Honda Jazz Hybrid
Discussion
I've recently bought a Honda Jazz Hybrid, and I've created this thread to document my time with the car.
Like most purchases, it's heavily influenced by the outgoing car, a 2001 Jaguar XJ8. In truth, I could probably have bought a better Jaguar XJ; the one I have has it's faults and their faults it's had since I bought it. I looked little further than the solid arches and made my decision based on that. So it's bushes have clonked, it's delaminated V-mount has produced some questionable front end behaviour and it's never held as much oil as the guide book says it should...
In fairness to the Jaguar, it's been pretty solid. It's had a new wheel bearing to pass it's last MOT, and other than that it's been fine. The electronics are fine (aside from a lazy battery - like that when I got it - throwing the odd T/C error). Everything works. The gearbox slips and slurs and bogs when you ask for kickdown - again, it's always been that way. It was cheap to buy, and fuel aside, cheap to run. This year though, it's getting sold for parts or scrapped. It's MOT runs out in February and it won't be staying. Since it owes me so little, I'm at peace with letting it go. I have enjoyed owning it, but I've been less and less enamoured with it as time has went on. Part of that comes from having discovered the purest motoring joy is on a sports bike, and so I was less concerned with the car I owned. I decided, when the time came to get a new car, I'd buy a newer car with a small amount of finance and look to own it outright after paying it off. I'd run that for years and years, and sling it when I've had it a decade or so and do the same again, keeping the sports bike for enjoyment in the meantime.I A/B'd the Jazz Hybrid against a slightly cheaper, slightly leggier Jazz Si and I didn't find the manual shift anything worth chasing. Nice, but nothing remarkable so I knew I was right to seek the Jazz.
I fancied a hybrid, as I don't do enough miles day to day to not blow up a diesel. Well, even our work Astras are starting to suffer as they approach 20,000 miles. They do plenty of miles, just not on the motorway. Neither do I, and I didn't fancy footing those bills...
Honda Newcastle had a decent looking Honda Jazz Hybrid in stock. I hadn't gone shopping for it, but I knew I wanted a hybrid model so I was focused on the Insight and the CRZ. Toyota's Prius was also on the cards. I was able to secure a good deal on the Jazz, and that was that. I left it a few days, allowing me to get a few miles in before I wrote about the car so I could secure a broader grasp of what it's like.
The first thing that really impressed me was the space it offers. I still get out of it and walk away, feeling slightly taken aback at how small it's footprint is. It feels much bigger inside, a neat juxtaposition next to the XJ8 that was big on the outside and small on the inside. The boot is considerable, and the Magic Seat options are great. I can see the flat loading rear bay being very useful for IKEA trips. The rear seats are comfortable, the front seats are just fantastic. Again, it seems like minutiae, but I'm impressed with the way Honda have packaged this car. I know the Jazz is often credited with offering loads of space, but it really does. The cabin is fantastic too. Whilst I do miss the wraparound feel of the Jaguar, the Honda's stereo setup is nice. The blue and white backlighting looks fantastic. It gets Radio 4, which is what matters, and I can use the USB in to charge my phone and my work tablet for free. The seats are particularly impressive, since I'm used to Supermini class cars having absolutely dreadful seats. They quite remind me of my MR2 Turbo's seats, but without the fat thigh bolsters. The adjustment is nice, but I still need to tweak it just a touch to get maximum comfort when holding the brake at traffic lights. I'll get there. The switch gear is nice too. The shifter doesn't have the satisfying clunk of the J-gate I'm used to, but I rarely touch it so that doesn't bother me (see later for driving modes). The indicators have a solid, satisfying feel; Vauxhall could take note from these for the cheap tat they bung in the Astra at the moment. I quite like the logical layout of the controls, they ones you want are closest to hand, but I would have liked a backlit button for the mirror fold, as I have to feel around for that in the dark when I'm parking.
The clocks are closely tied to the driving modes. The back of the clocks glows blue, and fades through turquoise to green to indicate an economical driving style. It's tied to how much throttle you're using, let the CVT settle on a low ratio and go light on the throttle to just let the car glide along and you'll get a pleasing green backlight. There is an economy button, and whilst I've not yet read the manual in detail, I can feel this smoothing off throttle demand and encouraging a slower, smoother driving style through the transmission. This mode highlights a little leaf on the dash to show it's engaged. Alternatively, there is an 'S' mode selected by tipping the shifter back one position. This sharpens throttle response and uses the electric motor more to add boost. It'll still select it's own ratios, but seven discrete ratios can be selected using the neat paddle shifters on the wheel. These give the approximation of a seven speed gearbox to flick through, and though I can see their use I've not really tested them out much now. For day to day driving, the car feels more at home using the CVT.
