Statutory Warning: This post is very very long and is a detailed description of my car buying experience. It was a wonderful one and I just thought I ought to share every bit of it with you like minded Homo Sapiens.
This has been a long, long time coming. A dream that has been in the works for the past 23 long years. We are a family of 4, my parents, my elder brother and myself. There was a point of time when me and my brother were around 4 foot tall and didn't weigh much and the 4 of us could easily putter around town in a rickshaw. At that point of time, a car was a luxury, not a necessity. A luxury we could do without. An added complication is that no one in the family knew how to drive. But then, we both grew to being 6 foot tall and autos became insanely expensive. An auto could no longer accommodate the 4 of us. Eventually, we started going out less often and then the 3 of us barring my dad started going out only when absolutely necessary, ie. To go shopping for any festival like Diwali, Sankranti, etc. That was when we realized that yes, a car was no longer a luxury but a necessity. That is when the pushing started, each of us started pushing dad for a car. But our requests fell on deaf ears. 2 years ago, it seemed like we could finally get our own car. Plans were taking shape when my engineering seat cost a lot more than it should have. We could've bought a Swift LXi for that money. 2 years went by and I can barely remember a day that my entire family had gone out. But a few weeks ago, my brother (Who has failed to join Team-BHP twice now) cleared his CA Final exam. Could I give a reference? :P That was the last push my dad needed to buy a car. Getting him to talk about buying a car took a while, but with a little persistence, it happened.
Now starts the interesting bit. Initially, our idea was, wait for it, a used car for 2.5L. Now you must be wondering, how did we end up with a Jazz X? That is a question I too, ask myself very often now. We had somehow convinced dad to buy a new car rather than a used one. And given the rather large dimensions of my family, the WagonR seemed to fit the bill perfectly. We explained the advantages of Airbags and ABS and he immediately in approval of the top end variant of the WagonR.
Budget right now, 5L.
Dad then wanted to visit our neighbour, a good friend of us for his opinion of the WagonR. Our neighbour is one of the more knowledgeable people around with regard to cars and his opinion is one to be taken seriously. The added bonus being, he too had a WagonR at one point of time. We went visiting and posed a few questions about the WagonR, he said that the car is unstable at high speeds and is even more unstable when someone zips past and overtakes you. My dad was perturbed again and the search continued. The next option was the Swift. Why? Looks OK, performs well and well, it's a Maruti. Service was unmatched. But I wondered,
since the budget has just increased, means our options have increased too. The contenders were, Ford Figo, Toyota Liva, the Honda Brio and the Hyundai i20.
Note: I don't know to drive very well yet and I didn't know a thing a month ago. So the test drives were all done by my good friend. And all the test driven cars were petrols.
We first test drove the new
Maruti Suzuki Swift.
First impression: Impressed, but not blown away. It did everything well but didn't excel in one particular field. Was shortlisted, but didn't have the 'Wow Factor.
Next up, the
Honda Brio. We landed up at Dakshin Honda, Lavelle Road and to my dismay, I had stepped on dog poop somewhere and had unknowingly walked all around the showroom with dog poop on my shoes. Embarrassing. :D Anyway, we requested a test drive of the Brio. But, unfortunately, the only Brio they had for Test Drive had gone far far off (Electronics City to be specific) for another Test Drive. I'd done my research prior to hitting the roads and I remembered that the Honda Brio and the Jazz shared the same i-VTEC engine with different levels of tune.
So we decided to take a Test Drive of the Honda Jazz instead.
First Impression: Mesmerized. The engine was stunningly silent. A car that had been driven for more than 10,000km by more than a 1000 people was so silent that my friend actually tried cranking the engine thinking the car hadn't started yet. I was like, WOW. I was impressed, very very impressed. I left the showroom wanting the Jazz, but knowing that it was way above budget. Customer service was good, but then the people at Maruti had their feet on the ground with Honda have their heads in the clouds. Snobby, but respectful.
Next up,
Ford Figo.
First Impression: A very very good car for the budget. But then again, given the competition, lacks the goodies. No power windows for the rear and the engine was on the harsher side in comparison to the Jazz. Customer Service was average. Just OK.
Next came, the
Hyundai i20
There was no first impression because they didn't have a car for test drive. And their callous, nonchalant response to their Customers' queries was an immediate turnoff. Customer Service wise, Hyundai hit rock bottom.
Lastly, the
Toyota Liva.
First Impression: An amazing car. But lacks the spunk in the interiors to make it look fresh. Interiors seem outdated and that god awful Speedometer stood out like a bigger eyesore in a car with already dull interiors. But its elder brother, the Toyota Etios, at 7.5L, with the ABS and Airbags, seemed like a worthy investment.
I headed home pondering that I wanted the Jazz, but would have to settle for an Etios or a Swift. I went around convincing my parents and brother for the Etios but then dropped it in favour of the Swift because I'd rather have a Premium Hatch than a Compromised Sedan. So the Swift it was. A few talks with dad and the Swift ZXi was confirmed due to the added Airbags and ABS safety features.
