Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz

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Wed 19 Jun 2019 01:12
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - argybargy

I haven’t been on this forum much over the last year or so, and this is probably because most of my posts prior to purchasing our Honda Jazz were complaints about our previous cars. But I’ve now done 10k miles in the Jazz , and in case anyone is interested I’ll give my impressions.

We bought this 13 plate car with just 13k on the clock, and its a really good car, although no Jazz owner would be surprised to hear me say that. .It soon became obvious that the car had spent much of its life standing still, because the tyre walls were cracked from lack of use. So we replaced all four with new Michelins, and I had the car serviced.

First, performance: perhaps the least impressive aspect of this car. The 99bhp 1.3 version is adequate, but nothing more. OK, you can push the revs, give it a hard time and say there's nothing sluggish about it, but I’ve never done that with my cars, and never will. Sedate progress, with just enough oomph for those inevitable overtaking opportunities. On with the flat cap, and easy on the gas.

Next, space. Absolutely brilliant for a small hatch, though don’t try to squeeze three largeish people into the rear unless they know each other REALLY well. The tilt and drop rear seats are excellent, and I’ve transported bag after bag of soil, leaves, broken up old concrete paths and everything else that someone with a reasonable sized, non maintenance free garden has to carry occasionally, along with several significant items of furniture.

Economy is superb: over 50mpg is easily attainable in all circumstances, IF you don’t try to flog it. Equipment levels in this car are modest, being the base ES model, but perfectly adequate for someone like me who isn’t interested in toys. Road noise is intrusive, and ride ain’t brilliant, but I consider those disadvantages acceptable in exchange for the positive aspects of this excellent car.

We’ve done a number of long trips in the Jazz, and its never missed a beat or an opportunity to crawl sedately up a steep hill. I wouldn’t want to shoehorn a family of four plus luggage into this car and expect smooth progress on anything but dead level roads, but all expectations are manageable if realistic.

I’ve had the front discs and pads replaced, having bought the parts intending to do the job myself but being unable to remove the disc securing screws, embarrassingly enough. Other than servicing, nothing else has yet required attention. Its had a Honda recall for the passenger airbag, but that’s about the size of it.

I like this little car so much that I was hoping to exchange it for a 1.5 in the new shape, but I’m told that the bigger engine is only available in the Sport, and that model is being discontinued. Likelihood is that residuals will be too high for me to justify purchasing one of those second hand. So come 2021 I’ll probably be looking elsewhere, but as things stand I’ll remember this car, charisma-free old fogeywagon as it is, with significant affection.

Edited by argybargy on 19/06/2019 at 01:12

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Wed 19 Jun 2019 07:27
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - madf

37k in ours... Mainly short journeys.

1.3CVT 42mpg.

Tyres abd pads all round.. plus routine servicing..

Otherwise as above.

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Wed 19 Jun 2019 08:09
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - Jungerns

I owned a Honda Jazz automatic 7 speed box in Asia and literally the best small car I've ever owned anywhere

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Wed 19 Jun 2019 17:12
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - pyruse

Ours is a 14 plate EX with a 1.4 engine, bought with 6500 miles on it and now with 20,000. Very quiet, nice to drive. 45mpg round town, 60mpg on long runs. Loads of room.

Great little cars

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Wed 19 Jun 2019 18:02
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - badbusdriver

Good to hear from you Argy, and glad you are liking the Jazz. Just remember, it is a Honda, so making a trip to the upper reaches of the rev counter will do it no harm at all!.

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Wed 19 Jun 2019 23:56
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - SLO76
I might not be a huge fan of the way they drive but I often recommend them and I’ve sold a fair number. They’re excellent used buys. I even put my mother in one (1.2S) a decade ago and in typical Jazz style it’s done almost no miles and aside from a broken drivers seat adjustment mechanism (cost £750!!!!) it’s been utterly reliable. Thank Goodness with the ludicrous cost of some dealer only parts.

It’s does 50mpg around town and more on a run and to drive today it actually feels better than it did when it was new. It is fantastically practical and dependable but still utterly dull to drive. It’s supposed to have 89bhp but feels more like 60. The steering is numb and the ride firm yet it never feels nimble or entertaining in the way most small superminis do. In fact I’d rather take my wee Polo over it any day despite the wee Honda’s other blessings.

The new Jazz is a very much improved vehicle in every way but the price has rocketed along with everything else with four wheels recently. It will however make a fantastic used buy once all those oldies have borne the brunt of the initial depreciation. Shame the excellent 1.5 is only available with costly and unpopular Sport spec, it would a welcome boost for younger owners who like to see the other side of 40mph.
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Fri 21 Jun 2019 11:23
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - KB.

