Honda Jazz Review Covering 2001

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Quick Summary of the Honda Jazz

OVERALL

If you’ve got an eye for quality and don’t mind forking out for it, the Honda Jazz is a good bet. There’s not a weak link in the entire range and residual values will be rock solid. Honda have proved that there is intelligent life to be found beyond the Civic. Recommended.

TALKING ALL THAT JAZZ

Hands up all who remember the original Honda Jazz? Available between 1984 and 1985, its mayfly longevity hints at its less than soaraway success. A bug-eyed box on wheels, the old Jazz was a mere stopgap, designed to plug a hole in the range until the next generation Civic appeared. Fast forward sixteen years and Honda were at the same game again, importing the underwhelming Logo for just a year until new Jazz landed. Fortunately – unless you plumped for a Logo – the Jazz was well worth the wait, rapidly becoming one of the finest superminis on sale. There’s still little to touch it in terms of design flair, engineering excellence, driving characteristics and sheer reliability. If you want a small car that’s as close to a bulletproof used buy as it’s possible to get, the Honda Jazz is it.
Used Honda Jazz for sale

History of the Jazz

Prior to 2001, Honda’s attempts to interest the British public in anything smaller than a Civic had fallen on stony ground. As the Civic got bigger and more sophisticated with each passing generation, however, breathing space appeared for a five-door supermini and the Jazz debuted in November 2001. Some cars are ‘growers’, taking their time to impress you with their range of qualities. The Jazz was anything but. Within ten seconds of getting into the little Honda it was clear that Honda had raised the supermini bar a good few notches with their effort.Three separate trim levels were available, S, SE and SE Sport (more often referred to as merely Sport) and in May 2002 a seven-speed ‘stepped-CVT’ gearbox was offered which Honda somewhat prosaically dubbed the CVT-7. The Jazz attracted plaudits right from the outset with perhaps only the lack of a diesel engine being considered an Achilles heel. All post summer 2004 models have ABS with EBD and brake assist.In the Autumn of 2004, a facelifted Jazz went on sale complete with the one thing that almost all commentators had been crying out for – another engine option. The 77bhp 1.2-litre engine arrived to supplement the 1.4-litre that had been the car’s sole powerplant since launch. The 1.2 was offered exclusively in S trim and these models retained the old Jazz styling while the SE and Sport 1.4 derivatives got revised lights front and rear plus other alterations. Overall the changers were fairly superficial.
Used Honda Jazz for sale

Honda Jazz Road Test

This being Honda, we can almost take ridiculously good engines for granted, but in this instance the Japanese company seems to have searched long and hard for a couple of extra stops to pull out. Engine-wise, the main choice is a 82bhp 1.4-litre powerplant but it is a clever one, utilising i-DSi (intelligent Dual Sequential Ignition), a system that uses two spark plugs per cylinder and compact combustion chambers to ensure good performance, economy and compactness. The economy figure of 48.7mpg is not to be sneezed at. Likewise the CO2 emissions are up a smidgeon at 137g/km. People looking at later Jazz models have the option of going for the 1.2-litre i-DSi engine which boasts 77bhp. 0-62mph acceleration is only slightly blunted from the 1.4 at 13.7s and fuel economy improves to 51.4mpg.The Jazz CVT-7 is an interesting proposition. What many people disliked about these gearboxes was the so-called ‘rubber band effect’. When you pressed the throttle pedal, the engine automatically revved to its maximum power output, the engine noise rising instantly with the car’s actual acceleration slowly catching up. This gave a nasty ‘slipping clutch’ effect which proved very unpopular with most drivers who preferred to equate their road speed with the noise their engine was making. If you don’t mind the noises emanating from beneath the Jazz’s tiny bonnet the fully automatic CVT mode is the smoothest and most fuel efficient mode to be in. You can even select Sport or Normal modes depending on whether you want optimum fuel efficiency or engine response.For many owners however, the stepped automatic mode will be infinitely preferable. This gearbox gets around the dreaded elastic band effect by having seven artificially mandated gears rather than one continuous ratio. Here the gearbox replicates the actions of a normal torque converter-equipped automatic quite well, zipping through the seven stepped ‘gears’ with real verve. If you want the ultimate control, switch to manual control and ping about the ‘box using the wheel-mounted switches. It’s great fun for a while, but such is the excellence of the Jazz’s artificial intelligence that the fun soon palls when you realise the computer’s making a better fist of things than you are.
Used Honda Jazz for sale

Buying a Honda Jazz

No significant faults have emerged amongst the used stock of Jazz models so far and owners tend to be very pleased with both the car and the level of after sales support they receive from Honda. The interiors are reasonably idiot proof and low speed bump resistance is a Jazz forte.
Used Honda Jazz for sale

Honda Jazz Typical Pricing

It probably won’t come as any great surprise to learn that the Jazz clings onto its value with some tenacity. A basic S model that retailed new for £8,870 back in November 2001 is still worth around £2,875. SE versions fetch £3,075 and the Sport, again on the 2001 ‘51’ plate opens at £3,375. The CVT7 cars are rare but a fair price for an SE model on an 02 plate is around £3,500. Insurance for the Jazz is both reasonable and straightforward – Group 3 right across the board.
Used Honda Jazz for sale

Honda Jazz Parts

(approx prices based on 2002 Jazz SE) Prices for the most popular Honda spares have taken a tumble of late and are now very reasonable. Break one of the Jazz’s bulbous headlamps and you might well expect a bill knocking on for £200, but Honda will charge you just £90. An alternator will retail for a reasonable £212 and a new starter motor – new, note, not exchange – is £155. A new clutch kit for the Jazz tots up to £155.
Used Honda Jazz for sale

Honda Jazz Rated

Performance Performance 3 out of 5

Comfort

Handling

Economy

Styling

Equipment

Build

Depreciation Depreciation 3 out of 5

Insurance

Value

Honda Jazz Review2001 - 2008