Looking for my 1st Jazz

[guest4324]

Hi Chan, it's on the general forum. My car is still standard so I'm not upto the level of the modded jazzes! However, over here since 2009 we have the "sport" model which has a body kit and I have an oem roof spoiler. As I will keep the car for quite a while I didn't want to be always regretting not going for the sport version!
The uk Si version is available here now but it was out of my price range!

[guest4380]

Cheers Stu!

Can u put a link here that will go straight to your car pics in the gallery?

Apart from spoiler / body kit is your Sport and ES?

Like u - I prefer not to pay for the SI.
The earlier EX got enough toys to tickle my fancy.
But like u again, would I regret not getting the SI for the cool looks?

Decision decision decision.

Also, not test driven the 1.4 yet (there are more and cheaper 1.2 about).
Still not sure if worth the extra for a 1.4 ....

[richardfrost]

Chan,

My last three cars ('53 Renault Laguna, '56 Nissan X-Trail and '60 Honda CR/V) have all had built in Sat Nav as standard equipment. All of them had out of date maps when the car was brand new and all charged hundreds of pounds to update the maps, every year. Needless to say, I never updated them.

About half way through the time I had the X-Trail, I bought a portable Garmin unit with life time map updates for the whole of Europe. Total cost to me, £250.

It powers from either it's internal battery or from the lighter socket, and it sits on it's Garmin Mount attached to one of these, which sits on the dash and never slides about.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bracketron-Nav-Mat-Universal-Dash-Mount/dp/B000U5TUWE/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1384687202&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=sat+nag+dash+mount

For me, it's a perfect set up. When not in use, I lift the mount on to the floor, under the driver's seat, and no one would know you had it, as there's no trace of a sucker on the windscreen. In fact, given the rake of the Jazz windscreen, I'm not sure a windscreen mount would be practical.

Just a thought. Don't let the allure of built in Sat Nav drive your model choice. I guarantee if you buy a three year old car with one, it will have five year old maps.

[guest4324]

Hi Chan, not sure how to do the link, I will try again later! I went for the 1.4 because consumption is about the same but there are a lot of very steep hills where I live so I just wanted the extra 10ps. The only thing I had to get used to when going up hill compared to my old car was to use a lower gear up to around 3500 revs before changing up. Otherwise it's more than powerful enough, on the motorway it accelerates well and cruises easily at 75 mph, in town on flat roads i can stay in 5th at 40kmh (25mph). I'm averaging 52mpg by my own calculations, gauge shows a bit more.
I think my model is somewhere between the ES and EX as I don't know the full specs in the UK. I have stability control, led lights, auto climate control, 6 airbags, 6 speaker stereo, no glass roof, self parking mirrors, no USB connection - just mp3 on the stereo. From what I can tell the Swiss specs are usually slightly lower than in the UK unless you spend a bit more! I like the look of the EX but for personal taste I liked it with the body kit more. My wife doesn't see any difference - typical - but my 7 year old daughter thinks it's cool!

[guest4380]

Cheers Richard.

I know what u mean and it does make sense money-wise!
I was lucky with my Subaru - was abled to buy latest maps from internet labelled as backup maps (wink wink).

With my Skoda was abled to sweet talk my dealer to update maps for free! :-)
But recently the Skoda stereo was stolen :-(
Been told by Police VAG stereo s are HOT these few months !!!

Will see.
It does look EX-T is out of my budget.
But still keen on SI look!

Do people think WHITE looks ok?

[culzean]

Chan,
Just a thought. Don't let the allure of built in Sat Nav drive your model choice. I guarantee if you buy a three year old car with one, it will have five year old maps.

^^^^What he said - also the only advantage to built in satnav is if the screen is also used for reversing camera and other stuff.  but you can buy aftermarket screens and wireless cameras quite cheaply anyway.  IMHO built in satnavs are for company car drivers who can get maps updated at no cost to themselves.  It may not seem as though roads are changing until you drive around with old maps, and find that you are being directed wrong way down one way street, come across new islands that are not on your screen, or screen shows you driving across a field because new road has been built. Also speed limits are constantly being changed.  I have a 5 inch garmin Nuvi and lifetime maps for whole of UK and Europe (updated 4 times a year) cost US$75 ( about £50) - you have to download them from Garmin site,  but with anything above 10Mb internet it's a breeze and takes about an hour.

PS only buy white if you love cleaning your car.

[guest4380]

Cheers Stu.

I drove the Citreon C1 1.0 68bhp courtesy car the other week.
Not surprised it struggle up hill.
But amazing 70+ mph overtake on motorway with 4 ppl!!!

So a bit surprised when the 1.2 90bhp struggled uphill with just me + salesman ! :-(

Coming down from a 242bhp petrol (subaru)
To a 170bho diesel (Skoda) was a bit of a surprised.
Now bracing myself with a 100bhp Jazz! Lol

But its an amazing piece of master piece!
Those magic seats - awesome!
The extra opening angle of doors, and glass bit by a-pillar :-)
Esp like the 3D design of the speedo!

[guest4380]

PS only buy white if you love cleaning your car.

Hmmm - thy get that dirty?
Thought that was black cars?

I don't like cleaning cars that often.
But when I do , I try to do it proper:
1. Rinse
2. 2 bucket wash
3. Rinse
4. Microfiber wipe
5. Clay
6. Microfiber
7. Wax
8. Microfiber

Love to get a foam gun + polisher!

