[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by jaysheth

one reason why the "Honda City Hatchback" (also called "Honda Jazz Crosstar") that has been launched in some other countries will never see the light of the day in India, as there would be very few buyers with a hatchback with length of a typical sedan (4.3 m or more), and a more powerful NA engine. Launching that would cost even more than some of the premium SUVs. Honda had to decide to stay away from launching this in India (as per my study)

The Baleno sedan that preceded SX4 had this. The premier Padmini had this. Even the Amby had this. with the Padmini at least, you had to buy the chassis and build it yourself.

There was no market for detergent or tooth brush till these were available in the market.

[zuheb04]

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

This was the reaction of most people when I told them I had booked a Honda Jazz.

To be honest, even my first choice wasn't the Jazz. I had booked the i20 N line N6 variant.

Requirements:
1. A compact car to drive in the city (Chennai and Bangalore) and also on highways*
2. A spacious cabin
3. Plenty of boot space
4. Sunroof (This was my wife's only requirement. She has motion sickness and the sunroof makes her feel less claustrophobic)
5. Automatic (CVT) or semi-automatic (IMT) transmission.
6. Ex-showroom budget of 10L

Hyundai i20 N line N6
The sportier looking N-line variant attracted me a lot as it had all the features I was looking for and it was under 10L ex-showroom. As a first-time car buyer, I wanted to get the car as quickly as possible. Hence, I called up multiple showrooms in Chennai to enquire about the availability of the N6 variant. All the dealers quoted a waiting period of 2 months.

The showroom in Chennai OMR stated that they had an awaiting stock and that if I made a reservation, they could deliver it within a month. So I made the booking on June 10th and the estimated delivery was July 1st week or no later than July 10th. I began inquiring about the vehicle on July 1st, and the dealer kept making false promises that the vehicle would be delivered before July 20th. Then the dates were pushed back to the end of July, and finally I received an email from the senior manager at Hyundai saying it would be delivered on August 1st. I was pissed off at this email and started looking for negative reviews and false promises made by dealers, etc. on Google. That is when I came across an article regarding the fuel pump issues faced by a few N-line and sonet users. This article led me to the incident that happened to me during the test drive of the vehicle.

On the day of booking the car, there was an N6 IMT variant on display awaiting delivery for another customer, but it was not available for test drive. Hence, we drove the N8 DCT model. We took the car out of the showroom and at the first traffic signal, around 500m, the car stopped and refused to turn on. The sales executive who was along with us on the test drive said it had run out of fuel and helped push the vehicle to the side of the road. Then he called the mechanics from the showroom for assistance. They reached the spot in 5 minutes and drove us back to the showroom in another vehicle. We waited for more than an hour in the showroom and then the vehicle was brought back saying it had low fuel and they had filled it now. We didn't pay much heed to this at that time, but later when I read the article regarding the fuel pump issues, I was scared to go ahead with the i20 N line. So I called the sales executive and asked them to cancel the booking and provide the refund.

Now I've started hunting for the next car that fits my requirements.*
I was left with the following options:
1. Hyundai Venue
2. 2. Kia sonet
3. 3. Honda Jazz
The Hyundai Venue and sonet share the same engine as the i20, hence I decided not to go ahead with them and decided to check out the Honda Jazz.

I visited the Honda dealer near my home and requested a test drive, which was arranged immediately. The sales executive was very kind and welcoming and explained all the features and honestly explained the missing features compared to other cars in the segment(TPMS, hill hold assist, etc.).

We decided to go with the ZX variant as that was the only variant offering a sunroof. The manual transmission was under 10L but I, being a new driver, didn't want the hassle of changing gears in bumper to bumper traffic in Chennai and Bangalore. Hence, we finalised on the ZX CVT variant.
Honda is well known for its engine. The car I test drove had clocked 8k on the odo and yet it remained very silent and the drive was very smooth.

The booking was confirmed and the car was delivered on the 15th day from the date of booking(including registration and number plate fitment). Honda delivered on their promise and I was a proud owner of the Honda Jazz in no time.



The journey of Jazz began with driving in the city for about 200km in the first week, and then we took it for a 4-day trip to Bangalore. The car was fully loaded with luggage and four adult travellers. The car was comfortable on the highways and didn't feel the lack of power when driven under 80kmph and with no sudden acceleration. The road conditions were unfavourable for the first 100 km due to construction on the highway, and then the remaining 200 km was a breeze on the 4 lane highway. The last 50kms were dreadful as we were in jam-packed traffic and it took us 2.5hrs to cover the 50kms and reach our destination. I got an average mileage of 13kmpl on the overall trip from Chennai to Bangalore, which was disappointing. But I convinced myself that the mileage would increase after the first service. Then I continued to drive in Bangalore for the next 4 days, where the average mileage dropped to 11.5 km. On the way back to Chennai, I forgot to reset the trip meter and continued the drive with the existing average mileage figures. After about 150km, I realised it and reset the trip meter. From this point, I could see an immediate improvement in the mileage shown in the MID. I was getting an average of 19kmpl, which was very satisfactory, and after 100kms of good roads, I had to tackle the diversion signs for the next 100kms, which dropped the mileage to 17.8kmpl for a 200km drive.

