Booked a Honda Jazz!!

bijujj · 22nd June 2009, 23:32

(Mods, please move or merge this thread, if it is not appropriate in this section)

I think I am the first one to openly declare booking a jazz

Wanted to share my thought process, also curious to know whether I'm the only odd one out there.

I started my search for a new car with the following rather interesting requirements in mind, a couple of months back.

1. Should be able to carry things like
a.) A full sized bicycle
b.) 25 to 30 stackable plastic chairs
c.) A couple of large flower pots
d.) Washing machine/TV etc. Willing to compromise on the refrigerator :-)
2. Enough leg room (both front and back)
3. Least bothered about the niceties like the features of music system, climate control etc..
4. Engine with enough power for highway driving
5. Comfortable suspension and seats. Once in a while I drive 8-9 hours in a single day while visiting my aged parents.
6. Budget ideally 7 to 8 lacs.
7. It should be a new vehicle.

You might think that selecting Indigo Marina is a no-brainer, right? Well that is exactly what I also thought till I understood from the nearby Tata dealership that they do not have a single one left and they are not getting new shipments from Tata.

The only other vehicles I could think of was Ford Fusion and Getz , but honestly I was worried about how long these products are going to be continued.

During this time I started seriously considering the cheaper S(M)UVs, though it meant stretching my budget by a couple of more lacs. Test drove Scorpio, Innova and Safari. Innova was way out of my budget. Scorpio was rejected outright by family members as the ride was really uncomfortable. Safari-LX seemed to the one which we thought can be considered.
At that time one of my friends kindly lent me his Safari (TCIC) for a few days. I drove this beast, around 600 KMs. But the narrow roads and difficulty in finding a parking space, made us decide against this.

I really wanted a cheap estate car, but since I could not find any within this budget, decided to compromise on a large hatch. Indica Vista was out since the boot is very small.

The three cars left in contention were i20, Punto and Jazz.

Jazz was a pleasant surprise in terms of the utilization of the space. Test drive was also very good. I liked the silent engine and the smooth drive. Quality of materials used felt excellent. The only crib of course was the price.

Somehow I was feeling very claustrophobic inside the i20. Also was not convinced on the usefulness of its 60:40 split. Neither me nor the salesman succeeded in creating a flat loading space. Also I was turned down by the attitude of the sales person, he seemed least interested in selling this car :-(

Punto looked breath taking in pictures, and even before the launch had a look at that in the show room. I really thought that this was the car for me. But the test drive, turned out to be a disappointment. The main deal breaker was the rear seat space. I'm 5'11'', after adjusting the front seat for my comfort, the rear leg room was simply inadequate. Surprisingly I found the palio displayed nearby was much more accommodating in terms of rear space. Also we were put off by interior fit and finish. An example is when I double fold the rear seat I could see wiring exposed atleast in two places. Can't understand the logic behind in this, in my normal use I am surely going to damage that in the first few days itself.

Otherwise, the car looked comfortable, thought I felt 1.3 MJD a little sluggish.

So finally I booked Jazz (base version)yesterday. Except for the price (7.9 L on road), I don't have any cribs. Have never seen any other vehicle of this class which has used the available space so effectively. Will definitely share my experience in the forum in a couple of weeks.

manish7 · 22nd June 2009, 23:49

Well, congrats!!!

Jazz does look awesome to me as well, regarding GP - I think rear seat space is going to be a deal breaker for many. Most expected it to be more spacious than Palio, but it doesn't seem so. :(

Jazz, a great package but price is keeping it away fro most people I guess. I think your requirements of carrying stuff are quite unique and Jazz seems to meet them perfectly, so wish you happy ownership of jazz.

neotraveller · 23rd June 2009, 00:07

Good lord, Hail the first Jazz buyer!

Just kidding! It seems that Jazz very much suited your unique requirements.
Enjoy.

devarshi84 · 23rd June 2009, 01:54

You should also have tried Chevy U-va and Tata Indica Vista. That would've completed your hatch runabouts.

I have a WagonR and I have carried a Washing Machine, Television, dining table, 7 wooden chairs and 10 people in the car.

So I know what you are looking for here.

Congrats on the buy.

EssYouWe · 23rd June 2009, 02:21

@Devarshi84

Hopefully not all at once!

