Road Test: Honda Jazz GLi

Review by Feann Torr - 12/November/2008

The last time we tested the Honda Jazz, Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected as the Californian governator and millions of people were getting panicky about SARS and Bird Flu.

Back in 2003 there was no financial crisis, the iPhone was but an idea and we scored the brand new Honda Jazz very favourably - 4 out of 5. 

It was a breath of fresh air in a compact car market inundated with boring, lifeless, and generally limp products that failed to provoke drivers.

The design or 'image' of the Honda Jazz was one of the secrets to its success and this aspect of the car has been marketed very cleverly. 

It's seen as a 'cute' car with a bouncy personality and that's a fairly accurate appraisal of the car.

And it pains me to say it, but from certain angles it even has a smiley face... Aww.

When we reviewed it in 2003, the Jazz had a fuel efficient CVT, a revvy 1.5-litre engine, and magic seats.

Today the CVT is gone, there's a smaller 1.3-litre engine and the magic seats have lost their unique status.

Five years after it touched down in Australia and tens of thousands of sales later, is Honda's Jazz still relevant? Let's find out:

We tested the entry-level 1.3-litre GLi model with the 5-speed automatic transmission, and though it may be the entry-level model in the range it nevertheless managed to impress.

The first thing I noticed after collecting the keys from Honda HQ was the appealing design.

A car that looks this good wearing plastics hub caps should be given an award of excellence, and another thing I noticed was the Honda's size: it's bigger than before.

Externally it's only slightly longer and wider, increasing in size from 3.84m long to 3.9m and 1.67 metres wide to 1.69m, which means it's still easy to park and control but inside feels significantly more spacious.

The form fitting height adjustable seats are well cushioned and feature a sort of dual-layer sporty design - which was a nice surprise for a bog standard model - and the driving position is quite good too. 

The steering wheel is a good piece of kit and is a bit like the item found in the Civic with space-aged styling, and is tilt and reach adjustable too. 

Arguably the best-in-class in the compact car segment, the steering wheel also has audio and trip computer buttons, but there's no cruise on the entry-level GLi model which is a bummer.

But hey, the boot is big and the one-touch magic seats are a doddle to use and help extend cargo space from 337 litres (decent) to 848 litres (impressive).

There's two good-sized cup holders either end of the dashboard which take a leaf out of the new Nissan X-Trail's book, and all told there's something like 10 cup holders in this vehicle.

Ergonomics are very good despite the unorthodox placement of the heating/cooling (HVAC) controls, which are vertically aligned along the side of the centre console near the steering wheel.

The HVAC controls take a bit of getting used to in this new position, but are in fact easier to manipulate and you don't have toperilously lean across the cabin to adjust them or take your eyes off the road. It's a small but highly effective change.

Dash plastics have taken a dive compared to the previous Jazz and are a bit naff, but fit and finish is quite good so the unforgiving plastics aren't too much of a blot on the Honda Jazz's otherwise exemplary interior.

The model we tested featured an excellent trip computer with an easy-to-read display that featured:

Instant fuel usage
Average fuel usage
Distance until empty
Average speed
Time driving
Seatbelt reminder

Displayed inside the large speedometer, the trip computer provides relevant information and is standard on all models except the GLi -- unless you opt for the safety pack which costs $1,000 and adds side side and curtain airbags plus the trip computer.

The windscreen of the Honda Jazz is absolutely massive, which improves straight-ahead vision. Rearward vision is similarly good. 

With excellent outward vision, a tight turning circle of 9.8 metres and light steering, parking it is a pleasure.

The instrument cluster looks very sporty with a trio of tunnelled dials for the speedometer, rev counter and the fuel gauge - all of which glow a pleasant orange after dark.

But I have mention this: the Honda Jazz has the most preposterously large fuel gauge I've ever seen, so large in fact that it doubles as a coat hanger.

While we're on the subject of fuel gauges, the compact 1.3-litre engine that powers the cost-effective Honda Jazz GLi is the most efficient in the range. 

The Jazz GLi (with a manual transmission) sips a claimed 5.8 litres of unleaded petrol for every 100 kilometres travelled, which is impressive.

Of course the 5-speed automatic model isn't as frugal, with a claimed 6.6L/100km figure (this is because traditional automatic gearboxes have a thing called a torque converter that sacrifices efficiency for convenience).

