August 2011
**Honda CR-Z 1.5 i-VTEC Sport
Week ending August 19
Mileage 2632
Driven this week 253 miles**
I drove home in the CR-Z last night and I didn't enjoy the experience much. I was a bit tired so the luminous glow from the dash just irritated me and I lacked the patience to get to know the various displays and buttons around the steering wheel. It was raining and I couldn't see out the back so I was a bit narky by the time I got home.
What a difference a good night's sleep makes. The niggles from the night before just didn't seem important and I actually had some fun with the car on the drive in. Honda's sporty hybrid works but you have to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it.
Iain.Reid@whatcar.com
Week ending August 12
Mileage 2379
Driven this week 214 miles
A family get-together in Cambridge ensured Honda's diminutive sports car was seen by a new audience. There's no doubt that up close the combination of curvaceous bodywork and angular lines generates a lot of attention. Amazingly so, when you consider the car's sub-20k price.
On the drive over, my wife was less than impressed by the glovebox lid; it has no damping, and dropped onto her shins when opened. However, I found the space-age displays easy to get to grips with, and the cloth seats - which look great thanks to their differently coloured and textured panels - offered excellent support.
The economy wasn't as good as Id hoped. Then again, 47.3mpg, over several hundred motorway miles, isnt exactly bad, either.
Ian Jolly
Week ending August 5
Mileage 2165
Driven this week 455 miles
The CR-Z might have four seats, but don't think this means it's suitable for four.
At 5ft 8in, I'm hardly tall, yet even when the driver's seat is set-up for me, rear kneeroom is virtually nonexistent.
Headroom is also extremely limited due to the CR-Z's steeply raked rear screen.
What's more, letting someone into the back in the first place is a faff you have to pull two separate levers to slide and tilt the seat out of the way, and it doesn't return to its original spot, forcing you to reset your driving position.
Steven.Huntingford@whatcar.com
