Yahoo Autos 2011-2016 Honda CR-Z | Used vehicle spotlight
The Honda CRX from the 80s and early 90s was undeniably rad. It was a sporty little compact, two-seat hatchback that deservedly earned a cult following among enthusiasts drawn to its cute looks and perky disposition. Nostalgia for the CRX (which also went by CR-X) remained high as examples in good shape were still available in the late aughts, just when people were fearing that cars like the Toyota Prius were going to suck the fun out of driving for good. Then Honda reached back into its history and pulled out its design notes from the CRX, threw in its learnings from the first-generation Insight, and stirred them together to get the 2011 Honda CR-Z — a two-seat hybrid hatchback that was offered with a manual transmission.
Why the CR-Z?
It’s efficient(-ish), weird and, most of all, fun to drive. We’ve already highlighted that it came with an available manual transmission, but we haven’t said just how good that stick is to use. The CR-Z launched in the era when Honda (and, by extension, Acura) had absolutely nailed that part of the driving experience. The stick itself feels wonderful as it moves from one position to the next with a short, light but tactile toss. Combined with a smooth, easy-to-operate clutch, this setup is incredibly engaging, encouraging you to forget about fuel economy (31 city / 37 highway for the MT) and make the most out of the CR-Z’s 122-130 horsepower and 127-140 pound-feet of torque (depending on model year and transmission).
If those output figures look laughably small, don’t worry too much about it. No, it’s not a particularly quick car, doing 0-60 somewhere between 8 and 9 seconds, depending on who is doing the testing. But it doesn’t have to be fast to be fun, and what it lacks in accelerative ability it makes up for with excellent handling. This little hybrid was great to toss through corners, but had a little more suspension compliance on rough roads than its contemporary Mini Cooper counterpart.
Read more: What is a hybrid car and why are there different kinds?
It is also a car that lends itself to customization, whether that’s something like Recaro seats, aftermarket wheels or suspension, or even a supercharger from the Honda Performance Development catalog. Yes, the manual-equipped hybrid could (and still can) be supercharged, giving it a total of 197 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque if you go the Honda-sourced route.
Finally, we like the CR-Z because it’s weird and relatively scarce. It came along at a time when two-seaters and three-door hatchbacks were declining in popularity, and they’ve only continued to do so. Honda only sold about 35,000 units over the course of the model’s production run. We highly doubt its nostalgic furor will ever reach the status of the CRX, but it will always certainly elicit a smile and fond memories on the rare occasions we spot one in the wild.
