The Jazz Hybrid Thread

[John Ratsey]

There seems to be a lack of discussion about the real life performance of the Jazz hybrids so I'm taking the liberty of starting a new thread.

I previously owned a 1.4ES and was tempted by the hybrid as offering the usual Jazz benefits while being more frugal. My impressions, so far (just over 500 miles) are:

(a) The fuel consumption is looking promising: I calculated 59 mpg for the last refill. The computer reported more, but not by the same 10% margin on the ES.
(b) The driving experience is very smooth with the engine keeping between 1,000 and 2,000 rpm most of the time. The torque of the motor most likely helps smooth running at low revs.
(c) The CVT is very smooth. I find it is best left to itself and, so far, I haven't tried the S mode or the paddle gear shifts.
(d) The car will run on battery under certain conditions such as cruising on slightly downhill. I've travelled at least 500m like that, maybe more.
(e) Because the engine is turning over all the time while the car is moving, the only way to know that it is running on battery is by watching the relevant page of the multi-function display.
(f) I've seen the battery reach full on a few occasions. However, the battery gauge has never dropped below half full. I'm waiting to see what conditions cause that.
(g) ECO mode seems to be fine for normal driving. The car will still respond to the accelerator.
(h) The engine autostop does not always work if stuck in queuing traffic. Perhaps if the engine is hot then it needs to run in order to power the fan? For the rest of the time the engine starts once the brake pedal is released. The engine also starts if the gear shift is moved from D to N or R.
(i) I haven't noticed a significant change in the ride quality relative to the ES. It's smooth on smooth roads but gets unsettled on roads full of patches.
(j) This reviewer http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/266830/honda_jazz_hybrid.html claims to have achieved 33.2 mpg. I'm a little baffled how that can be achieved.

More to follow when I think of anything to add. Does anyone else here admit to owning the hybrid?

John

[olduser1]

Interesting report, would like to see another say at 5k miles

[guest1262]

Honda Jazz Hybrid tested by Which?
'Which? Car lab tests have revealed that the new Honda Jazz Hybrid is hardly more fuel-efficient than the petrol-engined model.'
For their report look at http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/06/honda-jazz-hybrid-tested-by-which-255599/?cmp=RSS-NEWS_255599

[Ozzie]

Mine is on its way . . . I'm due to take delivery on Sept 1st, however with an estimated mileage of 25,000 miles a year, as a driving instructor, I will soon be putting in reports on servicing etc.

"Our tests showed that the Jazz Hybrid averages fuel economy of 57.6mpg (lower than Honda's claim of 62.8mpg), meaning that it will cost around £1,071 in petrol each year. That's based on today's average unleaded price of 136p per litre and an annual mileage of 10,000 miles." Which
You need to compare like for like, what was the actual mpg on the rival 1.2?? Even based on Which's figure I hope to save £2500 a year on fuel, which more than pays for the Hybrid premium, and to be honest I think the Hybrid and 1.2 auto are not comparable to drive, chalk and cheese. If the only engine in the Jazz was the 1.2, I would buy a Golf !

I was told if you want a factory order Jazz Hybrid its a 6 month wait. Mine was from a pre-ordered batch, but still a 3 month wait.

Keep us up to date !

Oz

[John Ratsey]

My last fill up of my Hybrid indicated 59.5MPG. That's with a pretty frugal driving style and much of the miles on motorway (where the hybrid system gives least benefit). I'm seeing at least 10% better MPG than my previous 1.4 Jazz (under a similar driving style) but if Honda's claims are correct then the difference should be nearer 20% (I hope to work towards that figure as i clock up more miles).  However, the real benefits of the hybrid system are on non-motorway driving. It thrives on lesser roads where speed is always changing.

And yes, there are more economical cars out there but how many offer the space and versatility of the Jazz and the smoothness / quietness of power delivery that the hybrid system provides? The low revs torque boost provided by the moter means that the car can pull smoothly at 1,000 rpm. So, my experience to date indicates that the Jazz hybrid is not all about greater fuel economy but an even more pleasant user experience than provided by the normal Jazz.

John

[Ozzie]

I compared the running costs of many cars over a 4 year, 80k mile period and the 1.6 diesel Golf was almost the winner, I could get a slightly used one of £15,000. However what was kept quiet was the gearbox service for £170, and the cambelt change £500, both required every 40k miles, along with a £270 service, so waving goodbye to £850 every 18-24 months was a bit of a deal breaker.

Oz

[RichardA]

Many overlook the fact that diesels generally have higher NOx emissions than petrol cars. Petrol hybrids have low CO2 like diesels but also lower NOx emissions.

The US legislates against NOx which is partly why the market over there for diesels cars is much smaller (that and the fact petrol is much cheaper!).