Test drove the CR-Z today

The original Insight was all aluminum, and one of the reasons for the car's high cost. Perhaps it would have sold better if it had been sportier, but doing so with the CR-Z will raise the price.

 

If an all aluminum body shaves off a few hundred pounds, subtracts a second from the 0-60, and adds 5 or 8 MPGs, would that justify $1000 or $1200 more? For a niche vehicle like the CR-Z it very well could, and turn it into a hot seller!

 

It takes more than $1k or $1.2k to get all of that. Hell, for that price you can't even get a nav system in a Prius let alone all aluminum body, faster acceleration and better FE.

 

I think the main problem for bad efficiency of CR-Z is gearbox. Every time you take foot of accelerator ICE will brake (like in normal car). Prius does this very well with HSD keeping ICE from spinning (braking) at lover speeds and spinning it at very low rpm at higher speeds (with foot off the accelerator).

 

IMA is crap period.Why are they wasting their money on inferior design is beyond me. HSD is far superior than any hybrids out there.

 

Yes, IMA is a poor implementation of hybrid technology, I wouldn't expect HSD performance, but a good use of aluminum and high strength but thin steel would reduce the hippo CR-Z to a light and nimble two seater. This is used in the low cost Prius C, so I doubt it would add more than a grand to the Honda. Then add a rag top option! That would be sweet!

 

+1

An aluminum body will cost nearly twice as much as standard steel. That's for the material. Because of the difference in physical properties, aluminum can't be formed into body parts as easily as steel. So there is the investment in different plant equipment, and maybe increased costs from increased production time and QC losses. The Original Insight had an all aluminum body. Between that and limited production, Honda was likely lossing money with the $20k price.

The CR-Z body does contain 45% high strength steel, so Honda already used some weight saving material in it.

The CR-Z has eco, normal, and performance settings. EPA testing was likely in normal. The performance setting likely has aggressive 'engine' braking. The average over at fuelly is between the combined and highway rating.. Unfortunetly, fuelly doesn't require a transmission entry. The manual option is something a hypermiler can take advantage of.

The CR-Z is a replacement for the CR-X. What people forget is that the Si wasn't the only CR-X trim. The were trims for daily drivers to the efficiency prioritized HF. Honda was trying to put the attributes of all those trims into one car. With modern auto technology, that isn't an impossible goal, but they might have been better off making a pure performance O. Insight. It was already viewed as a CRX HF replacement.

 

It's very heavy compared to the crx, which is part of the problem. The crx didn't use aluminum. Making the hood aluminum and roof aluminum or CF saves a good portion of the weight, but other parts could go on a different diet. The steel mazda 2 is about the lightest conventional car. Crash standards don't allow new vehicles to be as light. Which means the engine doesn't have enough hp. This could be fixed with turbocharging and/or a more powerful motor and battery.

hsd seems much better than cvt. For manual, a system with 2 clutches and electronics controlling one of them would likely make the manual more efficient. Part of the fuel economy difference with manual is lack of regen when in neutral.

 

This contradicts all reports I've read about the Insight Gen 2; it was somewhat true about the Gen 1 2 passenger Insight. Consumer Reports testing rates the current Insight at 38 MPG average while the Prius Liftback gets 44. Quite a difference, as comparing their EPA FE ratings also indicates. Nowhere have I seen a test where the current Insight beat out a Prius in the real world. The Insight's advantage is lower price of entry and likely, long-term maintenance costs. In all other ways, it rates inferior and its days are numbered once price gouging for the new Prius C abates; that car totally removes whatever business case the Insight had left. In a sense that's too bad because I think the Insight has nicer seats than at least a Prius 2 or 3 Liftback.

 

Listings on Fuelly.com have the Insight2 doing better than combined EPA. While the Prius is under it. The new Insight as no where near the potential of the original though.

 

I know you wrote this 18 months ago, but please never do that again. Put it back to save wind putting it into cars and/or it blocking spaces (if only because it inspires other people to not put their cart back).

From day one I've found the CR-Z's existence highly baffling. I just don't get it. It's slow, it's a two-seater, it's expensive, and its mileage is down right pathetic considering it's a hybrid. Does handling really matter that much if it's getting manhandled by the average minivan for power to weight ratio? This turd of a "hybrid" gets worse mileage even than a Camry hybrid, which also seats three extra person, not to mention will smack it down in power. I have at times thought the vehicle was introduced by Honda as an experiment to see how bad a car can be and still sell as long as it says Honda on it.

The original Insight was a remarkable car because it had the best mileage of any hybrid sold--including the current C. Yeah, only two seats, but it also came out over a decade ago. It at least tried to achieve something special.

The CR-Z isn't selling well, so God bless the consumer they aren't falling for its silly tricks. It would be an admirable car if it was $14,000. $20,500 or more? Laughable.

 

This looks like an old thread, but I thought I'd put my 2 cents in since I seriously considered a CR-Z EX before buying a Prius C, and test drove one.

It has a lot of bells and whistles that make it appealing. But, it is not really a sports car, and it doesn't have enough gas mileage to make it a worthy hybrid.

The rear view visibility is awful. Really bad. Even if you turn your head all the way around to look before pulling into another lane, you can't see much at all.

 

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread.

My son, who has been driving my hammy down HCH for years, just purchased his first car. Being a Honda enthusiast of a sort, he initially wanted a new Civic Hatch, but the price was out of reach for him. We found a used 2015 CR-Z with a very low mile, still under manufacturer's warranty. Test drove it, he liked it and purchased it. It is a very nice looking small hybrid. He let me drive it. I have been driving Prius long enough, by comparison, it was quite a joy to feel the quickness on acceleration and peppy handling, and nimble cornerings. I also liked simulated 7 speed MT on the steering wheel. If it did get bit better mpg, I don't mind having one for myself.