Used Honda CR-Z 2010-2015 review

It might seem like an oxymoron to describe a car as being a fun hybrid – at least it is when talking about traditional hybrids. They often take too much of the driving experience away because the computer decides which motor to use to save fuel. Not so the Honda CR-Z.

For starters, this hybrid is a manual, whereas its contemporaries usually use automatics – or, rather, constantly variable transmissions, or CVT for short – as a way of getting the engine’s power to the wheels.

But the Honda CR-Z hybrid system is different because the electric motor is more of an assistant to the engine. The battery pack beneath the boot floor is charged by regenerative braking and then sends power to the integrated electric motor that provides an extra bit of shove to the wheels when you need it. It’s a lightweight, compact system, which means it can be made to fit in a small car like the CR-Z. The engine also utilises a start-stop system to switch off the engine in traffic to cut emissions and help increase fuel economy. There are three driving modes, which alter the throttle mapping and driving characteristics depending on your mood. And there’s an Eco assist gauge that helps to coach you into better, more economically minded driving habits.

The hybrid motor’s compactness means the CR-Z can retain its manual gearbox. This gives the car an added layer of driver involvement missing from its peers. The problem is, while some of its hybrid rivals can run on electric power alone, the compact design of the CR-Z's drivetrain means it doesn’t have this ability.

But the CR-Z isn’t just a hybrid. First and foremost, it’s a sports car – and, in that regard, the CR-Z makes much more sense. Thanks to its compact size and neat handling, the CR-Z can be quite good fun to hussle down a country lane. The trade-off is a rather firm ride, which also doesn’t help things on the motorway as it can feel nervous at speed, and you will also be bombarded by wind and road noise. It’s not a car suited to a long-distance road trip, unlike some of its sports car rivals such as the Audi TT, which manages to keep a foot in both camps by being both enjoyable to drive when you want it to be and hushed in everyday situations. But what the CR-Z does do is bring the around-town fuel economy and eco-friendly nature of a hybrid to a car with a huge dollop of character.

Despite being on sale for a relatively short space of time, the Honda CR-Z can still be found quite easily on the used car market, both from private sellers and Honda’s approved used scheme. Early cars with 100,000 miles or more have fallen to around £4500. The later facelifted CR-Zs from 2013 onwards have upgraded battery and motor system that are quite rare, therefore are more expensive at around £7000.

Happily, the CR-Z has a small petrol engine to go with its hybrid assistant, meaning that while it provides the performance of a larger-capacity engine, it doesn’t have the thirst of one. That said, you will need to stick with the Sport trim level if you are to get the cheapest-to-run CR-Z at 56.5mpg and £30 to tax. If you are looking at a GT trim car, its larger 17in alloy wheels mean there is a slight drop in fuel economy to 54.3mpg and tax goes up to £115 per year. Honda did manage to keep the fuel economy and emissions figures the same between the post-facelift and facelifted CR-Z, however, despite the later car being more powerful.

Servicing costs will be slightly higher than rivals, but not hugely so. One thing to mention is that we have heard of a case where a smaller garage refused to service a reader’s CR-Z because it is a hybrid. This seems odd when you consider the growing popularity of hybrid vehicles. If you go to a Honda specialist or your main Honda dealer, you shouldn’t have this problem, and they will know the ins and outs of your car and be able to apply any software updates too.

It will be much harder to fill this section with words than it will be to pick the right CR-Z, because there is only one engine and transmission choice. The real differences came between the different versions in the range. That, and the colour of course.

There were four models: S, Sport, GT and GT Nav. Of them, we’d stick with the mid-level Sport trim as it comes with all the things you'd really need; parking sensors, 16in alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, automatic wipers and a USB socket are the main highlights.

GT-spec cars add larger alloy wheels that will have an impact on the ride, dent fuel economy and increase road tax.

Our favourite Honda CR-V Sport

The CR-Z is a tricky one to button down for rivals because being both an economical hybrid and a sports car at the same time, it occupies its own niche. There wasn’t anything like it when it was new, and due to the fact that Honda hasn't replaced it, there isn’t anything currently on sale that matches it either.

For those looking for something of an all-rounder, then we'd suggest that the Audi TT provides much of what the CR-Z offers while having a bigger boot and greater long-distance comfort. It won’t be as economical or as cheap to run or buy, though.

Ford’s Fiesta ST is both small and fun. Great fun, actually: it is one of our favourite hot hatches. It doesn’t look as distinctive as the CR-Z, mind you, especially as it’s based on the ubiquitous Fiesta.

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