@Bijujj

Congratulations on your buy! Wish you many great miles!

chevelle · 23rd June 2009, 04:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by devarshi84

You should also have tried Chevy U-va and Tata Indica Vista. That would've completed your hatch runabouts.

he already rejected Indica vista due to less boot space.

congrats on your buy bijujj.

i hope you get piece of mind(a.s.s, comfort, usefulness of 'magic' seats) for high price you are paying.

best of luck with your buy.

if you are happy with your buy, nothing else matters. have fun, looking forward to your initial report soon.

prince_pervez · 23rd June 2009, 06:16

If I were you, and had the same requirements I would have gone with the Maruti Versa. But, purely for the requirements. And then some other car for other driving needs. But, I don't think you were venturing in that domain at all.
Anyway, congratulations, if you are happy, who's complaining ? How long before it gets delivered ?

pmbabu · 23rd June 2009, 07:48

WOW, Congratulations!

bIte tHe bulLet · 23rd June 2009, 07:50

congrats on the 'jazzy' decision bro.

may the car give you many many happy days of carefree driving.

muralisk · 23rd June 2009, 08:28

Congrats bijujj. Looks like you had almost tested our all the hatches in the market. Not sure if you had a chance to look at Skoda Fabia. I don't see that in the list.

Even though the price is on a higher side, I am sure that it would be a peaceful car to own and maintain. Hope to see the user experience post from you.

StarVegabond · 23rd June 2009, 08:49

Hi Bijujj

You (and your needs) and Honda Jaaz seems to be made for each other

Congratulations on your buy and also for being the first in the forum to announce your decision

with Honda, you may (will) not be disappointed.

Just curious: Is there any reason, you did not look at Innova ?
it will meet most of your needs. my guess is probably price ?

netarchie · 23rd June 2009, 09:03

Congrats Bijujj, Good choice.
I had test driven the Jazz, was quite peppy to drive. Wish it had come with an auto option.
All the best with your new ride.

hemanthisgreat · 23rd June 2009, 09:08

Congratulations. Though your requirements to buy this car looks a bit odd, good that you are happy.

Do post pictures and your initial impressions.

akj53 · 23rd June 2009, 09:20

so you mean to say that Jazz is nothing but a glorified mini truck? eh??

narayanang76 · 23rd June 2009, 09:21

congrats bijujj for your new ride! wishing you miles and miles of joy with the beauty of your choice! keep posting your initial ownership reviews and sales experience.

So Magic seats doing the trick here! And the premium hatch doing her tricks as transporter huh?

It comes out that - the price would be a breaker for most purchases for JAZZ and the rear seat spacing and plastics quality for Punto.

