TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

Hybrid cars. They come with batteries. They save you fuel compared to normal cars. They are less polluting. They are getting more popular in Malaysia due to Government tax breaks. And if you’re a car enthusiast, it’s likely that they are also not on your radar.

Hybrid cars make for good urban transport, and we’re impressed by how frugal some of them can be, but these are not cars enthusiasts lust for. Good to have, maybe, but you won’t be buying one for how it drives, that’s for sure. The main backers of hybrid tech – Honda and Toyota – never saw the need to make an exciting hybrid for the longest time, and we can’t blame them. “Enthusiasts” form a small sub set of the car buying public, even more so in Japan.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

Then came the Honda CR-Z, the first ever “sports hybrid”. If you’re like me, you would have scoffed at this “new CR-X”. The design is love or hate, the on-paper figures unexciting, but it went on to give me a rather pleasant surprise over two dates, one in Japan, one in back in Malaysia.

We drive both the manual CR-Z and the just launched CVT version. Full review and a mega 110-pic gallery after the jump.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

The CR-Z’s looks don’t do it for me. I can’t seem to pin point where and what – perhaps it’s that sea creature nose – but I’m not sold. Like or not is of course subjective, but the CR-Z is without a doubt a head turner. The shape and proportions are unlike any other car in production today, and recall the original CR-X. I think the past master’s sharp lines suit the shape more than today’s curves, though.

Step inside and you won’t be mistaking this car for anything but a Honda, even if the badges are taped up. The sci-fi inspired dashboard, the colourful 3D displays, the busy feel – Honda has made spaceship cockpits a trademark since the eighth-gen Civic debut in 2006. I’m happy that the CR-Z uses a more conventional instrument layout in place of the two-tier system in the Civic, which I reckon is less sporty.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

It’s driver centric enough; I can imagine the dashboard designer starting with the instrument binnacle, adding wing controls on it, stacking the air con vents above them, before attaching the ICE panel. The rest of the dashboard appears incidental, like the two passenger AC vents squashed together at the far end. I usually prefer simpler things, but can live with the CR-Z’s fascinating cockpit.

Plenty of displays, and I found most of them to be good eco coaches. Particularly helpful are the colour changing main dial (green when you’re light footed, blue for normal, red when Sport mode is on), along with the bar that tells whether you’re consuming or replenishing charge. The manual car has a shift light as well. Not serious enough? Eco driving rewards you with leaves; collect enough and you’ll get a flower! Sorry, never liked gardening!

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

Driving is another matter. A nice, low seating position is easy to find – the steering adjusts for reach and the good looking seats work quite well, although more thigh support wouldn’t have gone amiss. You might have guessed already, but the rear seats are useless for adults. Only small children will fit, but even then, they won’t be having much of a view out. Think of it as extra storage space to supplement the 225-litre boot.

As mentioned, I approached the CR-Z with very little expectation. It looks meek (and a little feminine to me) and the on-paper figures are underwhelming. 124 PS and 174 Nm of torque aren’t figures that will stir the imagination, so I fired it up with a blank canvas in mind. There were two possibilities: I would return the keys with an “it’s decent, but…” or it would pleasantly surprise me. Both happened.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

Let’s start with the just launched (in Malaysia) CVT version, which I drove in Japan a couple of months ago. It was a rental car and the tyres could be better, but the CR-Z showed promise. It may share underpinnings with the Insight and Jazz hybrids, but the CR-Z drives much better from a sporty point of view.

For one, the steering is light, very quick and precise, much faster than the everyday hybrids, although they could have dialled in more feel. This extra liveliness jives well with the CR-Z’s darty character – turn in is sharp, body roll is negligible and body control is tight, as we found out charging up a Japanese mountain road. Back home, I took the manual up some hills, and it was even better.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

Good ride comfort isn’t a given with Honda, but the CR-Z is less harsh and brittle than expected in this respect. The brakes feel good for a hybrid, too.

124 PS + mountain road = good fun? Yes, the fear of the CR-Z being underpowered was quite unfounded, although it’s far from fast. Adequate speed to have fun, if not race with turbo hot hatches, especially when the electric motor provides noticeable shove from low down. Press Sport and the motor will be fully dedicated to help you go faster, and the steering weightens up.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

If one doesn’t notice the dual motivation, he will soon enough, when the battery runs dry and the i-VTEC is all on its own – the difference is palpable.

The 1.5L engine is a likeable little thing with its eagerness to rev and buzzy mechanical tune that’s so very Honda. The tone is beefier here, and with a distinct cam change at around 4,000 rpm, it’s not mad to call it a “Type R lite” experience. In contrast, pressing ECON mode dampens response by a few notches. Fuel saving efforts are further boosted by the standard auto stop-start.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

Today’s CVTs are smoother creatures than their predecessors, exhibiting much less of the dreaded rubber band effect where rpm and km/h are allergic to one another. But the stepless transmission is still far from sporty, and a well sorted regular auto box such as Honda’s own five-speeder in the Civic will always be more satisfying for the keen driver.

Which is why there’s a paddle shift manual mode with seven virtual ratios in the CVT CR-Z. It’s a must when driving hard because a CVT by itself will never respond appropriately, but alas, there’s an artificial feel in how the engine picks up speed after a gear change. Doesn’t feel very natural, but the CVT is serviceable. I ended the session with mixed feelings. The CR-Z is fun, but…

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

In an ideal world, Honda wouldn’t have to make the CVT CR-Z. The company is one of few that knows the art of making a great manual gearbox, and executes them to perfection. They’ve done it for the Type Rs, and they’ve done it again for the CR-Z.

The short throw, snick-snack action of the six-speeder is addictive, retaining a good amount of mechanical “metal to metal” feel without being too raw. It’s smooth and glides into gates as if little men were there to pull it in.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

It’s a shame that not many know what I’m rambling about. It also pains me that many CR-Zs will be bought with the CVT gearbox. I guess it’s a win-win situation: Honda sells more cars and everyone can enjoy the CR-Z’s intriguing “sports hybrid” concept.

Lastly, my 314 km weekend with the manual CR-Z yielded a trip computer figure of 12.4 km/l. Not bad considering the long idling time (for photos) and some hard driving up and down the hills. I’m guessing that 15 km/l shouldn’t be a problem with a more regular driving pattern. Didn’t care too much about FC in our short run with the CVT CR-Z in Japan.

TESTED: Honda CR-Z Hybrid, both Manual and CVT driven in Malaysia and Japan

A surprising little package at a tempting tax-free price. Now available with CVT, but best served with stick shift.

