Having endured a horrifying M5 breakdown in my 5 year old Escort not long ago, I decided the time was right for a new car. And I wanted brand new, in the hope that I would be guaranteed a few years trouble-free motoring (and hopefully no sudden expenses) with a good warranty and some peace of mind.
In my new car, I wanted the following features:
Light and easy to drive Comfortable seating and leg room in the back Fuel economy A good sounding stereo Affordable insurance Quiet and reasonably powerful engine Safety Good looks Flexibility (i.e. can take large packages/suitcases etc when necessary) A make with a strong reputation for reliability Extra gizmos Under (preferably considerably under) £10,000
A lot to ask? Yes, but then along came the Honda Jazz…
Criteria 1: Light and easy to drive
My Honda Jazzdrives like a dream. It's classed as a 'supermini MPV', meaning that I get to sit quite high up which gives me a great view of the road, adding to ease of driving.
The power-steering is light as a feather and I swear could be done one-fingered. All controls are easy to reach and
easy to use. Visibility is very good, especially through the enormous front windscreen. Brakes are very effective without being jolting, the clutch is sensitive without sudden shocks, suspension is superb, cornering is a doddle, and overall the ride is smooth with a soft and comfortable bounce over those pesky road-ramps.
9/10
Criteria 2: Comfortable seating and leg room in the back
As mentioned, the front seats are high, giving driver and passenger and excellent view. The seats are also comfortable under the bum, cradling around the torso and easy to adjust. The back seats are, I'm told, equally pleasant. I'm also told that back seat passengers have ample room for their pins as long as the front seats aren't pushed right back. Oh yes, and it's 5 door, so back seat sitters don't have to contort themselves to get in and out.
10/10
Criteria 3: Fuel economy
My Jazz has a 1.4 engine that delivers the economy of many 1 litre cars. I've had it a month now and I'm regularly getting a wonderful 50 to the gallon approx. My Escort with the same size engine gave about 33 on a good day.
10/10
Criteria 4: A good sounding stereo
My Jazz S, which is the basic model, comes with a built-in Radio/Cassette. The two higher spec models come with CD, although a 6 CD can be put in my boot and easily fixed.
I planned to get the 6 CD changer but the sound of my radio/cassette is so crystal clear and rich that I'm not going to bother. FM radio reception is perfect and the cassette gives no hiss and has the ability to search for and repeat tracks.
8/10 (because the radio/cassette is excellent, but I think a CD should be standard in any car in 2003)
Criteria 5: Affordable insurance
My Jazz is in insurance group 3E which is superb. I have no no claims (my sister having written off my car on my insurance last year) and I pay under £500 per year.
Criteria 6: Quiet and reasonably powerful engine
The Jazz is very quiet indeed when sitting in traffic. In fact, it's easy to think that you've stalled. Noise levels do obviously rise the faster you go, but on the motorway it's still a hell of a lot more silent than my old Escort and you can easily have a conversation at normal voice level.
Power-wise, again it gives much more than my same-engine-size Escort. I would often have to floor the accelerator in the Escort to get uphill or overtake on the motorway, but the Jazz requires none of that. Acceleration is fast and responsive.
For those who are interested, it does 0-60 in 12 seconds (for comparison, 1.4 Clio does it in 13 seconds, and 1.4 Peugeot 205 in 15.2 seconds)
9/10
Criteria 7: Safety
The Jazz S has some impressive safety features, including a proper seat belt for the back seat passenger who sits in the middle, side-impact bars and driver and side airbags. Honda also expect the Jazz to attain 4 stars (i.e. very good indeed) in the euro safety tests.
9/10
Criteria 8: Good looks
The best word to describe the Honda Jazz is CUTE. Despite being an MPV it's not too tall (front seats are high because the petrol tank sits underneath them) and it has a gorgeous snub nose.
It comes in a variety of colours, mostly metallic. Mine is 'clover green', a very dark metallic green. It's not the colour I would have chosen (more on this later) as I think it looks wonderful in bright red, pearlised white and a gorgeous metallic ice blue.
It ain't sporty looking, but neither does it look cheap, tatty or estate/saloon type boring.
9/10
Criteria 9: Flexibility
Here is where the Jazz is absolutely unbeatable. It is remarkably roomy inside and incredibly interchangeable. The back seats fold down completely flat for that flat-pack furniture, or the seat part of them folds up flat, giving you a lovely tall space for plants etc. Also, the front seats recline to prone position if you want a kip. Add to this the fact that the boot is a good size and quite deep, and you've got even more space to play around with.
All in all you've got the car that is everything - a comfy long-distance ride and a flexible transporter for large and small items.
10/10
Criteria 10: A make with a strong reputation for reliability
Since buying my Honda, many people have said to me, 'Oh, you'll run a Honda for years and years.' Time will tell how true this is, but those remarks demonstrate Honda's reputation for building quality, reliable motors.
9/10
Criteria 11: Extra gizmos
Buying the basic model means that you don't expect a lot of these, but what you have got is nice. Heated mirrors come as standard, as does a height adjustable steering column, and the cup holders are actually the right shape and size to hold your paper cup of coke without any spillage. Electric front windows and central locking are also standard on the basic model, as are immobiliser and locking fuel cap.
Move up to the other two models available and you also get electric rear windows, a CD player and air-conditioning.
8/10
Criteria 12: Under (preferably way under) £10,000
The Honda Jazz S is £9000 if you want it in red, or £9249 in all other colours. a lot for a supermini you might think, but considering everything you get for your money it's really not bad.
However, I managed to get hold of one that had been pre-registered 3 weeks earlier and had 3 delivery miles on the clock. The only drawback for me was the colour, but that paled into insignificance when I found I could have it for £7699. There are a few around in these circumstances at the moment, so do shop around.
8/10 normally, 10/10 in this instance
Anything else:
The look of the interior is lovely and actually quite tasteful. The dark and light greys of the upholstery and plastic are not at all garish or cheap-looking, and the dials and gear knob are a nice aluminium.
5 doors, petrol, 1399 cc, 5 speed gearbox, CO2 134 g/km, vent disc front brakes, drum rear brakes.
Official fuel consumption figures: urban 40.9 mpg, extra urban 57.6 mpg, combined 49.6 mpg.
Overall:
I'm absolutely in love with my Jazz. I've taken it on short journeys, long journeys, smooth roads, rough roads, straight roads, winding roads, slow trips and fast-lane motorway dashes. It has delighted me on every occasion and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a comfy, flexible, fun, quality car that's always economical, quiet around town and speedy on the motorway.
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A very good and informative review - I'm off to test drive one today!! Tel
wazlee 12.05.2004 12:58
Good review, looking at one of these right now and your review was very helpful in every aspect
ampuk2000 02.04.2004 11:46
Very good review. I believe this has recently been rated as the best car in its class. Its amazing what you can save by buying a 'demo' car that has a few miles on the clock.
Advantages: Surprisingly powerful engine for a 1.4, economical and of course its a VW promising reliability and good residuals. Disadvantages: Too easy to utilise engine's power and spoil economy!
confusion 17.09.2003 (04.11.2003)
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Jul 11th, 2003
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