Clubjazz - Honda Jazz & HR-V Forums
Honda Jazz Forums => Honda Jazz Mk2 2008-2015 => Topic started by: Riverside_Rob on November 07, 2019, 08:38:33 PM
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Hi,
We have almost reached the end of the road with our beloved 02 Jazz - after 139,000 miles, the gearbox is on its way out, and there are ominous rumblings from bearings(?) when turning left. Our friendly repair man has told us he is waiting for the call to come out and recover it, and is surprised he hasn't had it already! The cost of repairs would be far more than the car is worth. The bodywork is also very tatty - although originally red, it is now multi shades of pink, with several bumps and scrapes. So time to start looking for a replacement!
We really like the look of the 1.4 VTEC EX, and probably 09 for our budget. Is this a good one to choose? Or any other models recommended? We like the panoramic sunroof and the high spec.
Oh, and my partner says it has to be blue!
Although much of our driving will be local, we also need it to comfortably manage long-distance motorway journeys (200+ miles) every couple of weeks. What should we look out for? We are not experts, so would really welcome any advice!
There seem to be a few up for sale that are cat S or N - should we avoid them, or is it not a problem?
Also, quite a few seem to be automatic. We have never had an automatic, so don't know much about them, but have heard they are less fuel-efficient. Should we avoid an automatic, or are they okay? Are they likely to have more problems, or be more expensive to repair?
We are going to look at the exterior of one at the weekend (owner is away, so can't look inside or take it out). Anything we should look out for? It has 105000 miles on the clock - is this a problem? We have heard that this is the sort of mileage where the gearbox starts to have problems - and how can we tell? The asking price is £2,500 - is this about right for the age and mileage?
And finally, is the insurance likely to be significantly higher than for our 02 Jazz? We have a student son on our insurance.
Sorry, lots of questions, but as a total car novice, would really appreciate any thoughts or advice - thank you!
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The Mk2 1.4 EX is a nice car. I've had 2 of them largely because I had been in the habit, pre-retirement, of changing cars every 2 or 3 years.
The EX has the panoramic sunroof which is a nice feature but, now I don't have it, I can't say I miss that much. I worry a bit about buying a high mileage Jazz if you are going to do a lot of miles. Actually that would apply to any car to be fair. There are some really nice Mk2s about at about the £5,000 mark. Could you stretch to that?
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Hi,
Thanks for your helpful reply. Our budget is about £3000 tops, so trying to find something reasonable at that sort of price - it may be a tall order!
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Take your time then. I'm sure a decent car is out there for that money - one of the pre facelift Mk2s? My first Mk2 EX was a 2010 car so it's 9 years old now. Last DVLA check showed it was still around and I'd be surprised if it had more than 50,000 on the clock. Not that clued up on the used car market but I'd be amazed if a similar car would cost more than your budget.
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I can echo what Pete has said - take your time to find the car you want.
Good luck with your search.
Steve
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An early Mk2 sounds like the best bet on your budget, rather than a low mileage Mk1.
Modern automatic gearboxes give about the same fuel economy as a manual. Generally if you do a lot of motorway miles you might like an auto because at high speed the revs are much lower. However, the early Mk2's autos are something called iShift. I haven't had one but they seem to be something people love or hate. Lots of posts here about that. They changed back to CVT pretty quick. Maintenance costs will be a bit higher. I don't wworry so much about repair costs because the reliability is so good. (My budget was half yours and I got a late Mk1 with over 100k intending to keep it a long time)
Also for motorways I'd go for a 1.4 rather than a 1.2 for the extra power. Little difference in mpg.
I'd be interested if someone could explain the category C/D/S/N business (or knows a good link) as I too like a bargain. I avoided them because I'd heard it can affect insurance costs. On that I suspect your premiums will be higher just because the value of your new car is higher.
Good luck
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My 2006 S cost me £1795 with 87K miles and a full service history. I bought it from a local used car dealer.
Regarding write offs:
What is a write-off?
For a car to be written off by an insurance company, it is deemed to be so badly damaged it becomes uneconomical to repair. If your car is written off, you won’t be able to drive it again until it’s fixed – although that could be impossible.
Write-offs come in four different categories, which measure how badly damaged your car is. These are Categories A, B, S and N, the last two of which replaced the old C and D classifications in October 2017.
The distinctions are important because, sometimes, a car doesn’t have to be very badly damaged to be a write-off. A good rule of thumb is that if the costs of repairs would be more than half the value of your car, it’s likely to be written off. This means that, if your car didn’t cost you much, even a low-speed bump or a door being badly keyed could make it a write-off.
https://www.carwow.co.uk/guides/choosing/what-is-a-cat-c-or-cat-d-car (https://www.carwow.co.uk/guides/choosing/what-is-a-cat-c-or-cat-d-car)
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Thanks Jocko I might consider Cat N sometime then. Autotrader's showing a tempting Cat N 12 plate manual with under 50k on the clock for £3k from a dealer in Oldham. Nice shade of blue too.
By the way I'm a fan of looking at a car's MOT history here https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
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I did my research before buting an ES
Tyre costs for an EX are high - rare specification so ££s more.
I shift autos prior 2012... not really recommended - lots of complaints..
Fuel consumption tweaked post 2011 - slight improvement.. not major.
