets lol. The look of most sedans and hatchbacks is so boring to me, that's why I chose this
Honestly, I'm an owner of a CRZ...
A performance version would have been great... a k20 + IMA as the power plant.
The car was designed for a K, but it supposedly couldn't pass crash test safeties.
Still... It handles beautiful... Jeez the cockpit is easily the best I've been in.
The first gen Insight was the first hybrid with a manual. And the first production hybrid in the US! The CR-Z actually has a lot more in common with the Insight than the other. I'd say the CR-Z is the spiritual successor to the Insight
I have had two CR-Z a 2011 and 2015 the later I still own, which is a lot faster bigger wheels, bigger battery. they are great cars.
Had people movers before them... children, now with the back down just my golf clubs joy!
My girlfriend has one and it is so fun it’s no hellcat but it’s nimble zippy and vary responsive the only complaints I have is it have many blind spots and it’s a little too low for my taste if I were to lift it it would only be an inch or two overall this is a great first car 8.8/10
Still a great car for 2020
Dammit Jay! Now people will know about this hidden gem :D loved the video
Thankyou!
Honda Insight came with a manual gearbox ten years prior.
You know your BRAND!!!!!!
Yeah but the insight sucks ass let’s be real
This is a very underrated car. I bought the power upgraded version in 2013. Not a sports car but great fun. I can get a minimum of 48 mpg with enthusiastic driving. You have to know what to do to get the best out of this car. At 40000 miles it has just got run in. No problems or issues. A great car.
Malcolm Heavens Nail on the head Malcolm. Its a great little car. You definitely have to know how to drive it to get the most out of it. I like the flexibility it provides - a bit of zip with the ability to sip.
@@Mrzippy3 Great to hear from somebody who really understands this car. On our busy roads and you had a more powerful motor, you would get 28mpg and it would be so much more expensive to run. Then the bad news would be that when you looked in the mirror there would be the CRZ. Full of surprises. So much fun.
@@malcolmheavens2213
I owned one ,bought used about one year ago and is really enjoying every moment in it. Zippy enough to join the traffic and with the sport mode or s+ pressed , able to over take comfortably if need to.
have a 2014 CRZ with over 250,000 miles and still runs great so Id least say it is dependable ?
I quite like mine. The styling has aged very well and the interior is extremely well layed out. I get well above the advertised fuel economy ratings even with larger Mugen NR17 wheels equipped too. It’s not fast, but neither is the CRX.
40-50 mpg ? That's fantastic .
I disagree that it's not sporty. I think it depends on how you define it, and what you mean by "quick". I love the way the crz drives, especially on curvy roads (at least in the mt), and I really appreciate how it's styled. I wanted something practical and reliable and somewhat stylish and fun, which is exactly what I got in my crz. The seats in my EX are more comfortable than my sofa at home, and I find myself sitting in the car in my driveway long after I have pulled in just because I'm reluctant to get out. Love this car.
I love this car, could use a little more power but it works great! They're in huge demand now too. I had to drive 4 hours to buy one because there were only 2 being sold in the state of florida with a clutch.
A great, quirky car that was possibly the first to try and deliver on a number of fronts. I've owned mine a year and absolutely love it. Future facing cockpit with a fantastic factory sound system. Once up to speed it handles well and pulls nicely in sport mode - the thinking man's Tesla!
Yeah, the sound system is superb. I do enjoy and appreciate my 2013 CRZ EX.
They should have put the civic type r engine in it and used the electric motor to give more torque before vtec kicks in.
They would have sold hundreds of thousands.
Thats the beauty about cars like this from Honda,you can swap engines and all that fun stuff. It can definitely be a little "hybrid" sleeper
I was working at Marshalls Honda when this was in it last 3 years we had one in the showroom for 2 years could not sell it, they were ridiculously expensive for what they were.
is it just me or the value of this car is increasing every year? I am trying to find decent ex-l full equip with nav and I can't seem to find anything under 15 000$?? it feels really expensive if you ask me
Found a 2011 CR-Z while shopping for used cars. I was skeptical to start out with and wasn't too eager to pull the trigger on it, but after a few months of driving it, I think it may be one of my favorite cars of all time. Sure, it's not all that fast, but it's a very fun car to drive regardless, and having owned a fairly large SUV for some years, I am very impressed with the gas mileage. I think a few years down the line, if I can afford to, I'll get a manual transmission variant as a project car and turn it into the compact powerhouse it deserves to be.
