Honda Jazz Review 2023

Do you want a small car that’s still capable of carrying many people and things? Do you fancy a hybrid engine that’ll provide very frugal economy? Do you want a car that’ll be cheap to run in other ways, too, with a reputation for reliability? If so, yes, the Honda Jazz probably is the right car for you.

It’s not perfect (that harsh ride and high price tag), but it’s a really easy choice to justify - especially if you need a big boot or wish to carry people in the back. Traditionally the Jazz has always appealed to an older clientele, but it ticks the boxes for a wide variety of buyers - thanks to fresh new technology (the media system is leagues ahead of the old one) and trendy looks.

There’s nothing else quite like the Honda Jazz. It sits between conventional small hatchbacks - cars like the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and the reliable Toyota Yaris  plus more practical small SUVs like the Nissan Juke.

We'd also include cars like the Skoda Kamiq but in size it's probably most similar to the now discontinued Nissan Note.

We've spent three months with the Honda Jazz to find out what it's like to live with every day. We actually tested two different models in that time: a Honda Jazz EX and a Honda Jazz EX Style. Both were everything you'd expect in a Jazz: cheap to run, surprisingly versatile and generally easy to live with.

Any surprises or complaints? Not really. Both cars were entirely dependable during our time with them, while the flip-up magic seats proved to be a particular high point for our practicality-obsessed tester. Although the Jazz is a small hatchback (similar in dimensions to a Ford Fiesta), we were surprised by how well it coped well with long motorway journeys. It certainly isn't out of its depth out of town, while the hybrid engine is consistently economical.

As well as being considerably more stylish than before, the Honda Jazz’s cabin feels better built, too. We wouldn’t go as far as describing it as premium, but it’s certainly more than acceptable for a car of this size and price.

A swath of fabric across the dash is a homely touch, although it’s clear that it’s hiding what would otherwise be a huge chunk of dark, shiny plastic. Start feeling around the top or the bottom of the dash and it’s anything but soft-touch.

There are a few other tell-tale signs that you’re sitting in a Honda rather than a Volkswagen. The shiny silver switches for things like the volume control and climate control might look swish, but they feel a bit naff to use. Little effort has been made to jazz up the staid plastics around the electric window buttons on the door cards, either.

It’s generally a very well-finished cabin, although it is spec-dependent. You’ll need to look for a Honda Jazz SR for soft leather interior panels and the smart black fabric/leather upholstery, while only top-spec Jazz EX models come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector. Without these features, the basic Honda Jazz SE feels a bit drab.

While the entry-level Honda Jazz makes do with a small five-inch audio system with DAB radio and just the four speakers, the rest of the range comes with a slick nine-inch display. Designed to be operated like a smartphone, with a tiled home screen and customisable shortcuts, it’s night-and-day better than the dated media system used in the old Jazz.

Our main gripe with the infotainment screen is its position on the dash. It’s angled slightly upwards and not in the direction of the driver, meaning it can often reflect sunlight and make it difficult to read.

Still, the graphics are sharp and it’s quick to respond while, unlike a lot of modern cars, you don’t have to use the touchscreen to operate everything from the climate control temperature to the radio station. There are physical dials below the media system for the air conditioning, while buttons allow you to easily skip tracks, adjust the volume and skip to the home screen on the infotainment screen.

Of course, you’ll still have to use the touchscreen for certain functions, like inputting addresses into the navigation or selecting a radio station. To help with this, Honda’s provided a useful finger rest below the screen. There’s a voice recognition system on hand, too. This virtual assistant can perform a wide variety of tasks, from answering questions about the car to searching for navigation destinations.

Talking of navigation - that’s only available on top-spec Honda Jazz EX models. This isn’t a big deal, though, as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on mid-range SR trim. These are great for mirroring apps like Google Maps from your phone onto the car’s media system. In-car wifi is available, too, so you won’t have to worry about running out of data.

At 4044mm long, the Honda Jazz is only a cigarette paper longer than a Ford Fiesta. It's 1694mm wide and 1526mm high, while its 2517mm wheelbase means there's more room inside than alternatives.

Indeed, practicality has always been one of the Jazz’s selling points over more conventional rivals. When the latest model was in development, Honda says its designers were briefed that practicality simply couldn’t be affected by the hybrid setup, even though they had a combustion engine, two electric motors, batteries and a fuel tank to contend with.

No one’s going to have any issues with the amount of space in the front of the Jazz. There’s a huge amount of headroom, while the driver’s seat across all models adjusts for height. The seating position is on the high side (even in its lowest settings), but that gives you a good view of the road ahead and makes getting in and out of the car easy.

There’s enough adjustment in the steering wheel for most Jazz buyers to find a comfortable driving position, too.

In terms of storage up front, there’s a useful cubby box under the central armrest, while there’s space in front of the gear lever to rest your phone. The door bins - while not massive - can take a small bottle of water and a few other odds and ends. If you’re a fan of a grande latte, you might be disappointed as the cup holders aren’t particularly big. There are four of them, though - two between the front seats and two in the dash.

If you’re planning to regularly carry passengers in the back, something like a Fiesta simply doesn’t compare. The Jazz’s relatively boxy shape means there’s a huge amount of headroom for rear-seat passengers, and six-foot adults can fit comfortably behind six-foot adults in the front. The one small caveat is that you shouldn’t expect to carry a third person in the middle seat - it’s too narrow for anything but occasional use. By a child. Talking of which - there are ISOFIX points on the outer seats, helping you fit child seats.

