What do people think? Rational decision please...
Brand new Fiesta 1.25 (Style or Zetec)
56 Honda Jazz 1.2 I-dsi S 5dr (5k miles)
Both would be roughly the same price so which do people think is the best buy?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 29/01/2008 at 10:27
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My thought would be - are there many 1.2S Jazz's around?
It's a bit of a poverty spec car - no a/c, manual rear windows etc. Not that that's a problem - some people think simple is better, but it might be hard to sell on. The engine is a tad smaller although I gather in preactice is't hardly noticeable.
My only though about Fiesta (we looked at it before we bought our Jazz) was that it seemed very noisy (engine and road noise).
What type of journeys will you be using the car for?
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Read a few worrying reports about expensive repairs on the Jazz from HJ's column. I was given a Fiesta --brand new-- while mine was being worked on and though it was efficient and workmanlike it had no performance to speak of. Wether this was because it was new I don't know. Only thing about a new car is that you get a decent warranty and some peace of mind but 2nd hand warranties can cause some problems in my experience.
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I don't normally like throwing other cars into the mix when a poster has already mentioned what they are looking at, but everyone breaks their own rules!
As a third option consider the Mazda 2, Jazz quality, Fiesta prices. Although as we know Fiestas can be had from brokers for a lot less than published prices, I don't know if this is true yet of the Mazda 2 which could rule it out as it is £9-10k new.
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The Ford/Yamaha 1.25 engine is a gem, but the bodyshell it's pulling has gained nearly 200kg since this engine first appeared on the scene in the mid 90's mkIV, and there's been no corresponding increase in power. The 1.4 is better, but still no fireball. The 1.6 goes really well.
This is the sad thing about many small cars nowadays - they're actually too heavy for small petrol engines. You need to be looking at >= 1.4 litres to get anything approaching a lively drive.
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 29/01/2008 at 11:40
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I'm buying from Motorpoint using tesco vouchers and they don't often have the Mazda 2 and when they do its overpriced. Thanks for the suggestion though it is normally a good option.
Think I've decided on the Fiesta as the best all rounder on price, reliability, parts...
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"This is the sad thing about many small cars nowadays - they're actually too heavy for small petrol engines."
According to 5th gear last night the new Mazda 2 is 200kg lighter than the old model - they added a 200kg bloke to show what this meant. It had a small impact on 0-60 - about a second longer, but it had a real impact on stopping distances - from 70mph it increased from 25m up to (IIRC) 47m.
The Fiesta is still a good choice. I posted about my dad having a problem with the gearbox on his which is now resolved, but this is the only major fault he has had in over 25 years of owning them and he's a driving instructor doing 30,000 miles a year.
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I posted about my dad having a problem with the gearbox on his which is now resolved
Glad to hear he got it sorted. Did Ford customer services come through then?
Cheers
DP
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