An early Jazz ?

[davidif]

After  too many years in boring turbodiesel saloons i have just bought a 2007 Mazda MX5 2.0Sport, what has this got to do with an early Jazz you may be thinking!

Well i am enjoying the open top motoring in the MX5 BUT i am certainly missing the fuel economy i previously enjoyed and are therefore thinking about running a second car for the commute. I havnt got a fortune to spend well about 2k to be precise and that is to buy and insure (i'm hoping to persuade my insurer to add a second car to the policy) a Jazz would seem to fit the bill nicely are their any pitfalls i may be missing?

My commute is about 22 miles each way 5 days a week, 2/3 miles on a country road,17 or so on motorway and the rest in town.What sort of economy can i expect driven sensibly?

Thanks Dave

[Ozzie]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201244490877989/sort/default/usedcars/price-to/2000/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/model/jazz/make/honda/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1500/page/1/postcode/al72du?logcode=p
Going by the 2005 version advertised above about 50mpg

[guest1844]

You can get 55mpg out of a Jazz on long gentle runs. You should get over 45mpg on a motorway, so maybe in your case somewhere between 45 and 50 depending on your driving style.

In the summer I borrowed a relative's '04 Jazz in the channel islands and over 300 miles the trip computer showed 53mpg. Speed limit is 35mph and quite a lot of stop start. Sympathetic driving does make a difference.

Here in Scotland my mpg is 45-50 with a mix of motorway and A roads, not much urban, the cold of the winter is having an effect already.

[davidif]

Thanks for the replies it seems that with a bit of care i may be able to get 50 or so mpg which would be good.

What should i look for when buying a car particularly at the price point i am looking at as the cars all have at least 100k =+ miles. I have bought enough used cars over the last 25 years to have a general idea bit i am looking for specifics relating to the early Jazz.

Thanks all.

[madasafish]

Rust under boot floor.
Rust of all brake pipes.
Faulty brakes incl rusty disks.

Clutch judder, slip, noises in reverse, gearbox noise.

Engine leaks/smells/noises/antifreeze colour, rusty antifreeze
Bald tyres, rusting exhaust...


For starters...

[davidif]

Thanks madasafish and heres me thinking that i was looking at potentially one of the most reliable cars on the road!!

[madasafish]

Any car over 8 years old has the potential to be faultless or full of faults depending on its prior owners..

(Unless it's French in which case you are  fond of taking risks).

I would give a similar fault list for a Yaris which in my view is a far more reliable car - no wheel bearing failures)

Note: add wheel bearing noises  to the list.

Also always check radiators for signs of leaks - white or pink or green stains (antifreeze colour) - or corrosion. Or stone damage.

[dg]

jazz specific problems mentioned on this forum:
- wheel bearings, should be replaced if faulty by previous owner under warranty anyway, so not a problem;
- gearbox bearings, you will hear it
- few reports of Water in wheel well in boot: http://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=462.0

[guest1844]

Main plus point for the Jazz is the engine. It's engines that can cost money and breakdown, and the Jazz engine is one of the least likely engines to do that.
Brakes, wheel bearings and stuff like that happen to all cars but are easy to fix by anyone.
The main thing that shouldn't have happened on the Jazz is the gearbox bearings. If you're sure the car you're buying is OK on that then anything else could happen to any car and is by no means anything to worry about on a Jazz. The rear wheel bearing issue is not expensive (DIY job if that's your bag) and is not a breakdowner.

If you're used to buying older cars then you'll have no probs identifying a good Jazz.

[guest1393]

On fuel consumption once we hit the winter and living in the hills of West Yorkshire we are lucky to get near to 40mpg in our Mk1 and Mk2 Jazz's.  It is much more like 34 - 37 mpg.

Both cars still fully serviced by a good main dealer.  Most people we know who drive Jazz's get the same fuel consumption.  Yes if you are on an average speed check area on the motorway in the summer, keep going at a constant 50mph and it is a warm day, you are not fully loaded etc etc you may hit 50mph.

Regards,

Andrew

[guest2662]

M.P.G

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

This might help you.

My commute is 26 miles each way, each day. 8 miles is 30mph, unclassified and B road, 15 miles is motorway and 3 miles is town.

When I do it in the Jazz, I get 49 to the gallon.

When I do it in the Saab, I get 34 if I stick to 55 on the M23 (tough trust me) but I can have the roof down and enjoy heated leather seats.

Pros and cons. You pay for certain benefits.
I'd choose to use the Jazz more often if I could.