With the rear seats in use, the boot is a decent size if not a huge amount bigger than rivals. Officially it can swallow up to 304 litres of luggage, while it’s a fairly practical shape. Access is easy, with only a small lip, and there’s a useful cubby under the floor for hiding away anything you may wish to hide.

Like its predecessors, the Jazz has a party piece in the form of its Magic Seats. Essentially, the rear bench can flip and fold to provide up to 1205 litres of luggage space. Doing so is child’s play, and it’s genuinely incredible what you can fit in the back of the Jazz - from a mountain bike to plants from the garden centre (and you can keep them upright). Maybe we’re just easily impressed.

The Honda Jazz is only sold with one engine and gearbox in the UK. This is a hybrid setup, comprising of a 1.5-litre petrol engine combined with two electric motors and a compact lithium-ion battery pack.

The Jazz’s total power output of 109PS might not sound a lot, but its hybrid system - including a single fixed-gear ratio gearbox - means it actually feels pretty eager. It can accelerate to 62mph in 9.4 seconds, which is comparable to a mid-range Ford Fiesta EcoBoost.

Under normal driving, the Honda Jazz will run in Hybrid Drive mode, using both petrol and electric power to provide the best combination of performance and efficiency. At high speed, it’ll resort to Engine Drive, saving electricity for when it’ll be best utilised - such as around town. During low-speed driving, the petrol engine can cut out entirely, allowing the car to run under electric power.

It’s all quite complicated stuff but it suits the car very well and it won’t take long for you to get used to how it works. As there are no gears to worry about and acceleration is pretty much instantaneous, the Honda Jazz is a very easy and relaxing car to drive and one of the best hybrid cars going.

Pleasingly, the hybrid system is so good at what it does that you’ll struggle to distinguish which mode it’s in. Listen carefully and there’s a slight thrum as the petrol engine kicks in but, with the radio on, you’re not going to notice it. When the petrol’s running, it’s considerably quieter than three-cylinder alternatives.

The engine and motor combination also makes stop-start traffic a relaxed affair. Most modern petrol cars will turn the engine off when you come to a complete halt, but the hybrid Honda Jazz will do this before you come to a stop - relying on electric power to keep things like the lights, radio and power steering working. It can set off in electric mode, too, meaning you don’t have to wait for the engine to start up - helping refinement levels.

There’s a fair amount of road noise, not helped by the firm suspension and 16-inch alloy wheels. Wind noise is pretty well hushed, though, especially considering the Honda Jazz’s fairly upright shape. Indeed, it feels a very relaxed motorway car with the cruise control set at 70mph.

The single-speed transmission does make a bit of din if you floor the throttle. Under normal driving, though, this isn’t really necessary and you’ll soon learn to avoid doing that apart from the occasional overtake or on the shortest of motorway sliproads.

All Honda Jazz models use a wide-view front camera to monitor the road ahead. This enables features like the Collision Mitigation Braking System, which can notify the driver and even apply the brakes to prevent a collision (or at least reduce the impact). Honda claims that it goes further than more rudimentary systems, able to spot pedestrians in the road at night or identify an oncoming vehicle during turning.

Further clever features designed to prevent a crash include the Road Departure Mitigation System, which will nudge the steering if it looks like you’re about to venture off the road. There’s also automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control and an intelligent speed limiter, which can adjust the top speed of your car depending on the current speed limit.

If you are involved in an accident, the Honda Jazz is a very safe car to be in. It uses more high-strength steel compared to the previous model, while no fewer than 10 airbags will keep passengers cushioned in a crash.

Unfortunately, there isn’t room for a spare wheel in the Jazz. All models make do with a tyre inflation kit.

Euro NCAP awarded the Honda Jazz a five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested in 2020.

If you're looking for a reliable used car, you could do a lot worse than buying a Honda Jazz. Over four generations, it's earnt itself a reputation as a totally dependable little car.

While the latest model is too new for any real reliability data, we don't foresee any issues on the horizon. Honda scored an impressive 9.36 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index.

Honda Jazz insurance groups are yet to be confirmed. A leading UK car insurer quoted us £309 a year for fully-comprehensive cover for a 40-year-old teacher with no motoring convictions. That's slightly more than a more conventional alternative like the Ford Fiesta.

As the Honda Jazz is now a hybrid, it qualifies for a £10-a-year discount on its car tax. Don't expect VED rates from 10 years ago, though – you'll pay £140 a year in road tax, which is equal to other hybrids like the Toyota Yaris.

The most affordable model is the Honda Jazz SE, which is priced in the region of £19,000 when new. Standard kit includes 15-inch steel wheels, LED head and tail lights, DAB radio, an electric parking brake with hill-hold assist, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, fabric seats and Honda’s Sensing safety tech.

Most buyers will be better looking for the mid-range Honda Jazz SR, which adds the slick nine-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors, 15-inch alloy wheels and part-leather upholstery. That’s quite a few nice-to-haves for not a considerable amount of extra cash - priced around £1200 over the SE when new.

Getting posh is the Jazz EX, which includes a rear-view camera, smart entry and start, heated front seats and steering wheel, blind-post information and Garmin navigation. The alloy wheels are upgraded to 16-inches.

On top of the EX is the Honda Jazz Crosstar EX, which we’ve covered in the separate Jazz Crosstar review but adds features like roof rails, a two-tone roof, a water-resistant fabric interior and a premium sound system.