After 117000 miles of purely city driving nearly every day since May 2011, the alternator on my 2011 Honda Fit finally gave way. Thankfully I had purchased the 120,000 mile/7 year Honda-Care warranty. Just dropped it off at the dealership and they put me into a 2014 Honda CRZ loaner vehicle which I drove for 2 days at least a few hundred miles.

The Honda CRZ is a two seater with a decent package shelf/storage behind the rear seats. It has a smallish hatchback which I was able to fit 6 50 lb bags of rock-salt in which I purchased at the Home Depot.

The CRZ has three modes which are Eco, Normal and Sport. The Sport mode optimizes the shift points, the engine revs and how much assist the electric motor gives. When I put the vehicle into Sport mode, it did feel like the car became quicker. This mode I used when entering the freeway, passing or in congested traffic when power is very useful. At all other times I used the Eco mode. No idea why there is a "Normal" mode since I either wanted power or fuel economy.

My observations are the following:

- The CRZ is faster then the Honda Fit (especially in Sport mode) and able to cruise nicely at 90 mph which I did on the NY Thruway with my radar detector.

- The CRZ has these large dangerous blind spots and you have to depend upon your mirrors sometimes switching lanes at your own risk. Visibility out of the back is quite poor. In my fit, I can just look over my shoulder or do a quick glance in the rear view mirror and see everything. Not so with the CRZ. Its much harder.

- The Honda Fit gets better mileage then the CRZ. I was completely shocked when the CRZ, which is a hybrid, averaged out at 28 mpg. In Sport mode, it would get 23 mpg. I tried putting the CRZ on cruise control at 70 mph and I got 33 mpg. A two seater hybrid with stickers saying "Eco" should be getting better gas mileage then 28 mpg on average.

- The Honda CRZ had better snow traction then the Fit. There was a snow storm recently and I was able to travel well enough over roads where there was no blacktop showing. I was able to get out of my snow filled driveway with the traction control system.

- The Fit fits a lot more and gets better gas mileage to boot.

- The CRZ has a more upscale interior/features then the Fit with automatic climate control, automatic headlights, fog-lights, etc. It looks a bit classier on the inside. The seats in the CRZ gave my back pain while the seats inside the Fit were much better for me.

- The CRZ has a real tight turning radius and seemingly tighter then the fit. It was very easy to flip u-turns on narrow streets.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a hybrid for gas mileage, then look elsewhere. I think the Honda Civic gets better gas mileage and might be just as fast. Probably makes more sense to get the Civic coupe then the CRZ.

The CRZ was fun to drive and it had a nice interior, but its gas mileage was questionable, it had these dangerous blind spots where you have to trust the mirrors, and there was not enough storage space/only 2 seats. Its not a very practical car nor is it great on the gas.

I looked through the autotrader and saw that some of them used are going for 12 grand...I was able to find one for 10 grand. I guess as a cheap used car it would make a logical buy. Good cheap transportation. However, I would rather get the Civic Coupe before I would get the CRZ. It does not make sense to pay the same amount for the CRZ as you would a Civic Coupe.

 

People are reporting 40+ mpg on CRZ forums. It does have wider tires, but your low mpg report indicates something out of the ordinary. Otherwise, I agree with all your points. Thanks for the review.

 

Here are the key reviews:

Car and Driver's Honda CRX review-
Honda CR-Z Reviews - Honda CR-Z Price, Photos, and Specs - CARandDRIVER

0 to 60- 9.6 seconds
70 to 0- braking 183 feet
Skipad- 0.85g
Observed fuel economy- 36 mpg


2013 Honda Civic HF Sedan Test – Review – Car and Driver
Car and Drivers Honda Civic HF review-

0 to 60- 8.6 seconds
70 to 0- 200 feet
Skipad- 0.75
Observed fuel economy 34 mpg

2009 Honda Fit Sport Automatic – Instrumented Test – Car and Driver
Honda Fit Automatic Sport

0 to 60- 9.9 seconds
70 to 0- 190 feet
Skipad- 0.79g
Observed fuel economy- 28 mpg


So if you are thinking in terms of pure fuel economy I would get the Honda Civic HF. The numbers are not far off from the Honda CRZ, the Civic is faster and its has 4 doors with a more spacious trunk.

In terms of cornering and changing lanes the Honda CRZ is the winner, but it has two seats and a smallish cargo compartment. Not much you can use the CRZ for in the real world besides commuting and going from point a to point by yourself or a friend.

I know from my own driving of the Honda Fit, fuel economy depends upon how you drive it. If you drive the Fit conservatively, you can manage over 30 mpg all day long and up to 43 mpg if you put it 55 mph on the freeway. If you drive it foot to the floor, then you will get mpg in the 20s.

The Honda CRZ all around mpg I got was 28 mpg no matter how I drove it or which button I pressed on the console. On a trip where I put the cruise control on 70mph I averaged 33 mpg. However, to be fair, I was only in the car for 3 days and didnt get a chance to really "learn" the car.

If you really dont know what you want, the Honda Civic HF is probably the best all around bet in terms of gas mileage, practicality and functionality. The Honda Fit is truly the most functional vehicle as it has a lot of room in the back and very versatile.

In terms of cornering ability, the choice of tires really goes a long way for all the cars mentioned here. So it depends on the tire chosen and the newishness of the tire itself. A worn tire will not do well on wet road or snow.

I would only get the Honda CR-Z if I was able to realize an incredible deal. If you dont know what to get, the Civic HF is a good all around car. The Honda Fit is for those who really want a truly functional car which will offer you the most options. I was able to move large outdoor chairs and huge boxes in the Honda Fit with ease. No way I could move those chairs or boxes in a Civic or a CRZ.