Honda Jazz car review - fuel consumption

Would you like a car that delivers 53 to 60 mpg?

Despite the overwhelming case in favour of saving the planet, some people just don't get it. Every day when I'm driving I still see huge numbers of gas-guzzling 4X4s and quasi-military vehicles. And this isn't even the USA! The ecological damage they're inflicting will fall hardest on the world's poorest people, but most drivers seem totally oblivious to the consequences of driving these tanks.

Anyway, I feel we could all do a lot more at very little cost - and that's why I am posting this car review, even though it's not really my field of expertise.

BBC 2 motoring show Top Gear recently reviewed the Honda Jazz. As UK viewers will know, it's an entertaining show, but with some appalling insensitivity to matters of ecology, combined with arrogance and a misplaced pride in being petrol-heads. Airheads, more like.

The lads - and they are lads - gave the Jazz a 15/20 score overall, which isn't that impressive. There were a few snide comments about it being a car for old gits and they conclude it's the "least exciting of Honda's cars to drive". Well, I'm not looking for excitement from a car - the less exciting the better in my opinion. What you do want is reliability and economy, and that's what the Jazz delivers.

They do comment favourably on the folding rear seats arrangement which creates 399 litres of cargo space, and also the group 5 car insurance, which is about the cheapest insurance band in the UK car insurance market as far as I know.

And, finally, the rather important petrol consumption figure of 50 mpg.

The Honda Civic hybrid (electric/petrol) is an impressive car, that I drove for a day feeling like Captain Kirk - it's so futuristic it's funny. But then the cold hard petrol figures are rubbish compared to the Jazz.

Reliability is a big issue with cars, less so recently as all the major manufacturers seem to be improving in design. What Car? in the UK found the top five cars for reliability based on customer research were made by Honda.

Anecdotally - the AA has never had a Jazz breakdown in the UK - don't know if this is true or not. Mine has conked out once with a flat battery, apart from that it has been totally reliable.

I've run a Honda Jazz for 7 years now. 

Some of the main dealer servicing has been pretty expensive, especially the major service at 75,000 miles, but overall the running costs are low - typically I get better then 50 mpg combined urban and extra-urban, and have reached 61 mpg on a long run. That's keeping to 56-60mph most of the time, which helps with fuel efficiency.

The average mpg I get from all driving conditions is 53-55.

Then there is the low rate of road tax payable, the group 5 insurance bracket, and the total convenience of using the flat cargo bay to transport a bike or very large packages. At times it's more like having a small van than a car. Both the rear seats fold flat independently - an option that works well is to have one seat in use and one flat, giving you lots of space for boxes or luggage. The folding mechanism is really well designed, so it takes seconds to change things around, and even put a bike in the back.

Another big advantage is the tight turning circle and relatively short wheelbase, which makes for easy parking in town. My next door neighbour now has one too, and is recommending them to all his friends. It's starting to look like a Honda dealership in our road!

In these bleak economic times, saving money and saving petrol are becoming more important by the day - with petrol prices projected to rise to £5 a gallon here in the UK by Christmas it's something we can't afford to ignore.

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the Honda Jazz - it represents a good investment and secondhand prices suggest that it will not depreciate too badly.

Next year the new Honda Jazz hybrid is coming out, with an electric motor and CVT automatic - could be a great car.

If you have any questions about the Jazz, feel free to use the comments box - likewise for your own impressions of the car.