After my trip to Bangalore, I had completed 991km, so I was due for my first service within 10 days of delivery. The car was dropped off at the service centre in the morning, and it was serviced by noon. The service was free of charge, but I opted for the underbody and silencer coating, for which I paid 4,661.

After the service, I drove around Chennai and saw the mileage dropping to 10 kmpl. Also, the car felt strained in the city. The car, being an automatic with a CVT transmission, struggled for quick acceleration and the engine felt strained. After some research on the forum, I found a few tips to increase the mileage in city driving and how to contain the CVT lag.

1. When you reach the desired speed, take your foot off the accelerator and lightly press down on the accelerator. This way, the car comes to a lower RPM and returns good mileage.
2. Do not tailgate. It's ok to have some distance between the vehicle ahead for sometime. Eventually the distance will be covered even with light foot accelerations.
3. Sports mode helps in quick overtakes. Once the overtake is complete, switch back to drive mode.

After a couple of weeks, I took the car for another long trip of about 460km (one way). This time I was driving solo and carrying just a medium-sized suitcase. During this trip, the car returned a good mileage of 20.2kmpl while cruising at 80kmph speed and occasional acceleration for overtaking and declaration on a two-lane state highway. While returning from the trip, there were 3 people in the car with 2 medium-sized suitcases. The average cruising speed was at 90kmph and occasionally at 110kmph. With this, I was able to achieve an average of 18.1kmpl.


Here's my verdict on the Honda Jazz after 2 months of ownership and 2500km (1600 on highways and 900 in city driving conditions).*

Positives include:
1. Excellent manoeuvrability
2. Seats that are comfortable
3. Excellent steering feedback
4. Good visibility all around and a bright cabin
5. Great highway mileage.

Negatives include:
1. The absence of rear AC vents
2. It struggles for quick acceleration in the city
3. Android auto disconnects from time to time
4. Bad patches on the road can be felt in the cabin
5. 15-inch alloy wheels. (The European version comes with 16-inch diamond-cut alloys).

Accessories installed in the car:*
1. Seat cover: From the Honda dealership at approx. 10k
2. Footwell lights: after market, blue lights on the footwell at approx. 800
3. Sunfilm: 3M sunfilm with 70% visibility for windows and back glass at approx. 3500 (sunfilm for windshield is next on the to-do list)
4. Car mats: 7D car mat from auto tech at 7500
5. Key cover: Car key cover from Amazon at 350
6. Phone holder: Rearview mirror car mount at 250



To conclude, the Honda Jazz is an outdated vehicle that is still very practical and has all the necessary features, mated to a refined engine with fit and finish unmatched in its class. Overall, a happy customer looking forward to a wonderful journey ahead.

[jaysheth]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

This was the reaction of most people when I told them I had booked a Honda Jazz.

To conclude, the Honda Jazz is an outdated vehicle that is still very practical and has all the necessary features, mated to a refined engine with fit and finish unmatched in its class. Overall, a happy customer looking forward to a wonderful journey ahead.

Enjoyed reading this write-up and congratulations on your new car

I too was in the same boat as yours, in late 2021. I was seriously considering i20 N Line N8 IMT, but they did not have any i20 IMT vehicle for test drive, neither N Line nor a regular i20 IMT. This went on for many months, I kept following up and they finally said their TD vehicle was sold to a customer(!) and I could get a TD if I go to their stockyard (almost 35 kms away), which finally put us completely off! That was meant for our good though, as will follow in this write-up.

All they could offer was a Venue IMT for TD. While I liked driving that, even though my hand was almostly constantly engaged in changing gears in city traffic, getting a Venue for TD instead of an i20 killed the excitement. Having driven Hyundai Santro Xing for 13+ years, and having loved it, changing gears was second-nature to me, and primary reason for switching the car was to save myself from the constant hassle of depressing/releasing the clutch pedal! Our Pune-Mumbai-Pune trips during peak hours had started getting a bit painful due to frequently required clutch interventions.