Argybargy mentions that the 1.5 Sport is to be discontinued.

I didn't know that - is it just the Sport version that's to go, leaving the 1.5 engine - perhaps to be put in the SE or EX ?

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Fri 21 Jun 2019 12:35
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - SteVee

Had my 2014 Jazz CVT for just over a year - and I've been very pleased with it. Only real problem has been the small capacity of the battery, but that's because the car can be left in the garage for 2 weeks at a time. I was surprised at how good the torque converter / CVT combination was, and the low revs on the motorway - 70MPH equals about 2200 RPM. It overtakes very well, but isn't very quick off the line - but it is at least consistent in everything it does, never spinning its wheels on wet greasy junctions.

It has suited my driving very well, I've been trying to slow down for years, although the speed limits seem to be dropping quicker than my attempts to slow ! It's easy to be legal in the Jazz and still be pleasant to drive.

I still wish I had a suzuki SV650 in the garage though, but all the suitable roads for it have gone now.

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Fri 21 Jun 2019 13:03
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - badbusdriver

Argybargy mentions that the 1.5 Sport is to be discontinued.

I didn't know that - is it just the Sport version that's to go, leaving the 1.5 engine - perhaps to be put in the SE or EX ?

I read the other day that the next Jazz (2020) will be hybrid only. Don't remember any details re which engine it will be hooked up to, but could well be the reason for the 1.5 being discontinued?.

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Fri 21 Jun 2019 21:22
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - KB.

Indeed, I did spot something along those lines after asking the question and wondered if that was the answer.

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Sat 22 Jun 2019 12:14
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - Steveieb

I was the biggest fan of the Jazz until i tried one at the alpine circuit at a well known test track track last week.

The car almost stalled at one point and I held the traffic up for a while. This was a new model 1.3 and I really believe the 1.5 engine is essential to cope with inclines. The 1.3 is seriously underpowered IMHO.

Is this a case of the Emporers new clothes.As we all know that HJ will not see anything adverse said about his choice of car for many years ?

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Sat 22 Jun 2019 17:42
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - SLO76
Not really what the Jazz was built for but yes I do find it one of the most joyless little cars to drive. Hugely practical, well made, utterly reliable and brilliant on fuel but no fun at all and that has very little to do with power and performance. A 1.25 82PS Fiesta would be slightly slower than a new 1.3 Jazz but you’d grin from cheek to cheek on a track.
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Sat 22 Jun 2019 17:46
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - badbusdriver

The 1.3 is seriously underpowered IMHO.

Nonsense. The 1.3 Jazz is not underpowered, seriously or otherwise, it has 102bhp for goodness sake. And while that may not make it a rocketship, it is certainly plenty for most situations. Lets not forget, it wasn't that long ago that 100bhp would be considered sufficient for a car the size of a Ford Granada estate. In this case, it may well be that the gearing in the manual car (assuming that is what we are talking about?) is not ideal for the combination of steep hills and not much torque, but other than that, i'd say you just weren't using enough revs. You only have 90lb/ft of torque to call on at 5000rpm (the 95bhp version of the 1.0 TSI Polo has 129lb/ft from 2000-3500rpm), so you really do need the revs, especially uphill. Incidentally, the 1.5 is still well short of torque compared to the Polo, with 114lb/ft @ 4600rpm.

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Sat 22 Jun 2019 19:14
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - badbusdriver

Not really what the Jazz was built for but yes I do find it one of the most joyless little cars to drive.

Totally disagree here. Maybe with regards to the previous model, but not the current one. We have the (supposedly awful) CVT, and not only does it handle brilliantly, it has me grinning like a loon if i have to opportunity to give it a 'work out' on a country road!.

But, as i keep on saying, you do need to use the revs.......

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Sat 22 Jun 2019 19:38
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - Bolt

Not really what the Jazz was built for but yes I do find it one of the most joyless little cars to drive.

Totally disagree here. Maybe with regards to the previous model, but not the current one. We have the (supposedly awful) CVT, and not only does it handle brilliantly, it has me grinning like a loon if i have to opportunity to give it a 'work out' on a country road!.

But, as i keep on saying, you do need to use the revs.......

My daughter has the 1.2 MY65 basic model and she said at first it was sluggish but didn't realise Hondas like the revs, since then she uses the revs and hasn't complained since economy doesn't suffer either, it does in excess of 50mpg and she is happy with it including the room in it good little car

I use it myself sometimes and find its getting more used to revving high, though its only done 8k in 3 years

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Sun 23 Jun 2019 21:38
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - argybargy

Many thanks for the fascinating observations and differing perspectives on this car.

