Honda Jazz 1.4 ES

Nov 28 2008 Robin Roberts

IT consistently gets voted one of the most reliable and economical cars you can own and now the Honda Jazz has been given another reason to buy one, it's been replaced with a newer version.

The Jazz was one of the first of the breed of taller city cars which put a lot onto a comparatively small platform area and it is still a very good example of the urban utility vehicle, which is available for now only in petrol form.

The Jazz has a comparatively small range of 90PS 1.2 or 100PS 1.4 engines and manual or automatic transmissions in a common body and in four trim levels and my test car was the anticipated best seller.

The engine is a typical Honda unit which thrives on revs and is not ashamed to let you hear it working, but it gives the car a useful performance through the gears in town and it can hold its own on motorways. For ultimate ease of use the automatic i-shift would be worth considering.

Gear changes are light, smooth and the ratios pull it along easily and allow it to cruise at the legal limit. It is not blisteringly quick, but it's not a sports orientated model either and the real reward is the way it sips fuel overall.

The Jazz steering is light and tight for effortless use around town and its not too vague at speed on more open roads. The turning circle is good for parking and manoeuvring and the high seating position means you can place it precisely in a space even if there is little room around.

The brakes are well up to the performance it develops and work smoothly and with confidence and the parking brake holds it securely on hills.

Instruments are simple and very clear, well lit and easy to read while the heating and ventilation works well and keeps the interior at a desired temperature and it is not very noisy despite having a good output.

For the odds and ends it is fairly easy to find somewhere to put items, particularly if you are in the front, but it is not so good for those in the back.

The boot space is good, rising steadily as the seats are dropped, and it has a low rear sill and the back doors can be used to reach longer items and help place them. Capacity rises from 400 to almost 900 litres.

The room for driver and passengers is good with doors which opened wide and the seats provide plenty of room while also being particularly comfortable and supporting around the ribs and under the thighs. Adjustment for the front pair is useful and most drivers should be able to select a comfortable position.

It all means you can make the most of the available performance and can hustle it along without a problem, and with only a modest thirst.

When it is pushed towards its limit, the noise level from the engine rises and took over from the continuous road rumbles which came from the suspension, wheels and tyres.

The Jazz is not long of wheelbase but it manages to ride over most bumps with commendable composure. It can roll around tighter turns but it telegraphs its intentions very well and you can moderate the throttle to ensure it stays firmly on line.

There is a lightness to the handling and sometimes it feels skittish but in reality it has a predictable manner and it is never a cause for concern.

Its narrow range and modest performance will turn off potential buyers but the new Honda Jazz is a worthy if not dramatically different successor to what many regard as the best city car and it is sufficiently refined to win over new buyers as well, although it's not cheap to buy.

FAST FACTS

Honda Jazz 1.4 ES 5dr

Price : £11,490

Mechanical : 100ps, 1,339cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox

Max speed : 113mph

0-62mph : 11.5 secs

Combined mpg : 52.3

Insurance group : 5

C02 emissions : 128g/km

BiK rating : 15%

Warranty : 3yrs/ 90,000, 3yrs paint, 12yrs anti-rust