Today, Honda has announced the pricing for its upcoming 2011 CR-Z. The new hybrid from Honda is supposed to bridge the gap between hybrid fuel economy and sportiness. From the performance figures I’ve seen, it’s leaning more towards fuel economy, but the inclusion of a manual transmission bodes well for the CR-Z. Standard features include automatic climate control and USB input for the stereo, with the upmarket EX trim level including things like a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a beefed-up stereo. GPS navigation will be an optional feature as well. Click past the jump for pricing, EPA mileages, and a gallery of high-resolution pictures of the CR-Z.
The fact that Honda is giving buyers things like automatic climate control, with the option of satellite navigation and BlueTooth audio, among other amenities, places this car in the new “inexpensive but well-equipped” class, where newcomers such as the Ford Fiesta are aiming. Looking closer, the price discrepancy between equally-optioned Fiesta and CR-Z is a few thousand dollars, meaning that perhaps those shopping for inexpensive might overlook the CR-Z.
Given all this, who is the likely buyer of the CR-Z? I’m guessing that it’ll be someone who is fuel economy-conscious, but also price-conscious, as the CR-Z comes in cheaper than a Toyota Prius, the current top-selling hybrid in the US. It’s also cheaper than its bigger, less sporty cousin, the Honda Insight.
The biggest problem I have with the CR-Z is that there a lot of cars getting as good or better gas mileage already, and at a lower price point. I, for instance, owned a 2008 Honda Civic sedan, equipped with the 5-speed manual transmission. I was getting close to 34mpg in the city, and around 38mpg on the highway, without concentrating on getting optimal fuel mileage.
See the below chart for Honda’s price structure and the EPA’s fuel mileage results:
| EPA3 MPG | |||
| Model | Transmission | MSRP1 | City/Hwy/Combined |
| CR-Z | 6-Speed Manual | $19,200 | 31/37/34 |
| CR-Z | CVT | $19,850 | 35/39/37 |
| CR-Z EX | 6-Speed Manual | $20,760 | 31/37/34 |
| CR-Z EX | CVT | $21,410 | 35/39/37 |
| CR-Z EX with Navi | 6-Speed Manual | $22,560 | 31/37/34 |
| CR-Z EX with Navi | CVT | $23,210 | 35/39/37 |
by John Suit
Source: Honda