[richardfrost]

Coming down from a 242bhp petrol (subaru)
To a 170bho diesel (Skoda) was a bit of a surprised.
Now bracing myself with a 100bhp Jazz! Lol

Chan, I still have my 2.2 Diesel CR/V but it is going back soon. It's a company car and I am retiring. Right now, I swap between the CR/V and the Jazz, as I want to identify any issues with the Jazz and get them sorted by the dealer before the CR/V goes back. So far, only a slipping alternator belt and a CD ERR message on the stereo.

Anyway, my point is, I too live up a big hill, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. When I first drove my 1.4 Jazz up the hill it felt all wrong. Then someone on here reminded me I'm driving a petrol engine which enjoys higher revs, not my hulking big turbo 2.2 diesel. So I let rip with the revs and the car was amazing. Ok, it's not got the same torque or power as your big diesel, but when driven right, it will go very well.

This Wednesday, I took it for it's first proper run, rather than shuttling around town, and the car was really nice to drive, lots of power when revved higher. I drove it up Cragg Vale, from Mytholmroyd, which is the longest continuous incline in Britain and is on the Tour de France route for the Grande Depart next summer. The car really surprised me with it's eagerness and balance. It's not a particularly steep hill, but it is long and twisty, so you're constantly cornering and having to accelerate away. I was really pleased.

My only disappointment is that ultimately, this Jazz is for my son for his 21st birthday, and I will have to give it back when my true next car arrives, a Ford Kuga (no Sat Nav ;-) as this time it's not a Company Car!). If I'd known then (when I ordered the Kuga) what I know now (about the jazz, and the proposed SUV variant coming soon), I might have made different choices.

Buying a car is a fun time, enjoy it.

..Richard

[guest4380]

Cheers Richard again!
I am based in blustery, hilly West Yorks too!

From memory Jap cars always need to rev higher than European cars for max torque/power.
From what u say, it sounds like its not changed.

Hope not nosey.
Why a Ford?
I thought the CRV was the most reliable 4x4 u can buy.
And one of the trims has a built-in shower?

[richardfrost]

The built in shower was a gimmick in the original CR/V. I have had 2 CR/Vs now and both have been brilliant. I just fancied a change. I was very impressed with the new Kuga and it's toys.

[guest4380]

The built in shower was a gimmick in the original CR/V. I have had 2 CR/Vs now and both have been brilliant. I just fancied a change. I was very impressed with the new Kuga and it's toys.

Cool
Kuga are good looking cars and practical too.

Let's us know how it performs in snow!

[culzean]

Don't ever worry about revving Honda engines - they thrive on it ( best description of power I ever saw was 'the size of the bang multiplied by the number of bangs per minute') and even if most of the time you chug around at less than 2000 revs to save petrol they still need a nice motorway run every so often to blow the cobwebs out of the CAT and EGR,  put some Redex or injector cleaner in every so often - this is even even more important if you do lots of short journeys.

[guest1521]

From memory Jap cars always need to rev higher than European cars for max torque/power.
From what u say, it sounds like its not changed.

Petrol Hondas, in particular, traditionally needed revs to extract acceleration and 'pulling power.' Honda's i-VTEC engines were renowned for being high-rev 'screamers'. If memory serves, the Honda S2000 (2-litres/247bhp) sportscar was redlined at 8000/9000 rpm. It took several years for Ferrari! to beat it on 'specific output' (bhp/cc) for a normally aspirated/non-turbo engine. Till then, that Honda engine held the world record on 'specific output for non-turbo/non-supercharged engines'... for production road cars. The Honda NSX supercar probably held the same accolade.

In the GE Jazz, its i-VTEC engine only starts to really 'pull' at about 3200rpm when the second intake valve per cylinder opens up. This particular i-VTEC has been designed more for low-revs 'economy' rather than 'power' and it'll pootle around on the flat at as low as 1200 rpm in top gear. The green 'change-gear' indicator urges 'change-up' at surprisingly low revs but to a keen listening ear the engine sounds absolutely fine. Modern engine management technology makes that possible. (And Honda is surely among the best at that.)

Whether 1.2 (90ps) or 1.4 (100ps), these Jazz engines offer a pretty clever balance between 'power/horsepower/ps' and 'tractability/low-rev flexibility/torque'.

But to get the GE Jazz to 'pull hard', its torque characteristics require it to be revved such that... when changed UP into the next higher gear... the revs fall back to no lower than about 3,200rpm. Below those revs it has 'no puff' and you then have to choose between continuing sluggish progress or whack it back down to the previous gear. Easy with its slickest of gearchanges and light clutch pedal...

For the GE Jazz, for *best possible* acceleration or for *maximum* pulling power up a hill the driver's aim should be to pull the next higher gear only when there's enough rpm for that gear to BEGIN at 3200 rpm. That - typically, depending on the gear - means winding it up to around 5000 rpm before changing up. 

However, for *fuel economy* it's best to try to keep it ALWAYS below 3200rpm... which is the point where the GE Jazz i-VTEC appears to change from 12-valve to 16-valve operation. 

For drivers accustomed to bigger petrol engines and/or modern turbo diesels, it can take a little getting used to.

[RichardA]

Thks Richard.

Why probs with 16"?

There is (or was) limited choice of brands in the required tyre size.