Jazz or Yaris?

[Toptek]

My concern was the potential of the Catalyst theft which I believe is not such an issue on the newer Jazz (fingers crossed)....
Our Jazz is a cvt which has a sluggish start from standstill, which is a worry at junctions and the stop start doesn’t work which I consider a bonus but that’s my opinion.

[springswood]

At the risk of stirring things up I've been looking at the Hyundai i20. I drove one and was impressed with how much more refined it is (though admittedly I've a Mk1 Jazz) and the 1.2 engine seemed a lot more gutsy than 74bhp would suggest.

[Westy36]

At the risk of stirring things up I've been looking at the Hyundai i20. I drove one and was impressed with how much more refined it is (though admittedly I've a Mk1 Jazz) and the 1.2 engine seemed a lot more gutsy than 74bhp would suggest.

I would consider any of the Asian brands, Nissan aside, as a replacement to be fair. Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki and Mazda all make really good small cars that are in the same market segment as the Jazz.

Hyundai cars look very good these days, mind you given they have the likes of Peter Schreyer and Luc Donckerwolke involved in their designs it really is no surpise. Take another look at a modern Hyundai, they look fairly "vorsprung durch technik".

[Happyarry]

The VW UP is certainly the best driving car, I had the Seat Mii 74 hp. and took it on a near 2000 miles trip around Scotland and the North. They are really comfortable but do lack power when loaded with luggage.

The Jazz is  much more up market and does everything satisfactorily but not exactly spectacular. I find it perfect for my needs and as regards the CVT being slow off the mark, don't believe it. It's no speedster but driven correctly it will keep pace with similar sized cars and the sport mode or paddle shift 'drop a gear' means joining traffic etc is no problem. But if it's pace you're after, get a car with a Turbo engine.

If it's reliability, Honda fits that bill too. I'd worry you'd find the Yaris a little boring

Harry

[peteo48]

The Yaris might, just, edge it for reliability but it's a tiny margin. The interior space in the Jazz clinches it for me.

[culzean]

The VW UP is certainly the best driving car, I had the Seat Mii 74 hp. and took it on a near 2000 miles trip around Scotland and the North. They are really comfortable but do lack power when loaded with luggage.

The Jazz is  much more up market and does everything satisfactorily but not exactly spectacular. I find it perfect for my needs and as regards the CVT being slow off the mark, don't believe it. It's no speedster but driven correctly it will keep pace with similar sized cars and the sport mode or paddle shift 'drop a gear' means joining traffic etc is no problem. But if it's pace you're after, get a car with a Turbo engine.

If it's reliability, Honda fits that bill too. I'd worry you'd find the Yaris a little boring

Harry

There is a thing in motorbike circles called a UJM ( universal Japanese motorcycle ) it is basically what it says, a bike that does everything well and without fuss, is easy to ride, is reliable, but probably not the 'character' of say a Ducati or Harley ( LOL ) does not have the highest power or fastest etc.  I would guess the Jazz is the nearest thing in car terms ( maybe UJC ) - lets call the Jazz the Universal Japanese Car.....

[Ralph]

as regards the CVT being slow off the mark, don't believe it. It's no speedster but driven correctly it will keep pace with similar sized cars and the sport mode or paddle shift 'drop a gear' means joining traffic etc is no problem. But if it's pace you're after, get a car with a Turbo engine.

Harry

Nothing to do with speed, no matter what you do with paddle shifters or sports mode the cvt Jazz refuses to do anything more than gentle acceleration from a standing start plus if you forget to turn off auto stop the extra 1/2 second to start the engine makes manoeuvres like turning right into a side road with oncoming traffic or joining a roundabout difficult.
Once up to speed however the Honda is way better than the Yaris on motorways

[John Ratsey]

Nothing to do with speed, no matter what you do with paddle shifters or sports mode the cvt Jazz refuses to do anything more than gentle acceleration from a standing start plus if you forget to turn off auto stop the extra 1/2 second to start the engine makes manoeuvres like turning right into a side road with oncoming traffic or joining a roundabout difficult.

The early Mk 3 Jazz I had was too willing to rev the engine and accelerate.

It's easy to temporarily override the auto-stop by using a lighter touch on the brake pedal.

[Kenneve]

as regards the CVT being slow off the mark, don't believe it. It's no speedster but driven correctly it will keep pace with similar sized cars and the sport mode or paddle shift 'drop a gear' means joining traffic etc is no problem. But if it's pace you're after, get a car with a Turbo engine.

Harry

Nothing to do with speed, no matter what you do with paddle shifters or sports mode the cvt Jazz refuses to do anything more than gentle acceleration from a standing start plus if you forget to turn off auto stop the extra 1/2 second to start the engine makes manoeuvres like turning right into a side road with oncoming traffic or joining a roundabout difficult.
Once up to speed however the Honda is way better than the Yaris on motorways

I think you need to speak to your dealer regarding the 'gentle acceleration' as there is obviously something wrong.
I find that the car will accelerate, probably quicker that a manual, if pushed, I have no trouble joining traffic or islands.
Yes, the engine will rev, probably to 4000rpm or more, but so what, that is what it is designed to do.
However, I do agree with your comments re autostop, absolute waste of time!

