Should you buy a pre-owned Honda Jazz

The Honda Jazz in India was positioned as a premium hatchback and launched in India in 2009. It was a great success in markets abroad as the Fit and was brought in to expand Honda’s portfolio and reach in India. It was a stand out option in the Indian market gaining a lot of eyeballs on the road for distinctive shape and styling. The sterling reputation Honda enjoyed, and a number of never before seen features in its segment, that were introduced by it propelled the Honda Jazz into the reckoning in the Indian car market.

Why you should consider a pre-owned Honda Jazz?

The Jazz is a premium hatchback and is built to a high standard. The Jazz typically features a sleek and contemporary design that appeals to a wide range of consumers. Exceptional versatility and a well rounded driving character only enhances the package. Let us look at the factors that might encourage you to consider parking one in your garage.

Interior

The Honda Jazz is easily the most spacious hatchback in the market with its rear seating and legroom on offer even putting sedans to shame. Do you want to seat five people? Not a problem. They will fit in with room to spare.The interiors offer great visibility and airiness due to the wide windows and ample headroom. The seats are thicker than the norm unlike other hatchbacks, and you will sink into them in comfort. The boot space is huge with a low loading lip and the wide rear tailgate makes loading and unloading a breeze. The “Magic Seats” in the Honda Jazz are a standout feature, offering a versatile seat system that enables you to customise the vehicle’s interior to suit your specific needs. The Honda Jazz is known for its impressive fit and finish, and the use of high-quality materials in its interior. 

Engines and Fuel Efficiency

You buy a Honda Jazz and you’ll be struck with the refinement levels of their engines. You can barely hear them in idle. The sheer dependability and reliability of their engines is what sets Honda apart from their competitors and the Jazz is no exception to that rule.  Whether it is city or highway driving, the Jazz will leave you impressed with its fuel efficiency figures while not compromising the driving experience. 

While the petrol engines are praised for their refinement and power delivery, the Honda Jazz also featured a 1.5-litre diesel engine that was well-regarded for its performance and responsiveness in the segment.

Drive quality

The fun-to-drive factor of the Honda Jazz, particularly in its first-generation model, sets it apart in its class. Many enthusiasts prefer the driving dynamics of the older Jazz over the newer iterations. The Honda Jazz is easy and effortless to drive. It’s a compact car with good manoeuvrability, making it a breeze to navigate through congested city traffic and tight parking spots. If you’re driving the manual, the light controls and smooth clutch place hardly any strain on you. The CVT is driving elevated to another level, the proprietary technology of Honda showing up at its best here.

Safety Features

Honda pays a lot of attention to safety. The Honda Jazz is built solidly with airbags, ABS with EBD and more. We should remember that Honda built the Jazz to safety standards at a time when the Indian consumer typically did not care about them at all. The Jazz boasts a 4-star safety rating from the Global NCAP which underscores its commitment to safety, making it a well-rounded choice for those seeking an enjoyable and secure driving experience.

How old should a pre-owned Honda Jazz be?

First Gen 2009-2015

The Honda Jazz was launched as a spacious, premium hatchback with a solid build quality and outsize boot space. While it did sell, we would not recommend you pick up one because of the poor feature list and lack of basic safety equipment like airbags on offer. Magic seats that could be folded to various configurations increasing the already huge boot space on offer was a highlight. It was only marketed with a petrol option but came in both manual and CVT versions.

Third generation 2015

Honda learnt from its mistakes and drove in an all new Jazz generation in 2015. It came in on a new platform but its trademark mono volume shape was unchanged, easily identifying it as a Jazz. Sharper styling and an attractive rear, a much more comprehensive feature list, the steering wheel among other parts lifted straight from the Honda City,  created a very strong and attractive package. Safety aspects went up with the addition of dual airbags, among others. However, magic seats were now not offered on the lower trims being confined to the higher specced variants. This time around, a diesel engine option was offered that was in keeping with the pulse of the market. 

Third generation 2018 Facelift

Honda sold its new hatchback in four petrol and three diesel variants, with the engine-gearbox options remaining the same. Honda also added a long-overdue top-trim for the petrol CVT, but there was no diesel CVT option. There were minimal exterior changes, with updates coming elsewhere.

Equipment levels received a boost with features like a push-button start and cruise control, among others. However, the removal of the “Magic Seats” feature was a disappointment, as it was a unique folding seat mechanism available in the top-spec variant of the previous Jazz model. 

Third Generation 2020 facelift

The facelifted version was launched with a new BSVI compliant petrol engine with the diesel engine no longer on offer. New LED headlamps, new alloy wheels and slightly changed front and rear bumpers highlighted the exterior changes while the interior boasted of a new 7 inch touchscreen and an electric sunroof among a whole host of new features to debut on these models. 

What to look out for while buying a pre-owned Honda Jazz?

The Honda Jazz sits a little low to the ground meaning that you might scrape the underbody along steep speed breakers and the like on Indian roads. Some individuals find the design and styling of the Jazz to be a bit dated, especially when compared to more modern hatchbacks.The petrol engine, particularly when paired with the CVT automatic transmission, has been criticised for feeling underpowered and somewhat sluggish but that is because the performance has been compromised for fuel efficiency. The availability of different variants and features can vary, and older models might lack some of the latest features found in newer cars.

There is not much difference styling wise between the 2018 and 2020 models, being somewhat incremental upgrades at best.

How much should a pre owned Honda Jazz cost?

Is a pre-owned Honda Jazz worth buying in 2023?

The only thing that can put you off buying a re-owned Honda Jazz today is the fact that it has been discontinued in India. But you should realise that the engine and its underpinnings are shared with its siblings like the Amaze. The same parts that grace the Honda Amaze can be used on the Jazz. Having understood that the Honda vehicles are built for dependability and long term performance, you can safely pick up a pre-owned Honda Jazz today and be guaranteed a good run with it.