yes indeed the mk2 jazz will happily pull from 30 mph in 5th gear due to its clever variable valve timing and variable cam timing, unlike older honda engines..... 
The MK1 iDSI 8 valve twin spark engine was much happier at lower revs, and did not have variable valve timing.. The iVTEC is pants below 2.5 to 3000 revs, admittedly it has a bit more power over 4000, but on a city car like the Jazz that is wrong. High gear and lower revs OK on the flat but don't expect much acceleration and put any kind of gradient into the equation and it is time to cross your fingers.... My brother had a 10 year old Honda VFR 750 ( V4 engine 750cc no VTEC ) and was out for a ride with his mate on an almost new VFR800 ( V4 engine 800cc with VTEC ) - my mate complained about the engine stalling when pulling away unless he gave it a bunch of revs, my Bro said, lets swap bikes and see what I think. After a few miles, when my Bro stalled the 800 more than a few times his mate offered a straight swap of his nearly new 800 for the 750, my bro said 'thanks, but no thanks'.... The VTEC is fine in the 1.8 Civic, but in smaller engines the low down performance suffers, Honda seem to have tuned the iVTEC for max MPG, and it is not happy lower down - added to which the gap between 1st and 2nd gear is too much, pulling away on a hill you have to rev the nuts off before daring to change up to 2nd.