Budget right now: 7L.
I sat around that night and was wondering if there was any possible way we could get the Jazz. The base model was 7.3L, but then it was the Base Variant (Jazz Standard). It couldn't have ABS and Airbags, but then again, I could be wrong! I Googled up the Jazz to compare the features and Voila! The Jazz Base Model also had ABS and Airbags. I was over the moon. I spoke to my brother who was OK with the idea. I went to bed that night knowing that yes, a Jazz could indeed come home that day.
The next day was frantically spent in making lots of Phone Calls to various Honda Showrooms to enquire if they had a Jazz Standard in Urban Titanium. None. None of the showrooms had Jazz Standard in Urban Titanium. I was dejected, to come so close yet be so far. Was a downer. Also at home, people were questioning me on how the 30k premium was justified. I somehow managed citing the supremely silent engine and the reliability of a Honda as the main reasons. But then, the Jazz Standard was not available and the next variant, the Jazz Select was priced at 7.6L. No way, a 60k premium over the Swift and no Fog Lamps, no black interiors, etc. No one would agree. I set off to the showroom to try and negotiate a deal. The salesman offered me Free Insurance and a 10k discount to bring it in the 7.3L range, again I had hope. Before his Senior came and shot down the discounts reasoning that these discounts were available only on the Brio and the salesman had gotten confused. So it went back to 7.6L. I headed hope dejected, knowing that the Jazz had gotten too far. But somehow, my mother and brother knew how much I wanted the Jazz and pushed dad to buy the Jazz Select itself. We headed to the Showroom a few days later to book the car along with the neighbour I had previously referred to. I looked at the Jazz Select, the beige interiors and beige door inserts were a slight turnoff. Luckily, 2 Jazz X's were also on display, one Urban Titanium and one Rallye Red. My dad looked at my neighbour and asked him what would he prefer, the Jazz Select or the Jazz X. Given the additions available on the Jazz X, Fog Lamps, Rear Reclining Seats, Black and Dark Blue Interiors, better looking alloys etc. Given the price premium of 40k, the choice was an easy one. But convincing my dad, was not. But once my neighbour said he'd prefer the Jazz X, dad immediately asked to book the Jazz X. So there ends the looong saga on how we got the Jazz X on July 19th 2012. Tentative delivery date for the Urban Titanium Jazz X: 23rd August 2012. We had got Reverse Parking Sensors, Teflon Polish, Bluetooth Kit and Foot Mats as complimentary accessories. I specifically asked for Bumper to Bumper insurance. Thank you Team-BHP! If it wasn't for you, I'd have ended up with a Swift now!(No offense to Swift owners) If you aren't bugged by reading so much, please read on.
The issue here was, I was hooked onto Rallye Red. Urban Titanium didn't seem so attractive anymore. But my brother was all gaga over the Urban Titanium. We had changed the colour FIVE times! Yes, five times. U.T(Urban Titanium) to Red, back to U.T and back to Red and finally back to U.T. The only reason our preposterous changes were being entertained is because we had approached the General Manager of Dakshin Honda to buy the car initially. The next month was spent feverishly awaiting our first car. Finally, today, the day came. And boy, was it a sight. There she stood, gleaming under the lights of the showroom waiting to be taken home. The paperwork was quickly finished and the Sales Consultant explained all the features to us, in depth and answered even our most basic queries. We filled petrol for Rs.1100 and headed home. I happened to spot a 2 door Mahindra on the way back. Didn't know which car it was and then found it was the new Mahindra Reva. Got home, took the Jazz for a few rounds and then parked it in the compound, stared at it for a while waiting for the feeling to sink in and then sat down to pen down this long, long post to detail the fulfillment of a long, long, dream. Now, I have only a few pictures and sorry for the horrible pics. Pics with a 12MP Samsung Galaxy Note will follow shortly.
One query: How can I verify if the Teflon Polish has been done? It seems all the same to me. Yes, I read GTO's post specifically asking us not to get the Teflon Polish done. I made my brother read the same post, but he ended up choosing Teflon Polish anyway.
Review is as follows:
Bandwidth Heavy due to good quality photos, also, this is the only car I've driven besides my friend's Alto, so my opinion may be wrong, please correct where necessary.
Looks:
Not many disputes here. The Jazz is one of the best looking cars in the segment. Looks good in all colours IMO. Only the Silver doesn't quite match up to the rest. Neat lines, no jagged edges. The new bumpers in the front with the Polo/Vento like extensions(?) also look superb! A few wide panel gaps along the roof towards the rear are also observed, but will mostly go unnoticed. The alloys stand out brilliantly and looks awesome!