This brings me to the drive, which is probably the most radical departure the car makes from convention. It drives like a typical hybrid, that is to say it's rather sprightly and pleasant. CVT is the transmission of choice, as you'd expect. The engine is a 1.3 four cylinder with 86bhp with something like 15bhp coming from the battery through the Integrated Motor Assist. In reality, the battery seems to provide torque. It can neatly switch over to electric-only running, as indicated by an 'EV' sign on the dash. Unlike the Prius, the IMA can't be commanded to do this at the touch of a button, rather it decides when the conditions are right and switches on and off on the fly. I'd use it more if there was a button for it, but I presume Toyota use a more advanced system which is what gives electric running on demand. EV Mode in the Jazz Hybrid appears to be limited to 30mph, when the engine is warm. It comes on and off a lot in town. You'll see the instruments indicating when the battery is boosting and when it's charging, and it can regenerate energy from the brakes as well as the engine. Stop start works smartly because it restarts the engine when you come off the brake rather than when you touch the throttle.
I can see why CVT's irritate some people. It can make a funny noise, and under high demand it'll typically bring the car to 4000rpm or so and sit there as the speed climbs, like on a steep hill or wherever. Because of the noise, you can lose the sense that you're accelerating until you look for visual reference. I usually use ECO mode day to day for the best savings on petrol, where performance is adequate. 'S' mode (I hesitate to call it Sport) is quite sprightly, the car will leap off the line quite surprisingly and doesn't seem to weigh a great deal so it accelerates with relative gusto. The fact it doesn't feel completely flat and pudding like when you stomp the accelerator has probably been the biggest surprise. Honda say they've tweaked the steering to add more weight at speed, but it's still very light. It doesn't feel of a great deal, but you can judge the grip from the skinny front tyres without much effort. The brakes are very strong, and feel rather overrated for the things the car will typically deal with it. Initial bite when moving slow needs to be eased on or you'll jerk the car, and through the travel of the pedal the brakes work well. It's not the sort of car you'd press on it, but handling is quite fine. Despite feeling tall inside, the car is probably more squat than you'd give it credit for and it doesn't roll wildly. The accurate steering probably helps give it a pointy feeling, but it responds better to flowing down the road rather than attacking it. Ride and damping is stiff at low speeds, settling nicely once it's over a jog. It's not too bad over rough tarmac or disintegrating B roads, perhaps because the small tyres don't take that much of a pounding from our dreadful roads.
Economy wise, which is the biggie for me, I'm probably looking at mid to high fifties without doing the sums. I'll work it out properly, but Honda reckon high sixties in the MPG range, so more realistically in the dead of winter I don't expect to hit that. Suffice to say, £20 tax is a boon but the real joy is £35 a tank of petrol, which gives more calculated and real range than £80 of petrol in the Jaguar. That is a nice saving to put back into riding the motorbike, as even after monthly payment, the Jazz works out considerably cheaper. A new set of leathers and a new lid it is then.
Like most purchases, it's heavily influenced by the outgoing car, a 2001 Jaguar XJ8. In truth, I could probably have bought a better Jaguar XJ; the one I have has it's faults and their faults it's had since I bought it. I looked little further than the solid arches and made my decision based on that. So it's bushes have clonked, it's delaminated V-mount has produced some questionable front end behaviour and it's never held as much oil as the guide book says it should...
In fairness to the Jaguar, it's been pretty solid. It's had a new wheel bearing to pass it's last MOT, and other than that it's been fine. The electronics are fine (aside from a lazy battery - like that when I got it - throwing the odd T/C error). Everything works. The gearbox slips and slurs and bogs when you ask for kickdown - again, it's always been that way. It was cheap to buy, and fuel aside, cheap to run. This year though, it's getting sold for parts or scrapped. It's MOT runs out in February and it won't be staying. Since it owes me so little, I'm at peace with letting it go. I have enjoyed owning it, but I've been less and less enamoured with it as time has went on. Part of that comes from having discovered the purest motoring joy is on a sports bike, and so I was less concerned with the car I owned. I decided, when the time came to get a new car, I'd buy a newer car with a small amount of finance and look to own it outright after paying it off. I'd run that for years and years, and sling it when I've had it a decade or so and do the same again, keeping the sports bike for enjoyment in the meantime.I A/B'd the Jazz Hybrid against a slightly cheaper, slightly leggier Jazz Si and I didn't find the manual shift anything worth chasing. Nice, but nothing remarkable so I knew I was right to seek the Jazz.
