Clubjazz - Honda Jazz & HR-V Forums
Honda Jazz Forums => Honda Jazz Mk3 2015-2020 => Topic started by: SpookyGal on May 21, 2026, 06:04:08 PM
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My Mk1 got written off. Gutted and very sad.
Sadly, my brother also passed away and I will inherit so looking to possibly upgrade to a Mk2 or 3. He would want me to get a better Jazz as he knew how much I loved my one.
What issues are there with a Mk3 and why would it be better than a Mk2?
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I upgraded to a 3 from a 1 and it is a better car. The main improvement is that it is much quieter especially above 30 mph or so. Steering wheel controls for phone, radio and music are great too as is Bluetooth that just works. I think the electronic driver assistance is a benefit too but some people don't agree.
The engine is not quite as silky as the GD1 and the car is also a bit less nippy especially at lower revs. However, it is noticeably more economical.
Handling and suspension is even better than the GD1. It is very stable and predictable.
Vision through the corners of the windscreen is better but there is still a blind spot to beware of.
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I upgraded to a 3 from a 1 and it is a better car. The main improvement is that it is much quieter especially above 30 mph or so. Steering wheel controls for phone, radio and music are great too as is Bluetooth that just works.
Thank you. I am avidly reading all I can.
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If looking at a Mk3, be aware that for most models Garmin no longer provide updates for the sat nav. If the car you like is a NAVI model don't be put off, but don't pay a premium price just for the sat nav feature.
It is possible that some 2019 models can get updates, but you would need to check specifically for each vehicle.
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Can’t really comment on differences from the earlier models, but (after nearly 11 years of ownership) I can say that the Mk3 is a well rounded package with good internal space, great economy, and comfort that’s well up with the norm for this class of car. It’s a bit noisy at speed, but it’s a small car.
One thing to be aware of is that no Mk3 comes with a spare wheel as standard. Some owners bought either a full size spare or a space-saver as an extra, but in the later cars Honda changed the design of the underfloor storage which makes it awkward to stow one.
If you’re looking at a CVT, some owners have reported that it’s quite sluggish from a standing start, which makes merging into traffic (eg at a roundabout) a bit testing.
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I agree with what ColinB wrote above. I decided to buy manual after test driving CVT. And I have equipped my 3rd gen Jazz with full size spare wheel.
The judgment of the noise level depends on each one's previous experience. You have had older generation Jazz, so I'm sure 3rd gen is more quiet. It's also more quiet than 1st gen Honda CRV or new Dacia Sandero.
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If you normally drive a manual and dont need an automatic I'd avoid CVT. Although i admit I have never driven one. :-[ Unless your budget extends to a mk4 , which despite Honda still calling it a CVT is a different thing entirely. Those are so good I'd never buy another manual car.
If you have never used a satnav you might not realise just how useful it can be, taking a lot of the stress out of finding locations or driving through unfamiliar towns or routes.
If a choice happens to be a Navi version dont worry too much that the maps might be a bit out of date. Even with the latest updates you occasionally encounter a new road, housing development ,newly installed roundabout etc thats still not yet on the mapping. But dont dismiss a mk3 thats not a Navi version as you can use a free satnav app on your phone, and display it on the car infotainment screen.
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... you can use a free satnav app on your phone, and display it on the car infotainment screen.
Er, no you can't, at least not without either replacing the head unit or doing an inordinate amount of hacking. The Mk3 head unit does not support modern stuff like Android Auto. The technology of the time was MirrorLink, which was not supported by phone manufacturers even when the car design was new. Just use the phone as a stand-alone satnav.
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I agree, I found no way to display a phone app on the car's screen. I bought a discreet navigation unit and mounted the holder on the dash. It integrates with the phone and only takes a couple of minutes to mount and plug in if I have a longer or more complicated trip. Mostly, just the phone is as much as I need though.
One of my cars is a CVT automatic and the other a manual. The CVT gets slightly better economy (maybe my driving style with manual?) and if I had a choice it would be CVT every time. It works extremely well especially on hills and I don't mind that very slight delay on taking off at quickly. I don't do it much any anyway you are not going to win any races with this car. I just enjoy the relaxed driving style CVT makes possible - who wants to think about what gear will be needed next? CVT, for me, is a much more refined and better technology.
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Whoops. Sorry . I had thought the mk 3 could screen mirror a mobile phone using a hard wired usb lead. I must stop pontificating on subjects I dont fully understand,especially on cars I have never owned. :-[
But I can say from experience that I personally find satnavs very useful, even if you have to mount the phone/satnav as a standalone screen. I can imagine a Navi mk3 would be a bit of a bonus, but not essential.
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I moved from a MK1 to MK3.
They are good cars but tbh id consider also pricing up something like a Toyota Corolla or Prius, the interiors are so much better than the jazz, and are equally if not even better reliability than the jazz.
The thing which annoys me about the MK3 is the very cheap plastic interior, especially the doors etc. and the head unit is complete garbage, I spent an extra £300 and got a joying unit. Easy to fit and completely change the driving experience, it's great being able to click the talk button on the steering wheel and just chat away to Gemini etc.
