Honda Jazz with 2 small kids? Or any other suggestions?

[lornathewizzard]

We've been looking for a used car for about 4 weeks and its starting to drive me a bit up the wall.

We previously had a Saab 95 estate that has broken. We've been thinking along the same lines as the Saab as we have two under 5s, a double pram (city jogger) and we sometimes take the kids 90miles to my sisters to stay which means luggage, travel cot, pram etc.

However, everyday the car is used by us fairly locally, within about 20miles. We don't do that many miles, maybe 5000 a year including the occasional road trip. Driving such a big beast seems overkill. But then I still need to be able to fit the pram in (although we might get away with switching to a single and buggy board) and two reasonably sized car seat.

I hear the Honda Jazz has good boot size, anyone any experience? From what I've read the 2008-2015 has less boot (in litres) but is it still doable? The older model would be an option too.

Or any other ideas? I'd rather have a 'reliable' brand, Honda, Toyota etc. I just want it sorted now. Budget is up to around £3k although happy to spend less and keep a bit for future MOTs etc.

Due to wear we live a lot of the used cars are 30+ miles away so its not like just popping round the corner for a test drive, its a wee bit away

I have a Honda jazz and two kids. It was originally a second car when they were younger and I don't remember having any issues fitting buggy in. I originally had a 2003 mode purchased at 3 years old and it lasted until it was 13 years with no major work needed. For a small car it is very spacious.

I now have a 2013 sport model and hoping it lasts as long!

If I needed another new car pretty sure I would go for one again.

I remember seeing the newer model when I bought the last one and it looked quite different.

Actually looking back at your post I'm not sure it would fit travel cot luggage and pram.......but depends how much longer you would be using travel cot for aNd whether you could just leave one there.....

Thats all reassuring Toomanycats99

We've had Honda's previously and both met demises not of their own making

its the luggage/travel cot thing thats bugging me. But is it worth choosing a car based on 3-4 trips a year maybe? We could probably leave a travel cot etc at my sisters and the double pram is starting to become less useful for everyday (tho for holidays etc I think is still needed).

Roof box for the occasional journey's?

I have an 06 honda jazz and two young children and I love it! Had no issues with fitting things in for holidaying and comfortable for long journeys. Instead of taking a travel cot away we would just take a bed guard for the youngest. We also have a roof box that fits it in case we did need to take more than usual. Definitely recommend. The only negative is what I call 'jazz anger' - where other drivers see a jazz and automatically assume an old lady is driving it and try to overtake, even if I'm doing at least the speed limit!

Oh I didn't even really think of a roof box, good shout.

Ha CakeBeTheFoodOfLove my husband does have concerns about 'jazz anger' and that would annoy him for sure, but in reality, I would just need to drive as it wouldn't annoy me so much Going from a 2 litre to a 1.4 would definitely be a change

I recommend the Nissan Note. Similar style to the Honda Jazz.

The rear legroom is excellent and the "normal" boot is pretty big.

BUT you can then push the back seats forward a little (still plenty of space for legs) and the boot becomes massive.

I'd go and have a look.

It's amazingly practical in so many ways.

(And and very slightly less likely to be assumed to be driven by a little old lady).

I had one when my kids were small and in the pram, I loved it and there was plenty of space.

Mine was a second car but we did use it for going on holiday one time when our big car was in the garage and it was fine.

Agree with a previous poster, Nissan Note. We're very happy with ours (2008 reg).

lorna my DH doesn't like driving it and stubbornly refuses to accept ownership of the car. When he does drive it he is very rough with it. I think he is hoping it will break so we can replace it. I've assured him I will replace it with the same

Just as a different idea... I have a VW Golf estate. It has stop start feature and I get an average of 55 mph. Having a bigger car doesn't necessarily mean it's worse for fuel economy. My sister has a Mini which averages 45 mph.

Cake I feel my DH may be the same Although we saw one that had been resprayed and modified and he was all for that

Thanks for the other suggestions also folks, having a look just now.

Slippery the fuel economy is important obviously but I just feel a smaller car would suit me better. I hate bloody parking the estate aside from anything else. Although we've had two big Saabs and they both did us well

When I was looking for a small car a couple of years ago dh dragged me in to the Honda garage to try the Jazz. I was so dismissive of it because it looked smaller than all the other cars I had dismissed. I was looking for me and three dc, dh was going to use the bigger car for family trips and getting to work.
My biggest concern was dd is a teen and adult sized and ds1 not far behind her. I have to admit I ate my words I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious it was dh could sit behind me wit the drivers seat adjusted for me and neither of us are short. Boot was fairly big too. We didn’t buy it in the end we ended up with one big car as dh gets a van from work now but would have if circumstances hadn’t changed.

As for luggage and things you can get creative when mine were small is used the footwell space at their feet for bags and things to free up bootspace.

We're on our second Jazz, we got the first when dd1 was a baby and she's now nearly 16. We only have the one car as I normally cycle.

We've sometimes used a roof box for holidays, but only if we are camping or if we are taking body boards. It sometimes struggles a bit up hill if fully loaded for holiday and with 4 teens in the back, but is normally fine. Other minor annoyance is that it isn't possible to fit a bike rack on the back.

The smallish size is great for city driving, citing I to small spaces, etc,I'd struggle with a big car.

We have a Citroen C3 Picasso which has a good boot and legroom for the size.

Thanks everyone

I have the Honda jazz. Had it since dd1 was born and she is 6 now, dd2 is 4.

We had a double buggy for ages and went away often with travel cot etc - no problem whatsoever! At one point we had buggy plus 2 travel cots and it all seemed to fit! Still plenty big enough now. I love it!

Ford Focus Estate.

Nominal capacity with seats folded 1650 litres vs 1500 of the SAAB you are used to.

Focus is nice and small for parking, cheap to buy, low operating costs (servicing, insurance, economy etc) and very well engineered. Ride and handling very tidy - if that matters to you. Easy to find independent repairers familiar with Ford, but if you previously ran SAABs that shouldn't be an issue.

VW carries an unearned badge premium and Škoda seems to be going down that route too, so may apply to SEAT as well.

Haven't tried a Vauxhall Astra Estate but might be worth considering. Avoid anything French (so might now apply to Vauxhall!).

Ford B-Max, Nissan Note, Kia Venga and the other 'Tall-Boy' estates look dreadful and cost more second hand as they are carry the 'fashion statement' premium.

They are also a bit of a marketing con-trick. For example the Ford B-max seats-up-boot capacity is less than that of the Focus estate.

When we were considering a second small local runabout we looked at most of these cars at around your price point the Ford Focus Estate ticked most boxes. In the end we decided it was cheaper just to use the main car for local runabout work as well, so didn't buy any of them.

Honda Jazz is the best engineered of those Tall-Boys though.

I have a Fiat 500L and used to have a Citroen c3 Picasso. Both small cars with excellent room. I love the high up driving position too and it's easier to get small children into car seats. I can fit all the luggage you describe in but I do put the travel cot in the back footwell (flat footwell in these sorts of cars).

We have a Honda jazz. Currently cooking DC2 but have no intentions of getting a different car (we've recently gone down to one car).

It's unlikely that you'll be using a double buggy for that long. We get a buggy, travel cot, toys, bedding and luggage for 3 in very comfortably. If we find it a squeeze we plan to get a roof box (about £225 with bars) or hire a larger car as we'll only need it 3/4 times a year.

Thanks for feedback everyone, continuing the search for a Jazz that's fairly local