Honda Jazz Review 2025

If you’re looking for an incredibly versatile small car that won’t cost a fortune to run, the hybrid-powered Honda Jazz is a brilliant option. It’s now more appealing than ever before, thanks to fresher looks and a revamped interior, not to mention the much-improved multimedia system and safety technology. On the downside, it’s expensive and the hybrid setup won’t appeal to everyone. Find out more in our full Honda Jazz review.

The Honda Jazz has been an Honest John favourite ever since the range was reintroduced in 2002, thanks to its big-car versatility, low running costs and a reputation for reliability.

It’s a car that’s long been popular with older buyers but this generation, launched in 2020, ought to have a broader appeal. Not only does the latest Honda Jazz look trendier than ever before, it also has an almost upmarket-feeling interior that’s absolutely loaded with technology. It was further smartened up with a subtle but effective facelift in 2023.

There’s only one engine available in the latest Honda Jazz with self-charging hybrid assistance. It combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a pair of electric motors driving the front wheels via a single-speed gearbox.

This might sound complicated but it really isn’t — you don’t need to charge it because it’s not a plug-in hybrid, while it drives just most other automatic cars, albeit one that can drive away in silence and return incredible fuel economy. Officially the Honda Jazz can return up to 62.8mpg and our testing suggests that's not far off the mark.

Its closest rival is the Toyota Yaris along with its Mazda 2 Hybrid clone. Both are only available as hybrids, with starting prices much lower than the Jazz's.

Other alternatives which are cheaper still include the Vauxhall Corsa which is also available with hybrid power, although its system is less sophistcated than the Honda's, plus the Skoda Fabia, still making do without any electrical drive assistance whatsoever.

In these times where SUVs continue to grow in popularity — and size — niches for those who seek that tougher aesthetic without the associated fuel efficiency losses are being filled with all manner of curios, such as the Honda Jazz Crosstar. It's mechanically identical to other Jazzes, just with chunkier bodywork and increased ground clearance.

There’s loads of space inside the Honda Jazz, helped by what its maker calls its rear Magic Seats, which can flip upwards as well as folding over to provide more space. If you need to carry bulky loads rather than rear passengers, there isn’t a better small car on sale. That said, it is very good at carrying passengers — adults will be very happy in the rear and it’s easy to get comfortable up front.

All Honda Jazz models get a digital instrument cluster, with an impressive 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system added to all models after the mid-life update. This is leagues ahead of infotainment screens used in previous Hondas, with intuitive smartphone-like inputs and quick responses.

There’s also a load of driver-assistance technology with the Honda Jazz, informed by a wide-view front camera which monitors the road ahead, claimed to be more advanced than similar systems used by other manufacturers. It can spot pedestrians on the road at night and can apply the brakes to prevent — or mitigate — a collision.

Despite feeling like a much bigger car than it actually is, the Honda Jazz is very easy to drive. You sit a bit higher up than you would in a more conventional small hatchback, enjoying a good view of the road ahead thanks to the deep, MPV-like front windscreen.

It’s also very refined at urban speeds, plus it's a doddle to park thanks to standard front and rear parking sensors plus a reversing camera are standard on all post-facelift models. Out of town it's quiet for the most part but proves noisy when accelerating hard.

With its relatively high seating position and huge front windscreen, the Honda Jazz provides excellent visibility and is a really easy car to drive around town. It’s got a tight turning circle and light steering which means it doesn’t take much shuffling of the steering wheel to slot it into a parking space.

You might struggle to judge where the front of the Honda Jazz’s bonnet is, but that’s true of its predecessors and, indeed, most modern small hatchbacks. Fortunately, front parking sensors are standard on all but the most affordable pre-facelift SE model, while post-makeover all versions are fitted with a reversing camera which previously was for the EX only.

On more open roads, the Jazz feels more akin to a small MPV than a hatchback, which, arguably, it is. It’s very refined, with little in the way of road or wind noise. Sure, it’s not as agile as the (now off sale) Ford Fiesta on twisty stretches but it feels very safe and grown-up in the way it drives.

Our biggest complaint is the ride quality. The Honda Jazz thumps over broken road surfaces, particularly on the larger 16-inch wheel size. You might want to look for a lower-spec model with 15-inch wheels and slightly chunkier tyre sidewalls for a smoother ride.

The Honda Jazz is a hybrid-only affair, consisting of a 1.5-litre petrol engine combined with two electric motors and a compact lithium-ion battery pack. There's no conventional gearbox here — instead it's a single-speed transmission driven either by the electric motors or directly from the engine at cruising speeds.

