HONDA JAZZ 1.4 i-DSi SE 5dr (2004)

Honda Jazz - not what I expected.

I am used to German cars but buying a Honda Jazz I thought, OK, Japanese, should be fairly good quality too, at least it’s not Italian or something. Wrong! I had completely the wrong impression. I really thought that Japanese cars were supposed to be top quality but unfortunately I was disappointed by the Honda Jazz.

It’s not that the Jazz is a bad car, it’s just that it feels cheap, and having driven BMWs and Audis all my life this is not something I’m used to. The road noise really penetrates the cabin and it sounds really cheap and metallic. Drive along a road which is being resurfaced and it sounds like you’re trapped in a popcorn machine. Driving with the heating on in the rain results in steamed up windows. It’s just not what I paid for.

Other than these things (actually kind of minor in the grand scale of things), it’s OK. It drives fairly well, it does pretty good mpg, it looks great. The performance is also really good, which I hadn’t expected with my stereotypical views on Japanese cars! I guess I should be less prejudiced.