Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £10,575 to £13,535
Roomy and versatile; nippy yet economical engines; simple and user-friendly; well-built and reliable.
Ride still a bit bouncy; only two engines to choose from; not the cheapest in class; rather dowdy image.
Not as much fun to drive as the new Fiesta, nor as youthful in character, but a lot more practical and versatile.
Honda has improved the ride considerably, though the Jazz is still a bit bouncy over rougher surfaces and somewhat sensitive to ruts. Sound-proofing is better, if not class-leading.
Greater improvements have been made to the seats: the front seats are far more supportive than before (and come with some nice velour upholstery choices) and better-bolstered, and the rear-seat passengers get more legroom and headroom.
The layout of the interior, always excellent, has been enhanced further; not only do the rear seats fold completely flat into the floor in a clever one-motion action, their bases can alternatively be swivelled up to meet the upright backs to create a tall, deep crossways space behind the front seats.
Total cargo capacity? Up to 366 litres (if no spare wheel is fitted) with the rear seats in place, and a near van-like 883 litres with them folded, all accessible via a wide tailgate opening or the now wider-opening rear doors.
The wide-opening doors and high-set seats make the Jazz accessible for people as well as cargo; it's a car popular with older drivers, or those with impaired mobility, with good reason.
UK specification levels are badged S, SE, ES and EX; S versions do without air conditioning or alloy wheels, and you'll need ES spec for body-coloured door mirrors and door handles, electrically-adjustable/retracting door mirrors, a tilt/reach-adjustable steering wheel, rear electric windows and rear audio system speakers. EX models add front foglights, a panoramic glass roof, armrests and climate control, tinted glass, cruise control, a leather steering wheel and for those who do want all the latest gadgets, automatic headlamps and wipers, and a USB input for the stereo. They also have a 'double-trunk' boot-divider system.
Options include sat nav (£485 for a dealer-fit system that slots onto the top of the dashboard) and various bright metallic and pearlescent paint finishes, including a lurid yellow and a pretty lilac-y pink.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Honda Jazz
wrote on 06 04 2007
wrote on 16 11 2006
wrote on 15 10 2006