{"id":3239,"date":"2025-09-15T03:40:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T03:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/?p=3239"},"modified":"2025-09-15T03:40:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T03:40:55","slug":"c1509016-this-performance-left-million-ears-wanting-more_part2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/?p=3239","title":{"rendered":"C1509016 This Performance Left Million Ears Wanting More_part2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"720\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 720;\" width=\"720\" controls src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/C1509016-This-Performance-Left-Million-Ears-Wanting-More_part2.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Honda CR-Z \u2013 is this 50mpg coupe a misunderstood hidden gem?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dramatic looks, rock-solid reliability and tuned by a drift legend &#8211; yet the CR-Z didn&#8217;t wow testers of the time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cdn.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/gallery_slide\/public\/images\/car-reviews\/first-drives\/legacy\/honda_crz_stu_002-1600x1067-1a400539-0541-48db-8fce-d5f0452e297f.jpg?itok=0kt3pRUs\" alt=\"Honda CRZ STU 002 1600x1067 1a400539 0541 48db 8fce d5f0452e297f\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cdn.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/square_43x43\/public\/richard-bremner-autocar.jpg?itok=YN9THdPd\" alt=\"Richard Bremner Autocar\" title=\"Richard Bremner Autocar\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">News<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/users\/richard-bremner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Richard Bremner<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3 mins read<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">14 September 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?app_id=236580861022118&amp;sdk=joey&amp;u=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/honda-cr-z-%E2%80%93-50mpg-coupe-misunderstood-hidden-gem&amp;display=popup&amp;ref=plugin&amp;src=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/honda-cr-z-%E2%80%93-50mpg-coupe-misunderstood-hidden-gem&amp;count=horizontal&amp;via=autocar&amp;text=Honda%20CR-Z%20%E2%80%93%20is%20this%2050mpg%20coupe%20a%20misunderstood%20hidden%20gem?&amp;counturl=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/honda-cr-z-%E2%80%93-50mpg-coupe-misunderstood-hidden-gem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Honda%20CR-Z%20%E2%80%93%20is%20this%2050mpg%20coupe%20a%20misunderstood%20hidden%20gem?&amp;body=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/honda-cr-z-%E2%80%93-50mpg-coupe-misunderstood-hidden-gem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It should have been a hit, and a big one. All the ingredients were there. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/honda\/cr-z-2010-2013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Honda CR-Z<\/a>&nbsp;reprised a much-loved sports coup\u00e9 of the 1980s, its high grade innards borrowed from one of the late 20th century\u2019s most far-sighted conceptions and its chassis tuned by a Japanese gentleman well used to viewing his rapid progress via either one of his mount\u2019s front door windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/honda\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Honda<\/a>&nbsp;CR-Z was fine-tuned by Japanese drift king Keiichi Tsuchiya, its hybrid mechanicals owed much to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/revolutionary-eco-warriors-audi-a2-meets-honda-insight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1999 Honda Insight<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 the world\u2019s first mass-produced hybrid \u2013 and, despite Honda\u2019s denials, it was inspired by the dinky little coup\u00e9s that were the first and second-edition Civic CR-X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You could see that, not only in the sculpting of its diminutive silhouette, but also the near useless rear seat and its encasing within a fabric of different weave to that of the full-scale front chairs, mirroring a quirk of its lively ancestors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were livelier, in fact, than this 2010 homage-that was-not. The CR-Z\u2019s battery pack, extra motor, control systems and safety kit added unwelcome heft to the dynamic mix of Honda\u2019s \u2018Compact Renaissance Zero\u2019 coup\u00e9. Never mind that, though \u2013 what you also got was a speedy little wedge capable of travelling well over 40 miles on a gallon while simultaneously enabling its driver to cultivate virtual flowers and victory wreaths with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda not only provided the technology to go further, but electronic tutoring too. In throttle-dampening Eco mode, the Honda\u2019s instrument pack changed from blue hues to green, a display of naked stems inviting cultivation via your right foot, moderate applications of the same festooning these stems first with leaves, and then with flowers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Should your horticultural skills improve over your previous trip, you\u2019d be accorded an electronic wreath, too. It was all a bit cartoonish, but Honda reckoned you could squeeze an extra 10% from a gallon if you obeyed the gearshift indicator and the econometer\u2019s bar-graph admonishings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your ekings of unleaded would be aided by an electronic conservation programme called Scramble Assist. This was Honda\u2019s intriguing phrase for the table of algorithms extracting the most from battery pack and twin motors when in Sport, Normal or Eco. Those algorithms could usefully have been extended, in fact, to allow you to more easily access the work of Tsuchiya-san, which was most easily uncovered when the Honda was unleashed on a track, its ESP interventions overruled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what about the drifting? There was little sign of this capability on ordinary roads, even if you pressed the Sport button, whose most dramatic immediate consequence was turning the instrument display to orange from blue. The throttle turned friskier of course, and the Integrated Motor Assist system delivered usefully more volt-generated torque, but only enough to score a less than CR-X-citing 9.1sec assault on 62mph, and rarely enough to reveal the secret side of this baby Honda\u2019s handling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latest Reviews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-328.