22nd June 2009, 23:32	#1
bijujj BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 76 Thanked: 28 Times	Booked a Honda Jazz!! (Mods, please move or merge this thread, if it is not appropriate in this section) I think I am the first one to openly declare booking a jazz Wanted to share my thought process, also curious to know whether I'm the only odd one out there. I started my search for a new car with the following rather interesting requirements in mind, a couple of months back. 1. Should be able to carry things like a.) A full sized bicycle b.) 25 to 30 stackable plastic chairs c.) A couple of large flower pots d.) Washing machine/TV etc. Willing to compromise on the refrigerator :-) 2. Enough leg room (both front and back) 3. Least bothered about the niceties like the features of music system, climate control etc.. 4. Engine with enough power for highway driving 5. Comfortable suspension and seats. Once in a while I drive 8-9 hours in a single day while visiting my aged parents. 6. Budget ideally 7 to 8 lacs. 7. It should be a new vehicle. You might think that selecting Indigo Marina is a no-brainer, right? Well that is exactly what I also thought till I understood from the nearby Tata dealership that they do not have a single one left and they are not getting new shipments from Tata. The only other vehicles I could think of was Ford Fusion and Getz , but honestly I was worried about how long these products are going to be continued. During this time I started seriously considering the cheaper S(M)UVs, though it meant stretching my budget by a couple of more lacs. Test drove Scorpio, Innova and Safari. Innova was way out of my budget. Scorpio was rejected outright by family members as the ride was really uncomfortable. Safari-LX seemed to the one which we thought can be considered. At that time one of my friends kindly lent me his Safari (TCIC) for a few days. I drove this beast, around 600 KMs. But the narrow roads and difficulty in finding a parking space, made us decide against this. I really wanted a cheap estate car, but since I could not find any within this budget, decided to compromise on a large hatch. Indica Vista was out since the boot is very small. The three cars left in contention were i20, Punto and Jazz. Jazz was a pleasant surprise in terms of the utilization of the space. Test drive was also very good. I liked the silent engine and the smooth drive. Quality of materials used felt excellent. The only crib of course was the price. Somehow I was feeling very claustrophobic inside the i20. Also was not convinced on the usefulness of its 60:40 split. Neither me nor the salesman succeeded in creating a flat loading space. Also I was turned down by the attitude of the sales person, he seemed least interested in selling this car :-( Punto looked breath taking in pictures, and even before the launch had a look at that in the show room. I really thought that this was the car for me. But the test drive, turned out to be a disappointment. The main deal breaker was the rear seat space. I'm 5'11'', after adjusting the front seat for my comfort, the rear leg room was simply inadequate. Surprisingly I found the palio displayed nearby was much more accommodating in terms of rear space. Also we were put off by interior fit and finish. An example is when I double fold the rear seat I could see wiring exposed atleast in two places. Can't understand the logic behind in this, in my normal use I am surely going to damage that in the first few days itself. Otherwise, the car looked comfortable, thought I felt 1.3 MJD a little sluggish. So finally I booked Jazz (base version)yesterday. Except for the price (7.9 L on road), I don't have any cribs. Have never seen any other vehicle of this class which has used the available space so effectively. Will definitely share my experience in the forum in a couple of weeks.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2009, 23:49	#2
manish7 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 508 Thanked: 0 Times	Well, congrats!!! Jazz does look awesome to me as well, regarding GP - I think rear seat space is going to be a deal breaker for many. Most expected it to be more spacious than Palio, but it doesn't seem so. :( Jazz, a great package but price is keeping it away fro most people I guess. I think your requirements of carrying stuff are quite unique and Jazz seems to meet them perfectly, so wish you happy ownership of jazz. Last edited by manish7 : 22nd June 2009 at 23:52. Reason: Obeying 2 smileys rule.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 00:07	#3
neotraveller BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 739 Thanked: 0 Times	Good lord, Hail the first Jazz buyer! Just kidding! It seems that Jazz very much suited your unique requirements. Enjoy.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 01:54	#4
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 213 Times View My Garage	You should also have tried Chevy U-va and Tata Indica Vista. That would've completed your hatch runabouts. I have a WagonR and I have carried a Washing Machine, Television, dining table, 7 wooden chairs and 10 people in the car. So I know what you are looking for here. Congrats on the buy.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 02:21	#5
EssYouWe Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Lucknow Posts: 1,391 Thanked: 18 Times	@Devarshi84 Hopefully not all at once! @Bijujj Congratulations on your buy! Wish you many great miles!
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 06:16	#7
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,211 Thanked: 53 Times View My Garage	If I were you, and had the same requirements I would have gone with the Maruti Versa. But, purely for the requirements. And then some other car for other driving needs. But, I don't think you were venturing in that domain at all. Anyway, congratulations, if you are happy, who's complaining ? How long before it gets delivered ?
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 07:48	#8
pmbabu BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: On The Net Posts: 345 Thanked: 60 Times	WOW, Congratulations!
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 07:50	#9
bIte tHe bulLet BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 441 Thanked: 281 Times View My Garage	congrats on the 'jazzy' decision bro. may the car give you many many happy days of carefree driving.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 08:28	#10
muralisk BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hyderabad, Bangalore Posts: 711 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Congrats bijujj. Looks like you had almost tested our all the hatches in the market. Not sure if you had a chance to look at Skoda Fabia. I don't see that in the list. Even though the price is on a higher side, I am sure that it would be a peaceful car to own and maintain. Hope to see the user experience post from you. Last edited by muralisk : 23rd June 2009 at 08:29.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 08:49	#11
StarVegabond Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,891 Thanked: 44 Times	Hi Bijujj You (and your needs) and Honda Jaaz seems to be made for each other Congratulations on your buy and also for being the first in the forum to announce your decision with Honda, you may (will) not be disappointed. Just curious: Is there any reason, you did not look at Innova ? it will meet most of your needs. my guess is probably price ?
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 09:03	#12
netarchie BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 397 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	Congrats Bijujj, Good choice. I had test driven the Jazz, was quite peppy to drive. Wish it had come with an auto option. All the best with your new ride.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 09:08	#13
hemanthisgreat BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 594 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Congratulations. Though your requirements to buy this car looks a bit odd, good that you are happy. Do post pictures and your initial impressions.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 09:20	#14
akj53 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: NOIDA, Manchester & Cardiff Posts: 585 Thanked: 92 Times	so you mean to say that Jazz is nothing but a glorified mini truck? eh?? Last edited by akj53 : 23rd June 2009 at 09:33.
	() Thanks

23rd June 2009, 09:21	#15
narayanang76 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KA 53/KL 9 Posts: 489 Thanked: 1,153 Times View My Garage	congrats bijujj for your new ride! wishing you miles and miles of joy with the beauty of your choice! keep posting your initial ownership reviews and sales experience. So Magic seats doing the trick here! And the premium hatch doing her tricks as transporter huh? It comes out that - the price would be a breaker for most purchases for JAZZ and the rear seat spacing and plastics quality for Punto.
	() Thanks