2013 Honda CR-Z Review

The 2013 Honda CR-Z is the sole two-seat hybrid hatchback coupe on the market. That seems to be a very small niche, one that may not find all that many buyers. Now in its third year, the CR-Z indeed hasn't lived up to the expectations raised by its launch.
The hope was that the CR-Z would combine the quick, agile handling of the classic CRX sports coupe with the extreme fuel efficiency of the first Insight hybrid, also a two-seat hatchback. Modern safety and feature requirements being what they are, the CR-Z did neither. It weighs 2,600 pounds--the CRX was 700 pounds lighter--and gets notably lower fuel economy ratings than the original (and slower) Insight.
Perhaps if Honda had called the car something different--Insight Coupe? Insight Sport?--there wouldn't have been quite so many expectations.
So the Honda CR-Z has ended up a subcompact, two-seat hatchback coupe that's zippy enough, but hardly the rollerskate that the CRX was 20 years ago. It delivers decent but not stellar gas mileage, at a combined 37 mpg (36 mpg city, 39 mpg highway) if you order it with the continuously variable transmission (CVT). You can also specify a six-speed manual gearbox, very rare for a hybrid, that makes it sportier to drive but knocks down the mileage to 34 mpg combined (31 mpg city, 38 mpg highway).
Under the skin, the 2013 CR-Z uses much of the same running gear as the Honda Insight, a hybrid subcompact hatchback. That car, launched in 2010, was updated two years later. The CR-Z, launched the next year, follows with its own updates for 2013, which include mild styling updates, interior upgrades, a more powerful electric motor, and a boost function for a burst of extra electric power. The powertrain upgrades come courtesy of a new lithium-ion battery pack, replacing the previous nickel-metal-hydride pack.
The 2013 Honda CR-Z remains a good-looking car from most angles, and it's comfortable for two people to travel in--assuming they're willing to pack light, since luggage space is hardly abundant. With a base price under $21,000 (including delivery) for the manual version, it competes with the MINI Cooper (especially the new two-seat MINI Cooper Coupe), and perhaps the new Volkswagen Beetle, along with the Scion tC. Top-of-the-line models reach about $25,000.
But buyers really have to want a two-seat car to buy the Insight. For that same money--or less--the new Chevrolet Sonic and Ford Fiesta subcompacts seat twice as many people, hold more cargo, and are just as much fun to toss around. Both are good cars, and deliver close to the same highway gas mileage. And the 2013 Chevy Sonic RS adds a dash of hot hatch, too. Or if you want to maximize fuel economy, there are now four separate Prius hybrid models that do better than Honda's hybrid hatchback coupe. Which seems to leave the CR-Z in a very small niche indeed.

The 2013 Honda CR-Z, just three years old, has received some mild styling updates, but the basic--and distinctive--shape remains the same. Despite its small footprint, the two-seat hatchback coupe has a substantial presence on the road, in part due to the wide cabin on such a short wheelbase.
The 2013 CR-Z blends elements of its 1983-1991 CRX ancestor, the first Insight two-seat hybrid coupe of 1999, and elements of the modern-day Insight subcompact whose running gear it shares. Modern-day crash requirements extend the length of the hood and front end, which make the two-seat cabin look very short. The high tail was a theme of both the CRX and first Insight, complete with vertical glass panel for better rear visibility.
The CR-Z's windshield is steeply raked, and the long doors and rising beltline makes the triangular rear side windows very small. Overall the effect is sporty--even if the profile is slightly unbalanced from certain angles. While it's distinctive, we're not convinced that it rises to the level of attractive.
For 2013, Honda has updated the front fascia and given both the headlamps and tail lamps a blue tint, similar to that added to the Insight last year. The CR-Z's front grille now has a mesh texture, rather than horizontal bars, and the rear bumper has an added diffuser section that's aerodynanically functional.
Two new colors also joined the list for 2013, including the deep purple Passion Berry Pearl, and Polished Metal Metallic.
Inside, the dashboard carries over the two-tier display familiar from not only the Insight hybrid but also two generations of the Civic line.The top of the dash wraps around toward the driver, and it's covered in pleasantly soft-touch materials--unlike other, grimmer Honda interiors.
Gauges in blue, green, and red add splashes of color to the CR-Z, and are far more visually appealing than the monochrome scatter of icons, numbers, and displays in some Prius models. Plus, they're educational: The colors can guide you toward more economical driving, with bright, angry red showing maximum performance (high gas consumption), while the more soothing cool green and blue colors show more fuel efficient driving styles.
For 2013, Honda has updated the trim finishes and revised the CR-Z's door panels, which now offer more storage space and feature bottle holders.