...to get a Honda Jazz?

[Eatcabbage]

I am not retired.
But, I quite like the look of it, it's like the old Mercedes A class, and it's apparently very reliable and practical and the inside is so clever.
But then again, I look at what else I could get for the same money and wonder if I'd regret it.

I love mine. I've had it 12 years and the only major repairs have been new exhaust and new clutch, neither of which were expensive. The only thing I don't like is the windscreen fogging up when it rains, but that might just be older models. Mine has done over 100000 miles and shows no signs of stopping. It might not be the nippiest at junctions and you don't want to overtake uphill when it's fully laden but it's a reliable economical little car. You can also fit a huge amount of luggage into it.

If you do loads of motorway driving, it's perhaps not the best but it's perfect for driving around town and hauling the kids around.

I love my Jazz. I had no idea it had a reputation as being an old person’s car!

Reliable, spacious, comfy, easy to park, nippy.

I've got one too (the Si sporty version). It's a great car, much better then the Nissan Note (just Google to see comparisons). They hold their value too as there's always an OAP lining up to buy one!

Loved my Jazz, had it for 13 years from new (bought it in my twenties, not the usual Jazz demographic). Magic seats were brilliant, and so much boot space and visibility all round. I do miss it. However, when I came to replace it I tried driving a new one and frankly it drove like a cow. Much more sluggish than my old one. I was gutted and obviously didn't buy it.

We have one - it's great with small kids as there's loads of space in the back for cat seats and the boot is huge for a car that size. I couldn't care less what other people think of it though as long as a car is practical, reliable and small enough for me to park easily.

I find it nippy enough with just me and the kids in it and we regularly drive on A roads and dual carriageways so not just towns. However, it's definitely not once DH is in too - but then we have a big car for when it's all of us.

Hubby has one that’s 14 years old.
Sadly it’s been a complete moneypit. Gearbox bearings are s known problem in older jazz’s. As are handbrake issues.

Reckon it rolled off the line on a Friday afternoon or a Monday morning!!

I’m on my 2nd. No it’s not a cool car but neither does it ever let me down. Spacious on the inside and reliable AF.

My MILs got one and I hate driving it (even though I borrow it on a regular basis). Everything feels very close to you as a driver (the dash, door etc) and the brakes a funny.

According to various mechanics that’s just how the brakes are supposed to be though, so it may be that it doesn’t suit me as a driver.

Fuel economy is good, which is why I drive it into Sydney a lot, but it’s terrifying driving on the freeway surrounded by the huge lorries and commercial vehicles. It’s an automatic (so great to drive in traffic) but the gearbox doesn’t seem very quick on the changes and it strains a lot under acceleration. It’s also very low to the ground so speed bumps at anything other than snail pace are very painful.

Mine’s 10 and I love it. Never given me a moment’s bother. It’s made many crossings over the Pennines with no complaints. I generally stick to speed limits but it would definitely like to travel at 80 if I let it.

It warms up quickly on cold mornings and has an enormous capacity. I’ve had a single bed mattress and a small Ikea sofa in mine (not at the same time...) Brilliant fold up seats in the back so you can transport large plants in the footwell without them tipping over.

Disclaimer: I am quite old and don’t care about being cool.

I am a really boring driver. I have had Saxo, Fiat 500, VWup. Now I have a Polo GT and it is the nicest car I have ever driven. I feel like patting it. It is so obliging.

I have a Ford Fusion, which is a similar size & shape to a Jazz. It suits me perfectly, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it. If I'd had a wider choice, though (previous car had failed MOT and I needed something local in a particular price range in a hurry), I'd have gone for a Nissan Note rather than a Honda Jazz.

I hate cars but I need one for various practical reasons. I want one I can fit stuff in but can park easily. The more it looks like something Jeremy Clarkson would hate, the more willing I am to consider it. I would never own a car that a Lexus driver would be seen dead in.

I've got one it's great. Tbh I kind of wonder about people who need to get their excitement from driving a car! Mines 14 years old got 68k on the click and ticking along nicely. I could afford something nicer. But for me I'd rather spend my money on almost anything else. I just need something to get me from A to B reliably. The jazz fits the bill perfectly. So I suppose what I'm saying is it depends what your priorities are.

Oh also I've done lots of driving in various cars and vans. The jazz isn't awful to drive as some pp's are saying. Maybe they're driving clapped out ones?

I inherited mine from my Dad. It's 14 years old and still going strong. They literally never go wrong.

I’d agree with that. I need a car to get to work and ferry three kids around in that won’t break down and cost money all the time. I can afford the fuel, it’s not too big to park, I can get five people in it comfortably and flatten the back seat down to make a bitching cargo space for trips to Ikea/the dump/garden centre. It’s a practical choice but that’s why I like it. The Jazz serves my needs perfectly. Worst thing about it is the name. ‘Jazz’. This good all-rounder deserves a better name.

They are a bit 'old lady', but they have got a lot going for them with some really good features.

Last year my MIL had an accident in hers with a huge lorry from the local quarry. She was bruised but walked away in one bit, the car was a write off.

I was impressed!

had no idea it had a reputation as being an old person’s car!

Really? The five mile tailbacks in the outside lane behind one are usually a dead giveaway.

Brilliant car. We loved DHs do much we bought me one when I needed a replacement for my car. Still got it now. Expecting DC2 and have no plans to change cars.

I believe that outside of the UK it's called the Honda Fit and in Japan it's driven by boy-racers!

On the comments about it being terrible to drive - we’ve test driven newer models and they don’t have the oomph that the original one we have has. In particular the test drive route includes an uphill motorway slip road and it was really sluggish on that, which put us off upgrading.

I live outside the UK and drive one. Never heard of it being for the elderly.
Do people really buy cars to think it will make them look ‘ fashionable ‘ or something ?! Like clothes ? Then again I love old lady dresses etc.
We chose it after checking a guide to cars for biggest boot space and economical for petrol. It was great for the buggy etc. It’s now 15 years old and still going and not had to spend much money on it apart from tyres. I would definitely buy another .

When I was buying ours (so this is about 10 years ago), I came across a quote from Jeremy Clarkson about the cars they featured on Top Gear. I don't remember the exact words, but it was something like...

"People ask us why we don't spend a lot of time on the family-friendly, everyday cars... It's because we're not interested in them. If you want a nice reliable family car, get a Honda Jazz or a Toyota Yaris. But we're never going to feature them on Top Gear, because they're boring."

Good enough for me!

I had an automatic Honda Jazz as a courtesy car. Couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Awful handling and clunky gear changes.

I loved almost everything about mine, except it had no acceleration, so was crap for pulling out into Smallish gaps in a hurry, which I need to do a lot. They hold their value really well

I found one with leather seats, (incidental, wasn't looking for them). ... Would they be silly though in a Jazz, or a good idea given the child / dog usage it's going to get? I have leather seats in my 18 yr old Civic. Love them! So easy to get the mud off.

We spend a lot of time in the hills ... if you ever park up in a dodgy layby down a long track, you'll find the car that got there first is a Jazz. They seem to have interesting lives.