The Jazz arrived here in 2002 and quickly won fans with its easy driving nature and roomy and flexible cabin.
New
Honda was already a well-respected brand with local buyers having built a reputation for quality and reliability over many years, and the Jazz generally lived up to their expectations.
A new model hit our shores in 2008. It was an all-new car, but still retained the things Jazz buyers liked.
With an upright shape, the Jazz had the look of a mini people-mover, which allowed its designers to create the roomy and flexible interior that appealed to so many buyers.
Honda’s reputation for reliability appeals to parents looking for a car for the rookie drivers in their families
The high roof, together with the ability to split and fold the seats, meant the cabin had the interior room of a larger car, with a large space for cargo if needed.
The spacious cabin made the Jazz an easy car to live with in the city, and the visibility afforded the driver made it even easier to operate in crowded city streets.
The entry-level model was a 1.3-litre manual, which was designed to compete pricewise in the ultra-competitive light car segment.
The most attractive model, and the one most Jazz buyers preferred, was the one with the 1.5-litre engine and automatic transmission.
Both engines were capable, but the larger engine is the one to go for. With more power and torque it handles the hustle and bustle of city traffic a little better than the smaller engine, which lacks the zip of its big brother.
With a compact footprint and wheels at each corner the Jazz is agile and responsive, perfect for city commuting.
Without stability control, the safety people initially rated the Jazz at four stars, but that was corrected in 2010 when ESP was added to its safety arsenal and it was uprated to five stars.
Now
Honda’s reputation for quality and reliability appeals to parents looking for a car for the rookie drivers in their families, but it’s important when buying cars for young drivers to consider safety.
The 1.3-litre models didn’t have all of the safety features of the 1.5-litre cars; they were pared back to get the price down.
With side and curtain airbags standard, the 1.5-litre cars are the ones to go for. If you were prepared the shell out $1000 for the option you could also have side and curtain airbags on the 1.3s, but few buyers did that.
Even better are the post-2010 models, which had ESP stability control, and got ANCAPs’ five-star tick of approval.
While Hondas are rightly respected for their build quality and reliability they still demand regular and proper servicing. Regular oil changes keep the oil passages in the engine free of engine-killing sludge. A high quality oil is also important.
Although the Jazz is rated to run unleaded fuel,it appears to run best on Premium unleaded. One of our reader respondents complains of pinging in her car, and switching to the higher-grade fuel would most likely fix that problem.
The same owner also complains of a grinding noise from the front-end, particularly when cornering at low speed. That’s likely to be a worn CV joint, and easily fixed.
There was a recall in 2011 relating to a connector for the headlight switch, which could melt and stop the low beam coming on.
Another recall in 2008 related to the handbrake operation. A manufacturing problem could cause damage to the handbrake mechanism, and with repeated use cold fail.
While Hondas are rightly respected for their build quality, they still demand regular and proper servicing
Honda Jazz 2008: GLi
| Engine Type | Inline 4, 1.3L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.6L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $4,510 - $6,710 |
| Safety Rating |
|
Verdict
SMITHY SAYS - 4 stars.
Well-built, reliable, economical and easy driving hatch with a roomy and flexible cabin make the Jazz a great city car.
SPECS
Price new: $16,990 to $25,290
Engine: 1.3-litre 4-cyl, 73 kW/127 Nm; 1.5-litre 4-cyl, 88 kW/145 Nm
Transmission: 5-speed auto, 5-speed man, FWD
Economy: 5.8 L/100 m (1.3), 6.7 L/100 km (1.5)
Body: 5-door hatch
Variants: GLi, VTi, VT-S
Safety: 4-star ANCAP, 5-star ANCAP (2010 on)
Expect to pay:
$6500 to $12,500 for the GLi
$7500 to $13,000 for the VTi
$8500 to $15,000 for the VTi-S
OWNERS SAY
William Phillips: We’ve done 75,000 km in our Jazz and have had no problems with it whatsoever. We have it serviced by a Honda dealer every 12 months rather than the six months Honda recommends and haven’t had any problems by doing that.
Gerard Champion: We have owned two 1.5 VTi models. The design and build quality were excellent, and we never had trouble with either of them. The interior space was amazing for a car their size, and the flexibility of the seating was fantastic. The downsides were the handling when cornering or negotiating roundabouts at any speed when it would develop massive understeer, and I wouldn’t recommend it as a car to take out on highways or freeways where it felt light and insubstantial. It was also affected by side winds.
Bill Parry: My wife and I bought a 2013 Jazz 1.5 auto. We like the high seating position, which gives good visibility, the flexibility of rear seats, the gear indicator in dash, the large mirrors, the interior lights, the easy to understand air con, and the indicator stalk on the right. The things we don't like are the lack of a rear window wiper intermittent function, the lack of a driver’s left armrest, the low front bumper, which is likely to grind onto a car park wheel-stop. Despite these comments we are very happy with the car.
Dough Edwards: I’ve done 45,000 km in the 1.3 Jazz I bought three years ago. I’ve done lots of city work and interstate trips, and nothing has ever been a problem. It’s a brilliant car!
Marie Small: I bought a Honda Jazz 1.5 auto new in 2009, and have driven just over 112,000 mostly trouble-free country km since then. I bought it for its boot size and rear seat legroom. I find the large pillars cause problems with visibility; I also find the tall windshield allows in too much glare and makes the cabin hotter than it should be in the summer. My biggest mechanical concerns have been a pinging in the motor, especially at low revs, and a grating or grinding noise coming from the front-end somewhere. Overall, I consider the car to be very economical, reliable, versatile, easy to drive, with enough power to overtake safely, and quite comfortable.
ALSO TRY THESE
MAZDA2 – 2008-2012 - 4 stars.
Well regarded, good looking, economical, easy driving hatch ticks all the light car boxes. Tops. Pay $8000-$14,000.
FORD FIESTA – 2008-2012 - 4 stars.
Rated high for its performance and handling the Fiesta is packed with features, and has diesel option. Pay $7500-$14,500.
HYUNDAI i20 – 2010-2012 - 4 stars.
Top light car contender with good build quality, safety, economy and features list. Pay $6500-$11,500.
COMING UP
Do you own a Mazda2? If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com.
Pricing Guides
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