So I was at the Honda dealer to try a new Fit, and they didn't have a 5-spd in stock yet. I noticed an orphaned CRZ sitting on the grass, and the fella said I should take it for a spin, so we did. The dealer was hilarious, knowing absolutely nothing about the car. He was literally making things up out of thin air, which I called him on. Then he admitted they don't sell many...
As you know, while it makes a lot of compromises, it still is (and now was, since it's cancelled after '14) the only Hybrid that came with a stick. I have to say I was reasonably enamoured, if you don't look at it as a sports car in any way. It has some zip, (140lb-ft 1000-2000 rpm) and 130hp, and with the ultra smooth 6-spd stick it was nimble around town, while being fun to toss around. It had 3 drive modes, Eco>Normal>Sport, which all progressively sharpen steering and throttle response. The steering is a little slow in normal, but in sport you can actually notice it firm up. The 2013/14 also got a refreshed design for the front end, which IMO improved it. It also has a gimmicky 'Sport+' button, which temporarily boosts passing power, which I had to research online, since the dealer had no clue what it did.
I have to say, I'm very tempted to snap one up since they're almost gone. I've been interested in the idea of a hybrid, but don't want to lose all fun-to-drive factor. It seems most people online tend to beat the EPA ratings. I think I'd miss the power of my XT at first, but I think I could get over it. I'm also at a point in life where I can afford to have just two seats, as long as I can hang a bike rack off the back!
However, the price is a little hard to swallow. The Base model is missing quite a few features, and is still 22.5K, while the premium model to even get streaming bluetooth, is north of 25K, with predictably high depreciation. I've probably only seen a handful on the roads since they've been out, so the uniqueness appeals to me as well.
Anyway that's it. Anyone else here driven one? or know anybody who actually has one?