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • Nice story bro, but Honda gave you guys rental cars to test in Japan?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Danny Tan (Member) on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:05 am

      Yes, CR-Z drive was a Honda Malaysia initiative on top of the official programme

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • Wisdom on Jul 06, 2012 at 11:49 am

        HONDA MALAYSIA, CAN YOU COMMIT A DATE TO DECLARE SERVICE INTERVAL REVISION FROM 5K KM TO 10K KM?

        Are you telling me you engine can’t last if service every 10K km?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • carnoisseur on Sep 07, 2012 at 10:16 am

          yeah . i have often complained to them about the service intervals being too frequent and not benefitting the owners in terms of convenience and money !!!

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Wisdom on Jul 06, 2012 at 11:49 am

        HONDA MALAYSIA, CAN YOU COMMIT A DATE TO DECLARE SERVICE INTERVAL REVISION FROM 5K KM TO 10K KM?

        Are you telling me your engine can’t last if service every 10K km?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • RiZ_MH on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:05 am

    I don’t mind having this car in the garage. The look is also quite charming especially if fitted with Mugen bodykits

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Alpha on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:09 am

    Anyone notices that more CRZ owners are getting a bit lansi?cucuk-ing everyone on the highway.Do they really think this is a sports car or what??It’s a hybrid.And everytime I see people turbocharging/supercharging/decatting or basically any performance mods on this CRZ,I’ll think,”why the heck did you get a hybrid for?”.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • Storm on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:48 am

      With this type of power they want to cucuk people?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
      • 1000horses on Jul 04, 2012 at 11:00 am

        Bcoz its cheap la….without tax exemp it would cost 50k more

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
      • alldisc on Jul 04, 2012 at 11:33 am

        no problem when they cucuk myvi and persona,as well as vios – them the majority of cars we see nowadays.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • dreaming of maserati on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:28 pm

        cheap pariah myvi oso loves to cucuk cucuk ….why can’t the crz?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 0
        • toyotathenvwnow on Jul 27, 2012 at 4:43 pm

          always got cucuked by the myvis aka king of the road ( category : national car )

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • TurboCharged on Jul 04, 2012 at 8:16 am

      It looks like sport car, sounds like sport car but it’s not a sport car. It’s a sporty hybrid car. Any turbocharged car easily “ta-Bao” crz.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
      • Chris on Jul 05, 2012 at 10:30 am

        Sorry bro. Have a friend with CR-Z, kena cucuk by a turbocharged car, probably a swift? Turned on sport mode and left the suzy in the dust.

        Moral of the story: retards in turbocharged cars doesn’t count. Maybe a poorly tuned non-stock turbo cars doesn’t count too.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
      • TurboCharged on Jul 05, 2012 at 3:02 pm

        Apalah, Chirs…you’re comparing bad apple with good apple. Any poorly tuned/maintenance N/A/forced induction car may be smoked by any car. Hope you think twice before you post your answer.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 4
      • Chris on Jul 05, 2012 at 5:53 pm

        I do not mean to offend, but I’ve re-read what you’ve wrote just in case it’s my mistake. But you indeed wrote ‘Any turbocharged car easily “ta-Bao” crz.’

        I shall keep my opinion to myself to avoid further conflict, but you may blame that I’m taking things too literally which I admit, but I find your suggestion that I post without thinking.. offensive.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
      • turbo charge… why dont u comment any stock ferrari can tapao rx-8…
        in tat case… many na car can tapao turbo’s during peak hrs @ in front sg wang plaza
        * i owned a turbo car… but i never cucuk na…
        and i owned a crz too… wondering wut turbo r u… abu kancil turbo or ah beng wira turbo who love to cucuk & tapao here n there then tell the world u r the best road racer… stupid!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
      • Luigi on Jul 18, 2012 at 8:54 pm

        Any idiot can chuck a turbo in a car and make it perform. And it’s an idiot who compares a forced induction car to a normally aspirated one in terms of pure performance. Having fun driving a car is not all about brute force but is a combination of balance, response, handling and that indefinable fun factor. If enjoyment comes merely from being able to “ta bao” another car then that’s more about oversized egos than driving pleasure.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
        • carnoisseur on Sep 07, 2012 at 10:19 am

          I totally agree with you ! A real driver doesnt need to “tapao” anyone . Thats a job for and insecure and immature “AHBeng” driver who has no finesse and skills to drive . If you really wanna “tapao” , go to Sepang circuit , less risk of causing accidents

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • kancildriver on Jul 04, 2012 at 8:49 am

      It’s a sport hybrid, ok? 125ps, 174NM is relatively huge for a small car hence the power to cucuk you.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Alpha on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:11 pm

        Well,i drive a car of considerable power.Usually the one that will cucuk me is other sports car.But nowadays a lot of CRZ likes to cucuk sports cars.Also,it’s normal to be cucuk-ed by a turbo-ed wira/vios/myvi/etc.But a hybrid??Man…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
      • SuperStreet on Jul 09, 2012 at 1:44 pm

        U balik cucuk bantal…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • seriousdude on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:17 am

      they thought they are in a turbocharged crx…but nope they are in hybrid crz

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • how about other cars cucuk-ing other cars? does that mean they’re not lansi just bcoz they’re not CRZ? only CRZ owners must be lansi? be realistic pls~

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • PPKia on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:04 pm

      I am one CR-Z driver who you might thought is cucuking everyone and lansi.

      You see, we hybrid drivers are light on all pedals, especially the brakes, so will delay braking until the last minute, hence the cucuking. Braking is as not green as stepping on the gas pedal.

      Pardon my rudeness, you are either road hogging, blocking everyone’s way or you are driving in erratical momentum to be target of a cucuking.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 2
      • Driving safe > being a green driver.

        End of story, change your attitude or someday blood may be in your hands.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
      • Alpha on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:45 pm

        I’m sorry,but your assumptions aren’t correct.I’m neither a road hogger,or someone who blocks everyone’s way nor I drive in erratical momentum.

        I’m a good,trained driver.Oh,well.Everyone said they are a good driver anyway.I don’t mind being cucuk-ed as I can just step on the pedal and poof,problem’s gone.

        Perhaps the CRZs I’ve met on the road wasn’t you and I was unlucky enough to meet these rude drivers over and over again.What I mean was they like to cucuk people in a dangerous way and as experienced by me and also a few of my friends,they like to “challenge” other sports car.

        Granted,CRZ is a good car and it’s not by any means the car’s fault.But a hybrid wasn’t meant for all that.If you want to race and such,a Polo GTi fits the budget and needs.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
        • carnoisseur on Sep 07, 2012 at 10:22 am

          to put it correctly , if you want to race , go to the racing circuit and meet your peers ….there you can race as much as you want and not be a nuisance on the streets.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • I like KFC on Jul 04, 2012 at 3:06 pm

        Well, to be fair, I have seen other cars such as Myvi, persona, saga, Viva, and also Vios “cucuking” other cars. But one thing I do not understand, most of the car that was “cucuk” including yours truly are going at 110 to 115k kmph which is already above the 110kmph speed limit, so does this mean we are still consider road hogging? I have even once drove up to 140kmph but still kena cucuk from other small fries car such as Myvi and they even dare to flash at me asking me to move aside, don’t you think that is a bit too much??

