Honda Jazz 2003 Review

Honda's not happy. A number of Australia's motoring journalists were taken to task by Honda Australia for their opinion on the Jazz and its deficiencies. Like CarPoint, they found the rear suspension setup firm and unyielding, at times making the Jazz more than a handful to keep on the bitumen.

Like CarPoint they found the Jazz's steering lacking. It's lifeless, remote and inconsistently weighted, giving you very little clue to what the front end is doing. At highway speeds the Jazz is prone to wandering, in corners the Jazz is more difficult than it should be to direct accurately and confidently.

Like CarPoint, and to be fair, everyone attending the half-day launch in Sydney was impressed with the Jazz's packaging, drivetrain refinement, and especially its fuel economy. But like CarPoint, full marks were withheld because the chassis lets the rest of the Jazz down.

If you want to read our first test, follow this link. Click Here.

Now, CarPoint has spent more than a quick afternoon in the Jazz. We managed to wangle a 1.3-litre GLi manual out of Honda Australia for a week-long test. Everyday driving, everyday uses, everyday life. But did it change our opinion of Honda's funky little number? Did our week with the Jazz change our perspective on its flaws and finery?

Nope. Not one bit.

Look. Let's get a couple of things clear from the get-go. The Honda Jazz is a truly brilliant small car. It is revolutionary in its approach to a number of things; fuel economy and interior packaging are two examples where Jazz is far ahead of the rest. It's undoubtedly impressive value for money on paper, and stacks the goodies extremely high given its $16-$24k asking price.

The Jazz is let down in a couple of fundamental areas, and one in particular can be laid at the feet of economic rationalisation. Let's punish that whipping boy a bit more, shall we.

Did you know that Honda puts the same basic suspension system as the Jazz into the Civic and the CR-V. Sure, there's something to be said for saving costs by getting the most usage out of component development. But does an inner city, 1010kg compact car have the same requirements as a 1485kg small/medium-sized four wheel drive?

The Jazz's front suspension is too firm, the rear even more so. Passengers and driver alike will feel the jiggle long after the bump or speed hump has been conquered. And rear seat passengers aren't likely to stay cheery for long, for while the seats are good, firm and supportive, the ride sends shockwaves along the spine.

So, let's recap, and get all this in perspective. The Jazz scores incredibly well on our clipboard in the following areas: Engine and transmission, fuel economy (astounding!), safety, interior space and versatility, refinement and build quality.

The Jazz scores crosses against its wooden, lifeless steering, similarly wooden pedals and way too firm ride. And the funny thing is Honda had two suspension tunes to choose from for Australia, and they picked the harder European-developed one. We wonder if the Japanese one is better suited to our roads...

When shopping in the compact, city car class and price range, the Jazz is - at the time of writing - as good as you'll get. If you asked for a star rating we'd be stamping four out of five on its forehead, and seriously thinking about adding a half. The kicker is, it could easily have grabbed the fifth, if the ride wasn't so obviously and annoyingly deficient.