However, after considerable research and study, I was quite clear about selecting the Jazz over i20 for the following major reasons:

1. While i20 Asta O DCT test drive was very smooth, DCT became a strict NO for us after some good study (thanks to Team BHP threads), as we were <b>not open</b> to the possibility of heating issues during stop-and-go traffic, something that we won't be able to avoid for long considering the ever-increasing traffic situations across India. And I dread the very thought of having to be stranded with family in the middle of a trip!
2. The very reason for looking for a change was to move away from Manual Transmission (as we all age). That left with i20 IMT as the only choice for Hyundai i20. But I still the following major cons (major in my personal opinion, do not want to hurt anyone):
(a) Turbo petrol engine - while very peppy to drive, it would not be as "reliable" in the long run as an NA petrol engine of Jazz. You have already mentioned one of the issues arising out of that (fuel pump), but because of more moving parts, much higher RPMs, and several other adverse repercussions of direct fuel injection I could finally have my head win over my heart!
(b) 3-cylinder (turbo) engine (of Hyundai) vesus 4-cylinder (NA) engine of Honda. Both are simply incomparable in my humble opinion. Choice was clear.
(c) My wife (an occassional driver) would not be very comfortable driving an IMT having to always think which gear to slot. I was afraid she might give up on driving altogether!
3. Jazz is significantly better built and therefore safer than an i20. Global NCAP ratings testify this further (amogst many other things).
4. I did not like the sudden surge in the power of a turbo engine, rather much preferred the predictable linear acceleration (especially for my wife, an occassional driver who would prefer predictability over surprises!)
5. Honda i-VTEC CVT gearbox is an absolute gem! Club that with an extremely well refined 4-cylinder NA petrol engine and you have a perfect combo! I can daresay that new Hyundai/Kia cars simply cannot match such a combo. Please note that I had always loved my Hyundai Santro Xing, and that was a fantastic manual gearbox + engine combo, but then the experts here advised me to not expect Xing level of reliability here.
6. My respect for Hyundai (and other manufacturers like Kia) had already reduced due to the way they have changed over the decades. How do you justify having a rear wiper + washer only in the top-end trim? And that's just one example of omitting the very necessary and important <b>essentials</b>. As a stark contrast, all variants of Honda Jazz come equipped with the safety features like ABS with EBD, Speed Sending Auto Door Lock, Rear Windshield Defogger, Rear Wiper and Washer and many more. It is simply <b>criminal</b> for many other manufactures to offer many of these only in their top-end trim. Honda has made zero-compromise here, regardless of the variant we select. All variants also come with cruise control and all CVT variants have paddle shifters too!

Retrospectively, I feel good and lucky that we never got an i20 IMT even for a test drive, else we would have had spent almost 13L on an i20 IMT N Line N8, only to remain worried about the long-term reliability in the years to come!

And today we drove 10-day old Jazz VX CVT for 110 kms. While the car was an absolute pleasure to drive, I was elated that my wife too drove for 15-20 kms and she was very comfortable + happy throughout her drive. IMT would have added an extra dimension of complexity for her.

On a side note though, I would definitely recommend regular MT drivers to check out IMT. It's a great tech! For those comfortable with switching gears IMT is the best of both worlds. If more car manufacturers could consider launching IMT + NA petrol (or diesel) combo, it could do wonders (e.g. Maruti Brezza IMT is likely to find lots of buyers, though IMT is being offered only by Hyundai and Kia to the best of my knowledge).

Wish you pleasant and and worry-free drives with your Jazz! Drive safe.

[Chethan B G]

Originally Posted by jaysheth

I was surprised, double-checked that the brakes are not applied, tried one more time and got the same results.

Wonder why Honda is not publishing this as a feature, officially!

CVT GB coupled with the crawl feature provides sufficient oomph for the car to hold-on to a certain extent. But eventually, the gears will start slipping. This is just part of science and not a feature, otherwise Honda would have officially published it.

It is advisable not to put the GB to unnecessary strain, since the slip once developed cannot be reversed in a CVT.

It is always a good practice to use handbrakes in an incline; both for the GB and for the safety.

[venbas]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

This was the reaction of most people when I told them I had booked a Honda Jazz.

Congrats on the Jazz a very sensible and practical decision amidst the sea of competition that have dodgy build reliability or safety records.

Our Honda Jazz VX(CVT) is about to complete the 1st Anniversary and it has been an absolutely fuss free and comfortable ownership. Absolutely no regrets

[zuheb04]

Originally Posted by jaysheth

Enjoyed reading this write-up and congratulations on your new car e.

OMG, These were my thoughts exactly!

I absolutely agree with all that you have said, I wanted to mention all these but feared the post would be too long, hence skipping this part.

Especially the omission of the rear wiper. Having driven my Honda jazz in heavy rains, I see how important of a feature it is. And I would've regretted it had I chosen the i20 N6. It doesn't make sense to give features like auto headlamps in the base variant over the rear vipers.

So glad to see we share the same opinion on the i20 and Honda Jazz. Congratulations on your new Honda Jazz; wishing you a wonderful journey ahead.