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
      • KiaPP on Jul 04, 2012 at 3:40 pm

        I know why you are braking. You recharge the battery.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • rapidshifter on Jul 04, 2012 at 3:45 pm

        everybody wants to cucuk everybody…malaysian style…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
      • 1 malaysia on Jul 05, 2012 at 5:05 pm

        smart guy

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • gershom on Jul 04, 2012 at 4:59 pm

      they seemed to be deluded by the fact that it’s a sporty car, not a sports car. Lets just say that most of them who are getting it is purely for the looks, and have no inkling about car enthusiasm. They have yet to “cucuk” a normal common FD1 which is everywhere, let alone one fine day when they end up at the wrong end of a turbocharged boxer. They’ll definitely re-think their driving habit.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • artworks on Jul 06, 2012 at 3:09 am

      yup. testing it with my fiesta…fiesta seems faster than crz

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • I realise the CRZ attracts a lot of Lala to buy… Like seriously 9/10 or I can also say 10/10 crz drivers on the road always look like some samseng guy and drives like a typical road bully..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 4
    • toyotathenvwnow on Jul 27, 2012 at 4:41 pm

      haha..u are right…those are cases of plain ignorant

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • yuhuu on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:11 am

    i have a dream to buy this car, but the battery “maintenance” cost for every 5 years make me rethink “infinityly” (@o@)…. should allowed operation of lynas plant for reduce cost of hybrid car’s battery?? ngeeee~~~~~~

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • rear light on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:05 am

      Then u should buy new 86 & cucuk them back 1000 times..LOL.. sorry mate, just kidding.. no offense..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • amg63 on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:19 am

      go and work in lynas, u can get even better special price !

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Insight kaki on Jul 04, 2012 at 12:34 pm

      Honda is the first motor co to setup its own recycling plant for rare earth materials so pls don’t drag Lynas into the equation

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • auditorsux on Jul 05, 2012 at 10:29 am

      in 5 years the cost will be much cheaper??

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • kimikira on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:17 am

    sport car exterior, green performance, plastic interior, conclusion : sport car wannabee, but cant be

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Megane on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:37 am

    This car is for lansi only , pointless underpowered hybrid sports car , neither here nor there . Additionally the back is super ugly .

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 3
    • MeganFox on Jul 05, 2012 at 2:24 pm

      Megane also super ugly… and you even don’t have Megane n just pretend to own it.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • CleverMunkey on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:38 am

    Looks like a pretty decent car to drive around in KL roads…. :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • JeremyNg on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:54 am

    I like this car but I also like the latest Suzuki Swift Sport (2012 version). Suzuki can easily eat this car as breakfast BUT it has dull interior. CRZ is not a very fast car but it has very futuristic interior (my kind of interior.

    If i able to ignore the dull interior of Swift sport I will definitely buy that car bcs it’s cheaper to maintain than CRZ. BUT CRZ do attract hot chicks bcs they think that all the car with 2 door is sport car 0.o

    *I went to Suzuki dealer , they said the latest swift sport will come to Malaysia by next year. *finger cross*

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Satria Neo also 2 door… What kind of logic is that.. =.=”

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
      • because satria has a ‘proton’ badge on it.. lmao

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • pacifictuna on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:13 pm

        will will attract ppl especially with WWW 1 slapped on it. Daulat Tuanku!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • liked the crz but many of my frens who lived in the us will stick with the stick shift. I for one agree. Ivtrc is a sissified vtec but hey emissions a real issue now. I drove the crz in the us, the manual on of course n loved it at first but my first impression was shot down when i drove a fren’s neighbor’s crx si-r…oh and the vanilla nsx. Thats a true vtec.

    I really really hope honda would continue promoting the manual crz. Also, they could do better by reducing the waiting time. Seriously more than 3 months waiting time for a car less than 120k is ridiculuous. And they should introduce some sort of a tuning package like mugen tuning akin to honda usa’s crz.

    All in all, good review but i was hoping for more though…hahaha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • i owned one of these, the manual one, so far i’m happy with it, a head turner for sure, save on fuel, sellin quite cheap here, a gud car overall, it is a car that offer the best of both world, u can save on fuel while u can have decent power when u need it, the performance outcome most of production car and it’s more fuel efficient compared to most of normal car, if add in supercharger then u can get a whooping 200hp!!! but it cost u rm16.8k, haha, RM115 +16.8 =131.8k, still very cheap wut…. with the supercharged crz, then u can smoke beemers, all those vw, and other contis, haha, all those easily cost u more than 200k, still fuel saver, provided drive in manners la, century sprint 6.8, thatz wut japanese can do, cheap but perform….hehe, dont taruh me, juz my humble thinkin

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Not to mention supercharged also voids your warranty completely. ^^

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • theanswer on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:23 am

      defeat the purpose of buying fuel saving hybrid car. btw, having wira turbo also can beat beemers or vw golf.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • AlexLHthis on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:33 am

      I respect u having a manual …… Salute

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Elric on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:25 pm

      You can add in a supercharger in any 100k car too and get the same boost. When IMA+ITEC+supercharger, reliability is another issue here. And lastly You think contis care if you smoke them with your ‘sexy’ back CRZ? -_-

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • 1 more thing, alpha: supercharged it doesn’t mean it’z not green anymore, it juz getting less green, stil environment frenly, hehe, not so sure about it…juz based on comment given in other forums, and magazines, no official figure, but it make sense, juz wait for cr-z mugen rr, then we wil see…… cant wait

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Storm on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:54 am

      I don’t see what is so green about this car. 12.4 km/liter is not good at all for a hybrid. Most B segment car can do that and some even better than that. It’s known that Insight fuel consumption is the same as a normal Honda City…Problem is Honda still doesn’t comes out with a full hybrid like Toyota.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Insight kaki on Jul 04, 2012 at 12:48 pm

        Dude, if u buy a hybrid and drive like a bat out of hell then it defeats the whole purpose of driving a hybrid lah.
        And what is the basis of insight fc same as a city? My wife’s insight regularly returns 600km easily in town driving and we live in a hilly part of a little island up north so it’s not all level roads where one can hypermile.
        Lastly, what’s the anguish for full hybrids and mild hybrids, even if u couple a motor to a bullock cart I guess that would be a biological hybrid? Btw, HMC is indeed getting into the parallel hybrid and plug in hybrid business in their earth dreams range.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
      • skyjuice on Jul 05, 2012 at 10:24 am

        12.4km/L if u drive like mad…
        most of the hybrid car can easily get 20km/L for a normal driving habit..

