After the truly unfortunate news yesterday about 800 jobs lost at Swindon - and for every one lost there's roughly 'times 3' for knock-on in the supply chain - I saw an ad at the movies for an Alfa Romeo (Giulietta) full of understated sexiness with the tagline 'Without heart, I'm mere machine.'
In advertising, sales and marketing it is said that people 'buy on emotion and justify with logic.'
I'd have to say that Jazz is the first car I've ever bought with thoroughly supressed emotion.
I'd only buy another Jazz with 'logic'... only because everything 'works adequately to well'. If I let emotion rule I'd be pulled elsewhere.
You've hit the nail on the head. I like the Jazz, I appreciate its build quality and clever design but I don't love it. Conversely, my girlfriend has a 2003 Suzuki Wagon R, which is a bouncy and raucous little thing that goes like the wind due to its lightweight build and revvy 1.3 75bhp Suzuki engine (as opposed to the slothful Vauxhall engines in its Agila sister), until about 50mph when the wind wins due to its brick like aerodynamics. It's patently flawed, yet she loves it and I love it, because it has character. It's shaped like a wardrobe and it's carried a full bedroom suite from Ikea that wouldn't fit into my Accord. We've had it three years, it cost a grand and a half and it does the job day, day out, in its own way. She's even named it! It's not everyone's cup of tea (it's not even my cup of tea), but it has character. It reminds me of the Citroen 2CV6.
The Jazz reminds me of my fridge. I can't ever imagine naming the Jazz. I bought it purely with my head and, although it's supremely competent at everything it does, I just can't seem to bond with it. It's like Honda have deliberately tried to remove any character it may have otherwise had. The steering had more feel on my old CR-V. The V-TEC engine had a more definite punch and yet also more torque on my Accords.
There may be a cracking driver's car underneath (it's roadholding is superb, for instance) but Honda have hidden it. The Fiesta, I would imagine, is a far better drive, but wouldn't match the Jazz's quality. Even when Honda tried to "sportify" the Jazz with the first Si model, all they did was raid the accessory catalogue for some floor mats with the Si logo on, stick an Si logoed glovebox cover on and bung on some 16" wheels and a rear spoiler. Oh, and a distinctly unsporting chrome grill. Come on! Where's the sports seats, where's the extra power from a bigger engine option? They didn't even bother fitting the front fog lights from the EX. I'm the youngest Jazz owner I've ever seen. I'm 37 and a (step)dad. In no way am I cool, yet I'm the youngest looking Jazz owner I've seen! Compare that to the people you see driving Fiestas, Corsas, Aygos, Ibizas etc - a high proportion of them are young and will need several more cars in their motoring career. I read somewhere that the average Honda Jazz owner is in his or her eighties - in less than fifteen years time those customers will have gone. Who is going to replace them?
Honda needs a range topping Type R version - quickly. It doesn't matter if no-one can afford to insure it, no-one could afford to insure Ford's Cosworth models but that didn't stop them becoming cult cars and Ford cashing in by doing various sporty special editions. Make us a Type R version Honda and make it damn good, just like the 2002-05 Civic was, then do a Type-S with the sporty bits on and strip out the weight (forget the electric folding mirrors, climate control, cruise control and all that stuff us older people like - youngsters aren't that bothered and don't forget, air conditioning was an option on the Accord Type R) and watch the youngsters buy them. It's worked before, it can work again.
Oh, and finally, make them cheaper - i.e. the same price as the competition. The new version of my EX, specced up like my own car, is nearly £16k - and there are more expensive versions. It's a supermini! Price it like one!
