I have had my Jazz SR Mark 4 for 9 months and am mostly very happy with it. This is my 5th. Jazz, having owned all the previous Marks. With one major exception (see below) this is the best car that I have owned or driven.
The driving experience is exceptionally smooth and pleasant. The ride is comfortable, the power take-up is smooth and seamless, and the power train (either petrol or electric or both) always has enough in reserve and is easy to control. The car is very quiet, especially in EV mode.
I generally drive with the gear selector set to B, as this provides significant engine braking when my foot is off the "go" pedal, such that it is less often necessary to use the "stop" pedal and consequently I can drive for the most part in one-pedal mode. This also helps to reduce wear on the braking system.
Average fuel economy so far is 57.5 mpg (calculated from actual purchases of petrol). Fuel economy seems to be better in warm dry weather and at speeds below 60 mph.
Now for the negative comments. I have learnt to disable the LKAS, but the RDMS cannot be permanently deactivated, only at the start of each journey by making 5 or more button presses (the number seeming to be variable). The RDMS is a positive threat to life and limb - it is a danger that should be avoided at all costs. When one is driving on narrow roads (which includes many of those in the UK), the RDMS will come into action unpredictably and will pull the car into the path of oncoming traffic. The only way of saving oneself from injury or worse is to grab the steering wheel immediately and firmly, so as to counteract the malign efforts of the RDMS. When one is driving on single-track roads such as found in remote areas, the RDMS often pulls the car to the offside.
I have had the RDMS checked by my local Honda dealer, who found nothing wrong. I have written several letters to Honda UK, the president of which eventually replied to me to say that they couldn't (or wouldn't) do anything, even though all that I asked for was an option on the central screen to turn the RDMS off permanently - this would be a simple software mod which could be provided at minimal cost to customers who don't want the RDMS and feel threatened by it.
I have discussed the RDMS with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, who advised me to fit a dashcam and collect video evidence about the effects of the RDMS. I now have a dashcam but am very reluctant to allow one of these RDMS events to occur and to put myself and my passengers and other road users in danger.
So my overall verdict is that the Jazz Mark 4 scores 90% but this is not a pass mark. I will never again buy any car with RDMS or similar fitted to it unless it can be deactivated permanently. I live in hope that Honda will release a software mod to bring the score up to 100%.
I have written lengthy reviews elsewhere, but not here. Whilst most aspects of the car are very positive and I usually achieve mid to high 60's mpg (real from actual refuelling calculations) without hanging around, I find I have the same experiences as Sam B regards the RDMS which I have written about in other publications. I live in an area of Norfolk with many narrow country roads and if I forget to switch RDMS off before starting my journey the car soon starts bleeping at me and tugging at the steering wheel, even though it is on the least sensitive setting, just because there are hedges at the edge of the road. I have had odd occasions where it will try and pull me away from the hedge and towards oncoming vehicles. The system works well (in fact I cannot remember it operating) on normal carriageways. It should be easier to disable the function and although I think it doesn't have to be permanent disable, it should be a single button push in a location where it can be safely pressed even whilst the car is in motion.
I also, like many it seems, use the B mode in normal driving because of its braking effect, but you can only engage cruise if D is selected. On approaching roundabouts (we do have them as well, lots of them on our only two dual carriageway roads in the county) I drop out of cruise and move the shift to B, but if I then omit to shift back to D on leaving the roundabout and try to re-engage cruise I get a bleep and message telling me to shift back to D so have to start again resulting in a slower getaway. Surely this is software controlled so again why can't cruise work with either braking mode selected on the shift lever?
Question - Do I have to use the B mode to get the best from regenerative braking? Can anyone tell me when I press the brake pedal does that increase regenerative braking until there comes a point where friction is also required and how far can I press before the disc brakes engage. The answer to this is key to getting the most efficiency out of regenerative braking - help save the planet and the wallet.