I fancied a hybrid, as I don't do enough miles day to day to not blow up a diesel. Well, even our work Astras are starting to suffer as they approach 20,000 miles. They do plenty of miles, just not on the motorway. Neither do I, and I didn't fancy footing those bills...
Honda Newcastle had a decent looking Honda Jazz Hybrid in stock. I hadn't gone shopping for it, but I knew I wanted a hybrid model so I was focused on the Insight and the CRZ. Toyota's Prius was also on the cards. I was able to secure a good deal on the Jazz, and that was that. I left it a few days, allowing me to get a few miles in before I wrote about the car so I could secure a broader grasp of what it's like.
The first thing that really impressed me was the space it offers. I still get out of it and walk away, feeling slightly taken aback at how small it's footprint is. It feels much bigger inside, a neat juxtaposition next to the XJ8 that was big on the outside and small on the inside. The boot is considerable, and the Magic Seat options are great. I can see the flat loading rear bay being very useful for IKEA trips. The rear seats are comfortable, the front seats are just fantastic. Again, it seems like minutiae, but I'm impressed with the way Honda have packaged this car. I know the Jazz is often credited with offering loads of space, but it really does. The cabin is fantastic too. Whilst I do miss the wraparound feel of the Jaguar, the Honda's stereo setup is nice. The blue and white backlighting looks fantastic. It gets Radio 4, which is what matters, and I can use the USB in to charge my phone and my work tablet for free. The seats are particularly impressive, since I'm used to Supermini class cars having absolutely dreadful seats. They quite remind me of my MR2 Turbo's seats, but without the fat thigh bolsters. The adjustment is nice, but I still need to tweak it just a touch to get maximum comfort when holding the brake at traffic lights. I'll get there. The switch gear is nice too. The shifter doesn't have the satisfying clunk of the J-gate I'm used to, but I rarely touch it so that doesn't bother me (see later for driving modes). The indicators have a solid, satisfying feel; Vauxhall could take note from these for the cheap tat they bung in the Astra at the moment. I quite like the logical layout of the controls, they ones you want are closest to hand, but I would have liked a backlit button for the mirror fold, as I have to feel around for that in the dark when I'm parking.
The clocks are closely tied to the driving modes. The back of the clocks glows blue, and fades through turquoise to green to indicate an economical driving style. It's tied to how much throttle you're using, let the CVT settle on a low ratio and go light on the throttle to just let the car glide along and you'll get a pleasing green backlight. There is an economy button, and whilst I've not yet read the manual in detail, I can feel this smoothing off throttle demand and encouraging a slower, smoother driving style through the transmission. This mode highlights a little leaf on the dash to show it's engaged. Alternatively, there is an 'S' mode selected by tipping the shifter back one position. This sharpens throttle response and uses the electric motor more to add boost. It'll still select it's own ratios, but seven discrete ratios can be selected using the neat paddle shifters on the wheel. These give the approximation of a seven speed gearbox to flick through, and though I can see their use I've not really tested them out much now. For day to day driving, the car feels more at home using the CVT.
This brings me to the drive, which is probably the most radical departure the car makes from convention. It drives like a typical hybrid, that is to say it's rather sprightly and pleasant. CVT is the transmission of choice, as you'd expect. The engine is a 1.3 four cylinder with 86bhp with something like 15bhp coming from the battery through the Integrated Motor Assist. In reality, the battery seems to provide torque. It can neatly switch over to electric-only running, as indicated by an 'EV' sign on the dash. Unlike the Prius, the IMA can't be commanded to do this at the touch of a button, rather it decides when the conditions are right and switches on and off on the fly. I'd use it more if there was a button for it, but I presume Toyota use a more advanced system which is what gives electric running on demand. EV Mode in the Jazz Hybrid appears to be limited to 30mph, when the engine is warm. It comes on and off a lot in town. You'll see the instruments indicating when the battery is boosting and when it's charging, and it can regenerate energy from the brakes as well as the engine. Stop start works smartly because it restarts the engine when you come off the brake rather than when you touch the throttle.
