Plastic cladding in driver's foot well came loose at 2,000km, however I'm not sure if this may have been because it was kicked accidentally a few times. Popped it back in place, no problems since.
After test driving both the 1.3 i-DSI (sold as the 1.4 i-DSI in Europe) and 1.5 VTEC, I decided that the extra money spent on the 1.5, with the extra 18kW or so that goes along with it, was worth the money. I was right.
Not only is the 1.5 able to give the little Jazz a pretty decent shove, it's also surprisingly frugal. I usually see around 7.5l/100km when driving around the city, and have seen consumption of under 6l/100km on the open road. Not too shabby for a small automatic.
The CVT automatic does take a little getting used to. When used in full automatic mode, it appears to take its time figuring out that the driver would like to move forwards. It's only a split second, but it does take some getting used to.
When using the 7-speed flappy paddle option, this delay of the CVT getting itself ready to move off appears to be eliminated. The 7-speed option is very handy for situations where you need to get out of the way in a hurry, or if you're overtaking on a country road, as it makes the best use of the Jazz's power.
That said, the full automatic mode makes the best of the Jazz's remarkable fuel economy. Let's face it, people buy the Jazz because they want good fuel economy.
The interior is a work of art. Overall, it is very well finished. Apart from an issue with a bit of plastic coming loose, as well as the top of the dashboard looking a little flimsy (the bit where the passenger airbag is has a tendency to wobble slightly at high speeds on bad roads), it's very well finished. For what it's worth, pretty much every other modern small car has loads of flimsy, poorly finished plastic. Honda plastic is just slightly less flimsy and cheap looking than most.
The CD player sounds good and the controls are big and easy to use. The integration into the dash gives the Jazz a very classy ambiance, however it could prove troublesome for an aftermarket car stereo/ICE installation.
The phrase 'magic seat' is something that is a lot more than some phrase that some drug-addled intern in a marketing department somewhere came up with. The flexible configuration and the low floor make the Jazz more flexible than a Chinese gymnast. You could easily fit a whole family in here - with all the luggage you'd need - without any dramas at all.
The outside of the car is tiny, and is so easy to park, even a visually impaired 3 year old could parallel park without external assistance.
The dealer service is very good. I can't put my finger on it, but Honda dealerships tend to be a more pleasant place to visit than most other car dealerships. This is coming from someone that visited a number of different dealers whilst looking for a new car.
The only drawbacks of the car that I can find so far are the steering (slightly lumpy at very low speed, vague at high speed) and the handling (competent, but not awe inspiring).
The CVT automatic gearbox, whilst a technical masterpiece, may also prove a little more troublesome than a conventional automatic gearbox long-term. I'm planning on hanging onto this car for at least 10 years, and I hope that the CVT - being relatively new technology - is able to hold together for a long time without requiring major surgery. Only time will tell, however I do take comfort in the fact that - generally speaking - Honda produce some of the most reliable cars on the road today.
If Honda could get the steering and the handling right, the Jazz would probably one of the all time greatest cars ever produced by a Japanese manufacturer. As it stands, the Jazz is very good... but falls short of true greatness by the narrowest of margins.
I should note that I am incredibly picky when it comes to cars, especially brand new ones. So, when it comes to complaints about plastic and handling, it should be said that 99% of the general population would struggle to come up with similar criticisms.
I'll report back in 12 months time and let you know if anything has died/fallen off. Not likely, but you never know.
Have just tested a Jazz (in Melbourne) and became worried about its reactions to road humps. As I don't like asking dealers for a long enough test drive to encounter the humps and bumps one encounters on back roads in the hills, I try to see how a car will react to some mild road humps. The ones I use are close to home, and used to be marked '40km/h' recently they seem to have got a new '20km/h marking' (obviously due to the noise levels, the design remains the same and nothing has been done to the humps apart from steady flattening from their original 40 km/h design profiles over time).
The Jazz didn't like it at 20km/k, didn't like it at all at 40km/k and a little higher (but still lower than the prior tests that day with a Renault Clio, that performed faultlessly at all speeds) the Jazz was vague in its steering and felt unstable... the characteristics were those of incipient bump oversteer.. and as this was a typical event that one encounters in poor condition-outer suburban and country roads, on which my leaner/p plate daughter would go in it, I became instantly alarmed... especially as the competitor vehicle (s) had showed absolutely NO loss of stability at all with the dealer reps in the rear! As I had been about to return to the dealership and start the final sale negotiation (with expectation of completing it there and then), this was quite an issue for me..
Please, from your excellent review, perhaps you (or others?) could advise me if the Jazz is indeed marginal in its bump stability? substantial confidence in Hondas design implementation from this experience... and am actively seeking advice from actual owners. The dealer rep. on board was not only no help, but the exact reverse- which converted my brief passing concern into a serious alarm. I'd really appreciate some feedback in this area, as this instantly lost the Melbourne dealer concerned a near certain cash sale today... (he had no idea of this at all) not so much from the vagueness we felt- but in his alarm and responses to even CHECKING these key important factors!
