Small car / Jazz effect / cars overtaking

[degzi]

Having recently got myself a jazz and loving the ownership, fuel economy etc. Im wondering if any others find that your always wanting to be overtaken.
Quite annoying at times. People seem to be extra desperate to get past me even when im doing the speed limit.

Although I do feel quite smug when I see the big cars blasting by, burning petrol at an amazing rate.  hehee they just dont get it do they.
Especially when I tootle up to them at the next set of traffic lights / behind a bus or lorry.

  P.S im getting nearly double the MPG comared to my old 2 litre beast.

[guest1521]

Im wondering if any others find that your always wanting to be overtaken.
Quite annoying at times. People seem to be extra desperate to get past me even when im doing the speed limit.

Yep. Sometimes I wonder if the other drivers have some sort of 'put-down attitude/superiority complex' and/or just want to get past what they sneeringly perceive to be a typical slow oldie Jazz driver. Sometimes I wish I had 130-150hp and a suspension for competent B-road handling. Outwardly the Jazz can remain looking just the same - slightly wider tyres p'raps. Keep the end of the exhaust pipe modestly hidden. I love wolves in sheeps' clothing/Q-cars!

But it's such fun in our 90/100hp to be right behind them at the next traffic hold-up.

And our modest little Honda is GREAT in so many other respects, eh! Carted a new tumble dryer in mine the other day. In fact, there was room for a tumble dryer and a washing machine... easy!

[culzean]

with todays traffic it's not worth overtaking unless the vehicle in front is really slow, because if you overtake someone who is doing close to speed limit you will very soon behind another vehicle doing the speed limit and so on ad-infinitum -  as long as you are doing a reasonable speed overtaking actually makes very little difference to journey time,  but it makes a great deal of difference to your fuel consumption and state of mind (and your passengers).   The less time I spend on the wrong side of the road the better I like it.

I'm guessing it is company car drivers mainly, they don't pay for fuel or tyres or repairs - why don't more companies fit GPS logging devices to their vehicles, (which can monitor acceleration, speed and braking as well as the location of the vehicle) they would see an immediate cost saving in fuel consumption, tyre wear and repair costs.

[guest4218]

I have the same problem especialy when i am overtaking somebody some muppets try to race me or i had people tryinv to block me for no reason

[peteo48]

I've noticed this on changing from a 8th Gen Civic. See it mostly at the lights. It's like being a learner driver all over again!

[guest4326]

I used to get the same thing when I was driving a dour looking skoda fabia. It had the old torquey 1.9 tdi VW engine though, so impatient sales reps generally found themselves at a power to weight ratio disadvantage.

Irresistable fun for a while but my mileage didn't warrant another diesel when I was ready to change.

[guest4078]

In my boot I carry new walking sticks and crutches for issue. Sometimes I like to put a pair of crutches on the boot cover, then drive gently - they all go mad trying to overtake me. I also find a walking frame in the back drives them wild with the need to overtake me too. I might try wearing a white bowls cap as well, and doing hand signals. All good sport.

[guest3721]

Funny situation once going home from work as I car share and we were behind a Honda Jazz driven by an elderly gentleman, keeping to the speed limits. The guy I car share with commented about flat cap drivers in Honda Jazz. You should see the look on his face the next week when I turned up to pick him up in my 59 Honda Jazz ES. I love it and would never look back, he has not said about Jazz drivers since!

Dave

[guest1844]

Yep I had this. It can be fun as well...the best thing was in the winter with winter tyres on. I could rip round roundabouts, their surprise was double as to seeing a Jazz driven spiritedly and the way it stuck to the road. Or go tearing up behind a mini cooper and flash your lights. I did that once. Said mini tore away!

[guest1521]

Top Gear annual Car Review mag read today... Jazz well described and positively in so many respects. Glowing really. Except for being 'expensive'... never mind how much accommodation and versatility you get for the money compared to other superminis , I thought. And the concluding one sentence summary 'con' was 'The default choice for the over 75's.' Hahaha... Pigeon-holed with a slur in just a sentence.

[richardfrost]

Well my 20 year old can't wait to get his hands on the Jazz when he gets back from Uni this Christmas.

At the moment, I am driving it, spiritedly I would add, and I like nothing more than wearing my flat cap whilst doing so. Keeps my bald patch warm! Anyway, it's a trendy leather one I bought in New York at UniQlo, a trendy store!

By the way, the Jazz has a Jekyll and Hyde personality when you feed it a tank of 97 Octane premium fuel. I love being first away from the lights and seeing people's reaction in the rear view mirror.

I'm 52, I'm not old or dead yet!

[guest3735]

IvyTek... never mind what top gear say about it. They don't live with the cars. Clarkson was once quoted as saying that you should only view his opinions as entertainment and not buy a car solely on his advice. He likes Ferraris anyway, so what woud he know? The bloke is funny but doesn't drive small cars.....

richardfrost.... Does high octane fuel really make that much difference? After an expensive service a couple of years ago, i stopped using tesco fuel and now only use shell (rarely) and bp (more regular) but only ever the standard stuff. Might use the high octane if it cleans things out as my jazz is going for a service/ mot next month. Would prefer not be stung for another fuel treatment @ £22 a time , especially as the same stuff on ebay is £4 

As for general image, i like cars that slip below plods radar.... and if everyone thinks that jazzes are driven by the doddery, that's fine by me. I used to have a plain little volvo; plenty of room, concert standard stereo, and enough power/ speed to outrun most.... it was juicy though. 
my mum sold me her jazz (she was buying a GE) and i haven't looked back. more than enough room for my camping gear, small fuel bills and it doesn't go wrong very often.

Whatever i'm driving, i always find a few muppets. The number of people who can't drive is scary.... no indicators, use of foglights, lane discipine and of course the classic "can't be seen being beaten by a jazz" change of speed on the motorway.....

update. have now run two tanks worth of bp super unleaded through with a bottle of injector cleaner (pre service) and the car now seems more eager on the throttle, but have yet to see the mpg rise (although it is holiday season and not plodding to work and back)

[culzean]

richardfrost.... Does high octane fuel really make that much difference?   

on modern cars with Knock sensors the ECU will continue to advance ignition until engine starts knocking, this point occurs later when using 97RON or above.  The more retarded the ignition the less power the engine makes - remember 95 RON is minimum octane value that jazz (with 10.8:1 compression will run on, and only then because of clever design of combustion chamber and twin spark on GD).   you will definitely notice the difference on 97 and above, if you keep driving style the same you will see useful increase in MPG,  but being human when the engine gives more power we like to use it,  so you can drive faster and get same MPG as with 95RON).

useful thing about Jazz is that because boy-racers wouldn't be seen dead driving one (pity they are often seen dead driving other cars though) they won't try to nick you car (or nick bits off it - which is one of their less endearing habits).

to give Clarkson his due - he is a great admirer of Honda engineering and has been known to admit that 'a Honda will happily drive around the known universe and still be as reliable as a Swiss clock at the end of the Journey'

[guest4283]

I was behind a massive Audi Q7 4x4 the other day. The only reason I noticed it was the fact that from the lights it took off at speed, and weaving from side to side with further bursts of speed in the lane. If he was trying to impress me with his driving skill he didn't. I thought the driver was broadcasting his ineptitude to the surrounding traffic. On reflection it could have been a DUI. If I'd have been a cop I'd have pulled that sucker over so fast!

[RichardA]

Clarkson once had a 1st or 2nd gen CRX, apparently he loved it.

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