[embee]

Not entirely relevant, I apologise.
I have a mk1 Yaris (2000MY), from new, and it has been utterly reliable. It was a Japan built car, before moving assembly to 'yurp. Now at 95k mls, it's had a set of discs/pads around 60k and a couple of sets of rollbar drop links, and I just fitted a new rad (£60) because the original at 20yrs was looking very moth eaten (but not actually leaking). I know the new Yaris has nothing in common with mine, but I'd just say that the Jazz is definitely a step up the model category range.

More relevant, I've had a 2018 Jazz CVT since October, admittedly mileage has been minimal due to you-know-what.
I had the usual tyre warnings, and the stop/start said the battery was too low all the time. Both these were solved. You need a good tyre pressure gauge, reading to better than 0.5psi really (I have a TCL digital reading to 0.1psi), set all pressures when stone cold and make sure the axle has exactly the same pressure both sides. I've had no warnings since doing this. If I need to re-do the tyre pressures I just reset the warning system.
The battery thing was fixed by partly discharging the battery directly from the terminals (i.e. NOT through the charge monitor) using a spare 12v lamp, I drained around 8Ah from it. I then charged it fully THROUGH the charge monitoring device so the system considers it has been charged more than discharged, and since then I've had no battery warnings at all from the stop/start.

The CVT take-off from standstill needs a little more pedal movement than I found to be "natural" coming from the Yaris, but since it is drive-by-wire it's very probably just the calibration of the progression to make it driveable etc. If you use enough pedal it will set off quite spiritedly. I suspect the throttle progression also depends on rate of movement, if you ease the pedal down slowly it doesn't respond much, if you "stab" it a bit it seems to respond a bit more eagerly (this is just my impression, I have no technical measurement to justify this suggestion, but it's the kind of thing done when calibrating a DBW throttle). For me it's not an issue, but I can understand why it might annoy some folk, depending what you're used to.
I have a Honda dual clutch bike, and they are rather a marmite device, some (purist?) folk really don't get on with them, but most criticisms are down to expecting it to be able to read their minds whereas if you "use" the system features to do what you want it works extremely well. I love it, some hate them.

Friends have asked my advice about used cars, and I always advise looking at the MOT records on the DVLA website. Find a few models for sale which are 4 or 5yrs old (if the model is based on something that age) and check the MOT history (only need reg number), see what they fail on. Most cars these days have few major issues, MOT fails are usually tyres/wipers/lamps, but sometimes you find common trends (e.g. rear brakes on Minis). I recently looked at Hyundai i10 for someone, and early ones do have a lot of issues (brakes, suspension units leaking, electrical/lights etc). Later ones seem better.

[Jocko]

When I look at MOT histories, I am always amazed at some of the faults people put cars in with. Like no number plate lights, bald tyres, even saw one with a missing wiper blade and arm (bet it was the driver's side).

[Downsizer]

Like embee, I have had a Mk1 Yaris as well as two Jazzes, and all three have been utterly reliable.  I agree with embee’s comments about using the accelerator in the Mk 3 Jazz CVT and I was told about this by the salesman before the test drive.  If you firmly floor the pedal past the resistance point it takes off faster then I ever want, albeit with high revs.  But maximum torque needs high revs!

[Westy36]

MOT advisories are an indication, but to be taken with a pinch of salt. It is subjective and up to the tester. I've presented cars where minors were noted, but frankly stating the obvious. Silly things like exhaust minor corrosion, and number plate slighty delaminated. Another tester might not even comment.

If the car has advisories, check them when viewing. You will see for yourself what's what.

[123Drive!]

If it's Auto then definitely go for the Hybrid Yaris for economy reasons. Otherwise Jazz has a better interior and practicality. I have ex pupil's and colleagues driving both cars, none have expressed any problems.

Was given a 2017 Yaris Hybrid for two weeks when someone hit my MK2 Jazz. The Hybrid does save a bit of fuel as I m a driving instructor. The gearbox is smooth compared to my I-Shift. The Excel model also has auto dimming mirrors which Jazz MK3 doesn't. However the Icon doesn't even have rear electric windows. The door card looks cheap and steering wheel position seems odd.

My ex pupil has a MK3 SE. Inside it's much posher than the Yaris. More space as well. The only thing I don't like it's the S version... doesn't even have alloys!

Ultimately the Yaris and Jazz will give you reliability. Yaris have 5 yrs warranty and I see some Dealers are doing 0% finance. So it's about personal choice. If you can find a good independent garage for maintenance, even better.

As an alternative I have been looking at the all new Dacia Sandro. Excellent value at £12750 auto Satnav rear camera etc...but no self diming mirror!

[AlanTR]

I don't think there's much difference between the Jazz and Yaris when it comes to reliability. The Jazz however, is far more roomy and practical. Honda and Toyota are very reliable. I've owned BMW, Volvo, VW, Renault, Citroen and Ford - I wouldn't go back to any of them. It's Honda for me, plus the Hyundai I10 Mk 2 which has given me 6 years of trouble-free motoring.