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bb49 says:
01:35 AM, 02/22/2010
There is a rumor that Honda is working on a 200 hp SI version which at least will address the fact that the base model is too damn slow. An SI version is good idea as long as it doesn't drive to price too high.
I still can't figure out why Honda had just not offered this car in a non-hybrid version as it would have been cheaper, faster and lighter and his would have made it much more attractive to the younger buyers shopping for an affordable sporty two seater.
bb49 says:
10:18 PM, 02/17/2010
If this is the intersection of "sport" and "hybrid", I guess Honda can followup this up with "the 2011 Odyssey, the intersection of sport and minivan". And then after that how about the " Ridgeline, the intersection of sport and truck". Hell, if Honda seriously believes that a 122 horsepower 2 seater with a 9.7 0-62 times is worthy of the "sport" title then they can probaly call almost their whole model line up sports cars. Honda can then claim that they offer more sports cars then any other car maker. Congratulations, Honda you just have redefined the term sportscar to an all-time low!
bb49 says:
11:51 PM, 02/16/2010
I agree that Honda needs to attract younger buyers but I fail to see how this is the car that will do it. If my two 20 year old sons are any indication of what the 20 somethings tastes are then Honda has failed again. They are not impressed with its styling and agree wholeheartedly with me that its performance figures (MPG and 0-62 times of 9.7 seconds) are dismal.
A Toyota Corolla does 0-60 in 8.6 seconds.
All this demonstrates to me is that Honda needs new product planners as it will be another Honda "flop" like the Insight.
Of course, Honda can't afford another flop so they decided to lower their exected sales to only 10,000 units instead of improving this car.
bb49 says:
12:48 AM, 02/15/2010
Based upon Honda's released specs--I'm still searching for any real benefit that the hybrid system provides for the "sport" part of the equation for this car. Consider this, the 33 mpg quoted by Honda is when the car is driven in the "normal" mode. Logically, a driver who was looking for the sportcar in the CR-Z would drive it in the "sport" mode which would mean that the mpg would be less than the 33 mpg. If this is the case a gasoline engine would probaly achieve the same or close to the same mpg, be cheaper, more reliable, and faster.
The only conclusion that I can come to is that Honda is so desperate to foster the image of being a green company that it will continue to stubbornly plow ahead with hybrids even if it does nothing to benefit the performance of the product.
nolefan3 says:
03:59 PM, 01/13/2010
Honda, why is Hyundai able to get 35 MPG hwy with the 2011 sonata mid sized sedan, making 198 hp, hauling around a considerable amount more weight and all you can manage is 37 MPG in this "sports" car? Where has your research money been going the last decade? I think the CR-Z could be a hit if the price point is low enough but having a two seater with HP in the 120's is not going to drive sales. Its not practical, very complicated, and frankly embarrasing.
imclarkkent says:
08:10 AM, 01/12/2010
Poor Honda. This, my friends, is what failure looks like. The Cr-Z reminds me of what Ford did to the Mustang II. Maybe Honda will learn from this mistake, and do it right next time.
dagmar3 says:
06:23 PM, 01/11/2010
Honda has been in a real funk recently: their F-1 race team was a multi-billion dollar failure; the S2000 and NS-X replacement were killed off; the Insight was outsold by the more expensive Prius by a 7:1 margin; and the CrossTour has joined the Ridgeline, Element and RL as Death on the Showroom Floor. Will the Two-seat CR-Z hybrid help Honda get its mojo back?
In a word, "no".
Sure, the CR-Z kinda sorta brings back memories of the iconic CRX of 25 years ago, but the CRX was 1,000 lbs. lighter. The hybrid powertrain adds a lot of weight to the CR-Z - it's about 200 lbs. heavier than the Fit, but without the room or practicality - but not much power: 122 HP is all you get. And the mileage is also unspectacular, too: 31 MPG city; 37 MPG hwy is all you get from the 1.5 liter with a six speed transmission. The CVT gets slightly better numbers, but how much fun is a CVT? And isn't the objective of a sporty two-seater supposed to be "fun"? If so, why does the (warning: Sam Kinison scream coming on) CR-Z have a TORSION BEAM SUSPENSION?? What in the name of Soichiro is going on?
So why not just buy a Fit?
In Summary, the CR-Z isn't powerful, frugal, exciting, or handsome.
Honda's Bleak Streak continues.
kdiggitydog76 says:
02:34 PM, 01/11/2010
Everyone says this is the second coming of the CRX, and I for one, really hope it is. I recently bought a 1990 Honda CRX, and the thing still runs and handles like a top. But then again, when you're inside it, your butt is mere inches off the ground. My question is: what's the center of gravity like on the CR-Z? If it's more Fit-like, and less CRX-like, that's likely to detract from its handling. The CR-Z also has only marginally more power than the original CRX, but yet weighs hundreds of pounds more. I so so want to be hopeful and excited about this car. I hope Honda doesn't let us down.
joaoeduardo says:
01:06 PM, 01/11/2010
this car is not going to sell who going to spent more on a car that is hybrid but does the same as a non hybrid that cost less.. is honda thinking? their cars are not as efficient when it comes to hybrids. their cars are reliable. but honda didn't think about when they put a accord with a v6 and hybrid and look where it went.. they are to stupid if they continue to do this i a personally wont buy a honda car i love their cars but i like the greenness much more. 36mpg a fit does that. without having to be a hybrid.. people want higher than 50mpg. take a look on how toyota is doing maybe you will get it right in time before you start losing business.
kdizzle says:
11:31 AM, 01/11/2010
This car may not be the biggest highlight of Detroit, but the CR-Z is still big. It's just not a debut, instead it's the production version of car that sets hearts pumping. If of course you remember the late 1980's.
CRX references aside, Honda seems to be changing the game, reinventing themselves, hopefully for the better this time, as the company is in sore need of a sport car for the young (and young at heart).
Adding a hybrid system to the mix may increase costs and complexity, but Honda seems sure that the tuner industry, as well as those who want a sporty hot hatch with a green conscience, will take well to it.
By releasing the CR-Z, Honda is in one way creating a whole new market segment, one that we hope will continue to expand. But in another way, Honda is simply returning to an old segment, that youth brand that the company lost in the decade that recently passed, in which Honda pursued oversized Ridgelines and Odysseys. If Honda can capture the finicky 18-35 year old demographic, and add staying power to the mix (unlike, say, Scion), then we think that Honda has a real winner on it's hands
Bottom Line: Look for this one to maintain strong sales when it goes on sale in late 2010. After the novelty and nostalgia wears off, however, then we'll see the real test.