you would expect from a vehicle with such a small powerplant.

Technology has evolved as time has passed since the days of the CRX. The interior of the CR-Z is much more modern than the basic CRX, with an integrated navigation and sound system available as an option. All of the current buzzwords are there: Bluetooth, USB, MP3. The instrument cluster is a unique mix of a sweeping analog dial with a digital speedometer.

Not all is coming up roses with the CR-Z, though. Like the second-generation CRX, the CR-Z features a novel split-glass hatchback, giving the driver a view of rear relatively close to the back of the car. Unfortunately, the break in the window, which hits at the highest vertical point of the tail, is large enough to provide a blind spot that will lose an entire car. Unless the car following behind is tailgating or way behind, it will disappear.

And then there's that hybrid fuel economy. The 1.5-liter four and the IMA hybrid system combine to generate up to 39 m.p.g. on the highway (with the optional CVT), but the old non-hybrid CRX had a similar-sized engine that produced 25 percent higher fuel economy.

Yes, the old HF engine produced about half the power of the CR-Z's gasoline engine (not including the 13-horsepower electric assist), but the new model gained nearly 50 percent more weight. (See next page for additional vehicle specifications.)

This tradeoff makes the new CR-Z seem less enjoyable to drive than the old CRX. Most of that extra weight makes the CR-Z safer: better crumple zones, thicker doors, and features such as airbags and ABS.

The heavier CR-Z also has a twitchiness about its handling not pre-sent in the rudimentary CRX. With nearly no weight, the CRX seemed extra nimble, even in its day, while the CR-Z is less fun to drive than a current-generation Civic hatchback.

We can't go home again, and in many cases you really wouldn't want to. But modern technology (and regulations) takes us a few more steps away from the enjoyment that used to come with a small sporty car. Flicking a CRX through a slalom course or quickly darting between stop lights made the editors of many buff books sit up and take notice of this 1,800-pound economy hatch. The editors who have followed 25 years later aren't lining up to take their media CR-Z out onto the highway. It's much more fun than just about any other hybrid sold--but it's still no worthy successor to the classic CRX.