Honda Jazz review (2008 onwards)

• What – Honda Jazz 1.4 ES
• Where – Frankfurt, Germany
• Date – 2 September 2008
• Price – £11,490
• Available – October 2008
• Key rivals – Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 207, Mazda 2

Summary

Bigger, faster, more expensive, has Honda gone a step too far with its new Jazz?

• We like: interior space, flexibility of luggage area, low emissions
• We don’t like: not much fun to drive, odd steering feel, £10k starting price

Gallery: new Honda Jazz

First Impressions

Honda's first generation of Jazz has consistently been the third best-selling supermini in the UK, behind the Fiesta and Corsa. That's some going for a car that rarely gets much critical acclaim from the motoring press. But it also shows that car buyers can be smarter than many journalists.

The new 2009 Jazz builds on the original's strengths: reliability, an easy drive and a massively versatile interior. The new car looks similar but it's roomier inside, has easier to fold seats, the suspension is revised to improve the ride and the engines are new. Controversially, there's also new automatic gearbox which has a hard act to follow the original.

Performance

This report needs to be peppered with the understanding that Jazz buyers aren't necessarily looking for the ultimate driving machine. While Ford is great at making cars that appeal to enthusiasts (and the latest Fiesta is no exception), there are plenty for whom easy driving is the primary virtue.

So as long as excitement isn't on your must-have list, the Jazz does OK. Both engines are new, with the 1.2 producing 89bhp, a touch more than the outgoing 1.4. It's a sweet and refined engine, smooth throughout the rev range and noticeably quiet at motorways speeds.

Read our First Drive report of the new Ford Fiesta

But hills knock the wind out of the 1.2 so the 1.4 on paper looks like the better bet. It is only 10% more powerful, a surprise until you dig into the technical data. Honda is pulling a fast one with the badging, for this is closer to a 1.3-litre engine. The get-up-and-go is better, though still far from sporting, and the engine is noticeably gruffer sounding.

30% of Jazz buyers choose the automatic transmission and they could now be in for a disappointment. The new i-SHIFT replacement is completely different. This is a manual gearbox without a clutch pedal; the clutch is worked electronically under the bonnet. You can still change gear by hand and that part works well. But move it into AUTO mode and the smoothness and responsiveness of the old gearbox has been sacrificed for lower emissions.

Ride and Handling

When a Jazz owner says one of the best things about their car is the great handling, you know they are not talking about the tactile sensitivity at high cornering speeds. It's the light steering, great visibility and easy parking that's important. Too much of a generalisation? Well, almost unbelievably, the average age of a Jazz owner is 63 years old, the majority of them women.

What is clear, though, is that other manufacturers build small cars that are far more enticing to drive than the new Jazz yet are easy to live with too. The steering on the new Jazz is a retrograde step, seemingly connected to the wheels by remote control. It immediately deters any thoughts of spirited driving.

Watch a video roadtest of the new Honda Jazz

Even with better steering, however, enthusiasts wouldn't be finding much enjoyment. The body leans into the bends and you lift off the gas because it starts to feel ungainly. It's safe and secure sure enough, just rather dull. Perhaps that's why Honda doesn't bother with anything more powerful under the bonnet.

Some of these handling issues may be the result of the need to deal with the Achilles heel of the outgoing Jazz, its ride comfort. Honda says it has worked hard to make the suspension more comfortable, particularly for those in the back seats. The results are good, though still some way short of perfect.

Interior

Undoubtedly the best thing about the Jazz is its extremely commodious interior. The new model has 40mm more legroom with boot space bigger than a Ford Focus, but it's still what you can do with the rear seats that is so impressive.

If you've ever had difficulty in getting a tall pot plant home from the garden centre, the Jazz is your car. Simply - and I mean very simply - just lift one or both rear seat cushions and lock it against the backrest. There's a space 1.28 metres tall. For a bigger area with less height, simply flop the backrest down and the cushion goes with it right down into the floor.

You don't need to take the headrests off like before, either. The boot's vast capacity with the rear seats in place is helped by the lack of spare wheel. You get a can of goo for a temporary repair instead, though if you insist your dealer will sell you a space-saver spare wheel for under £100.

This ES version has an extra refinement, the Double Trunk, which adds further permutations to stowage. It's good up front in the passenger compartment too. Air conditioned glovebox, plenty of cup holders, socket for your MP3 player. The visibility is even better than before - the Jazz was already something of a class leader here - with thinner pillars and a big triangular window beside the dashboard.

The seats are good, nothing over-elaborate but a reasonable size with good support. The high driving position moves the Jazz more towards cars like the Renault Modus and Vauxhall Meriva than rival superminis. The fascia takes on some of the characteristics of the Civic, making it more pretentious than the simple elegance of before.

Economy and Safety

First things first. There is no diesel, but Honda is very committed to more affordable Hybrid cars, and the Jazz will get a super-clean hybrid derivative sometime in 2009. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, Honda are still unable to provide C02 or mpg figures even for the petrol cars we drove here, though it is prepared to commit to sub-120g/km on several versions.

Likewise crash test figures aren't yet available. It would be foolish to bet at less than 5* for the Jazz, and Honda does have an excellent record for building cars that are more pedestrian-friendly than most. There are front side and curtain airbags on all models, as well as active headrests that move forward in a frontal accident.

MSN Cars Verdict 4/5

The Jazz is an intriguing vehicle that clearly has much appeal to drivers who are not especially interested in cars. Honda's reputation for reliability, plus the practical aspects of Jazz ownership, will continue to make the second-generation Jazz an appealing prospect for many.

To us it seems questionable whether a bigger Jazz was really called for, nor one that is more expensive. The entry price to the Jazz range is well over £1,000 more than rivals, and that's before all the bargain special editions appear. With so many new superminis being launched this year, Honda has a tougher challenge on its hands. Then again, if downsizing is what today's driver is looking at, the Jazz has attributes that no other small car can match.

More pictures of the new Honda Jazz from Live Search
All of our Honda First Drives
Ford Fiesta
Vauxhall Corsa
Peugeot 207
Mazda 2
Watch a video roadtest of the new Honda Jazz