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • Calvin on Sep 27, 2012 at 2:40 pm

        Insight known as the best fuel consumption car in the world. How can u compare the car with city?omg

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • TurboMan!!! on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:58 am

      Tee.

      One word for u, grow up.

      A bit of education for u. U cant compare mod cars with stock cars. Heck, a satria with 2.0 mivec turbo 300hp can smoke a ferrari if tuned right. And its much cheaper than your car. Green? It aint gonna be green anymore if u supercharge it. To handle 200hp, u need bigger brakes, bigger rims/tyres for sure. U hv to change out the low rolling resistance tyres to some UHP to handle 200hp. And its a front wheel drive car delivering 200hp. Good luck going straight at the traffic lights when u are trying to smoke a GTI, or even a F30 320i. Add some corners, and u might be smelling the tarmac. 6.8 sec to 100 is not exactly mind blowing these days. A Polo GTI is as fast and aint much more expensive. Your clutch action won’t be light anymore as u need to change to a racing clutch. Im not sure if the gearbox can handle that amount of forced induction torque as most honda engines are high revving low torque engine.

      This is a good car that somehow attracts the ladies, but its ppl like u who makes such cars cheap.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • encik boss on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:54 am

    “If you’re a car enthusiast, it’s likely that they are also not on your radar” ??
    Come on, bring the VW Jetta hybrid and see how those peoples react.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Anwar on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:28 am

    12.4 km/l average is not impressive at all. Why go for hybrid if that’s the real world achievable fuel consumption? My Golf GTI with some hard driving can do better than that. At comparable price, Polo 1.2 TSI with 7-speed DSG can achieve much higher km/l in real world driving.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Jonnie on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:39 am

    I got a Jazz Hybrid. Cracked my mirrors on first drive. Guess what is the damage? 5k for the windscreen. Crazy!!! Even x1 only cost 3.5k. And nada stock somemore.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • power8003 on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:17 am

      I think you have been con. I do not think windscreen is that expensive. Recently I just changed my accord windscreen. You want to change it, i can recommend a place for you. cheers.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Fukuoka on Jul 04, 2012 at 11:02 am

        5k should be okay, if only the windscreen is a genuine honda oem part. Here in Japan, your windscreen is worth around RM 3.5-4k according to the current forex. When tax, freight and labour cost being added, the price may jump to 5k in Malaysia.

        Of course you can get a cheaper non-oem part as an option.

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    • keeda on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:40 pm

      i dun think he been con becoz honda spare part is expensive although some of the part is made from local source.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Zero Emissions on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      don’t u have windscreen coverage?u dun have to fork out ur own money if u took it

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    • intermilan on Sep 07, 2012 at 10:51 am

      And yet, still some uninformed fella keep on blabbering that Continental car spare parts are expensive etc etc..

      or some people who keep want to deny the truth (fact) with regards to Japanese car spare parts cost (which nowadays cost as much as Continental counterparts). Wake up.

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  • Bookworm on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:42 am

    CR-Z in the cheapest manual car with stability control, in Malaysia.

    Summore with 6 airbags. And it happened to be a hybrid car. Cool.

    But I have no money. Keep on dreaming.

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    • That’s why Honda is Power of Dreams. They keep dreaming and do nothing.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • lalalalala on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:43 am

    i drove the crz for 2 weeks ….it is honestly really really nice and fun to drive….the power output is not like a gtr or brz.it is already stated IT IS A HYBRID .you cant expect it to go like a NORMAL sport car.Crz is just a freaking nice car to drive especially in manual.it really test how eco your driving skill is. However using sport mode is a lot of fun.Dont bash the car for being lansi .Bash the people who dont “show ” a good name for the car.i love the crz

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • Yupe, most crz drivers I saw on road are very good drivers. Just a few sh that have big GT wings and rims. Totally redefined the meaning of douchebaggery.

      I pity you guys coz they are like black dots on a white paper.

      Have fun with your car thou, envy. ^^

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  • Nikko on Jul 04, 2012 at 8:07 am

    Danny,

    Seems that you went to Nikko. How’s the scenery there?

    During my studies in Japan, we went to Nikko yearly during autumn. Winding the hill + beautiful reddish Momiji is truely awesome.

    Hope you enjoyed the trip.

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    • MalayanTapir on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:23 pm

      I think he went to Nikko BECAUSE of the windy mountain pass there… :D

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    • Danny Tan (Member) on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:17 am

      Nikko is beautiful, and the mountain roads are really fun :)

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  • exkancil on Jul 04, 2012 at 8:23 am

    nothing to shout about with 12.4km/l in long idling journey. even my previous car, kancil 850ex could gain around that figure. much much cheaper

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    • dreaming of maserati on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      why not say your kapchai can achieve 100km/l ? its mind boggling how ppl can compare a crz with a kancil!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
      • hetyu on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:34 pm

        of course one can get pissed of when you pay for gold but you get SHIT, understand?

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  • carnoisseur on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:00 am

    I think the looks are subjective .being a non sexist ,it is by any definition an evolutionary design from the past and well done too. As for the engine performance, this is not a sports car but a sporty car , there is a difference. However i can see what honda is trying to achieve ;- marrying eco technology with performance . May not be too promising now but surely in the future. if you look back at car magazines more than 10 years ago, Honda had already focused their intention on this technology.
    tee,I like to know where you can get the superchargers ,sounds interesting.

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    • yeah. i agree that this is not sports car. only qualify as sporty car (for now). it’s really annoying when seeing some poyo CRX hybrid owners that think this car is really a sport car by putting big spoilers and big mufflers (not here in malaysia la, somewhere in iceland. hahaha).

      anyway, good start from honda.

      anyway,

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  • Dear Danny, since the strength of the CRZ is the handling, how would u compare it with the likes of Satria neo or Preve?

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  • roobie doobie on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:18 am

    I owned the old honda crx. This is nowhere near the old pocket rocket. It won’t sell well overseas. What the hell were they thinking? Cut two doors off the insight and then sell it as a sports car? They didn’t even bother to give it independant suspension which even the old CRX had double wishbones all round.

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:03 pm

      This is Honda ma, even if they rename the Jazz as a CR-Z also all ah bengs will flock to buy it. You would think that people will compare it against others in its class and make a decision. But no, only thing ah bengs care about if the car is a Honda/Toyota, cheap enough to buy and pasang mods like spoilers, turbo, etc. I’ve seen some of these on the roads with really ugly looking mods that actually make it even less sporty. Not to say that there are many of these to begin with.