1st generation honda insight had the 1st manual transmission for honda hybrid car. I still love mine. 50 to 60mpg.
Same here I have one with under 90,000 miles on it. 2006 5 speed manual. I kind of hate putting miles on it since one with that little of miles is rare. I was looking to get a crz to put miles on instead
It wasn't a mistake... it was just too far ahead of its time.
Love my 2015 CR-Z EX with Navigation, Automatic transmission and leather seats. I was lucky enough to find one with only 40,000kms
Mugen actually released the CR-Z RZ (aka Mugen RZ) which came factory fitted with a supercharger. Sadly, it was sold in Japan only and it’s limited to 300 units.
I took my diesel Honda CRV for an MOT and service at my local Honda dealer. They had an offer on for £150 including inspection.
I’d arrived a little early at the dealer and had to wait well over an hour to pick up my car. As way of an apology for keeping me waiting the service guy charged me £120. I’m willing to bet that is the cheapest MAIN dealer MOT, inspection and oil and filter service in the developed world.
Had my CRZ for 6 years . Never expected that . It's the facelift lithium iron battery with a combined output of 137BHP which makes quite a difference over the first versions. Serviced at the main dealer it now has over 100,000 trouble free miles. Had periods were I look to change it but keep coming back home in it. With the second hand prices going silly it's now worth 25% of it's new price and going up . Also found a 7 " sat nav which clips into the centre console no brackets required. You'll have to prize it of me one day.
I’ve been driving a ‘02 Yukon Denali since ‘04 and with the gas prices in the West Coast at record levels, am tempted to grab a 2011 for my daily... lots of negative reviews regarding lack of power at acceleration or on straight lines... but coming from a behemoth SUV this is quite a fresh change plus I get to change my other insurance to leisure only and just drive it on weekends or camping/fishing/hunting trips 👍
Just bought a 2011 CR-Z a few days ago in Germany, 95000km on it. As the kind of new potential young driver i feel like it fits me perfectly. I don't need a performance car and don't want a boring Eco car for the mileage, but rather the mix of it for a few years until i decide which way to go. The really neat look of it completely specced out doesn't hurt my CR-Z either.
Do u think it will keep depreciating in price or eventually rise again? I guess it might rise again due to it's potential buyers audience becoming bigger and the market becoming smaller.
loved your vid, keep it up.
I own a 2014 version & am loving it... Never broke down on me before... who cares about the -ve reviews out thr....
I have one of these. A 2011 CR-Z. It's not bad little car. I do wish that mine had a manual transmission.
I'm thinking of getting a 2011. Did you get the rear camera installed?
@@sly.al.6404 no. I didn't think to get one.
@@rh1507 Is it really troublesome to back up like everyone says?
@@sly.al.6404 Not in my opinion. The only thing I've ever driven that was a little tough backing up was my Dad's 79 Ranchero when I was a teenager.
@@rh1507 haha what the fuck. So it's not a "nightmare" when backing up? Jesus. Lol
How long have you had it? And why did you get it?
I'm thinking of getting one with 100k miles on it for around $6k
Is that good?
I got a 2015 and use it to deliver pizzas at 109K. The driver side handle just went out. I have stretched the oil out to 30K, get about 37 mpg in the city, very comfortable, driver side seat has some wear and tear, and the brakes are easy to change. Over all, happy with this car.
Love this car, want another one
Interesting, saw one the other day so was curious about it. Good to see you had it covered Jay Em 👍
I loved my 2013, the push to pass was great. For that price the interior of that car has no business being as nice as it is btw.
The 'S' button . . . yeah, that's fun!
Design wise, this is beautiful. So pretty. I wish the new Civic Type R could look more like this. Minimal , classy, arrow-looking. This looks so powerful with simple lines, Civic has fake vents? Really Honda?
I live in Los Angeles. My 2014 CR-Z gets me 40MPG on the freeway and I'm commonly the fastest thing on the road. For ~$20K USD for the base model, the car has been awesome.
