The CR-Z—which uses essentially the same hybrid powertrain as the Honda Insight—scoots from 0-60 mph in under 9 seconds, gets 39 miles per gallon on the highway and is priced under $20,000 to start. Those are some worthy numbers. Compared with the driving experience of the CR-Z, the Toyota Prius (which represents half of the hybrid market) feels like going on a hunger strike….
Hardy or foolhardy, it [Honda] means to scratch a niche out of the hybrid segment that it can call its own. It’s got a program, it’s got a mission, it’s got a machine. Meanwhile, year by year, model by model, Honda is crafting a portfolio of faster, more fuel-efficient cars. You can’t hate on that.
See, Honda CR-Z: A Hybrid That’s Hot—Sometimes | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil – WSJ.com.