So far in mine I have driven 60,000 and had 6 new tyres, changed oil twice per year, new rear pads, new front discs and pads, new sparkplugs, new Aircon condenser and pump, and oil filters, cabin filters etc.
So not too bad maintenance costs in reality, I just can't help being slightly let down the way the interiors seem to be cheap.
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Of course my experience in driving in UK is limited, but on those narrow roads and tight parking spaces you have in your lovely island, I would personally prefer a small car like Jazz.
And eventhough I like my 3rd gen Jazz, I would be very tempted to look after a good condition early 2nd gen Jazz, because it has less unnecessary gimmicks to fail in the long run. Or even 1st gen, which you know you like.
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A MK3 would be a smarter buy if you can afford a decent one. Mk2s are now at least a decade old. But don't buy a cheap Mk3 for the sake of it if your budget will also get you a Mk2 in better condition. Condition is king.
I've never driven a Mk3 but I understand all but the entry level spec have a touchscreen-based infortainment screen which is said to be not that great. But you still get buttons on the steering wheel to adjust volume, change radio station/tracks and switch between radio and CD player.
Here's a video of a Mk3 Jazz from the High Peak Autos Youtube channel:
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Exactly as RichardA wrote: Condition is king.
Just one thing if you end up bying a 3rd gen Jazz. Do not buy a model with push button start. It is not if, it is when it will cause trouble. Conventional ignition key start is as reliable as they have been for decades in all cars.
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A MK3 would be a smarter buy if you can afford a decent one. Mk2s are now at least a decade old. But don't buy a cheap Mk3 for the sake of it if your budget will also get you a Mk2 in better condition. Condition is king.
I've never driven a Mk3 but I understand all but the entry level spec have a touchscreen-based infortainment screen which is said to be not that great. But you still get buttons on the steering wheel to adjust volume, change radio station/tracks and switch between radio and CD player.
Here's a video of a Mk3 Jazz from the High Peak Autos Youtube channel:
That's brilliant, thank you. I love that colour. I never wanted old lady Mk1 light blue but the car was a real gem of a find. I want a manual, so hopefully that is lower cost. I do want to test drive a Mk4 just for kicks. But I am sort of looking at Mk3's more. Only hate is no spare wheel.
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If your future Mk3 is manufactured 2019 or earlier, you can add a spare wheel. You can see the shopping list from my thread post #40.
https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=12071.30 (https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=12071.30)
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If you normally drive a manual and dont need an automatic I'd avoid CVT. Although i admit I have never driven one. :-[ Unless your budget extends to a mk4 , which despite Honda still calling it a CVT is a different thing entirely. Those are so good I'd never buy another manual car.
I am going to give a Mk4 a try in due course. I have never driven an automatic but hear the hybrid is a good one. I have also got Google Maps on my phone, so I am happy to use that rather than rely on the sat nav if there are issues. Will read up about it though.
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If your future Mk3 is manufactured 2019 or earlier, you can add a spare wheel. You can see the shopping list from my thread post #40.
https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=12071.30 (https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=12071.30)
Thank you ;D
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Lack of a spare wheel is not a problem. As Colin B stated in post #4 above, all Mk3 came with a tyre repair kit and no spare wheel
However, the sheet metal stamping under the boot floor is shaped to accomodate a full size spare wheel (or a space saver if you prefer). Spare wheels, sometimes including a tyre are advertised regularly on ebay. After I bought my Mk 3 I was able to get an original alloy wheel + tyre to match those on the car at a very reasonable cost. There are also suppliers who can supply generic space saver wheel / tyre / jack kits. (If you buy just a wheel on ebay you will need to source a jack. Ebay often has genuine Honda Jazz jacks)
The only thing to watch for is some late 2018 and most 2019 cars. The sheet metal floor stamping was changed on these models. There is some space under the boot floor but it will not take a full size spare. A space saver may fit, but will be higher than the boot floor cover and needs a bit of bodging to get a tidy fit
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The only thing to watch for is some late 2018 and most 2019 cars. The sheet metal floor stamping was changed on these models. There is some space under the boot floor but it will not take a full size spare.
Timing may not be quite that early. I have seen the new low floor pan only in MY2020 Jazzes.
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Hi - I have a post-2019 Honda Jazz and can confirm that the boot floor is not deep enough for a full size spare wheel. However, it does fit a space saver spare wheel (I have one myself) and while it does sit very slightly proud of the boot floor (barely noticeable), I have covered this with a Jazz boot liner so it is not visible.
However, there is no fixing point for the space saver spare wheel and so I have stuffed a few sheets underneath and around it to stop it moving. I have also attached ratchet tie down straps from the wheel to the boot anchor points to prevent it coming free in the event of an accident (a loose wheel flying about would be extremely dangerous).
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2robbie2, do you know the manufacturing date of your Jazz? Is it MY2020?
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Hi TnTkr - it was registered on 31/12/19 and the year of manufacture was 2019. I have seen the earlier models (up to 2018) and can see that these had a deeper boot floor that could accommodate a full size spare wheel.
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Hi 2robbie2 I assume yours is then MY2020, isn't it. That can be seen from the 10th digit of the VIN. MY2020 is L.
