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If you have a budget of 1000 pounds and you need to buy a car for your wife, then the Honda Jazz GD is one of the top candidates. But only if you absolutely have to buy a car for the wife and you didn’t really plan any budget.

I say this because the Honda Jazz GD is the perfect choice for women who don’t want to drive but have to. In fact, in Italy, the Honda Jazz GD is kind of a national car for women who drive out of necessity, along with the Dacia Sandero and the Opel Corsa C.

Why is it so good for women who drive out of necessity?

• Very easy to drive. You have a relatively high driving position, plenty of windows for better visibility than the SkyWalk, and two user-friendly engines that can handle abuse and are easy to drive.


• It’s cheap to buy and run. Plus, the engines are generally resistant to abuse and neglect.


• There are tons of storage spaces everywhere. You can practically take everything you need in life and store it all over the car. And the main party piece are the two cupholders, which are intuitively placed and easy to use, unlike many cars where the cupholder seems like an afterthought.

When you consider all these aspects, it’s easy to see why the Honda Jazz GD is an excellent car for this purpose. The Honda Jazz GD is to women what Lagavulin is to me. What drama is to Vince McMahon. Plus, it was affordable to buy new and is reasonably priced on the used market. And it has enough space to pick up the kids and their friends to and from the kindergarten. And if you accidentally hit a kerb with too much enthusiasm or used too much force and pushed the shopping cart too hard and you slammed it into the car’s door, you won’t cry too much. Possibly not at all.

Honda Jazz GD Engines

Petrol

• 1.2 L12A of 77 horsepower – No, it doesn’t have specific issues. That’s why it’s the only recommended engine for the Honda Jazz GD, and it’s just all the engine your wife will ever need. Sure, it won’t overtake anyone on a European highway, but it handles city life brilliantly. Sure, it does share the same issues as it’s bigger i-DSI brother, but it’s less prone to it and chances are that you won’t even care about the knocking of the engine, when you paid 300 pounds for it and it’s the wife’s daily beater car. 


• 1.3 L13A of 99 horsepower – As I said, I would stick with the 1.2 L12A older engine because this one unfortunately comes with i-DSI technology and has 8 spark plugs and 8 coil packs that need to be changed at the same time. Plus, this engine has a piston slap issue it’s known for, so I don’t recommend it over the 1.2 petrol. Also, in many countries it was badged as a 1.4L because otherwise it would’ve looked to close to the 1.2L and nobody would’ve bought it. Much like how the Jazz is called the Honda Fit in the USA.


• 1.5 L15A of 90 and 110 horsepower – There is one big difference here, as the 90 horsepower version also follows the I-DSI 8-valve configuration and has the same knocking issue and the same 8 spark plugs and 8 coil packs, but the 110 horsepower one is the good ol’ fashioned VTEC, with it’s standard 16 valve configuration and the good ol’ fashioned Honda reliability. Not available in all the countries, not even continents, but if you can get your hands on one, then this is the engine to buy.

Honda Jazz GD Reliability Issues

• The transmission of the first generation Jazz isn’t a masterpiece. Manual gearboxes have issues with the synchros and linkage, and the automatic gearbox is a CVT that no one can repair when it inevitably breaks. There was once upon a time also a old fashioned 5 speed automatic which is fine, but not available everywhere. That one is a safe bet tho.


• The rear bearings are made of two-ply toilet paper, so you’ll have to constantly replace them if you care.


• Hmm, Honda engineers looked at the bearings and thought the build materials were too expensive, so they decided to buy even cheaper materials everywhere, particularly at the window seals. And the result, just like with the Ford Focus and Mondeo, is that it rains inside your car through the rear doors and the tailgate. But at least all you have to do is change the seals for the equivalent of a bottle of brandy. Sankt Petersburg.

Honda Jazz GD Verdict

Sure, it’s not the most reliable car in the universe, but at least it’s sturdy and drags itself with dignity from no oil change to the next no oil change,  because you will effectively change the oil when you remember or when you have the money. It’s a car I recommend as a disposable option. Cheap to buy, and relatively cheap to run, and when that big repair bill comes, you won’t cry too much over the Honda Jazz GD.

Which engines do I recommend? Definatelly the best engine to have is the L15A V-TEC with it’s 110 horsepower and reliability, but that one usually comes under the Honda Fit name. But if it’s not available on your local market, then the 77-horsepower 1.2 L12A should fit the bill the most.