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  • polo saga on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:35 am

    nice article! n i do agree honda did produce good manual gear box. but the useless rear seats have kept me away from owning it, not so practical.

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    • If only Honda would take this gearbox and offer it in the Civic 2.0.

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  • Paul Chong on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:04 am

    All the bros here are commenting on CR-Z with pros and cons; which is a good way for Honda. So they can improve. I think performance with eco-friendly engine is a good start and i’m sure Honda will provide better hybrid sports car in the next future base on the CR-Z platform. Way to go, Honda.

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  • apexg2 on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:04 am

    if 12.4km/l is not good…my insight can get around 25km/l..thats wut hybrid talk about…

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  • Ken T. on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:10 am

    Hi all,

    Fellow CRZ owner here. Here’s my FR after 1 month of ownership.

    Fuel saving isn’t the best for a hybrid. I drive with a bit of a heavy foot and I get 11.6KM/L, my old Honda City Vtec can get about 10.8KM/L with similar driving styles.

    If I be as light footed as I allow myself to, I can only get up to 13.5 to 14/KML. It’s easily achievable with my old Honda City also, if I have to drive that slowly. So I’m a bit disappointed with the fuel consumption to be honest.

    Speed wise, It’s great below 4K RPM, early torque from the electric is a great boost but once it hit’s the supposedly ‘VTEC-just-kicked-in-yo!’ range, it gets out of breath. Don’t expect any VTEC kicks like a K20A in the CRZ’s SOHC engine.

    Handling is comfort biased. It’s great as a daily driver, but if you plan to go fast with this, you have to mod it.

    True story: I’m on a highway when a Satria Neo (lightly modded) tails me from the back. I thought I was gonna put him to shame, switched to sports mode, downshifted to get into VTEC range and slammed the pedal, but… I couldn’t outrun him! He just stayed at my back the whole while, although he can’t overtake, I can’t pull away from him either. VTEC just got schooled by a CAMPRO.

    So why buy the CRZ?

    There aren’t many choices for an affordable-sporty car with Manual transmission around. The hybrid tax break makes it even more attractive. It’s great as a daily driver (if you don’t need to fetch people around) or even as a weekend car when you want to have some fun in driving a Manual.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 1
    • _xXx_ on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:53 pm

      Im heavy footed but my swift sport is giving me 13.3-13.5 km/L…why hybrid?

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      • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:36 pm

        Your swift sport has stability control?
        How many airbags it offers?

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      • _xXx_ on Jul 05, 2012 at 5:55 am

        I bought the used one, 2007, old model, no ESP. It has 6+2 airbags…

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    • ckboy on Feb 06, 2014 at 10:40 pm

      Are you sure you are driving a Honda CR-Z? Mine can go up to 20 KM/L…

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  • I think a lot of people on here miss the point of this car!!

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  • tunguuu on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:47 am

    i love this car really….small sweet engine with a nice 6 speed manual box…however i always wonder…lets say we doing a high speed run..will the battery drain its power n if it does, how much bhp u have left?

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    • Maid05 on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:44 pm

      This info is taken from the brochure.

      START/ACCELERATION (Engine+Electric Motor):
      The motor providing more power at lower revolutions assists the engine.

      CRUISING (engines operates alone):
      The engine provide fuel efficient driving.

      ACCELERATION (Engine+Electric Motor):
      The motor assists the engine and provides powerful acceleration.

      DECELERATION (Charges the IMA battery):
      The motor recharges the IMA battery using energy caused during deceleration.

      —————————————-
      Engine+Electric Motor:
      Maximum Power: 91kW (124PS) @ 6,000rpm
      Maximum Torque: 174Nm @ 1,000 – 1,500rpm

      Engine:
      Maximum Power: 84kW (114PS) @ 6,000rpm
      Maximum Torque: 145Nm @ 4,800rpm

      Electric Motor:
      Maximum Power: 10kW (14PS) @ 1,500rpm
      Maximum Torque: 78Nm @ 1,000rpm

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      • qweby on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:00 pm

        honda is always like that, nice on paper, but in reality, it’s not as good as advertised

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  • AlexLkManual on Jul 04, 2012 at 11:59 am

    Now available with CVT, but best served with stick shift……I agree with the conclusion, and now brand whoever buy this car in CVT a [fill in the blanks with negative words]

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  • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Below RM200k, these are the ONLY options to get manual transmission car with stability control.

    Honda CR-Z: RM119,000
    Mazda 3 MPS: RM179,895
    Renault Clio RS: RM199,000

    Please correct me if I’m wrong.

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    • ndemo on Jul 04, 2012 at 12:58 pm

      so what’s the point of this car?
      you can’t save fuel like insight
      you can’t smoke ‘poor’ campro neo
      you can’t get proper backseat like normal hatchback

      maybe you get nice dashboard, brand for bragging and stylo exterior.

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      • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:23 pm

        1. Manual
        2. Stability control

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      • that’s all?
        have to think thousand times to buy

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      • lalalalala on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:32 pm

        honestly u really have to drive it to understand …..it is something really different from normal car .the way it handle …it is just fun:Dthe 6 speed just make it even more awesome !the easy shift and how easy to drive this car….it is like playing a game ……they even tell you when to shift just to be more eco ><honestly the crz is not a car…it is a freaking video game in real life.depending on how creative you are u can make all types of way to drive this car…that is what i think .i love to drive and this car make it soooooo much better to drive

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    • bobdbilder on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:32 pm

      What’s the whole point of stability control when you only got 124PS?

      You did not put the power and torque. I would understand you’d need it for the Mazda3 MPS and the Clio RS. But the CR-Z?

      Really it must the awful low resistance tyres that doesn’t give you enough traction. Or less than proper handling dynamics coz the battery just spoils it.

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      • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:59 pm

        Are you saying that stability control is only needed in hi-powered car? Then I wonder why Ford Fiesta offer ESP.

        I’m not the one who drive over 130 km/h. So I don’t really care much about the power of the car. I just want a manual car with stability control. Why? Simply because of the safety concern. Not because of I drive fast, but because of emergency circumstances that may occurred.

        I would buy a MyVi if it comes with stability control. But, as I said, CR-Z is the cheapest manual car in Malaysia offers stability control (VSA). What other option do I have?

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:09 pm

      First of don’t jatuh standard the other real sport cars by comparing to this look-only sport car. The CR-Z is no where close in performance to a MPS or even a Clio RS at all. In fact this CR-Z can’t even beat 308T for starters. If you want to talk about a turbocharged CR-Z, then lets also talk about a Kancil/Mira turbo against it.

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      • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:00 pm

        I never mention about sports car, sporty car or performance in any of my writings. I never mention either this car is beautiful or ugly. I just wrote the fact that:

        The only MANUAL cars with STABILITY CONTROL, below RM200k exist in Malaysia are those 3 cars. Oh please don’t be sad knowing this fact.