However, during the 664km we covered in the Jazz GLi with a 5-speed automatic, which included a mixture of city and urban driving, highway cruising, and some white-knuckle coastal road cornering,we managed an overall figure of 5.8L/100km. Take that claimed figure!

So far the Honda Jazz has ticked a lot of boxes: it has an intelligently designed interior with clever space saving features, a frugal engine, and though it doesn't have cruise control it's a very good thing to sit in. 

But how does it drive?

The steering is super light due to Honda's Electric Power Steering (EPS) system, which takes the effort out of parking and tight manoeuvres. Because of the clear view you get from the drivers seat navigating dense traffic is easy as well.

The second generation Jazz cruises along smoothly with a compliant ride that won't bounce you around on rougher surfaces and retains the independent front and torsion beam rear suspension of its predecessor.

This efficient suspension packaging is what gives the Honda such a spacious interior but there have been a number of tweaks to improve ride comfort, such as larger bushings at the rear.

While the ride is sufficiently smooth, the Jazz is not what I'd call a sports car.

We took it through some of the twisty sections of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria and it exhibited a fair bit of body roll through the corners and tended to lose traction here and there when pacing through faster corners. In fairness, it's175/65 R15 tyres aren't exactly motor sport spec...

Overall however the Jazz managed quite well when hustled along and didn't complain too loudly when thrown unkindly into corners.

The brakes took a bit of a shellacking but proved to be up to the task, with the ABS system getting a work out. The front discs are 254mm vented jobbies, while the solid rear discs have a 240mm diameter.

Performance-wise, the little 1.3-litre 73kW engine moves the 1065kg Jazz relatively swiftly and Honda's reputation for engine reliability is rivalled only by Toyota. 

Still, there's only so much you can do with a miniature engine.

Overtaking uphill is impossible for instance, especially with two or more passengers. But in general everyday use and in commuting situations the engine does a fairly good job.

Honda may have ditched the ultra-smooth CVT for a traditional 5-speed slush box, but the little cog swapper works well and changes gear with more haste than I was expecting.

On the freeway the 1.3-litre engine found in the Honda Jazz GLi model would sit on 2100rpm in top gear at 100km/h, which means its sipping fuel at an impressively low rate.

One of the only criticisms I can level at the car is the sound the engine emits: it's raspy and a tad louder than it should be. 

Rather than an engine note, the little 1.3-litre mill makes more of dull drone that seems to distort and occasionally makes your eardrums bleed when revved hard.

It could be a symptom of the way the gearbox manipulates the compact engine, and I guess if you don't rev the engine too hard you won't be assaulted by the accursed resonance.

Standard features on the entry-level $15,990 Jazz GLi include power windows and mirrors, central locking, CD stereo, heat absorbing windows, pollen filtered air conditioning, plus two airbags and ABS.

Aesthetically speaking, the Jazz shows off a good, solid design that straddles the line between cute and contemporary.

The second generation Honda Jazz has a sharper, more focussed look than its precursor but as mentioned it's also got that smiley face design going on at the front end.

Honda has given the new model a lot more personality and I think this will pay dividends on the showroom floor because it's target market, predominantly younger drivers, don't traditionally search for conservative designs.

If you've seen the Thomas the Tank Engine-inspired TV adverts, you'll know how Honda is marketing the new model - a happy, fun-loving character whose goal in life is to have fun. How can you go wrong?

Overall: 4/5

Some people would say that life was uncomplicated five years ago. A lot of things have changed, but then as now the Honda Jazz is still a great little car with an annoyingly 'cute' face.

What were once unique features are now fairly standard in the compact car segment but despite this, the Jazz is still relevant and even when it's rivals are making big strides forward, this car still has most of them beat.

I like this car for numerous reasons - the fuel economy, the roomy interior, the several thousand beverage holders - and I dislike it for very few reasons. 

Best of all, it's an exceedingly user friendly car.

We did everything in this vehicle from the weekly shopping, cruising down to the trendy inner city cafe strip for an overpriced brekky, and we even took it on a road trip to the beach and it fulfilled all these roles with absolute ease.

The Honda Jazz is not a revolutionary car, just a very good compact car.