Used Honda Jazz 2015-2020 review

If you’re after all the benefits of a good small car, namely the easy of use and low running costs, but you need to combine that with the space and practicality of something like a mini-MPV, you should take a look at the Honda Jazz.

This is the third-generation model, which was produced between 2015 and 2020, and it follows on the tradition of both of its earlier versions by successfully bridging the gap between one class and the other.

What this means in real terms is it’s shorter than a Ford Fiesta, but its boot and interior space are larger than a Ford Focus’s. Inside, it’s incredibly spacious in both the front and back, and it’s more practical than those rivals, too.

Engines: After all that flexibility, it is quite shocking to discover that there are only two engine options: a rather wheezy 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol unit and a 1.5-litre VTEC four-cylinder that was introduced along with a mild facelift in 2018. The standard gearbox is a reasonably slick six-speed manual, but there’s also the option of a CVT automatic gearbox.

Trims & equipment: There are five trim levels, starting with entry-level S, which gets air-con, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, automatic lights and wipers and electric mirrors. Next up, SE adds 15in alloy wheels, parking sensors and the Honda Connect infotainment system. There's also an SE Navi trim, which, as the name suggests, adds sat-nav, while EX and top-spec EX Navi up the goodie count even higher. A ritzy-looking Sport trim was added to the range in 2018, this only available with the 1.5 engine.

It’s fair to say that this Jazz succeeds in the same areas that the previous iterations did, with its spaciousness, practicality and low running costs, not to mention its top-notch build quality, winning it lots of friends, but on the road it’s let down a little by its firm ride and poor refinement and by being slightly uninspiring to drive.

Ride & handling: The 1.3-litre car is rather slow, for one. It comes alive at the top of its rev range but it is in no great hurry to get there. If you do want a bit more verve, the 1.5-litre engine’s extra 30bhp looks rather tempting. It’s worth remembering that this is still a naturally aspirated engine, though. That means you’ll need to wring its neck for the engine to feel brisk; it doesn’t really come alive until over 3000rpm. The CVT automatic gearbox is an acquired taste, and one which works well at town speeds and in low-acceleration procedures, but if you put your foot down it allows the Jazz’s engine to rev too high, exposing its poor refinement.

At low speeds around town, the Jazz's ride never really settles down, either. Its suspension reacts abruptly to cracks, potholes and broken surfaces. Body control is good over bigger bumps, though.

The Jazz isn’t especially fun to drive, but it is at least safe and predictable. The steering is light, and so it's great for town work. Despite the stiff springing, the Jazz’s tall body means it leans more than its rivals.

It also suffers from lots of boomy engine noise. As the speed builds, it’s joined by increasingly distracting wind and road noise, too. The 1.5-litre unit is more flexible so doesn’t need revving quite as hard, but it still gets noisy if you require its full performance. While the engine’s note might be appealing to some when it’s being worked, it does drone at motorway speeds.

Interior & practicality: Inside, though, things are much more appealing. Even adults taller than six feet will have no problem making themselves comfortable in the front of the Jazz. There’s a huge amount of head room, and shoulder room is generous. The Jazz’s class-leading interior space extends to the rear. Two tall adults can sit in the outer rear seats without their heads touching the ceiling or their knees brushing against the front seatbacks. Three adults will find things more of a squeeze, but the middle passenger has the benefit of a flat floor.

Both front seatbacks come with a pocket for storing maps and other papers, while each outer rear seat gets a generous armrest. Both rear doors get a small but useful pocket for storing a small water bottle. Every model has impressively flexible seats. The front passenger seat has a wide range of fore, aft and rake adjustment, although height adjustment is available only on range-topping EX trim. The seatback can be laid flat, allowing long items to be pushed up to the dashboard. The rear seats are even more flexible. Their backs can be tilt-adjusted, split in a 60/40 configuration or pushed forward completely flat. The bases can also be folded upwards to lie against the seatbacks so that tall items up to ceiling height can be stowed widthways across the vehicle.

The Jazz’s boot is nearly as big as that in some small family cars and is very well thought out. Admittedly, there’s a small lip to lift bags over, but the boot is quite close to the ground so this isn’t a huge issue. There’s certainly enough room for a large pushchair or two large suitcases and other items. Folding the rear seats flat creates an even larger and equally uncluttered load area. Below the boot floor are more storage spaces for smaller items you may wish to keep out of sight.

The Jazz was replaced by an all-new fourth-generation car in 2020, with a clever and more efficient petrol-electric hybrid engine and a standalone SUV version called the Crossstar. It carries on the work of this earlier version by being both spacious, practical and reliable.

If you're interested in buying a used Honda Jazz, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here.

Prices for the third-gen Jazz start at around £6000. This will buy a 2015 or even a 2016 example, with an average mileage for the year and full service history, probably from a car supermarket or private sale. Up the ante to between £8000 and £10,000 and you’ll find a wealth of 2017 cars with low to average mileage and a full history available from a number of independent dealers, while anything just over this amount should net you a 2018 car with a nominal mileage from a Honda main dealer. Post-facelift cars, including the newer 1.5-litre engined-cars, will set you back around £10,000, while expect to pay £10,000 on one of the last of the 2020 models.

MPG

The 1.3 engine in the Jazz may not be the last word in refinement or speed, but it is economical. Its average fuel consumption figure is 48.7mpg under the older NEDC tests, and 42.9mpg under the newer and more realistic WLTP tests. Our experience with running one suggests that you can expect to see more than 40mpg in most mixed real-world conditions – a good figure for a petrol-engined car of this class. The 1.5 car claims an average official figure of 42.8mpg.

Road tax

Annual car tax costs will be low, although any car registered after April 2017 will pay the flat rate charge currently £155 a year.

Insurance

Likewise, the 1.3 Jazz sits in insurance group 13, which is very reasonable, while the 1.5 is in group 19.

Servicing

Servicing costs are reasonable, too, no doubt contributing to the very high regard with which Honda dealers are held.

While the 1.3 is not the most refined engine it offers good fuel economy, and the 1.5 only comes with Sport trim and doesn't offer enough to make it worth the greater cost.

We’d recommend going for at least SE trim, though, because that adds 15in alloys, the Connect infotainment system and all-round parking sensors, and preferably SE Navi, which adds sat-nav.

Our favourite Honda Jazz: 1.3 SE Navi

As we said at the beginning, the Jazz sits in a class more or less on its own, bridging the gap between a small car and a mini-MPV, while also competing with some of the more modern small SUVs.

Its most direct modern rivals are small cars like the Ford Fiesta and Skoda Fabia, but if you're shopping for an older and cheaper version of this generation of Jazz you could also include mini-MPVs like the Citroën C3 Picasso (and the later, post-2017 small SUV version known as the Citroen C3 Aircross) and the Nissan Note.

Of these rivals, the Fiesta is fun to drive, with a good driving position and spirited handling. On the minus side, it’s not as big inside as the Jazz and its boot is much smaller.

The Fabia has plenty of space, handles well and has an excellent infotainment set-up. However, its ride is unsettled, and its interior could be of better quality.

The cuboid C3 Picasso is spacious and has a large boot. It also rides well and is reasonably refined with a petrol engine. However, the diesel version is noisy, and some rivals look better value. The C3 Aircross is a more modern small SUV take on the old Picasso, and is better to drive than the old car and comes with funky styling and a flexible interior.

The Nissan Note has been on sale for some time now, and now feels a little dated in most areas, especially in refinement, although its interior is spacious and it should be cheap to run.

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If you're interested in buying a used Honda Jazz, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car classifieds site here.