Here’s my next and probably final review of the Honda Jazz 2009, after the 10000 km servicing, plus a long distance trip.
The Good:
- Slight improvement of engine smoothness with engine oil change
- Hit 500km on approximately 33L of petrol top up, which translates to about 15km/L. This comes from about 85% of highway driving on a long distance trip.
- Relatively low 1.8k rpm to attain 80km/h, and 2.5k rpm to attain 120 km/h, on a mere 1.3L engine
- Awarded 5 star Euro NCAP rating
The Bad:
- Car developed rattle on probably the headliner in less than 6 months
- Slow first to second gear change. Choose between going easy on the accelerator and allowing a drop to 1.5k rpm after the gear change before building up power (more natural but risk getting stares when the car behind overtakes), or step hard on the accelerator to keep the car moving, with the engine stuck at 2.2k rpm from the first through the fourth gear. Have to get used to being overtaken by vans and lorries
- When ferrying 3 or more people, the car starts to feel like it is pulling a heavy cart attached using a rubberband. The car moves off reluctantly. Braking becomes much harder as well. The 1.3L engine seems to be designed to carry just 2 persons most of the time.
The Ugly:
- Currently priced at about $68k, much higher than typical PI pricing at around $55k