Comfort:
The doors open nice and W-I-D-E for easy ingress and egress. The front seats are comfortable and hugging while the rear ones are also comfortable. The middle seat in the rear is slightly raised and thus is not very comfortable. But OK nonetheless. The driver's seat height adjustment and the rear reclining seats add to the comfort of an already comfortable car. Lots of space for storage along the doors with a space for a 1L water bottle on every side. Put the rear seats down and you're looking at a boot that can accommodate 2 adults lying down. Rear wiper and defogger are a boon in rainy conditions. The electronically adjustable mirrors make backing up a breeze. The AC is powerful but results in a noticeable drop in power(obviously) but then cooling is effective and fast. As already well documented, spacious. The car easily has the most space in it's segment and can easily accommodate two 6 footers back to back in the drivers' and passengers' seat. The interiors are are well fit together and the plastics' quality is top notch. No complaints here. The stock Music System is sufficient for most folks and has good quality, I am not an audiophile, so can't say much. But good to my ears. The steering mounted controls are also great. Oh by the way, did I mention that the console looks class?
Engine:
The 1.2 i-VTEC is simply put, mindblowing. Barring the low end torque which makes getting away in 2nd Gear quite difficult, the car is smoother than silk. I wouldn't be surprised if someone unaware of the car engine's silence tries to crank it even if the car is indeed switched on. Mileage figures currently read at 9kmpl and I'm hoping this improves. The engine bay area is very small and is very compressed. Thereby giving more space for people. As Honda says, Machine Minimum, Man Maximum.
Features:
We got Reverse Parking Sensors and Bluetooth Car Kit as free accessories. The Reverse Parking Sensors are useful. Letting you know of the available distance on either side of the rear. The Electronically Retractable Mirrors are a boon in tight situations which are quite common here in Bangalore. One press of a button and the mirrors fold in with an addictive sound.
The Drive:
The clutch and the steering is very light. Makes steering very very easy. You can almost drive only using your palm (Again, I've only driven an Alto LX before, so no experience on any other car). Brakes are progressive and are not too sharp. Just the way I like it.
The Essentials:
The car is shod with 55/60W Philips bulbs and the illumination is excellent. There is a Headlamp Focus Adjuster(?) and when set at 1, the low beam throw is just perfect. No need to upgrade to better lights at all. The tyres we got were the MRF ZVTV tyres. Apparently, preferring the Michelin XM1 which is given on some Jazz's will void the warranty. I don't see how a factory fitted tyre can cause the warranty to be void. The mirrors are good, the 3 mirrors combined let you know of all that's going on behind you.
What I don't Like:- There seems to be an issue with the fuel gauge. We had 60km left on the range today, filled 6.5L of petrol and neither does the fuel gauge go up one bit nor does the Range increase. Looks like other people have reported the bug too.
- 1st and Reverse gears don't slot very well. Takes a few attempts before they fully slot even with flooring the C-pedal.
- Spare wheel does not have the alloy.
- No controls on spare key.
- Key lacks premium quality. Plasticky.
- Paint job has some glitches, but in places where one can hardly notice.
If you guys need anything else, feel free to ask.
Let me be the first one to congratulate you, you can never go wrong with a Honda. A very nice write up ashwin.terminat, do post some interior pictures & the reverse parking unit.
Even I had the same doubt when I bought my Honda City couple of months back, so I asked them not to do the Teflon on the delivery day but to do it during the first service which come in a months time. In that way you can be sure about it :D
Congrats Ashwin! Nice write up! I wonder how you got hands on a Jazz X with that ease, and that too on a UT! :Shockked:
The waiting period for Jazz X is already in months in some cities and specifically for UT it is the highest.
What about the X kit? Did you go for it? When will it get delivered?
@ Ashwin : Many congratulations to you and your family for your first car.
A special congratulations for your brother for clearing the CA Final. I know how tough it is and could'nt miss the oppurtunity to congratulate your brother for this achievement.
The Jazz is a fantastic car both in city driving and on the highways and you have made an excellent choise of the car and the colour.
Take your family for an outing and do post more pics of the car.
Congrats Ashwin for your car. Jazz is probably the best looking car in this segment and with Honda you can never be wrong. The warning was not needed for your long post, really enjoyed reading your buying experience.
Wishing you a safe drive with your car!
Heartiest congratulations Ashwin. You've got yourself the best sedan class hatch. With Honda you can definitely bet your bottom dollar it'll serve you pretty well if you keep her well.
Nice choice of color and well written review. Do keep posting your views once you start to enjoy driving.
Don't bother so much about the whole teflon thing. Its more hogwash by dealers. If you really want to protect the paint visit the 3M center. It's worth every penny.
Congrats Ashwin. The Jazz is one impressive and practical car! and good for you you got some accessories free! When i got the Jazz, the dealers were basically no freebies for Jazz. If required, i can get you for Brio attitude! Maybe the plumetting sales plus a small 20K price rise increase in price 2 months back has got them giving freebies again !!
Congratulations, Ashwin. Very well put buying experience, indeed. The Jazz is indeed one of the best hatchbacks available. Please put up more pictures soon.
Thanks,
Rahul
Many congratulations Ashwin! Nicely written post with honest admissions thrown in here and there. I bought Jazz Standard last week and I know what it feels to own a Jazz.