I daily drive a CR-Z
Believe or not there is a lot of aftermarket support for this car through HKS and Spoon. The HKS car runs a 1:03 at Tsukuba I believe. There’s a supercharger kit that’s a clutch type so unless you’re heavy footed, your fuel mileage will stay the same. That SC alone can bring the car up to 180whp. Spoon makes a delete kit for the VTEC system. The VTEC in this car is like the old VTEC-E system where a certain number of valves are closed before the crossover. The Spoon kit deletes this and keeps it a 4 valve per cylinder car through the powerband and Spoon even sells this kit with an ECU reflash. If you google how much hp HKS makes with their CR-Z you’ll be floored considering the price of the car and it’s humble power figures.
Had one of these before my S2000, fantastic looking cars with a few simple mods. £20 road tax and fuel economy is a bit better than you say, town driving I would average 45mpg, motorway driving mid 50s.
I had enjoyed my CRZ for the last 5 and an half years. No problem. It is not high performance car but it's pretty fun.
My only complaint is that I cannot envision "my space". In other words, the car is so roomy that I cannot see the parking lines or "swing space". It surely is not a "racing car", but that would be a waste on my commute. I am very happy with mine, and I love driving "the twisties" in my six speed!
Thanks to your influence I'm going to consider (and probably buy) Honda CRZ as my first car. As you said it impressed me with her look and I don't really care about the performance. If you didn't lie in this video, this seems to be a perfect car for me. Have a good day and thank you again.
You're welcome
Love your videos, but thought I'd mention that the Civic Hybrid was available with a manual gearbox all the way back in 2001-2005. My ex had one, it was a fairly nice car for a commuter vehicle, around 55-60mpg (imperial).
Very nice car, just ashame about rear space
People have actually used the space quite well. I saw one with a bunch of stuff in it. It does have little space, but if you know how to utilize the space, it's surprising how much space can be used.
I own one, however I don't have a need for a bigger trunk. One thing that is shame is the lack of spare tire, in mine at least. For whatever reason, they decided to only offer spares in some of them.
even the old honda civic 1.3 hybrid had a manual
Even before the Civic hybrid, the 1st generation of the Insight (approx. 2000 to 2006?) had a manual transmission. Did the U.K. get the original Insight? IOW, Honda gave the world at least 2 hybrid cars with a manual transmission BEFORE the CR ZED.
And 1.0 Insight.
I think he meant 6 speed
These were not hybrids in the modern sense. They had Intelligent Motor Assistance, or a small electric motor that gave an extra push when needed. The engine itself ran like a normal engine, not sharing tasks with an electric motor according tot the decisions of a computer.
Jarrus Killa thr only one ive ever seen was my friends and its supercharged and manual from thr dealer
Cletus, when you said weird and unusual, I was expecting you to introduce Clovis‼️ Referring to my favourite reviewer, where is the old dog❓
Honda stopped selling the CR-Z❓I always thought they never really started, and that was the problem.
Love the fish-eyed lens, and the red Honda badge.
It's not very nice calling your Lotus a dog, even though it may not be inaccurate.
Hondas are always well made and very easy to live with. If I may be sexist, chauvinistic and politically incorrect, cars are like women; a hot, fast one is great fun for a quick blast, but easy to live with is of overriding importance for the long haul.
Never mind all this pre-holiday camera fodder, where are the USA films⁉️
A very good review ( sales pitch? ) of a car that I'd forgotten about. Thank you for the excellent refresher.
If you live in North America, I always recommend buying a 2013+ 6 speed MT. I have a 2011 CVT and have missed out on the Sport+ and the handsfree upgrades w/ touchscreen NAV. Also the upgraded IMA Batteries are a huge plus.
Have a 2013 CRZ uplift model with K&N Short Ram intake and cat delete. About 75k miles and tbh I hope to hold onto it until it's so far in future it's seen as a retro rarity.
Had 2x type R's (90s era) a Type S, Mini Cooper S (Supercharger not Turbo among my faster cars and this one (for me) is just a fun wee ride.
I love it.
I'd suggest that a £1000 price tag to replace some worn out batteries on a £6000-7000 car is A LOT in percentage terms. Saying that, I suppose it's offset as for some strange reason these are excellent value for money now. These look fantastic, if only they'd fitted the K20 into them.
spainter1985 so.... what’s the value of a car you already own that now has a new battery in it?