BDB, you're right to point to the necessity to use the revs to get the best out of this engine, and to the likelihood that a Honda could cope with being pushed as well as any car. It just doesn't seem right to do that to a small hatch which was clearly designed to make stately progress in order not to rattle any crumbling bones. SLO, joyless it may be to some, but for me after a couple of bad purchases reliability is everything, and I don't give a monkeys if the first reaction of just about every driver who comes up behind me is to "tailgate the old duffer then overtake in a cloud of dust".

I saw another new shape Jazz today in a sort of brick red colour, and its a really handsome car. Looks bigger than mine too, though that may just be the longer wheelbase. I'll check the second hand prices of those 1.5s which are available when we come to change, but like others I expect them to be out of my price range. Pity.

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Sun 23 Jun 2019 22:40
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - badbusdriver

Many thanks for the fascinating observations and differing perspectives on this car.

BDB, you're right to point to the necessity to use the revs to get the best out of this engine, and to the likelihood that a Honda could cope with being pushed as well as any car. It just doesn't seem right to do that to a small hatch which was clearly designed to make stately progress in order not to rattle any crumbling bones. SLO, joyless it may be to some, but for me after a couple of bad purchases reliability is everything, and I don't give a monkeys if the first reaction of just about every driver who comes up behind me is to "tailgate the old duffer then overtake in a cloud of dust".

I saw another new shape Jazz today in a sort of brick red colour, and its a really handsome car. Looks bigger than mine too, though that may just be the longer wheelbase. I'll check the second hand prices of those 1.5s which are available when we come to change, but like others I expect them to be out of my price range. Pity.

That is exactly my point argy, it wasn't designed to make stately progress, that is just a misconception due to the fact that the Jazz is favoured by older drivers. And TBH, it is more than likely a Honda's engine will cope with being pushed BETTER than most other cars. Yes, going by what i have read, your previous gen car does not handle with any enthusiasm, but it does still have a Honda engine!. And while peak torque arrives at a lower engine speed than our current shape, it is only just, and at a still high 4800rpm (vs 5000rpm). So changing up early under acceleration will inevitably give the impression of a car more sluggish than it actually is. Peak power on your car is delivered at 6000rpm, and the redline on your car is (i believe) 6500rpm. Honda wouldn't set the redline there if running the car up to that point would cause damage to the engine, think of the warranty claims!.

Looking at the dimensions of the current car vs your one, the biggest difference is with overall length where the current car is 9.5cm longer. The wheelbase is longer by 3 cm, the width and height are the same.

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Mon 24 Jun 2019 07:23
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - madf

The CVT system has a choice of S and D in my 2012 1.4. Progress is noticeably brisker in S as gearchanges occur at higher revs...And the steering "feels" tauter - but that may only be the driver reacting to more revs...

I switch especially when starting off at junctions and roundabouts 5,000rpm joining a dual carriageway from a sliproad is fun...Other than that,I'm an old dufffer driving as much of my driving in summer is single track roads or roads with little space for a car and lorry to pass easily and 35mph is fast.....

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Tue 25 Jun 2019 12:39
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - pyruse

Switching to 'S' makes the Jazz quite lively, I find. As everyone says, those Honda engines love to rev.

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Wed 26 Jun 2019 10:11
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - argybargy

Thanks for all that, BBD. Its a curious phenomenon, this stereotyping thing. Even though I'm still a good way short of the point where I'd consider myself a fogey, I'm consistently treated as one by those who come up on the road behind me. I've never owned any car in which I've been as likely to suffer from tailgating as the Jazz, so clearly other drivers expect that the Jazz is more likely to pump out embalming fluid than exhaust gases.

I'll do my best to push it a little bit harder, but it won't come easily. I'm just not that kind of driver, and even a sparkier engine would probably be wasted on me. Anyhow, in 18 months or so I'll definitely have a look at the second hand market for the current Jazz, though I have a feeling that the missus will want us to change to something where the seating position is a little higher.

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Wed 26 Jun 2019 11:36
Honda Jazz - Ten thousand miles in a Jazz - FiestaOwner

I've never owned any car in which I've been as likely to suffer from tailgating as the Jazz

It's not just the Jazz that gets this treatment. My last few cars (Fiesta, i20 and Yaris) all suffer from the same issue.

Drivers of some cars with adaptive cruise control seem to be using this feature to tailgate other cars for their entire trip.

I certainly see cars in front tailgating (even though the car in front is making good progress at the legal limit) and brake lights coming on every few seconds (while the lead car isn't braking). I can only assume that it is the adaptive cruise control doing this.

Driving is not an enjoyable activity in this country anymore.

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