October 2011

Honda CR-Z 1.5 i-VTEC Sport

Week ending October 21
Total mileage 6031
Miles this week 114

Honda CR-Z review

I think Honda has got the CR-Z right in many ways, but wrong in others. Its great to look at and fun to drive, but not especially comfortable.

Maybe it was the end of a long day, or maybe its just my long-armed, monkey-positive frame, but just a few miles into a 65-mile trip to Brighton, I was getting aches and pains.

The CR-Zs seats are short of adjustment, with a rather steep seat cushion angle and a backrest that moves in slightly-too-large steps. I cant get the steering wheel to move high enough for my liking, either, so end up with an obstructed view of the instrument dials and awkwardly folded arms.

Leo.Wilkinson@whatcar.com

Week ending October 14
Mileage 5917
Driven this week 438 miles

Practicality isnt a primary concern for most coupe buyers, but the CRZ was given a stern test during two recent camping trips. The results were mixed.

The little Honda coped brilliantly when my other half and I spent a weekend on the south coast. Dropping the rear-seat backrest gives a surprisingly large load area, which accommodated our camping gear easily.

However, the single-piece backrest had to remain in place when I took two pals to Devon for a weekends fishing, which meant the man in the back was buried under all the kit that wouldnt fit in the boot. His journey was made even more uncomfortable by the crippling shortage of rear head- and legroom.

Ivan.Aistrop@whatcar.com

Week ending October 7
Total mileage 5279
Miles this week 321

Its easy when you know how, but completely unfathomable when you dont. The CR-Zs dashboard that is.

Most of the buttons on its centre console have at least two functions, on top of which theyre labelled with obscure terms such as RDM, A.SEL and RPT.

As a result, simple operations like setting the clock are next to impossible unless you read the manual first.

Steven.Huntingford@whatcar.com