Mod Note -Please quote only the relevant portion and proofread before posting.

[abhaybakshi]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

I own 2016 Jazz and it's a beautiful car. And no.. you are not out of your mind. In fact, I would say that you are mindful. I had Swift till 2016... so the only pain area was sluggish performance in low RPM's. But got used to it in few months. Other than this, my car has been a smooth and reliable machine. Had done numerous long distance trips (for example Pune-Bangalore, Pune-Goa) and never ever it has let us down. Even after 6 years, engine is incredibly silent with no roughness and no rattling (except front passenger seat noise some times when empty). Can still extract 19.5-20 KMPL if I decide to drive below 80-85km/hr on 5th. Tried that couple of times during trip to Nashik when I was not in hurry. Sure, Jazz likes to be pampered but in return, she will be your most reliable friend on roads. Happy driving !

[sameer_vwagner]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022

Congratulations on your buy, Zuheb.

And to be honest, even i was asked the question of why a Polo / Jazz and why not Sonet / Venue exactly a year back. I was torn between the Jazz and the Polo and finally went ahead and booked the Polo GT.

Today, after ~13k kms on the odo I am super happy with my choice and am sure the same applies to you as well.

Godspeed for your future journeys.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

Congratulations and welcome to the Jazz club

Yeah these days we have so many newer options, this question is inevitable. But it all boils down to your requirements. As a first car its an excellent choice thanks to the reliable engine gearbox, a little expensive but fuss-free service and not to forget its among the rare structurally stable hatchbacks(only other being Altroz) as per GNCAP results. Wish you many happy miles with the Jazz.

Mileage in city like Bangalore would hover around 11-12kmpl at best(speaking from my 3.5 years of ownership experience) and highways will range from 15-20kmpl depending on your right foot. Don’t fret too much on this and enjoy the car. This will probably be our last ICE car.

[mindshack]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

This was the reaction of most people when I told them I had booked a Honda Jazz.

Congratulation!!

At a time when all the unnecessary jazz is filled up in the new cars, you have managed to pick for yourself a long lasting reliable jazz free companion. Having driven my sisters Jazz in the city and the highway, I fee its a no-nonsense car and being Honda customers (I drive a Honda City) for over 10 years, cannot recollect one incident where the cars have failed us. Wishing happy miles ahead.

[ketan007]

Congratulations on the new car! It's a very good decision, and Jazz still makes sense in 2022 with a CVT engine and other practical features. I am thinking of buying it before Honda discontinues it in March 2023.

[ellip5i5]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

To conclude, the Honda Jazz is an outdated vehicle that is still very practical and has all the necessary features, mated to a refined engine with fit and finish unmatched in its class. Overall, a happy customer looking forward to a wonderful journey ahead.

Congratulations on the purchase.Could you share why the Amaze was not a consideration if that was part of your process? Also did you encounter any issues with the ground clearance?

[saurabh041086]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

To conclude, the Honda Jazz is an outdated vehicle that is still very practical and has all the necessary features, mated to a refined engine with fit and finish unmatched in its class. Overall, a happy customer looking forward to a wonderful journey ahead.

Congratulations on your acquisition.

I recently checked Jazz. It was beyond our expectations. Huge space inside and the smoothness of that engine and gearbox took me by surprise. We were evaluating this for Wife. Started the day with Nios AMT and as soon as we moved to this, wife was awestruck and almost made up her mind as the next car.

But not just me wife also has the same question now. Why Jazz at 11 lakh on road. I think our two concerns are the low seating that somewhat creates a blind sport around A pillar. But we had a Punto in past so I guess we might be able to overcome this. Second reason being the ground clearance as we plan to move to Gurugram (that comes with craters on road as complimentary) in 2-3 years.

Jazz owners, can you share how is the suspension. I know ground clearance is one thing but the way suspension has been tuned plays an important role in tackling the potholes and bumps. We are yet to have a longer test drive at a track of my choice to test in use case listed above. Any feedback in this regard will be helpful.

[aniketi]

Congratulations on your new purchase. To be honest, you made right decision. This is better than i20 for sure in terms of space, practicality, looks etc. Enjoy your new ride and drive safe, all the best !

[UD17]

Originally Posted by zuheb04

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?
To conclude, the Honda Jazz is an outdated vehicle

Congratulation. Wish you a happy ownership.

I must say no car is outdated until its modern enough to fulfill one's purpose. For me my 2013 Honda city is still quite relevant even after 1.1lacs kilometers the car is as good as new performance wise. Jazz offers unique advantages over many modern version of competitor's cars:

-Reliability, Nice ASS and fuss free ownership
-Nice NA engine with butter smooth CVT
-Tons of Space
-Looks, design, Brand tag

Please keep updating the thread with your experience.