Buying a used automatic Mk1 Jazz - any advice

[Dark Eyes]

Hello folks,

I am trying to buy an automatic Jazz for about £2.5-3K, which unfortunately seems to put me in the small dealers market. My experiences with them hasn't been great, as most seem to want to know if you want to buy the car today, and some even want a deposit to test drive a car!
I am working on the premise that it is better to buy a newer car with higher mileage, than an older one with lower mileage. Are there any recommendations about good/bad average mileages, or any big/expensive services that occur at certain mileages/age that are best to have completed, or not imminent?
I am aware of the judder issue with the CVT gearbox, although I haven't experienced it on the few short test drives I have had so far. I did notice on one of them, that there was a slight whining noise coming from the nearside at low speeds, which could only be heard with the window open - would this be the rear wheel bearing noise?

Are they any other things that I should look out for with a Mk1 automatic?

Thank you

[guest5562]

What sort of age cars have you been finding at small dealers for your budget?

Also do you do your own servicing/repairs as that makes a big difference?

[Dark Eyes]

Cars are generally 2004/5 which have done between 40-70K, I am seeing a 2006 tomorrow, although it has done 88K.
I don't do my own servicing, but am happy to change oil or replace accessible parts.

I have read the Buying a Jazz thread http://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=1792.msg7510#msg7510
but was wondering if there were any particular things to look out for on the Automatics.

[guest5562]

I have no experience with the autos but we've just bought privately a 2002 SE Sport 1.4 petrol for daughter and it's been interesting working through it to get spot on. Our budget was up to £3k-£4k but I was happy to buy much cheaper for a genuine local car leaving cash to get it sorted.

We'd not had a Jazz before but I've a lifetime of car buying and maintaining experience.

You are right in general that it's better to be a bit up on miles with a newer car than pay over the odds for a "low mileage little old lady" car. In fact the lower miles older car could be worse from short runs.

We bought a 2004 Polo 1.4 petrol for Mrs Droverunner last year with a good history and lowish 50k (i.e. only 5k/yr) but it had been mostly a town car. It's fine but felt really sluggish before we'd given it a week or two of decent runs. Also noted in the paperwork the previous owner had been into the garage for a new EGR vale or having it cleaned several times over the past 4yrs. In over a year it's been fine for us. Daughter has a near identical Polo with well over 100k recorded and that goes loads better for more frequent use in the past.

My personal Jazz buying experience is...

They do show more surface rust underneath than you'd expect, worth getting a look under if you can to make sure it's not excessive... I've just Waxoyled ours.

The alloy wheels are often scruffy with spots of corrosion on earlier ones... I'm just refurbing ours.

The headlamp outer plastic lenses can go cloudy... ours had and I've refurbed them.

Service records are important but more important is what was actually done. Decent oil changed on time is a great help to long life of the timing chain. On ours at the last service I found they'd "forgotten" to change the rear 4 spark plugs. The pollen filter had been overlooked for a while as had the air filter.

Manual transmission oil is due replacement every 75k... worth checking what the spec is for the auto and making sure it's been done.

Front brakes on ours passed the Feb MOT without comment but by July the discs looked very ropey so I've changed those and the pads (quite cheap for parts).

Interiors seem to stand up to wear quite well. Check the spare wheel well for any signs of wet or rust on the well, spare wheel or tools... there are threads on here about a known issue with water ingress at the rear.

On ours the aircon had failed due to the condenser radiator at the front (next to the engine radiator) leaking... this is very exposed allowing both corrosion and stone damage.

I'm really wary of cheaper cars (i.e. under £4k) at small dealers as often a fair bit of the price is profit towards their summer holiday... and in many cases they don't prep/service the car properly just hoping  it will get through it's warranty period OK.

I looked at many small dealer cars for my daughter over the past 8wks and there wasn't one that I really wanted for her. Having said that we did come across one guy (car sales, petrol forecourt, servicing area & been on the same site for 40yrs) who was an absolute gent with properly prepared cars at fair prices. Sadly nothing that my daughter wanted at the time.

Good luck with the hunt!

[trebor1652]

I have a 2006 SE CVT had it for 6 years 48000 or so on the clock, hoping to get a mk3 had no trouble at all, break pads tyres bulbs, just the normal stuff, no problems with the transmission a dream of a car will be sorry to get rid.

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

[guest5505]

If it's of any interest / use, I've just paid £1900 for an 06 plate 1.2 S with 53k miles.

I managed to get the price down by £400 as I knew it needed 2 front tyres, some work on the brakes and brake pipes.

Since I've had it (8 weeks) its had the following:

4 tyres (£47 each, Michelin)
rear disks & pads, and front pads - £160
will need front to back brake pipes - £140 estimated
air filter, oil, oil filter and pollen filter - about £40
2 new wheel trims from Honda - £66

there is quite a bit of rust underneath that I need to waxoil, and there is the well know problem of water coming into the boot which I will fix myself.

So its needed quite a bit of sorting but I think I got it cheap so I don't feel too bad, and I think I will have a well sorted car by the end of it.

Good luck in your search. I think it is best to buy privately at your budget if you can, I don't trust dealers!

[monkeydave]

that's a good price on the brake parts where did you get them fitted ?

[guest5505]

thanks Monkeydave, it is a mechanic who works on his own near where I live in Leeds. He said it was worth getting quality parts and I can see that the pads are Ferodo.

On the issue of rust, I've been looking under my car this evening and it is surprising how rusty the bodywork is underneath. It is certainly worth having a good look underneath any prospective purchase to check for rust.  I'm not entirlely sure how bad a car has to be before it becomes a real problem. Presumably some rust under a 9 year old car can be expected and it only becomes a real problem once metal work has rusted through. The 12 year old car I have just replaced with the Jazz (an S-Type Jaguar) was no where near as bad. 

[guest5562]

As a matter of interest the brakes parts in a quality make to do that job would be about £80 so £160 isn't too bad all in.

Having owned Citroen, Peugeot, VW & BMW of a similar age I didn't expect any underbody rust at all... must admit I was taken aback at the underbody rust when we started looking for a Jazz.

But the rust is only a real problem when it weakens the metal to the point a screwdriver can be pushed through.... particularly adj to the suspension mountings and in the sills. I think while the rust is unsightly there aren't many (any?) that have needed welding yet.

[guest5168]

why would u spend 3grand on the 1st gen jazz? Its good car since I have it myself but just why??
Wouldnt really want to spend any more than 1k for 1st gen jazz now. I have mine at 12years old/  260k miles and it still runs rock solid and engine is as new but to spend 3k on it even for 60k mile one,no way...
For 3k you can already get 2009+ jazz


However... i went looking at 2nd gen jazz Some time ago I managed to get the price at 3.2k for 48k mile good spec over the phone,had already cash in hand..however..even with its low miles the plastics on inside looked sooo cheap compared to my 12year old one which is already cheaply made and the metals looked even thinner than the 1st gen had ,that I walked away from it
Now I don't even know what kind of car I want ,seems like will just keep driving my old Jazz for some more...

[Eddie Honda]

why would u spend 3grand on the 1st gen jazz? Its good car since I have it myself but just why??

1) Because you may have to budget a bit extra in order to purchase an automatic one?
2) Local market conditions dictate it?

Just a couple of potential reasons I can think of off the top of my head.