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Honda’s definition of “model year” doesn’t seem to relate to when a car was manufactured or bought, but rather to whenever the marketing department decide to trumpet “next year’s model”. So a car bought in late 2019 is probably a MY2020 model, and my own car (bought in October 2015) is apparently a MY2016 car.
BTW, the sure-fire way to check if any particular car has room for a spare wheel is to look for the hold down fitting. Lift out the foam insert under the boot floor and there should be a welded bracket with a captive nut to take the wheel securing bolt. If it’s there, then you can stow a full-size spare; if it’s not then there certainly isn’t room for a full-size spare, and even a space-saver is tight with no easy way to secure it safely.
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That's same with most manufacturers, and it is up to manufacturer to decide when they change the model year in the production line. The 10th digit in VIN tells the model year, no matter what is the production date. Cars may have spent several months in Honda Europe storage area in Belgium, so date of selling is not telling much. Dealer should be able to tell you the exact manufacturing date of your car. At least I got the date from Honda.
I am asking because I would like to verify if the shallow pan is feature for MY2020 or is it taken into production some random time.
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Hi TnTkr - the 10th digit of my VIN is also L - hope this helps. :D
Hi Colin B - you're right that it is tight to fit a space saver, but ironically that helps to ensure that it doesn't move around (supplemented by the sheets I have stuffed around mine). In terms of securing it safely, this actually wasn't a problem - the ratchet tie down straps I purchased should ensure that it is as safe as the traditional hold down fitting in the event of the car flipping over in an accident, with further security provided by the boot liner that I have used to cover the floor. Clearly, it would have been better to have a deep wheel well as I could then store a full-size spare wheel - but a space saver is in my humble opinion considerably better than the tyre repair kit. :D
I also have 5 full size Honda OEM spare wheels at home (long story! :D) - so in the event of a puncture, I just need to get home to replace properly. Given that 99% of my journeys are within the same region where I live, the space saver is only needed for a relatively short distance to get me home in an emergency.
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Hi TnTkr - the 10th digit of my VIN is also L - hope this helps. :D
Thank you! This far no-on has come up with 2019 model (10th digit K) with the shallow boot floor. All with deep one like mine.
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Here is how I carry and secure a full sized spare in my Mk4, which has no spare wheel well at all ,let alone a shallow one. Although at first sight this appears quite intrusive the height of the wheel is only about 200 mm (8") There is still enough room (IMO) for shopping and luggage. I can lay a medium sized suitcase on top of the wheel yet still under the boot cover.
I accept a mk3 is different to a mk 4, but I would have thought even the shallow well will reduce the wheels intrusion by a useful amount. It may be possible to level the boot floor to the same height as the wheel by using simple pieces of timber of a suitable thickness on the boot floor with an easily lifted false floor of hardboard etc. This arrangement might only reduce the remaining boot height by a small amount , or alternatively may give useful storage space hidden under the false floor, . The false floor would also contribute towards keeping the wheel secure/safe.
Has anyone with a shallow well done this and able to provide a photo , or some idea of the measurement involved?
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I actually thought your spare wheel wasn't that intrusive - the dark grey bag/holdall gives it a smart luggage type appearance - if I ever trade up to a Mk4, I'll know what to do!
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Thank you everyone. I really appreciate the discussions in this thread. Food for though. :)
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A MK3 would be a smarter buy if you can afford a decent one. Mk2s are now at least a decade old. But don't buy a cheap Mk3 for the sake of it if your budget will also get you a Mk2 in better condition. Condition is king.
I've never driven a Mk3 but I understand all but the entry level spec have a touchscreen-based infortainment screen which is said to be not that great. But you still get buttons on the steering wheel to adjust volume, change radio station/tracks and switch between radio and CD player.
Here's a video of a Mk3 Jazz from the High Peak Autos Youtube channel:
That's brilliant, thank you. I love that colour. I never wanted old lady Mk1 light blue but the car was a real gem of a find. I want a manual, so hopefully that is lower cost. I do want to test drive a Mk4 just for kicks. But I am sort of looking at Mk3's more. Only hate is no spare wheel.
as per my thumbnail this is identical coloutr to mine..great car love it
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as per my thumbnail this is identical coloutr to mine..great car love it
I think I would love this colour or that deep metallic red of the Mk4. Both stunning :D
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The blue is beautiful, but I am also a big fan of the orange and yellow mk3s! :)
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So, I am still awaiting probate and the funeral is next week. The Executor gave me finance to hire a car for a month, which is a top of the range Vauxhall Corsa. Very nippy and much more SpookyGal friendly than the Mazda 3.
However, it's so small. No leg room in the back, and the boot is tiny. Does have a spare wheel space for a spare, though. It rarely shouts, except when I didn't slam the boot and the alarm kept going off every 30 seconds until I worked it out. I did ask them to switch all the bleeps off.
I learnt to drive in a Classic Mini Cooper, so small cars are something I like. However, even after a Mk1 Jazz, I would feel very lost without the Magic Seats. They say most people who buy a Jazz buy Jazz again, and I can see why.