New car... CRZ, Civic Si, Veloster, or FRS?

[awptickes]

Drove a hybrid rental car for a few days on a work trip in Chicago. I would ride a bike the rest of my life before I parked one in my garage.

The CRZ isn't like a hybrid. It's more like a car with a supercharger, for part of the time... If the battery gets low, because you've been accelerating hard and not letting it rebuild charge, you'll notice.


OP:
I have 60k on my cr-z, aside from tires, oil, and air filters, I haven't needed anything done to it. I did have a strange issue with the VSA system, but it didn't effect the car at all, and the dealership fixed it in 30 minutes for free. (the system lost it's 'neutral' position, because I turned off VSA while driving down a parking garage ramp, while turning left.)

The CR-Z is pretty quiet on the highway, it's all about tire selection though.

Chris has had good reliability with his Veloster, he's got a kid to worry about too, so keep that in mind. I don't have any, don't plan on any for a while, so it's fine with my car.

I like the CR-Z, and I like the hybrid aspect of it. It's not fast, but it gets up to highway speeds (85mph here on the east coast) faster than most cars. It's nimble enough to really freak out passengers, and it's small enough that it is easy to drive. Peak torque at 2200 rpm is nice. That being said, drive one before you decide. I happen to know that no honda dealerships have been moving CRZs recently, so they'll be very willing to deal. When we bought my girlfriend a new car, the guys said that they'd give me the whole closet full of CR-Z branded stuff and it'd fill up the back of the car.

If you're planning on kids, don't buy the CRZ, it's not big enough, Chris would have to speak to the Veloster. Heck, I have trouble fitting a hunting rifle or golf clubs into it. I wind up having to measure things at home depot before I buy them, because I know it might be a problem. I can fit two sets of wheels/tires in it, with a passenger.

 

[TurboMirage]

i REALLY wanted the veloster. the 3rd door was a huge plus for the girls. it is very car seat accessible.

 

[BigJ]

Maybe scion tc or mazda 3 added to the list as well?


FR-S is my first choice from what you put above. Outside of the list, I'd prob go TDi.

 

[jeffie7]

I often ask myself what our next DD car would be.

GLK350 would most likely be the car.

As far as toys, Mercedes SL or the new F type is looking baddddd assssss.

 

[FLounder]

Definitely no European crap, so no TDIs.

As for kids, not going to happen, we both hate kids and have no desire to have any. At this point I think that I want to drive a CRZ and a FRS first. The CRZ is cheaper and more economical so that's good. The civic Si a little more car than the CRZ but i don't love the way the 12+ models look. Maybe a 10-11 model would be good to test drive.

The Tc and the mazda 3 are just so generic, so many on the road. We really are only looking at 2 door cars. She really likes small cars and loves driving stick, other than that it just has to look cute. Since Im going to be putting more money into buying the car than she is, I have more say so in what we get. I want something fun.

Not sure if the veloster has enough oomph, plus the long term value is questionable, but it is pretty practical for a dd for her... dammit i just need to go spend a day dealing with stealerships and see what all these cars are really like.

 

[awptickes]

You won't like the crz then. It's more of a euro-feeling car than a Japanese car. It's a niche car, and the niche is pretty much filled in the US and A.

 

[FLounder]

You won't like the crz then. It's more of a euro-feeling car than a Japanese car. It's a niche car, and the niche is pretty much filled in the US and A.

Im still interested. You say the cars handling is nice, and that's important, but im wondering about the feel of the manual transmission and how it puts power down. For instance, the base RSX 5 speed we have now is fun to drive(for a slow car)... the shift feel is excellent, the car is peppy throughout the revs. Do you by any chance know how long the CRZ is supposed to go before having major hybrid related maintenance (like replacing the battery).

Any other insight into the things you like or don't about your car would be cool.

 

[TurboMirage]

the main selling point of the veloster is the funky look, and all the cool toys that you can get in much more expensive cars. it is NOT fast, in fact the base 6spd is the fastest NA version and it's a low 16 second car at best. the turbo will have more oomph but at another 4K or so, and certain colors cost more... and the matte version is only ultimate and it costs the most.

you can spend the 1150 or so bucks i have to add around 30hp to the vehicle (btrcc tune and bolt ons) and totally increase daily driveability but then well... you're in crz territory for costs.

 

[99sidude]

Look at a newer accord coupe with a manual. Great looking cars. Even the 4 cylinder cars are quick.

 

[Celerity]

lol, Cel. I don't think they want the maintenance costs of a BMW.

I know European cars have been nixed from this discussion, but the maintenance on these things aren't bad. We're a forum full of car guys - You can figure these things out.

If this was a forum to discuss emo music and Holister clothes, then I would warn people about it. But fixing these cars isn't that bad.