A 1000 euro expense on a car that's paid off is cheaper than buying another car. The only time repairs are pointless, are if the repairs would be more expensive than just buying another car.
Great video, good to see you dip into the Honda range.
Like mine. Very spacious and light for a small car. Comfortable on long journeys. They did put out a Mugen but in very small numbers.
Don't listen to the haters. I held off till finally over the 'battery'. So happy with this car. The power is entirely usable all the time and plenty. Top speed stability is superb. It's built like it was chiseled from a slab of stone. It gets low 40's US all day long in city or 70mph. Have hauled serious goods with the hatch and flat floor. 40,000 miles and just oil changes, tire rotation, and cabin filter. Mid life crisis wanted v8 mustang or corvette but this "2 seater" has ended that itch and cost $17,500(leftover 2015 in 2016) new as opposed to 40 and 60k for v8's. I catch people looking at it. Win, Win, Win. Its the same with my motorcycle Honda NC750X, all the haters and so glad I didn't listen, usable power, economy, storage, solid chassis, DCT, etc, etc, go Japanese made Hondas!
Nice review, and aligns with the reasons I recently bought a 2010 GT for my 16 year old lad (he turns 17 next month) - I consider him very lucky to have a car such as this for his first motor. Indeed, I’ve been driving it around for the last few weeks myself, and am seriously impressed with it - as you say, a nice place to be!
Costs about the same as a 1.4 Mini to insure as a new driver, and yet is so much cooler. Not being able to fill the car with his mates is a bonus too - no peer pressure to ‘show off’ behind the wheel.
He's very lucky!
@@JayEmmOnCars - he certainly is - and passed his test yesterday - so now he's 'solo'! :D
@@phil_nicholls pass on my congratulations
I was giddy when I picked up my 2013 CR-Z at 61. I cannot fathom how I would have behaved at 16. Cheers.
…and 3+ years later, he’s still driving the CR-Z.
Still a cracking little car!
I'm thinking of buying one since they're pretty cheap and ULEZ compliant.
Right now it's between this, a Bentley Continental or a Rev 5 MR2.
I've never owned a car made this century or a hatchback and I despise hatchbacks, but these look quite nice and you can essentially get rid of pointless back seats.
A decent sound system which I'm not sure about, looking at the way it's integrated, a set of decent alloys and hopefully the ability to add an arm rest between the seats and I'm sold.
I just bought (first car) a 2012 Crz lx and I freakin love it
0:50 The mk1 Honda Insight in 1999 was the first hybrid with a manual gearbox.
I have a 1989 CRX and a 2010 CRZ. Both great cars. If pushed I would say I prefer the CRX but the CRZ is still a great car. One main flaw to look for in the CRZ if you are looking to buy an older car though is the door handles. Its quite a crap design and the mechanism wears so that on hot days it can be hard to open the door. It can be replaced but its a very fiddly job. As for the battery pack, mine is now 13 years old. Got 110 thousand miles on it and its still going strong. Sometimes if I let the battery go down to two bars it dissapears to zero instantly and then the car is very sluggish without the electric assist motor. Its a sign that the batteries are nearing the end of their life I think but I have found a UK company who offer a more powerful replacement option for £1600. Maybe in a few years I will be giving them a call. All in all my CRZ is a lovely car, its great looking and can be fun to drive but honestly the old CRX is even more fun.
What's the company for the more powerfull batteries
honestly, giving a review saying that a 124hp car is not fast... you don't have to be a genius to do that.
This car is about driving pleasure, fun and reliability. It can be compared to the MX5.
It's a great little car!
Does that not come across in the video?
Worst feature of this car that is not mentioned in this video is the “auto shutoff” The car cuts on and off every time you stop unless you have the ac running, no other bypass that I know of, that is my only complaint about this car other than the lack of power, other than that-great car!
Honestly just moderate tuning turns a CR-Z into a fun car. Toss out the hybrid stuff, stiffen up the suspension and add a centrifugal supercharger or a smaller turbo and there you go. A really fun car. Or leave it stock and enjoy a comfy quirky hybrid.
People were disappointed as they thought this was the successor of the CRX. It isnt, as the Del Sol isnt either. I doubt the CRZ has been aimed at the regular Honda enthusiast.
True. I think this would sell way better if it wasn't related to the CRX or looked so sporty and fast