As a long term Honda owner (40 years now, cars and motorcycles) this is a first ever in terms of such a clear dealer lack of confidence... and I want to find out if it was properly founded... if I don't its Mazda or Renault for me in future!
Thanks for your feedback. I came back to see if anyone had left feedback and I found this - the system works. :)
The Jazz is certainly not the class leader in terms of ride and handling. However, I feel it's competent.
As for the speed humps, I've not really noticed any loss of stability as such. I know that the power steering is a bit vague, almost as if it doesn't want to tell you what's going on unless it really has to. Perhaps you're used to something with more feel to it?
Despite the lack of communication from the steering, the Jazz's feeling of stability is sound in my opinion. After 6 months of ownership, I am now used to the fact that the Jazz IS a competent handler/steerer, even if it isn't very talkative.
So, in a nutshell - yes, the Jazz is safe and it does know what it's doing... it just takes it upon itself to insulate the driver from a little too much of what's going on at the wheels.
Overall, the Jazz is a very good car - however the lack of feel from the steering and handling is what holds it back from being one of Japan's best hatchbacks of all time.
I've had my Jazz for a month now. I'm very happy with the zippy little 1.5 litre motor and am getting used to the initial hesitation under acceleration. However, I am somewhat confused about its fuel consumption and am getting concerned real fast about the front suspension. Attempting my local car park speed humps at anything faster than 5kph results in a very loud clunk. The cars I am following out of the car park manage the same speed humps at 10 kph. 40kmp speed humps on the road can only be taken at less than 30 kph to avoid the clunk. The real concern is a strong shudder in the brake pedal that has developed on braking. It is intermittent and alarming. It doesn't feel like its the brakes themselves, but rather a suspension related thing. I'm phoning the dealer tomorrow, but the car has just had its first 1,000 km service last week and the suspension was checked then. I hope this is not going to turn out to be a rare Honda lemon.
On the road the suspension is firmer than I would like. I wish I had taken it for a longer test drive over bumpy roads. My fault - lesson learnt.
I have had my 2005 Jazz for 20,000 km now and can relate to a few of the comments above. The steering does not communicate at all, although I find it to be well-weighted through corners and always safe feeling. Being a small tyred, front wheel drive car it does have a strong tendency to under steer, but that should be expected.
In regards to the thumping and clunking over speed bumps, I must admit this is not something I have experienced. Although I admit compared to my friend's 7-series BMW it does make more noise over bumps, but does cost 10% of the price! I would consider that the suspension travel on the front is not particularly long, and may contribute to the noises you are hearing. It could be just the suspension bottoming out.
The suspension is quite stiff and being a car with a very short wheelbase, it can ride quite rough over speed humps as the front of the car is still getting over the bump when the rear hits it, not something that would necessarily be experienced in a larger car like a Commodore or Falcon.
I have just bought my second Jazz 1.5L, previous model a manual. Over the past 3 years, the previous Jazz covered 50,000km over trips from Tamworth to Sydney and beyond. At no time have I found the performance or handling a problem, happily cruising at 120km/h on freeways and comfortably keeping up with family sixes on winding country roads.
The new Jazz CVT is still a learning experience, however the trip from Tamworth to Grafton on some tight hilly roads with three adults and luggage was a breeze.
My only negative comment would be about a slightly lower build quality in the new Jazz compared with the 2003 model, with some loose hatch door trim at delivery and the roof sill liner not being flush.
Original Poster back again.
To the poster just above me with the new 2006 Jazz with the slightly lower build quality: new Jazzes sold in Australia are now sourced from Thailand, not Japan. Perhaps the Honda corporate line of the Thai-built Jazzes being identical in build quality to the Japanese-built Jazzes doesn't hold as much weight as Honda Australia would like?
The main reason for this post is to let you know how the subject of this review has been travelling since the review was written 12 months ago. It's now got just over 10,000km on it and is still providing trouble-free motoring. The Jazz has been running on BP Ultimate since I bought it, and I am now getting constant 7l/100km in city/suburban traffic, which is no mean feat for a small automatic.
The only minor annoyance with the Jazz is how soft some of the interior plastics are. They scratch and scuff very easily. This is compounded by the fact that the boot doesn't have a nice, fuzzy lining around it like some more expensive cars do. If you're putting anything with corners on it in the boot that's made out of anything more solid than rubber foam, wrap a blanket around it to stop it from digging into the sides of the boot and leaving scuff marks.
So, other than plastics that are too soft (albeit reasonably well made), the Jazz has been nearly perfect since we've had it.
Tune again this time next year...
I have had my honda jazz 1 year now and I am delighted with it loads of space for everything when the back seats are folded down. I have moved beds tv etc from stores. people are suprised at how versatile the jazz is. my only gripe would be the cheap floor covering and boot covering otherwise I reckon it's a beauty and economical!!!
I had the pleasure of driving a Honda Jazz 1.3l auto for 3 days while my 2003 Honda CRV was having repairs. I was hesitant at first, thinking it would be too small for my family of 5 to trek to our weekend sporting venues, but was pleasantly surprised how spacious the Jazz is, only slightly smaller in the back seats than the CRV, and the front seemed more spacious than the CRV.