 

[awptickes]

Im still interested. You say the cars handling is nice, and that's important, but im wondering about the feel of the manual transmission and how it puts power down. For instance, the base RSX 5 speed we have now is fun to drive(for a slow car)... the shift feel is excellent, the car is peppy throughout the revs. Do you by any chance know how long the CRZ is supposed to go before having major hybrid related maintenance (like replacing the battery).

Any other insight into the things you like or don't about your car would be cool.

Transmission is solid. Nice solid gates and you know by feel where you are in the gearbox. It's extremely torquey (for a honda, lol.)

It's very drivable under 3k, I don't have to rev it up very often, except when I'm trying to get around something ridiculous on the highway.

The battery packs are under $1k as far as parts go, and there's an 8 year warranty on it. However, if honda's past behavior is any key, they'll replace it outside of the warranty. My dealership hinted to me that they've been instructed by honda to do goodwill repairs on everything under 2.5k for the cr-z.

The stock tires need to go immediately. They're ULRR tires, and they just plain blow. Get a set of summer tires and a set of winter tires and put them on wheels with TPMS and you'll be fine. RSX wheels actually fit and work fine on it.

There's a little body roll when you push it hard on a decreasing radius turn, however, it's manageable, and predictable. It's fun to use the body roll to whip the ass end around a little bit. The rear track is narrower than the front, this is probably to induce understeer for people who can't drive. I solved it by putting 20mm spacers on the rear. They widened the track and gave me a lot more stability at higher speeds. It feels very planted when I make hard turns now.

Wet road handling is good, but I have a feeling it's more of the tire and the driver than the car.

Snow driving sucks. Even with Dunlop WinterSport M3 tires. It plain sucks. When the torque assist kicks in (the IMA) you're gonna break free. It takes some learning, and if you treat it like a turbo-car, it's easier to drive in the snow. Put it in Eco mode, and it'll lessen the IMA boost.

It's a nice car, much nicer than I was expecting for what I paid. That being said, it's over 1/2 paid off now, and I still love it. I don't have it to go fast quickly, I have the motorcycle for that, but when I need to go fast for a long period of time, I prefer the CR-Z over my old 99 civic, my fit, the girlfriend's '13 civic, and my motorcycle. Hands down.

Go drive one back to back with your car, and then drive everything else you are thinking about, same day. Go into the dealerships and don't let them talk prices or offers, just drive the cars. Make a list of the cars you want to drive, and bring it with you. Intentionally let them see it, but act like it was unintentional. Drive them nuts. Play the 18-year-old high school tease on them. Then when you know what you like deal with the fun aspect of buying a car.

/novel

 

[FLounder]

Thanks!

 

[Taco15]

for the money and stylin I'd vote CRZ or FRS.
mpg's and styling = CRZ
simple and straight to the point = FRS

No offense to my homies on here but to me the veloster is fugly. if she never complained about the back seat on the RSX than the FRS will be fine. those things are pretty cheap now if you find one.

Civic Si is more practical for my personal taste. 4 doors for more hoes......or backseats for more skeets

 

[BigJ]

civic si is more practical for my personal taste. 4 doors for more hoes......or backseats for more skeets

never again.

 

[FLounder]

So its looking like i can get a 13 civic Si coupe for $21-22k, a 13 CRZ EX for about $23k, and the 13 FRS for about $24-26k... these are just listed prices at the local dealers right up the road. I would be interested to check out a manual accord coupe, but they dont have any in stock right now. Im going to try to go drive some stuff this weekend.

Anyone know exactly when it is that the dealers usually have sales to clear out the current year models? I know its in the fall, but not sure.

 

[D16Civic]

I think it's right about now actually. August/September.

Guy across the street is a Dodge/Chrysler/etc salesperson and said the end of any given month is the best time to shop. Dealershits are looking to hit those monthly numbers and are more willing to wheel and deal to get it done. I would still advise you to shop 2 separate deals on the same vehicle to make sure you're really getting the best price you can.

 

[TurboMirage]

Hey no worries about the Veloster. The car was made for me, and that is all that really matters.

 

[BrutalB83]

Good input guys, thanks!

Another consideration is that this new car will be used for hwy trips, since my xterra gets such bad gas mileage. Her RSX is pretty noisy and bumpy on the hwy... i wonder if any of these new cars are smooth on the hwy.

You may not find the Si much better in that regard. The suspension on the newer Si models is a bit improved over the RSX, but it's still going to be pretty stiff...

EDIT: If your RSX is the base model, the Si's suspension may actually be stiffer...

 

[awptickes]

The cr-z is softer than the Si. Amy and I test-drove one and she commented that she felt every little bump, but it didn't feel like she had more control.

It makes sense when you look at the weight of each.

 

[Celerity]

Hey no worries about the Veloster. The car was made for me, and that is all that really matters.

With a door over here, and a door over there, a door here door there doors everywhere..