subject: Honda Jazz Ive Driven Better [print this page] Honda's funky little 5-door Jazz re-writes the compact car rulebook for space, practicality and versatility, though poor driving dynamics take the good out of an otherwise excellent package.
Let's start from the top. The Jazz is Honda's entrant in the highly contested market. Its five door hatchback and there's three model variants, namely GLi, VTi and VTi-S.
The entry level GLi is powered by a 1.3-litre, four cylinder engine,
The 1.3-litre engine is available with a choice of transmissions, the conventional 5-speed manual gearbox.
Next step up is the VTi which gets the bigger 1.5-litre four cylinder engine. This engine is again offered with two transmissions, either the aforementioned 5-speed manual, or a rather addictive 7-speed version of the CVT transmission.
The interior comfortably seats four adults thanks to its upright seating positions which make the most of the Jazz's high roof and low floor - the fuel tank no longer hides behind the rear seats, it's under the front floor, meaning occupants get full use of the car's floor to ceiling height.
Equipment and safety levels are typically Honda thorough; all models get dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution, power steering, CD player, central locking, power windows and mirrors.
On our first meeting with the car, our opinion swayed immediately to the positive, until we drove it. The vehicle's overly firm suspension is a real handful on bumpy roads, and can get real uncomfortable for back seat passengers. The steering is dead, and the base model's 14in tyres are downright brutal. That in mind the engine was very responsive.
So, putting this all into perspective, the Jazz remains an nice prospect. Even so, the Jazz offers a lot more than any other competitor in its price range, and that alone is enough reason to buy it.