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3242\" title=\"Nissan Micra review 2025 001\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/nissan\/micra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/nissan\/micra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nissan Micra<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/nissan\/micra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nissan Micra<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-329.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3246\" title=\"Poer 300 front\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/gwm\/poer-300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/gwm\/poer-300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GWM Poer 300<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/gwm\/poer-300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GWM Poer 300<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-328.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3245\" title=\"Renault Captur E Tech Hydrid 2025 jb20250905 1202 1600x1067 12192479 2a83 4e96 9d35 032580dcfddb\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/renault\/captur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/renault\/captur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renault Captur<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/renault\/captur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renault Captur<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-326.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3244\" title=\"BMW 1 Series review 2025 01 front cornering\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/bmw\/1-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/bmw\/1-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BMW 1 Series<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/bmw\/1-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BMW 1 Series<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-327.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3243\" title=\"Polestar 5 250911 2067\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/polestar\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/polestar\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Polestar 5 prototype review<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/polestar\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Polestar 5 prototype review<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View all car reviews<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read our review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Car review<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-330.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3247\" title=\"Hybrids aren\u2019t usually cars to quicken the blood; Honda says the CR-Z will change that\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/honda\/cr-z-2010-2013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/honda\/cr-z-2010-2013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Used Honda CR-Z 2010-2013 review<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Honda CR-Z is as intriguing and appealing to drive as hybrids currently get<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/honda\/cr-z-2010-2013\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read our review<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To arrive there you needed to abruptly drop the throttle mid-bend, the CR-Z\u2019s rear half turning satisfyingly balletic in the dry, and sudden enough in the wet to give you plenty to do. To enjoy this, though, you needed to attack corners like you didn\u2019t care, the Honda capable of .93g\u2019s worth of hanging on in there despite dangling an inside rear wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fizzing let\u2019s-go zest of the CR-X had been dulled and the technical and intellectual appeal of the Honda\u2019s hybrid system and its horticultural encouragements were insufficient to maintain interest in this intriguing little car, in Britain at least. The CR-Z\u2019s career here was shorter than planned, imports ending after just four years, a late power hike from 121 to 137bhp failing to ignite sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prices are continuing to drop here in the UK. Clean, low mileage cars can be snapped up for around \u00a33000. Higher mileage cars can be had for \u00a32000 and if you don\u2019t care about MOTs you might find some hanging around the magical \u00a31000 mark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Honda CR-Z \u2013 is this 50mpg coupe a misunderstood hidden gem? Dramatic looks, rock-solid reliability and tuned by a drift legend &#8211; yet the CR-Z didn&#8217;t wow testers of the time News by&nbsp;Richard Bremner 3 mins read 14 September 2025 Share It should have been a hit, and a big one. All the ingredients were [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3239"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3248,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3239\/revisions\/3248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}