I can see why CVT's irritate some people. It can make a funny noise, and under high demand it'll typically bring the car to 4000rpm or so and sit there as the speed climbs, like on a steep hill or wherever. Because of the noise, you can lose the sense that you're accelerating until you look for visual reference. I usually use ECO mode day to day for the best savings on petrol, where performance is adequate. 'S' mode (I hesitate to call it Sport) is quite sprightly, the car will leap off the line quite surprisingly and doesn't seem to weigh a great deal so it accelerates with relative gusto. The fact it doesn't feel completely flat and pudding like when you stomp the accelerator has probably been the biggest surprise. Honda say they've tweaked the steering to add more weight at speed, but it's still very light. It doesn't feel of a great deal, but you can judge the grip from the skinny front tyres without much effort. The brakes are very strong, and feel rather overrated for the things the car will typically deal with it. Initial bite when moving slow needs to be eased on or you'll jerk the car, and through the travel of the pedal the brakes work well. It's not the sort of car you'd press on it, but handling is quite fine. Despite feeling tall inside, the car is probably more squat than you'd give it credit for and it doesn't roll wildly. The accurate steering probably helps give it a pointy feeling, but it responds better to flowing down the road rather than attacking it. Ride and damping is stiff at low speeds, settling nicely once it's over a jog. It's not too bad over rough tarmac or disintegrating B roads, perhaps because the small tyres don't take that much of a pounding from our dreadful roads.
Economy wise, which is the biggie for me, I'm probably looking at mid to high fifties without doing the sums. I'll work it out properly, but Honda reckon high sixties in the MPG range, so more realistically in the dead of winter I don't expect to hit that. Suffice to say, £20 tax is a boon but the real joy is £35 a tank of petrol, which gives more calculated and real range than £80 of petrol in the Jaguar. That is a nice saving to put back into riding the motorbike, as even after monthly payment, the Jazz works out considerably cheaper. A new set of leathers and a new lid it is then.
Edited by Don Roque on Monday 3rd June 14:10
Good write up! I was going to buy a Jazz EX from that very same garage in June. I was amazed at the space inside, the little cargo net in the boot, the magic seats, and the glass roof in the EX is magnificent! You can tell it's been properly engineered and thought about. The only thing that disappointed me was the slow steering - unusual for a small car I thought.
I ended up not buying from them as I took the huff because my salesperson left, then another phoned me to say I was their customer now
I'll deal with whoever I want to deal with, thank you very much. I'm not a piece of meat to be passed around!
I ended up not buying from them as I took the huff because my salesperson left, then another phoned me to say I was their customer now
I'll deal with whoever I want to deal with, thank you very much. I'm not a piece of meat to be passed around!Thanks for the very informative write-up. Quite a departure from the Jaguar, but for your circumstances I guess it makes sense.
I'm wondering if I should get one of these myself, now. My parents used to have a Prius which I liked much more than I was expecting to, so I was thinking that when my insurance becomes more reasonably priced I'd like to get one of the bigger Lexus or Infiniti hybrids - but in the meantime, one of these or maybe a Yaris hybrid looks like it could make a nice daily driver alongside a weekend car.
I'm wondering if I should get one of these myself, now. My parents used to have a Prius which I liked much more than I was expecting to, so I was thinking that when my insurance becomes more reasonably priced I'd like to get one of the bigger Lexus or Infiniti hybrids - but in the meantime, one of these or maybe a Yaris hybrid looks like it could make a nice daily driver alongside a weekend car.
Yes, you definitely need something to keep the thrills in your life if you get a sensible car. For you, a weekend car, for me a motorbike. The hybrid is great day to day tool, but it is just a tool, ultimately. However, when you consider it's contemporary choices like a petrol Focus or Golf, I find it's clearly been given a little more engineering nuance in the design. It suits my commute since I do a mix of roads, from urban to DC and then B roads. If you do 100 motorway miles you'd clearly look for a diesel. I do find some pleasure in caressing it along and seeing what fuel return I get. It's an entirely different pleasure from wafting in the leather armchair of the Jag, and different again from thrill of nailing a third gear sweeper on my Daytona. It's motorbikes that have spoiled me more than anything.
Coming up to the end of my first week with the car now. I'm getting to grips with how it wants to be driven now to get the best out of it. MPG is great, but I've a feeling even more gains can be made. I've been trying to activate the EV mode as much as possible by lifting off the throttle when the conditions are right to activate the mode. I've not read the manual yet (still in the glovebox) but as far as I can tell, you trigger this mode by coasting in the right conditions. Lifting almost completely off the throttle on downhill straights is another thing that sees the instant MPG readout jump dramatically, so you know you're making gains. The CVT is perky enough that you can ease the throttle back on and settle the car to drive it round bends.
