Why I chose the Honda Jazz CVT over the Hyundai i20 N-Line iMT

I got an average mileage of 13kmpl on the overall trip from Chennai to Bangalore initially.

BHPian zuheb04 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Honda Jazz in 2022? Are you out of your mind?

This was the reaction of most people when I told them I had booked a Honda Jazz.

To be honest, even my first choice wasn't the Jazz. I had booked the i20 N line N6 variant.

Requirements:

• A compact car to drive in the city (Chennai and Bangalore) and also on highways*
• A spacious cabin
• Plenty of boot space
• Sunroof (This was my wife's only requirement. She has motion sickness and the sunroof makes her feel less claustrophobic)
• Automatic (CVT) or semi-automatic (IMT) transmission.
• Ex-showroom budget of 10L

Hyundai i20 N line N6

The sportier looking N-line variant attracted me a lot as it had all the features I was looking for and it was under 10L ex-showroom. As a first-time car buyer, I wanted to get the car as quickly as possible. Hence, I called up multiple showrooms in Chennai to enquire about the availability of the N6 variant. All the dealers quoted a waiting period of 2 months.

The showroom in Chennai OMR stated that they had an awaiting stock and that if I made a reservation, they could deliver it within a month. So I made the booking on June 10th and the estimated delivery was July 1st week or no later than July 10th. I began inquiring about the vehicle on July 1st, and the dealer kept making false promises that the vehicle would be delivered before July 20th. Then the dates were pushed back to the end of July, and finally I received an email from the senior manager at Hyundai saying it would be delivered on August 1st. I was pissed off at this email and started looking for negative reviews and false promises made by dealers, etc. on Google. That is when I came across an article regarding the fuel pump issues faced by a few N-line and sonet users. This article led me to the incident that happened to me during the test drive of the vehicle.

On the day of booking the car, there was an N6 IMT variant on display awaiting delivery for another customer, but it was not available for test drive. Hence, we drove the N8 DCT model. We took the car out of the showroom and at the first traffic signal, around 500m, the car stopped and refused to turn on. The sales executive who was along with us on the test drive said it had run out of fuel and helped push the vehicle to the side of the road. Then he called the mechanics from the showroom for assistance. They reached the spot in 5 minutes and drove us back to the showroom in another vehicle. We waited for more than an hour in the showroom and then the vehicle was brought back saying it had low fuel and they had filled it now. We didn't pay much heed to this at that time, but later when I read the article regarding the fuel pump issues, I was scared to go ahead with the i20 N line. So I called the sales executive and asked them to cancel the booking and provide the refund.

Now I've started hunting for the next car that fits my requirements.*

I was left with the following options:

• Hyundai Venue
• Kia sonet
• Honda Jazz

The Hyundai Venue and Sonet share the same engine as the i20, hence I decided not to go ahead with them and decided to check out the Honda Jazz.

I visited the Honda dealer near my home and requested a test drive, which was arranged immediately. The sales executive was very kind and welcoming and explained all the features and honestly explained the missing features compared to other cars in the segment(TPMS, hill hold assist, etc.).

We decided to go with the ZX variant as that was the only variant offering a sunroof. The manual transmission was under 10L but I, being a new driver, didn't want the hassle of changing gears in bumper to bumper traffic in Chennai and Bangalore. Hence, we finalised on the ZX CVT variant.

Honda is well known for its engine. The car I test drove had clocked 8k on the odo and yet it remained very silent and the drive was very smooth.

The booking was confirmed and the car was delivered on the 15th day from the date of booking(including registration and number plate fitment). Honda delivered on their promise and I was a proud owner of the Honda Jazz in no time.

The journey of Jazz began with driving in the city for about 200km in the first week, and then we took it for a 4-day trip to Bangalore. The car was fully loaded with luggage and four adult travellers. The car was comfortable on the highways and didn't feel the lack of power when driven under 80kmph and with no sudden acceleration. The road conditions were unfavourable for the first 100 km due to construction on the highway, and then the remaining 200 km was a breeze on the 4 lane highway. The last 50kms were dreadful as we were in jam-packed traffic and it took us 2.5hrs to cover the 50kms and reach our destination. I got an average mileage of 13kmpl on the overall trip from Chennai to Bangalore, which was disappointing. But I convinced myself that the mileage would increase after the first service. Then I continued to drive in Bangalore for the next 4 days, where the average mileage dropped to 11.5 km. On the way back to Chennai, I forgot to reset the trip meter and continued the drive with the existing average mileage figures. After about 150km, I realised it and reset the trip meter. From this point, I could see an immediate improvement in the mileage shown in the MID. I was getting an average of 19kmpl, which was very satisfactory, and after 100kms of good roads, I had to tackle the diversion signs for the next 100kms, which dropped the mileage to 17.8kmpl for a 200km drive.

After my trip to Bangalore, I had completed 991km, so I was due for my first service within 10 days of delivery. The car was dropped off at the service centre in the morning, and it was serviced by noon. The service was free of charge, but I opted for the underbody and silencer coating, for which I paid 4,661.

After the service, I drove around Chennai and saw the mileage dropping to 10 kmpl. Also, the car felt strained in the city. The car, being an automatic with a CVT transmission, struggled for quick acceleration and the engine felt strained. After some research on the forum, I found a few tips to increase the mileage in city driving and how to contain the CVT lag.

• When you reach the desired speed, take your foot off the accelerator and lightly press down on the accelerator. This way, the car comes to a lower RPM and returns good mileage.

• Do not tailgate. It's ok to have some distance between the vehicle ahead for sometime. Eventually the distance will be covered even with light foot accelerations.

• Sports mode helps in quick overtakes. Once the overtake is complete, switch back to drive mode.

After a couple of weeks, I took the car for another long trip of about 460km (one way). This time I was driving solo and carrying just a medium-sized suitcase. During this trip, the car returned a good mileage of 20.2kmpl while cruising at 80kmph speed and occasional acceleration for overtaking and declaration on a two-lane state highway. While returning from the trip, there were 3 people in the car with 2 medium-sized suitcases. The average cruising speed was at 90kmph and occasionally at 110kmph. With this, I was able to achieve an average of 18.1kmpl.

Here's my verdict on the Honda Jazz after 2 months of ownership and 2500km (1600 on highways and 900 in city driving conditions).*

Positives include:

• Excellent manoeuvrability
• Seats that are comfortable
• Excellent steering feedback
• Good visibility all around and a bright cabin
• Great highway mileage.

Negatives include:

• The absence of rear AC vents
• It struggles for quick acceleration in the city
• Android auto disconnects from time to time
• Bad patches on the road can be felt in the cabin
• 15-inch alloy wheels. (The European version comes with 16-inch diamond-cut alloys).

Accessories installed in the car:*

• Seat cover: From the Honda dealership at approx. 10k

• Footwell lights: after market, blue lights on the footwell at approx. 800

• Sunfilm: 3M sunfilm with 70% visibility for windows and back glass at approx. 3500 (sunfilm for windshield is next on the to-do list)

• Car mats: 7D car mat from auto tech at 7500

• Key cover: Car key cover from Amazon at 350

• Phone holder: Rearview mirror car mount at 250

To conclude, the Honda Jazz is an outdated vehicle that is still very practical and has all the necessary features, mated to a refined engine with fit and finish unmatched in its class. Overall, a happy customer looking forward to a wonderful journey ahead.

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