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      • RejimKejamGanas on Jul 05, 2012 at 1:46 am

        @Extrimist

        The Ford Fiesta LX was available in manual transmission. You can check it out with SD if you are still interested. The Fiesta would be more comparable to the CR-Z rather than any of cars you listed. Since only stability control and manual transmission is most important to you.

        You can read about it here:
        http://paultan.org/2010/08/30/ford-fiesta-test-drive-report-from-thailand

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      • Extrimist on Jul 05, 2012 at 11:57 am

        Thanks your your suggestion.

        Unfortunately. Fiesta doesn’t offer ESP for their manual range (1.4cc).

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  • Maserati on Jul 04, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    Silly people comparing crz with turbo charged cars.

    You wanna compare, why dont u compare with the lousy crappy kia forte coupe which retails around the same price as the crz? The crz will pawn the forte koup in every department except engine capacity.

    This crz is a supremely good car. I have test driven it, and it drives like a dream unlike the forte koup 2.0 but feels like driving a 1.6L car

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    • Dun feed trolls.

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    • .....yes? on Jul 04, 2012 at 3:56 pm

      Every time see Maserati comment always got condemn Hyundai and KIa one…..haiz…..enough lar de….K and H are not the best but they are far from the worst….so please stop saying bullshit…..

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:10 pm

      You are even sillier by spewing bullshit.

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  • lovescars on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:07 pm

    I love my CRZ, it rates very high on FUN FACTOR. Frankly, more fun than many cars, I still enjoy it a lot more than my e90 325. The car just feels good despite not being a hot hatch at all. I did consider FI but it defeats the purpose the car is made for.

    She handles great for lively driving but the back will snap on you if you drive it in a jerky manner through corners. All I did was to install ARBs and the handling improved a lot.

    As for cucuking … This car will be able to take on most NA 2.0 auto cars. The power to weight ratio is about the same. In manual form it’s fun to give those Civics a run for their money as they tend to like to cucuk this little hybrid.

    All in all, I love the CRZ. It gives you the sports car feel, nimble handling, easy to use in the city, good FCC and does not cost you an arm and a leg.

    Oh yes, I get 16kms/l for mixed driving in the city. On the highways, 20 is easy. Sometimes a little more if you just take it easy and cruise.

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    • miles on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:38 pm

      oh i love my crz , i enjoy it a lot more than my audi a5 and 640
      mind you i can get 25km/l fc. sounds familiar?

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      • I like KFC on Jul 04, 2012 at 3:09 pm

        Hmmm, if you guys can afford cars such as A5640 and E90, why bother with the FC?? Keyboard warrior..

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      • lovesCARS on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:26 pm

        What is your problem? Its a simple opinion about thecar, no one is saying the bimmer sucks and CRZ rules. That is the problem with Malaysians today. Think they know it all. WTF is wrong with you?

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      • lovesCARS on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:32 pm

        Eh KFC … since when it was stated that FC was the main point. Its only stating what sort of FC was obtained. Malaysians need to learn how to read before they comment.

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:14 pm

      What a load of bullshit. It is not cucuk if the car in front of you just need to tekan the accelerator to leave your car behind. Maybe you mistaken the lorry in front of you for a Civic?

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      • lovesCARS on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:30 pm

        Kambing man … have you even tried the car? Pathetic la … try the car and then see for yourself. It has 118WHP (as per dyno) when IMA is kicking in or 108WHP when IMA is depleted. How much does the the Civic 2.0 have at the wheels? 130WHP? What does the Civic weigh? Then look at the fact that CRZ is manual and I am taking about Civic auto, which robs it of some power. Sometimes its really sickening seeing Malaysians commenting. Everything they need to run down, everything they think they know better. Makes you feel more syiok issit?

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      • kambinganas on Jul 05, 2012 at 2:56 pm

        lovesCARS… What a load of BS. Have a look at this YouTube video for a real comparison:
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apO-I0MWNC4

        Anyone can spew figures but the real proof is in actual driving!

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  • nighttrain on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    This is the sportiest looking hot hatch around, and the cheapest due to exemption. I’ll buy it not because it’s a hybrid but for modding it into a supercharged 1.5… modding won’t cost more than 50K which is the actual price with crazy tax. Well, you lose your warranty lah.. hahah. Where’s the turbo shop again?

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:16 pm

      Ha ha, make sure to mod everything else as well. Don’t want your face all over the news!

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  • Omnipotent on Jul 04, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    i agree with Andy and Maserati that people who complain about this car doesn’t get the point of this car and comparing with other cars…

    Honda is trying to change the common perception that hybrid is dull and boring…something that Lexus tried with the CT200h, which failed because it was in fact just a glorified Prius + hefty price tag.

    Lexus came up with the idea but it is Honda who actually achieved it with the CR-Z, winner of Wheels COTY 2011

    People who talk bad about the car is ignorant about the purpose of it…just like people who compare their digital with a swiss mechanical watch…yeah, it’s cheaper and can tell the time more accurately plus it can light up at the touch of a button…can also tell the temperature, humidity, height, direction, etc…so?

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:20 pm

      Just like them, you also fall for Honda’s marketing. It may look cute and high-tech but it is definitely not a successor to the the CR-X. It is a pseudo sports car.

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      • Omnipotent on Jul 05, 2012 at 10:22 am

        have not driven a CR-X so i have no reason to think of it as the predecessor to the CR-Z…even Honda mentioned it’s not a successor to the CR-X.

        I fell in love with the car after I saw it in person, not from ad or magazines or Honda’s website. For me, there’s no other sub 120k car that ticks so many right boxes. Yeah, maybe i’m a minority but hey, i’m glad Honda made a car to cater to ppl like me!

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  • rapidshifter on Jul 04, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    start saving… maybe in 2 years time…………ugh

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  • Only in Malaysia on Jul 04, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    In Malaysia no car is perfect for anyone.. Honda made cars with effort you people shoot “no power la”, “plastic la”, “my car eat your car day and night”, “expensive la”… seriously? There is always pros and cons on any car, is it just how you like it. If you like it just buy it simple, don’t go around telling people i have tested the car it is not practical for me but it is not about you and it might be practical someone else.

    show off or not show off it is up to the people, if you ask me if i can afford to buy 120k car not to show off? oh yes i will just keep it at home and let it rot (sarcastic). Then whats the point?

    same goes to all the car makers, Kia, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, VW, Peugeot, etc etc.. They have their pros and cons. End of the day you buy the car for yourself, if you like the car and you can afford.. just buy it keep it simple, it’ll just make you smile looking at it in the morning.