WATCH for rusty rear disks...seen through alloys, low brake pads (ditto) and handbrake ineffective on slopes. The latter may just be lubrication or utter neglect and new pads/disks and a stripdown can be £200 plus plus...
Front suspension drop links will wear with miles .. Allow £50 per side.. Knocking from suspension on rough roads.
Steering should not make strange noises when parking.. check doing reversing /emerging into tight spaces..If it does may be a new steering rack - rare if it does but ££££s
Check Magic seats work propoerly - fold up and down with no problems.
Checks wiper blades: they can be neglected £30 to replace all diy or pay for fitting++
Check rear exhaust near rear bumper - exposed to debris from rear wheels. Corrosion..
No clonks/bangs odd noises when starting ,stopping reversing or cornering..
No rusty stains under bonnet... (overheating) runaway job.
Battery under bonnet: if it has a built in charge indicator should be green.. Any other colour? New battery £50+
Tyres: Matching set and at leat 4mm tread. No odd patttrens - worn on inside/outside of tyre ok in centre - tracking front wheels £30-£50...
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Thank you so much, that's a really helpful reply!
I will take a printout of your post with me when we view the EX at the weekend, and make sure we check all the points you mention. Will also start looking for an ES - hadn't thought about the cost of tyres on the EX.
Now wondering whether the knocking noise on our Jazz when manoeuvring might be the steering rack, not bearings - but whatever it is, its not economical to repair!
Thanks again!
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Tyres: Matching set and at leat 4mm tread. No odd patttrens - worn on inside/outside of tyre ok in centre - tracking front wheels £30-£50...
I don't think I have ever bought or owned a car with four matching tyres, other than my FIAT with its Denovo wheels and tyres. Nice to have matching tyres, but it has never been a priority for me. I once bought a Mk1 Triumph 2.5 PI with matching tyres. Every one was bald as a badger!
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I will add more:
WHen you see teh car, - before you do anything - open the bonnet and see if the engine is warm. If yes this is a potential danger sign - car difficulr to start/low oil pressure when cold/engine noisy when cold.. If it is, ask why - there may be a sensible reason (someone viewing first - if not be wary and delay starting and leave bonnet open - for as long as possible to allow it to cool down..
When you do switch on teh ignition, wait before starting and check teh warning lights.. they should illuminate. The key ones are Enine warning (engine sign), oil pressure , temperature (blue) and ABS (ABS sign). If you cannot recognise them , ask vendor to point them out - or look at a online manual first.. Then when you do start, all should go out withinn 1 second - except the temperature which should stay blue. Watch teh OIL one to o out quickly. Slow ? possible engine wear/lack of servicing.
Unscrupulous vendors remove bulbs to hide faults...So if bulbs do not light when ignition on, run away.. It's a dog.
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If you cannot recognise them , ask vendor to point them out - or look at a online manual first.
Riverside_Rob is currently a Jazz owner, so I would be surprised if he didn't recognise the various warning lights.
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No Cats... asking for trouble. Full Service History with all the bills, not just stamps, if going for high mileage. Make sure the transmission oil, plugs, etc are replaced at the correct intervals. Auto is i-shift which I have. Driving wise it's a controversial issue, but more importantly the actuator is problematic after 80k miles so best avoid. As in all Jazz look at the boot floor for leaks and make sure the airbags have been recalled. Try the ES and Si trim. No panoramic roof but still well equipped. Good luck.
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Hi,
4 matching tyres gives you an indication of the attitude of previous owners, personally I always go for original tyres,
Chris
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4 matching tyres gives you an indication of the attitude of previous owners, personally I always go for original tyres,
It's nice to see good quality tyres in axle pairs, but it wouldn't make me rule a car out if it's otherwise good.
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Hi.
With regards to insurance probably just easier to give you insurer a quick ring and ask them what it would cost to transfer it over to a new model.
Each individual insurer have their own terms regarding previously written off vehicles. Most of insurance insurance schemes have no issues with them as long as they have been correctly repaired etc.
Regards,
Dan.
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Why not drive a couple of Jazz's from the era your looking at, then go along to your local auction to check the condition of these trade cars.
The CVT box is great for town driving never had an issue over 6 Jazz covering 17 years we used to own 2 in the household.
Always have a HPI Experian check on the car before you haggle the £.
UK dealerships are frantically unloading current Jazz stock with special deals this month, look around for older models at their trade outlets.
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There seem to be a few up for sale that are cat S or N - should we avoid them, or is it not a problem?
There's nothing wrong with a repaired insurance write off, so long as any structural damage has been repaired properly. Personally, I would like to see the car before it is repaired, or at least some photographic documentation of the damage and repairs. It helps if you know what you are looking at, as there are plenty of ex write offs out there that are bodged up for resale.
BUT, and it's a big but, you have to bear in mind that these cars are worth considerably less than an unrepaired example. The old rule of thumb used to be that the trade value was halved, but these days they can easily go for 75% and more.
Most insurers have no problem insuring previously written off vehicles, but the insured value will be lower if you are unfortunate enough to write the vehicle off again. A small number of insurers will decline to offer insurance, which may narrow your choice of insurer.
Other half has just swapped from a 2008 mk1 to a 2015 mk2, the premium increase was negligible. A car that is new to you will always cost a bit more to insure, even if it is identical - most insurers reduce the premium slightly the longer you have owned a car. I would guess that the base premium is around the same for both cars, it may even turn out to be a little lower for the newer car, in the long run.