Having piqued my interest with this, I spent the day reading about some frankly silly hypermiling techniques. Most of it is ludicrous (like coasting with the engine off tucked against the back doors of an HGV). Still, trying to increase my economy is a fun game for the commute. Petrol is pretty cheap at the moment (it was a 135p a litre when I had my 4.2 A8 and filling a tank on that would soar over £100!), but since I'd decided a while ago that driving the doors off my cars to get home from work wasn't worth it, I'm a little more content to do 70mph and relax.
I expect I'll come back to this thread in a year's time when it needs serviced...!
Having piqued my interest with this, I spent the day reading about some frankly silly hypermiling techniques. Most of it is ludicrous (like coasting with the engine off tucked against the back doors of an HGV). Still, trying to increase my economy is a fun game for the commute. Petrol is pretty cheap at the moment (it was a 135p a litre when I had my 4.2 A8 and filling a tank on that would soar over £100!), but since I'd decided a while ago that driving the doors off my cars to get home from work wasn't worth it, I'm a little more content to do 70mph and relax.
I expect I'll come back to this thread in a year's time when it needs serviced...!
I thought you'd be getting much better fuel economy tbh.
My wife has had a 2014 Jazz Si from new and we did briefly ponder over the hybrid version when we bought it but couldn't justify the extra cost v the Si. Anyway I've been "borrowing" her Jazz pretty much every single day for my work commute for the past few weeks while I wait for my new car to be delivered, and I'm getting about 46mpg without even trying......in fact I floor it pretty much everywhere.
Agree about the inside space and comfort, it's amazing for such a small car, the magic seat system is great for tip runs & collecting car parts.
My wife has had a 2014 Jazz Si from new and we did briefly ponder over the hybrid version when we bought it but couldn't justify the extra cost v the Si. Anyway I've been "borrowing" her Jazz pretty much every single day for my work commute for the past few weeks while I wait for my new car to be delivered, and I'm getting about 46mpg without even trying......in fact I floor it pretty much everywhere.
Agree about the inside space and comfort, it's amazing for such a small car, the magic seat system is great for tip runs & collecting car parts.
I almost went for one of these a few months back as my father was getting rid of his for a new one. They're a bit dull to drive but as transport and being generally useful they take some beating. The amount of crap you can get in them is amazing.
This would have been amusing...FFWD to around 1:30 and charging after a DC5
This would have been amusing...FFWD to around 1:30 and charging after a DC5
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 20th January 12:57
An ‘interesting’ choice…
The Jazz is a brilliant car, the amount of interior space compared to the size of the car is amazing, they’re really well built and seem to be just about the most reliable car on the road.
I’ve driven the hybrid version a couple of times, and to be honest I hated it, largely because of the gearbox. However, my regular car is a 240 BHP petrol Range Rover Evoque and I live on the side of a mountain so expecting the Jazz to feel anything other than miserable while driving up and down the side of an Alp was probably asking too much of it. I’m sure with practice and some time spent in the car I would have got used to driving it and grown to appreciate it a bit more.
It’ll be interesting to follow how you get on with it, a tiny little bit of me is considering a Prius + as the next family wagon but I’m not sure how I’d cope with one long-term.
The Jazz is a brilliant car, the amount of interior space compared to the size of the car is amazing, they’re really well built and seem to be just about the most reliable car on the road.
I’ve driven the hybrid version a couple of times, and to be honest I hated it, largely because of the gearbox. However, my regular car is a 240 BHP petrol Range Rover Evoque and I live on the side of a mountain so expecting the Jazz to feel anything other than miserable while driving up and down the side of an Alp was probably asking too much of it. I’m sure with practice and some time spent in the car I would have got used to driving it and grown to appreciate it a bit more.
It’ll be interesting to follow how you get on with it, a tiny little bit of me is considering a Prius + as the next family wagon but I’m not sure how I’d cope with one long-term.
BuzzBravado said:
You know that is the norm right?
Indeed, I used to look at the trip computer in my Jaguar doing this...although that was a lot more inconsistent and I presume it was just taking a readout from a vacuum gauge on the throttle like BMW's do. It'd show 9mpg when you were accelerating up a hill and 99mpg going down the other side. I assume the Jazz's software is a little more accurate, though I usually leave the IMA screen on when I'm driving, which shows what the battery and the petrol engine are doing. Kompressor89 said:
I thought you'd be getting much better fuel economy tbh.