    Only in Malaysia

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    • Only in Malaysia ppl buy car like buy houses. They always go for stupid reasons like resale value blah blah and forgotten the fact that car does not appreciate, only houses do for now. So in the end, thousands of ppl say Dugong vios is ugly but they will still end up with it. I think they like to vomit every morning by looking at it.

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  • Haha, dear mr turboman, it seems like we hav a well educated sifu here, thanks for ur advice, dun trash me lar, juz my humble opinion mar, first of all I’m talkin bout green mar, nothin to do wif all those tyre, gearbox lar, clutch lar, I’m not talkin bout those mar, I’m talkin bout green, environment friendly sip less fuel, if we supercharged it doesn’t mean that it consumption hefty amount of fuel, it juz gettin less green, thanks for educate me, haha, moreover, the stock gearbox( only manual one can be supercharged) can handle it, it’s similar to that of type r, the stock brake can handle 200hp too, gud news, but clutch wise, the supercharger installer said the stock clutch will kong in one week time, but his demo car still usin stock clutch for bout 4 months now, stil ok mar…Palau sampai rosak lo, oni then change lo, racing clutch affordable ma, but the tyre thing, even I’m not supercharged mine I oledi change my rim n tyre lo, yeng mar, semi slick summore Tim, haha, racer wannabe mar, bout fuel thing official figure is 22km/l, Honda is playin too safe in their figure, in real world can get more than that, official figure of century sprint in stock is 9.7 for manual, also too safe, can get around 8.9 in sport mode, hehe, bout the supercharged thing carnoisseur n night train, mayb u can wait for awhile, hks is coming out with a 300hp supercharger, but all those stock gearbox, clutch, brake, tyre, suspension, muffler, all hav to change, got spare money can do lar, those who dun hav, can mod their Sardis to 300hp n smoke Ferrari la, joking oni la, dun trash me……la

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  • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    My budget was RM150K for a second car. I want a manual car with stability control. I searched all models for Malaysian market within my budget, and ended up the only choice I had is CR-Z. So I went to the dealer and bought the car straightaway.

    My fiction story (no money to buy).

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    • lipse on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:04 pm

      i think you should specify the car with 3-doors. any cars could be second car and normal sedan of course there are number of cars with esc/vsa out there. you are confusing readers

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      • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 5:44 pm

        As I said earlier, I found that there is no other car below 150k which offer manual tranny with stability control. Neither its sedan nor 3 doors.

        Please correct me if I’m wrong.

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  • 1 more thing, bout the windscreen thing, it really cost me a bomb if crack, rm 5400.00 for ori Honda crz windscreen, same goes to jazz hybrid, stream, type r, jazz hybrid windscreen is not the same with normal jazz, civic type r’s is not the same with civic’s, all those imported from japan, pray to god, dun spoil mine

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  • Expensive Jap on Jul 04, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    The CR-Z regardless of manual or CVT is selling purely based on sporty look and fuel saving only. Even the sporty look is subjective and not all like it. Ditto to Danny Tan that enthusiast will not be getting this car. Future engine upgrades are limited due to hybrid system. Advertised as 4 seater but back seats are useless for adults. And the CVT model is purely sales reason due to many noob drivers in Malaysia not knowing how to drive with stick.

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    • kambinganas on Jul 04, 2012 at 7:22 pm

      Finally someone who actually read the article and can see through Honda’s marketing bullshit.

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      • lovesCARS on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:37 pm

        I wonder what you can afford to drive … since you like to run down and run down. LOL!

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    • I can drive manual and auto car well, but i will go for CVT , coz kl jam everyday.. Please correct ur word. Tq

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  • bmpower on Jul 04, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    look like a fast car.
    look like a sporty car.
    look like a powerfull car.

    sadly it’s not any of above.
    honda change direction too much.
    there’s no more power of dream.
    it’s…. frustrating most honda power fan.
    there’s no more vtec kick in. Vtec seems kicked out now.

    *but hence.. i think about time later or earlier… somebody will transplant vtec-besar under the hood surely ;)

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    • lovesCARS on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:40 pm

      Yeah BMW is better … my new car is 5 months old and spent 14 days in SC for stupid rectification works … how about that? Ultimate Disaster Machine la … Guess Honda is so dumb to manufacture the CRZ, so many dumb people in Japan that the car is selling well there. Malaysians smarter than Japanese right?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Extrimist on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    Toyota, what is your manual car? Opps sorry, Vios doesn’t has VSC.

    Nissan, what’s your cheapest car with stability control? Ohh..Nissan Teana at RM170k+. Ok.

    Ford, you got ESP. But where’s the MT?

    Mazda, your manual tranny Mazda3 MPS is over my budget.

    Proton, you only offer ESC for Preve CFE with CVT. No manual?

    Volkswagen: Why you eliminate ESP for your cheapest Polo Sedan?

    Perodua? No ESP no talk.

    Kia, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Volkswagen, do you have MT? What Price?

    Thank you Honda for bringing in a manual car.
    Thank you Honda for bringing in a car with stability control (VSA).
    Thank you Honda for bringing in a car with 6 airbags.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
    • F Fiesta on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:35 pm

      Ford Fiesta got manual and more price bargain than this CRZ overpriced.

      Ford Fiesta now currently the best car of all cars from range RM70k-RM90k.

      Beating Forte, City, Jazz, Vios, Volkswagen Polo, Suzuki, Proton, Produa.

      Bang for buck and best buy!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • fiesta_sck on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:13 am

        cannot tahan the ugliness, especially the back and it’s crampy inside

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Extrimist on Jul 05, 2012 at 4:21 am

        The manual Ford Fiesta (1.4 cc) doesn’t come with ESP. Only 1.6 (which is Auto with Powershift) got ESP.

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    • dtctr on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:47 pm

      honda salesman detected!!!!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • alldisc on Jul 05, 2012 at 9:17 am

        i smell Honda Sales Manager here!! not salesman anymore… ha ha ha

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • SuperStreet on Jul 09, 2012 at 2:55 pm

        I smell Sales Director here!! not sales manager… :P

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • ReasonAble on Jul 04, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    The CRZ is a Sports hybrid coupe. It fills a specific market. All hybrids are leading the way to a greener future. That is why Every car manufacturer is researching hybrids. I drive a Prius 1.8 and I love it. I bought it bcos it’s the best toyota in Malaysia in terms of safety(Active & passive), it is the most well equipped, it has the lowest FC and it is the most affordable, powerful and quiet full hybrid in malaysia.My two cents sorry if I offend anyone but any and all hybrid owners are just ppl who love their cars just as much as the petrolheads. U hv yours and I hv mine. So please be civil about it. Thank You

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • nighttrain on Jul 05, 2012 at 7:02 pm

      Pfft.. You’re just one of those smug faced treehuggers driving around in their EVs and hybrids. I know you people..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
  • Heskey on Jul 04, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    My 2008 vios auto gives me 15km per litre.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • myviT on Jul 05, 2012 at 12:21 am

    my turbocharged myvi anytime can smoke this de la junk car

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2
    • Microvave on Jul 05, 2012 at 9:14 am

      Please drive your turbocharged MyVi carefully so that you don’t ruin others who drive safety equipped car.

