Hello from Malta

[guest3862]

I've just bought a 2011 Honda Fit (Japanese Import) 1.3 automatic. First impressions are very good. Does this model compare the same as UK derivatives ?

[chrisc]

Welcome.  It seems to me that there are differences in models, depending on their country of sale.  Jazz models sold in South Africa differ slightly from those in the UK.  The cooling system has more capacity, only the top model has auto climate control, folding mirrors, memory seats, make of tyres, etc.

The suffix on the VIN number shows which factory in the country of origin manufactured the unit.

Does your car have a CVT transmission, or a torque converter with gears?

[guest3862]

Hi Chris
It was an import direct from Japan ( we take a lot of imports from there) and that may be confirmed by VIN letters of GE (?)
The log book only states it as Honda Fit 1300 automatic - no model reference is shown and not being familiar with Honda I know nothing further. After reading many threads on here I see that the Jazz has many variants.
This model has CVT automatic. All the manuals etc are in Japanese so cant check basic info out. Would the Jazz have the same manual ? Would anything be available to download or reference to ?
I'm looking to change standard wheels to alloys with some decent rubber -any suggestions regarding size.
I have no current spare wheel, just a can of gas/sealant.

[chrisc]

A Japanese manual?  Now that is useless.  Get one from here:

http://www.fitfreak.net/forums/eco-fit-discussion/75328-honda-fit-jazz-hybrid-2010-user-manual-help.html

No spare is also a pain, there are a lot of topics here about getting a spare wheel.

As far as alloys go, why not go and see your handy tyre dealer who specialises in wheels?  They are such a personal choice that I would hesitate to suggest anything.  Just bear in mind you have to keep them clean, so the minimum of small spaces would be my suggestion

[guest3862]

Thanks for the reply but the link doesn't take me to a manual - its just someone else after the same as me.
Regarding the wheels - mine are 14" whereas most threads i've found seem to say the standard wheels are 15" - is this true?

[chrisc]

Sorry about the bum link.  Here is one that works, I tried it
http://ownersmanualspdfx.blogspot.com/search/label/2009%20Honda%20Jazz%20Owners%20Manual

My Jazz has 175/65 SR15 tyres.  So yours is unusual.  Maybe the diff ratio has been changed to cater for the wheel size.  But does it matter?  Are you buying new tyres with the wheels or replacing those already fitted?

A question about your country

I would imagine that your climate is similar to that of Cape Town, a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers.  Temps in winter vary between 14 and 18 deg and in summer, 22 to 28 deg.  The infrastructure is quite well developed, but not as much as Europe and there is no overcrowding at all, quite the opposite in fact.  Of course there are suburbs where there are a lot of apartment buildings but generally speaking its all stand-alone houses on stands between 500 and 1500 square metres.  A house in a middle income suburb in Cape Town would sell for £90000 and in Johannesburg for £75000.  For that you would get 3 bedrooms, lounge, dining room, probably a swimming pool and garage.  Good sized rooms as well, nothing poky like I saw in London.

Cape Town is South Africa's no 1 tourist destination and it is really a great place to live.  About 10 mins drive away we have wide sandy beaches, there are walks on the mountains, wine farms galore.  The biggest problem is crime and lack of transparency in the government, with quite a lot of corruption in central government.  Medical care is first rate, as long as you pay for it yourself and most people have medical insurance to take care of expensive procedures.  The general employment situation is not good.  Unless you have a university degree, there is little opportunity and approximately 40% of the population is unemployed.  Another big problem are refugees from up north.  They are entering the country at 20000 a month and make the unemployment situation worse.  Due to apartheid which only disappeared 20 years ago, suburbs in cities are still skewed into white and black areas, although anyone can live anywhere, if you can afford it.

[Garyman]

Hello and welcome 

[guest3862]

We are quite a small island in the Med - close to Italy - about 17 miles x 10 miles. Our climate is wettish Jan & Feb temp range 3/4 degrees - 16/18 degrees. From March the temp increases 10/12 degrees - 28-40 degrees up till around Oct when he starts to drop. Roads are very poor generally, never been able to repair potholes properly but things are improving now we're in the EU. (I'm from U.K. by the way - retired out here a few years ago although i'm still only 63). The island has more car dealers than you could imagine and more and more cars are being imported into the country. Prices are high due to Government illegal taxation on imported cars. A car in UK may cost you around £10,000 but the same car here would be closer to £14,000. Ridiculous !!!

i've been to see a local tyre dealer who recommends putting 16" or 17" rims on - still not sure why it only has 14" at present though.
Have been through (quickly) the manual - thanks a lot.

[chrisc]

Tax on imported cars - sounds familiar.  There are car plants for most makes of cars here, the largest is the BMW plant which exports 90% of its production.  If you import a car, then there is duty (35%), ad-valorem (12%) and VAT (14%).  Still, 2-year old cars from Japan work out far cheaper than a locally sourced equivalent.

I don't see that you need 16" or 17" wheels.  If you were going to change, them I am sure 15" would be adequate.  You may find that the dealer makes more money on larger tyres and rims, hence his recommendation.

Looking at Gumtree for used Jazz, there are 35 for sale.  A 2008 model, which seems to be the most popular used car year, is asking R 110 000 (£9000).  Very good resale value, in the top 5 (Toyota Corolla is still no 1).

Apart from the poor roads, what else is there about Malta that is attractive?

[guest3862]

I take your point regarding the wheels & tyres but that element doesn't bother me, its just if the car has 14" rims is it going to cause problems putting 16" in their place ?
Malta is a beautiful place to live - so many Brits come out here to retire or just for a couple of months away from British winter. Life is laid back as long as you don't expect the same level of everything you've left behind. Weather is pleasant even in winter months. Properties do not have any insulation or wooden floors so heat is not conserved. However bearing in mind that most of the year you crave the sanctuary of cool its quite sensible.
Some years ago in business i had the opportunity of using a colleagues apartment in S.A. but never got round to it.
Having checked out a manual download, there are several features not on my model.
Having owned many Mercedes during the last 20 years in UK I do find many of the cars now very lacking in features, but large cars are not a good idea out here with parking problems - plus careless damage done to cars by inconsiderate Maltese drivers. Their idea of parking sensors are to reverse till they bump then forward till they bump. Sometimes they'll just double park in a street to pop into a shop and block the drive - they don't seem to give a ****. Still that's Malta for you. They used to say when asked by tourists which side of the road do you drive on......'whichever side i want !'