Honda’s CR-Z should be an admirable car. It’s the first hybrid-powered coupe (apart from the original Insight in the 80s, which sold in tiny numbers), and it taps into an ethos that I like: why shouldn’t people be able to own a car that’s sporty and environmentally friendly?
In practice, however, it falls down on a number of fronts.
For starters, it’s not as green as it could or should be. The CR-Z uses a larger (1.5 litres compared to 1.3) version of the petrol engine found in the Insight hybrid, married to the same 14bhp electric motor.
The extra size gives the CR-Z around 25bhp more to play with than the Insight, but cuts fuel economy from 64.2mpg to 56.5mpg. Audi’s TT coupe achieves a similar figure by using good old-fashioned diesel power.
It’s also not as good looking in the flesh as it is in pictures. I found it a bit stubby and frog-like.
This translates into a cramped cabin. Strictly a 2+2 rather than a proper four-seater, the back is suitable only for small children. Anyone over about 5’2″ will find themselves with a serious lack of head and legroom.
It isn’t terribly speedy either. Zero to 62mph comes up in 10 seconds, but you won’t want to accelerate that hard very often the engine does not sound good when it’s revved hard.
Despite this, it’s quite agile and fun to drive. There are sports, normal and economy modes to suit the driver’s preference. I found economy to be dreadfully slow so stuck with normal, since keeping it in sports mode felt like running counter to the car’s environmental credo.
As long as you’re not sat in the back, the interior is a pleasant enough place to be. A sunroof (standard on the Sport and GT models but not on the base S version) makes things lighter and less cramped.
Honda tend to succumb to making a car’s control system technological rather than usable, and the CR-Z is no different, having a myriad of tiny buttons to contend with.
One of the worst aspects of driving the CR-Z is the abysmal rear visibility. The rear windscreen and part of the boot are glass, so everything should be fine, but Honda have thrown in a steel bar right across your line of vision. I eventually abandoned the rear view mirror altogether and used the wing mirrors instead.
It’s a shame all this negativity is so necessary, because the CR-Z strives to be a good car and I wanted to like it.
The reality, however, is that a BMW 1-Series diesel is far better to drive and much more economical.
Price: £18,380. 0-62mph: 10 seconds. Top speed: 124mph. Fuel economy: 56.5mpg. CO2 emissions: 117g/km.