      2 airbags vs 6 airbags
      Rear drum brakes vs Solid disc
      No ESP vs VSA

      I have no offence to MyVi or any other car. But to say that the well equipped car (in terms of safety) is junk; shows your thinking towards safety.

      No wonder why Perodua won’t give stability control to any of their cars.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Honda Lack Of Powering My Dreams on Jul 05, 2012 at 9:50 am

    I’d rather take the 30 yr old AW10 on the 7th pic :D It’ll probably run circles round the CR-Z sorry…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • MycarMylife on Jul 05, 2012 at 11:19 am

    Cherish whatever we have and can afford why argue and fight over whose is longer or shorter !!! ( ego la)
    Enjoy la in this failed state remember Dec 23rd,24th and 25th is coming.
    My CRZ ,cvt is coming out of the port next week.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • my vios auto gives me 16km/l….sometime rm 30 for 300km….why this hybrid consume too much fuel….waste time charging and carry additional heavy battery….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Guys, based on Honda Japan website, the CRZ is rated at 22.8km/L for CVT and 20.6km/L for 6MT. http://www.honda.co.jp/CR-Z/webcatalog/ecology/

    So I really don’t understand what’s the fuss about it even some jokers comparing the FC with other substandard cars such as the VIOS? C’mon guys, get a life!
    Also Honda invested quite a lot of R&D in developing the CRZ and it has he lowest drag coefficient that any of the cars you guys are comparing it above.
    Also note that due to the tax exemption, Malaysians are getting premium quality car and the CRZ that is being sold here is the highest spec which is the Alpha Black Edition that retails at around RM100k in Japan.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • IloveProton on Jul 08, 2012 at 2:37 am

    Malaysians just love to bash anything and everything. We seem to pretty negative and emotional about things nowadays. You get cucuk, you no shiok but when you cucuk people, you shiok. Every single car that’s been reviewed gets bashed here. Cheap car get bashed for having cheap plastic, expensive car get bashed for not being powderful enough compared to the cheap car. Ada hybrid, complain lousy FC. Ada turbo, complain minyak mahal (well, that’s true btw). Malaysians are really so advanced and hard to please…and everyone seems to be doing real well too since a 110k + car is considered cheap crap and getting a getting a Polo GTI is just ‘adding a few bucks more’. I must be really missing something here. I think the best is.. no need to even vote wisely, just have a dictator and sell only 1 car model here..no need to have so many brands and models.

    PS: I don’t own a CRZ but have drove it before. Fun little car to drive. I’m not a H salesman either.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • HONDA vs TOYOTA Hybrid

    Which’s Better?

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  • Without a doubt, of course any Toyota hybrids performs better than any other car makers hybrids la… In terms of reliability, km/litre( which Honda fails to beat with all 3 of their hybrids) , co2 emmisions( which Honda fails to beat with all 3 of their hybrids), comfort and technology… Please remember, Toyota builds their hybrid cars from recycled materiel and when the car lifespan is up, up to 90% of the car is recyclable.. They have always had that Green moto for their hybrids… Honda however, just builds hybrids for the sake of capturing hybrid fans or to compete with Toyota.. But they have never once boasted about ultra low co2 emmisions , recyclable materials, etc… Please understand the green concept from Toyota, and understand the design and speed concept from Honda… Toyota hybrids = REALLY LITERALLY environmental friendly with ultra low fuel consumption. Honda hybrids = sporty looks but forget about being really truly environmental friendly.

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  • I’m a Toyota fan but its disappointing that Toyota will all that advanced hybrid technology, still unable to (or maybe not interested) in investing in the “sports/sporty” hybrid segment. The new 86 is currently the only sports car being offered by Toyota, and its too pricey for most of us Malaysians. Kudos to Honda for their effort in the CRZ sporty hybrid and with its low price and tax exemption for countries like us, we can enjoy such performance orientated vehicle at a low price.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Manual 6 speed hybrid is fun car, good mid-torque (probably helped by electrice motor), and good handling.

    Small issue are back seat too small for coupe, lack of steering feel at low speed and ride a bit harsh at speed.

    BTW, 12.4 km/ltr is about 8ltr/100km (based o writer’s occassion) is not bad. But dont be surprise that a remap 2.0ltr turbodiesel with 180hp 400nm can do better or equally as good.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Crz Man on Jul 16, 2012 at 12:23 am

    Apa la lu orang semua! This car rocks for rm115k. For me the 70k tax break is a no brainer to get this car, where can u get that kinda discount for a car here.

    I guess most of you have already made up your mind about crz, but pls go test drive it before dissing it. I did & it won me over, Its a fun car & sometimes u just cant help cucuking once in a while when u drive a 6 speed manual. Its value for your RM, its by all means not a lousy car being honda or hybrid & all.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Observer on Sep 14, 2012 at 8:52 pm

    all i can see is how many power under the hood, comparing brand names, and dissing these new kind of sports car.

    typical malaysian wannabe hardcore american like muscle car head. if bhp is all u seek, why dont u go using europe cars, those beemers and mercs and audis and ferraris and lambos. power without control is nothing. (fav car is the new hachi roku)

    for those who wondering why they were cucuk-ed, like some who already acknowledge it, it because you were road hoggers, or driving lousy. it doesnt matter how fast u go, if the cars behind u are much faster, go to side brotha.

    but then, u ppl like to dissing out protons and peroduas doesnt it? doesnt happens with the vw, audis or whatever else with brand names at the same speed. hey, im not promoting bawak laju laju, but we all do that dont we? go slow, moves aside. simple.

    abt crz, that tax exemption is one tempting offer and although it rides sweet, fun car, easy to get 200hp (power does matter after all) thru relatively affordable price, that battery. wouldnt suit me. drive. i drive my cars hard. haha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Hi there, does anyone know how much replacing the windshield would cost for te CRZ? I’m not sure if the windshield coverage is worth paying for… Or the flood coverage for that matter. Anyone have any comments on this?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • MALOSSI on Aug 13, 2014 at 11:09 am

    my fren react after 1st time trying my CR-Z.wow!! really nice car n quite faster than wat i heard before.he use civic ek with Bseries engine.the fact cr-z can beat neo campro n also civic 2.0 celah gigi n celah gusi.sory im not lansi just telling wat a trully.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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