I did detect a small hesitation in the power steering, also it does take a bit of getting used to on bends and roundabouts with slight over-steering problems (probably just me not being used to a small cars steering).I feel this is not a major problem and the positives outweigh the negatives with this great little car.
Another surprising thing was the power the car had with 2 adults and 3 older children The Jazz didn't seem to loose any of its power, although using the air conditioner seemed to make it use the petrol much quicker. Also loved the stereo system the sound was fantastic.
We liked it so much I am considering downsizing to this economical small car.
Hi All.
I'm sure most of you Jazz owners are happy with your car as much as I am.
I bought my Jazz in Sydney, Australia in early 2003 brand new. 4 years and two months on, I've travelled almost 120,000kms in the car and the car is like new, apart from the scratches inside caused by my Cannondale Rush4 mountain bike that I always throw in each weekend.
I've completed many road trips including a trip from Sydney to Adelaide back, various trips to Canberra and Port Stephens and the car is a good tourer (for it's price).
The space efficiency is probably one of the best cars on the market! I fit 5 adults and two large suitcases easily!
The quality of the Jazz is 10 times better than any small size european car I've been in (clios,206's) and looks much pleasing than say a japanse small car (corolla).
IMO the Jazz is best value for money car if you're after something in the small - micro car category.
Cheers, AC.
Original reviewer back here again.
After 2 years, NOTHING has gone wrong. Absolutely nothing at all.
It's coming up for a service next week. In addition to the regular 2 year service items, I'm having the CVT transmission fluid changed, as I have read reports of the CVT transmission being the weakest link in the Jazz drivetrain. I'd rather spend a few dollars on new fluid than several thousand dollars on a new transmission in a few years time.
If you want a huge car in a small footprint that is utterly reliable, the Jazz is the car for you.
I wonder if the original reviewer could elaborate on any CVT issues he has heard about as I take delivery of a 2005 VTIs CVT this week that has travelled 15,000kms. The car seems to be as new, could not fault, but is there anything that should be checked. The car is still under factory warranty for another 6 months. We plan to use this car a lot as our 2004 CRV has just clocked 100,000 kms and will be used less as the daily kids shuffler in the future.
Just a word about CVT's. The original posting described them as "new technology". In fact they first in the 1960's (Daf had made only trucks prior to that). They were promoted for their reliability on the basis that one had been tried out in a Formula 1 racing car and had worked perfectly.
Daf was then taken over by Volvo who used the CVT in their little 360, but I think eventually went over to a conventional automatic, though the CVT next appeared in a Renault.
A friend of mine had a Daf, and what was particularly memorable was the way the engine revs kept fairly high until the car stopped. That seems still to be feature from what I read!
Original reviewer back again. Still no problems. In fact, I am looking to buy a second Honda Jazz (manual) for myself, so that the wife can have this one full-time.
As for the CVT, I am aware that DAF pioneered this technology back in the 1960s. That said, it was only the mid-late 1990s when CVTs started to become more mainstream thanks to cars such as the Nissan Micra. Even though there is quite a large choice of vehicles out there with CVT these days (everything from econoboxes to SUVs!), CVTs are still rare and scary enough to freak out a lot of mechanics!
If you check out some of the various Honda Jazz/Fit forums (such as Fitfreaks.net), there are quite a few threads discussing the Jazz's CVT and its foibles. Some believe that the early Jazzes (pre-MY05) had problematic CVT fluid that caused issues with some CVTs. I replaced the CVT fluid last year, and plan on replacing it every 2nd year just to be safe.
Original owner back again. Still no mechanical issues. The CVT is holding up very well. That said, I have been getting it serviced every 2 years (last service was July 2009).
That said, I did notice one fault the other day: the drivers side carpet has worn a hole approximately 5cm long in the crease between the footwell and the front edge of the driver's seat. What's a little more concerning is that (a) the Jazz is fitted with Genuine Honda floor mats and (b) the car has done 29,000km since new. Other than that, the rest of the trim is still as new - I was just a little shocked that a car of this age with low mileage (especially a Honda) would exhibit such wear.
Also changed the original Yokohama Aspec 175/65R14 tyres for Toyo Teo Plus 185/60R14s. Has improved the grip and steering accuracy noticeably, however has now exposed just how ordinary the chassis is. Handling is actually a little twitchy at speed, but the grip more than compensates. I suspect the Toyos are a little too good for the Jazz.
My first Jazz is a wonderful car, but as the third owner I can tell it's seen better days. It's a 2002 model with CVT, and while I've made sure it has been serviced under my ownership, even the mechanic noted that the previous owners must not have done so. I think that's the greatest danger with CVTs, because otherwise they're brilliant.
Incidentally, I've started looking for a newer, manual model, specifically a 2005 build (the last year we got them from Japan). Also, some are 2006-compliant but are still 2005 model year.
So, my tips for buying a Jazz:
- CVT: get a service history; the newer the car, the better.
- If you want a Japanese-built car, make sure the VIN starts with a 'J' (as opposed to 'M' for Thai-built).
- Check electrics, particularly windows.
- If you're fussy, make sure all headrests/cargo cover are included, I discovered they were hard to find separately.
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