I've not done the sums yet but I'm thinking high fifties will be the outcome at the moment, with room for improvement once this dreadful weather clears (it was -2'C going to work the other day). Everything sees a decent boost in economy once the winter weather clears. I'm not particularly fussed if I can't quite get to the NEDC figure though, I've never really matched that consistently in any car I've driven. Choosing a Honda was simply down to the fact I like their cars and their reliability. I just wanted good transport with the minimum of fuss. The memory of my Triumph Daytona T595 overheating as I rode it home is still fairly fresh in my mind, and whilst it's all fixed now, I could do without that sort of drama from my work+family car! Here is my favourite, just in the event you were thinking I'd completely lost my mind and my sense...
I don't know when I'll feel the urge to return to a performance car, but there are plenty of bikes I'm desperate to ride.
Regarding the size of the boot/load space, it is impressive. I've not tried putting stuff in it yet, but a lad I work with has camped in the back of his wife's Jazz! The Jaguar was awful for tip runs due to it's low, flat boot. I love the sleek look of saloons but the A8 and the XJ weren't much good for shipping odd shaped items around.
I've spent the past couple of days driving round in this:
My Jazz had a scratch on the bootlid, noted when I bought the car. Their mobile paint guy couldn't fix it, so I was given this CR-V for a couple of days until it was done. The Jazz is due back today. I've put a few miles on the CR-V and I quite like it. It's another top everyday car, but I can't help but think the Civic is just better in most ways. This CR-V will be fairly rare just for the fact that it's got a 2.0 petrol engine, which is quite pleasant in a car like this. I'm used to SUV's being filled with the muted rumble of a groaning diesel, and I was somewhat surprised to climb into this CR-V and see that it would rev to 7000rpm.
It's got some nice toys in it. I'm not keen on the lane departure warning but the blind spot alert system is a neat toy. Not that you'd ever rely on it or forget to do a blind spot check, but it illuminates a small light on the corresponding wing mirror to show when a vehicle or object is in your blind spot. Other than that, not much to say about it. Tremendous boot space at a decent height for slinging the shopping into it, and decent seats and a great seating position (though the seats aren't as sculpted as the Jazz seats, interestingly). The interior had a nice ambience with some polished metal trim and well positioned instruments.
It wasn't quick, and I didn't sling it around much to test the handling but the impression is one of overall competence with a good finish, which seems to be Honda's premise at the moment. As I say though, I'm still not sold on the idea of the family car on stilts serving no real purpose, but this was enough to make me think that a Civic would be well worth looking into.
My Jazz had a scratch on the bootlid, noted when I bought the car. Their mobile paint guy couldn't fix it, so I was given this CR-V for a couple of days until it was done. The Jazz is due back today. I've put a few miles on the CR-V and I quite like it. It's another top everyday car, but I can't help but think the Civic is just better in most ways. This CR-V will be fairly rare just for the fact that it's got a 2.0 petrol engine, which is quite pleasant in a car like this. I'm used to SUV's being filled with the muted rumble of a groaning diesel, and I was somewhat surprised to climb into this CR-V and see that it would rev to 7000rpm.
It's got some nice toys in it. I'm not keen on the lane departure warning but the blind spot alert system is a neat toy. Not that you'd ever rely on it or forget to do a blind spot check, but it illuminates a small light on the corresponding wing mirror to show when a vehicle or object is in your blind spot. Other than that, not much to say about it. Tremendous boot space at a decent height for slinging the shopping into it, and decent seats and a great seating position (though the seats aren't as sculpted as the Jazz seats, interestingly). The interior had a nice ambience with some polished metal trim and well positioned instruments.
It wasn't quick, and I didn't sling it around much to test the handling but the impression is one of overall competence with a good finish, which seems to be Honda's premise at the moment. As I say though, I'm still not sold on the idea of the family car on stilts serving no real purpose, but this was enough to make me think that a Civic would be well worth looking into.
You’re brave posting this on PH – it’s not German, it doesn’t have a V8 etc. – but I found the write up interesting. You’re obviously an enthusiast as you’re on this site, you own an old Jag and you ride a lovely bike. But many will assume you’ve lost your marbles because you’ve bought a Jazz – and a hybrid one at that. Well, good on you, it’s obviously a calming car as you’re not rising at all to the bait of imaginative posts like ‘yawn, it’s dull’ that generally get applied to anything not German and not V8. 
Amongst dozens of other cars, I’ve owned 2 – a 54 plate 1.4 (old shape) bought new and a 59 plate 1.4 EX bought with around 55k on it. We loved the first one, traded it in for a CRV when we felt we needed extra space (not sure we did need that in hindsight) so when we needed a sensible commuter/family car recently I bought the second one. The EX in particular is really nice as somebody already said – panoramic roof, cruise, loads of kit etc. but all have the amazing packaging and great driving position, plus controls that feel properly made and nicely ‘oiled’.
