Test Drive: 2013 Honda CR-Z

2013 Honda CR-Z. Click image to enlarge

Review and photographs by Steven Bochenek

Is there a dichotomy between sporty driving and environmentalism? You can derive up to 25 percent savings in gasoline with a few sensible changes to your driving. Just as importantly, you can speed global warming by driving even the most ascetic green car foolishly.

When the CR-Z first arrived in 2010, I was gobsmacked. Not only was it the first hybrid I’d driven with a stick shift – gearheads can be hippies too – it was also the first hybrid that didn’t leave me cold in the performance department. And, perhaps most surprisingly, it was affordable! Until very recently a hybrid logo was the modern version of a papal indulgence, get-out-of-hell passes sold by the medieval Catholic Church, effectively relegating environmental virtue to the wealthy.

With such an opening how could Honda maintain the momentum? Okay, maybe not sales momentum since it had none. But how about sprightly, conscientious fun?

Hard work. The 2013 CR-Z comes with plenty of new features. One of those was not an inflated price. It’s still available for under $25,000. Dollar for dollar, it’s a lot of fun – and you get to wear that eco-warrior’s badge. So, as I may have said in the past, you can have your environmental cake and burn it too.

So what is new if not the price?

The S+ button is a great Spinal Tap feature. That is, even if you’re already in Sport mode, (aka “the volume’s at 10, so you’ve nowhere to go”) but you need a boost – the Plus Sport system injects extra power for up to five seconds. It goes to 11, even in Normal and Econ drive modes. [A road car with Push to Pass? See, IndyCar tech does filter down… –Ed.]

The side mirrors contain several useful updates for safety and convenience. Firstly the turn indicator lights are built in, making you that much more visible. At 1,395 mm high, you’re well above the greatly missed Mazda Miata territory but a long way from soccer-mom vision. The driver’s side mirror has an expanded viewing angle. It takes some getting used to and doesn’t replace the shoulder check (nothing does) but soon becomes indispensable. The mirrors also fold. Cool! The CR-Z is only 1,740 mm wide but this car is made for the city. Any advantages you can get to squeeze between jerks are welcome.

2013 Honda CR-Z. Click image to enlarge

The rear-view camera is also new, and its monitor fits tidily in the auto-dimming rear-view mirror. The LED daytime running lights are also new and there is more power in the 2013 engine, but we’ll get to that soon.

That’s all standard with purchase. The Premium Package (which this tester did not have and will take you well over $25,000) has new 17-inch alloy wheels with special summer tires, yellow accents on the otherwise solid black interior and blue LED brake lights. Plus the folding mirrors are heated.

But for the cloth seats, I didn’t mind not having the Premium Package in the least. You won’t feel cheap with the base model and kudos to Honda for putting reviewers in it rather than trying to blind or bling us with science.

Meanwhile, the 2013 Honda CR-Z retains its best design elements.

The rear of the roof is window, providing greater viewing and allowing light for a spacious feeling. It also has its own wiper, which seemed unnecessary upon pickup but proved its worth during a sudden summer gale.

At 4,076 mm long, the CR-Z is compact but doesn’t try to fob you off with any token backseats that fit only hobbits or children’s toys. Instead there’s a lid covering two storage bins, ideal for hiding computers, CDs and sundries. Add the trunk and you have 710 L of cargo volume – more than enough to pack for a comfortable long weekend getaway for two. There’s also an included tonneau cover for the trunk to lead others not into temptation.

2013 Honda CR-Z. Click image to enlarge

Cooling a car takes a great deal of energy. The white exterior I had was arguably more environmental because it won’t attract sun, but the black interior and darkened windows sure did. Furthermore the cloth and black carpet show off any filth surprisingly well. Consider rubber all season floor mats, just $139.61 extra.

Cloth aside, the seats were comfortable and easy to adjust. Very sporty, they put you in action.

The inner design is smart without being flashy. The dials, buttons and screens all feel appropriately placed, each where it ought to be. The outer design actually is flashy – but tastefully so. The CR-Z looks like huge pill performing downward dog – very aerodynamic. Even the door handles are embedded for smoothness.

Beneath the hood, the CR-Z still contains a 1.5L, 16-valve SOHC iVTEC four-cylinder engine with Integrated Motor Assist, Honda’s hybrid technology. This tester’s drivetrain featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT) replacing the stick with paddles instead for manual shifting which was a bit of a shame.

Sure the CVT is efficient as hell and paddling truly enhances the thrill of the ride but, compared to stick, it’s a stick in the mud. Probably, I’m just old but it’s comforting to know that the six-speed manual transmission hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s the least expensive way to get yourself into a 2013 CR-Z, costing $800 less than the automatic ‘upgrade’. This year’s engine attains 130 hp at 6,000 rpm. That’s eight more than the last year’s. Here’s another reason to choose the manual: this year’s engine emits 140 lb-ft of torque, up from 128, while the CVT-equipped motor has actually dropped by one.

It’s a small engine, but the CR-Z’s curb weight is only 1,229 kg with the heavier CVT. So it kicks up when you need it. Besides, for the true driving enthusiast, acceleration and speed rarely trump agility and cornering. The CR-Z has a turning diameter of just 10 m, providing quick escapes from city snarls when necessary, and a sporty suspension for a thrilling spinal massage during the trip.

2013 Honda CR-Z. Click image to enlarge

As mentioned above, there are three drive modes: Econ, Normal and Sport. Each is noticeably different. If you’re looking for that sweet spot between maximizing fuel economy and actually getting somewhere while enjoying the ride, here’s the logic: drive it in Normal in the city, then go to Econ on the highway and milk the cruise control. Sport is always a treat when you’re alone and want a bit of fun, or if you’re in a hurry.

Despite the CR-Z’s low centre of gravity – your ground clearance is just 143 mm – it has good sightlines, and that extended driver’s mirror helps. When I took it into the country it loved the kickback, glide and sway of gravel roads. It wouldn’t be your first choice in winter, but this was late June and a little touch of oversteer was worth the extra drops of gas.

2013 Honda CR-Z. Click image to enlarge

Speaking of, how is it on fuel? Fortunately this sporty roadster runs on regular gasoline. Such a fun ride makes it hard to be light-footed but I did rather well on fuel. The CVT’s city/highway/combined government-approved Energuide stats are: 5.4/5.0/5.2 – which surprised me because I did a few tests of my own.

First, I took drove the CR-Z home from Honda, nearly 35 km. It’s largely highway driving but there were boneheads galore creating stop and start conditions. Nonetheless, it spent approximately the same distance in each mode, though it completed the drive, six kilometres off the highway through the city, in Normal. It got 5.1 L/100km. Bingo!

Then I didn’t recalibrate the settings for 374 km. About half of that was highway driving in Econ mode – but much was me solo, taking to the open roads of the country in Sport. It got 5.9. Very respectable given the regular GTA traffic and side trips into Thrillsville.

Overall

Comfort

4/5

Performance

4/5

Fuel Economy

4/5

Interior

4/5

Exterior Styling

4/5

Finally, I repeated the experiment on the 35 km trip back to Honda Canada. The intention was to be ecological and the CR-Z was in Econ mode for almost the whole distance. However it was nearing morning rush hour in Toronto; things slowed to the point where I was afraid I’d miss a flight out of town. I had to pass a couple of boneheads and did accelerate hard a couple of times. I put it in Sport twice for less than a half a click each time – once to merge onto the highway where no one was offering any room, and later to get out of a box created by a macho man in a pickup. So while it was meant to be an enviro-game, it became a real-life test, probably more useful for you. The result? 5.6 L/100 km. Again quite good.