The later model feels a lot more substantial and grown up than the original – the space and how planted it is makes it feel like a far bigger car. I love them as well packaged, well-engineered cars that fit perfectly into your life, and as a Honda fan I’m more ready than most to look past the flaws. But I have to admit to finding the driving characteristics in some circumstances quite frustrating: you drive it gently with the family in, sensing from the flat cornering, smooth revvy engine, low-set driving position that things might be a lot of fun when you’re solo – but then when you do play a bit the power delivery is actually a little flat, the clutch and gearchange seemed overly light (a good thing in A-to-B driving of course) and somehow it didn’t quite gel. Of course it never sets out to be a sports car, but somehow the ‘fizz’ of many other (particularly older) Hondas was missing. That said it could cover ground very quickly and without fuss, handle motorway slogs with ease and it was far more sporting than others in its class.
Not long after I got the car I found myself with a 100-odd mile journey to do rapidly (to get home in time for the F1!) on my own and taking in the Suffolk Tourist route (a great A road that by some twist of fate and a house move has now become part of my commute) followed by a lengthy DC run. The car came alive that summer evening – flat cornering and a nice long 3rd gear for most of the A road, then the cruise set at 90 with the ice cold climate control and my iPod plugged in for the A14. [As an aside, I jumped out of my skin at one point on the A14 because out of nowhere a dark blue Vectra VXR (with some twinkly blue lights behind the grille..) came tearing up behind and then past me at what must have been 130+. I thought I was in trouble but he kept going luckily..]
So I still rate it very highly – a small but very smart and well-built car that has all the space 4 people need, in a totally reliable fuel-efficient package that just gets on with the job. Sadly I sold that one to free up some cash for a house extension… but spent the remainder on a Mk3 MR2 roadster (every cloud etc.)
I just noticed your post on the CRV - I think you're not far off the mark with the 'overall competence with a nice finish' remark. Honda (at least in the UK) aren't quite as interesting as they used to be (even their 'mainstream' stuff used to be interesting), but as everyday cars they are still preferable to a lot of stuff. Our CRV (an earlier generation, 2003 with what must be nearly 150k on it now) is a petrol auto and is much nicer than my father in law's diesel manual of the same shape. It's a very soothing thing to convey the family and mutt around in and long may it last.
Anyway, enjoy the Jazz.
Amongst dozens of other cars, I’ve owned 2 – a 54 plate 1.4 (old shape) bought new and a 59 plate 1.4 EX bought with around 55k on it. We loved the first one, traded it in for a CRV when we felt we needed extra space (not sure we did need that in hindsight) so when we needed a sensible commuter/family car recently I bought the second one. The EX in particular is really nice as somebody already said – panoramic roof, cruise, loads of kit etc. but all have the amazing packaging and great driving position, plus controls that feel properly made and nicely ‘oiled’.
The later model feels a lot more substantial and grown up than the original – the space and how planted it is makes it feel like a far bigger car. I love them as well packaged, well-engineered cars that fit perfectly into your life, and as a Honda fan I’m more ready than most to look past the flaws. But I have to admit to finding the driving characteristics in some circumstances quite frustrating: you drive it gently with the family in, sensing from the flat cornering, smooth revvy engine, low-set driving position that things might be a lot of fun when you’re solo – but then when you do play a bit the power delivery is actually a little flat, the clutch and gearchange seemed overly light (a good thing in A-to-B driving of course) and somehow it didn’t quite gel. Of course it never sets out to be a sports car, but somehow the ‘fizz’ of many other (particularly older) Hondas was missing. That said it could cover ground very quickly and without fuss, handle motorway slogs with ease and it was far more sporting than others in its class.
Not long after I got the car I found myself with a 100-odd mile journey to do rapidly (to get home in time for the F1!) on my own and taking in the Suffolk Tourist route (a great A road that by some twist of fate and a house move has now become part of my commute) followed by a lengthy DC run. The car came alive that summer evening – flat cornering and a nice long 3rd gear for most of the A road, then the cruise set at 90 with the ice cold climate control and my iPod plugged in for the A14. [As an aside, I jumped out of my skin at one point on the A14 because out of nowhere a dark blue Vectra VXR (with some twinkly blue lights behind the grille..) came tearing up behind and then past me at what must have been 130+. I thought I was in trouble but he kept going luckily..]
So I still rate it very highly – a small but very smart and well-built car that has all the space 4 people need, in a totally reliable fuel-efficient package that just gets on with the job. Sadly I sold that one to free up some cash for a house extension… but spent the remainder on a Mk3 MR2 roadster (every cloud etc.)
I just noticed your post on the CRV - I think you're not far off the mark with the 'overall competence with a nice finish' remark. Honda (at least in the UK) aren't quite as interesting as they used to be (even their 'mainstream' stuff used to be interesting), but as everyday cars they are still preferable to a lot of stuff. Our CRV (an earlier generation, 2003 with what must be nearly 150k on it now) is a petrol auto and is much nicer than my father in law's diesel manual of the same shape. It's a very soothing thing to convey the family and mutt around in and long may it last.
Anyway, enjoy the Jazz.
PS Meant to add - my father has always been into bikes, and has an equal love of Hondas. I wonder if the two are related at all?
PPS A chap I worked for a few years back went from his XJ8 to a Citroen C1 1.0. I wonder if after a few years of one extreme you tend towards the other when the time comes for a change?!
PPS A chap I worked for a few years back went from his XJ8 to a Citroen C1 1.0. I wonder if after a few years of one extreme you tend towards the other when the time comes for a change?!
paulmaurice99 said:
PS Meant to add - my father has always been into bikes, and has an equal love of Hondas. I wonder if the two are related at all?
PPS A chap I worked for a few years back went from his XJ8 to a Citroen C1 1.0. I wonder if after a few years of one extreme you tend towards the other when the time comes for a change?!
I think there is something to be said for swinging from extremes. I went from an Audi A8 4.2 to a 106 Rallye, and back to the Jaguar after that. The Jazz was a concious decision to move away from that sort of frivolity, but I did sort of pander to the extremes for a while. The Triumph Daytona is another extreme. I've long considered motorcycles the most 'pure' expression of motoring enjoyment. No matter what your chosen discipline, you can't strip it back to the fun essentials any more than you can on a motorbike. The Daytona has been a dream bike of mine for a long time, and thoughts of riding a Strontium Yellow T595 fuelled the course of me actually getting into biking. That bike is my F40 or Countach, it's the poster-icon of days gone by for me. I'm fortunate though that the bike I dream of, I can actually own.PPS A chap I worked for a few years back went from his XJ8 to a Citroen C1 1.0. I wonder if after a few years of one extreme you tend towards the other when the time comes for a change?!
I knew I'd get plenty of 'yawn' type replies on here when I posted this thread. If it'd just been some run-of-the-mill diesel Golf or i40 or whatever, I probably wouldn't have bothered making a thread, but the Jazz Hybrid has many cool features that I really like and it feels about as forward thinking a Supermini as I've ever encountered. More importantly than that though, is my interest in the hybrid technology. It's interesting and useful stuff that slots seamlessly into daily use, and I'm intrigued by how the technology both benefits and modifies your driving. It's also a fairly rare car, and from checking the 'howmanyleft' service, it seems there are a little over 3000 registered in the UK.
Anyway, I'm glad to see the Jazz back and the repair to the paint on the bootlid is superb. I have however, lost one of the reward icons on the information display whilst the car has been away. I'd hoped to earn the trophy eventually, and this is a setback.
Really enjoyed reading this, thanks OP.
IMHO the Jazz is a bit overlooked. The packaging is really clever; the interior is huge compared with other cars in the segment.
I am thinking about getting the current model Jazz (released last year I think). I looked at the HR-V, which is built on a stretched Jazz floorpan, and it's nice, but it's also quite pricey. The Jazz, while not being bargain basement, is much cheaper, and it feels like it might do everything I need.
IMHO the Jazz is a bit overlooked. The packaging is really clever; the interior is huge compared with other cars in the segment.
I am thinking about getting the current model Jazz (released last year I think). I looked at the HR-V, which is built on a stretched Jazz floorpan, and it's nice, but it's also quite pricey. The Jazz, while not being bargain basement, is much cheaper, and it feels like it might do everything I need.
carinaman said:
The Triumph Trophy looks a bit Honda to me.
I wasn't aware that there was a Hybrid Jazz. Regarding cars as tools that are to meet specific functions a Mk1 Jazz would probably fulfil most of my requirements.
They haven't bothered with a hybrid version of the latest Jazz in Europe, only the Mk2 was available as a hybrid.I wasn't aware that there was a Hybrid Jazz. Regarding cars as tools that are to meet specific functions a Mk1 Jazz would probably fulfil most of my requirements.
Don't overpay for a Mk1, they're not without problems - C post to roof seals failing (spare wheel well full of water) and gearbox bearings going, to name but two. To their credit, Honda sorted cars way out of warranty but the cars are too old for that now.
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