It originally produced 109PS, but as part of the 2023 facelift, Honda bumped this up to 122PS, while the torque is rated at 253Nm. Even the improved numbers don't sound like much but the Jazz's hybrid system is responsive from the off, making it feel more sprightly than its 9.4-9.6-second 0-62mph times might suggest. 

There’s no need to plug the Honda Jazz in to an electricity supply to replenish its battery. It uses its petrol engine to charge the battery, while the regenerative brakes can recuperate energy while slowing down.

Leave it in the default Hybrid drive mode and it flicks between petrol and electric power based on what it determines will be the most fuel efficient. At high speed, it will run under petrol power and charge the batteries, while around town it uses the electric motors as much as possible.

At lower speeds, you’ll struggle to notice when the petrol engine kicks in. The four-cylinder unit is considerably quieter than sprightly three-cylinder alternatives, while the hybrid setup makes for very relaxed town driving. It turns the engine off before you come to a complete halt in stop-start traffic, while it can also set off entirely under electric power.

You definitely will hear that engine under full acceleration, however. The hybrid system works in a similar 'elastic' manner to continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), where the engine speed seems much higher than sounds normal for the road speed before settling down again. Curiously, Honda calls this an eCVT despite the fact there's no CVT at all. 

It means putting your foot down results in the revs spiking, the response being very sensitive to your throttle inputs. The engine speeds can get very high when you might not be expecting them to, filling the cabin with noise. 

The Honda Jazz has various semi-autonomous safety features to help keep you safe on the road. This includes a Collision Mitigation Braking System which can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a crash or reduce the impact of one.

Other available features include Road Departure Mitigation System which nudges the steering to keep you on the road, automatic main beam headlights, adaptive cruise control and an intelligent speed limiter which adjusts your speed automatically to match what it determins is the prescribed limit.

Widespread use of high-strength steel and no fewer than 10 airbags means the Jazz is a very safe car to be driving if you are involved in a crash. Unfortunately, there’s no room for a spare wheel, so a tyre inflation kit is provided as standard.

Euro NCAP awarded the Honda Jazz a five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested in 2020.

Choose a pre-facelift Honda Jazz and you won't be able to tow anything at all. 

That changed with its 2023 makeover but it's not much to write home about — newer Jazzes can now pull a braked trailer weight of up to just 500kg.

Versatility has always been the Honda Jazz’s unique selling point. If you regularly carry bulky loads you’ll be pleased to discover that its hybrid power arrangement hasn’t hindered its practicality at all.

It retains its trick Magic Seats in the back — not only do the seatbacks fold over conventionally, the seat cushions can be positioned vertically for extra carrying capacity behind the front seats, without getting in the way of what's in the boot. Think of it as a small van with the loadspace divided in two.

There’s room for up to 1205 litres of luggage with the bench dropped and because it's also possible to fully recline the front seats, you can configure the passenger side to carry exceptionally long loads you would otherwise need an estate car for. We even managed to fit an eight-foot long surfboard inside.

With the rear seats in place, there's 304 litres of boot space available, which is five litres less than what's available in the back of the Vauxhall Corsa. 

The Honda Jazz is also very good at carrying people. Two tall adults can comfortably fit in the back, with loads of head and legroom, although the middle seat really is for occasional use only. Isofix points are fitted as standard, making it easier to fit child seats on the outer seats.

There’s plenty of room up front with the Honda Jazz, with plenty of useful cubbies for storage, although the door bins aren’t huge and coffee fans might wish for bigger cup holders. It’s easy to get comfortable, with adequate adjustment in the steering wheel and a slightly higher than normal seating position.

The Honda Jazz’s cabin looks and feels significantly more stylish than its predecessor. There’s a huge swathe of padded trim across the dashboard, while shiny silver-coloured switches almost look expensive — emphasis on the ‘almost’ as they don’t feel as solid as they look.

While the Honda Jazz is generally very well-finished, the ambience depends on its specification level and whether you are looking at a pre- or post-facelift example. In the updated version, the entry-level Elegance makes do with fabric seat upholstery, which don't feel as plush as pricier models with faux leather and suede trimming.

Before the update, only the top-of-the-range EX models had a leather steering wheel but now it's on all grades apart from the entry-level Elegance.

Following the Honda Jazz's mid-life update, all models are fitted with a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a huge improvement on Honda's previous efforts, with a tiled home screen and customisable shortcuts, just like a smartphone. You'll need mid-range Jazz or higher to get this package if you're buying an earlier model. 

Being picky, its position and upward angle can make it difficult to read on sunny days as reflections glare across the screen's surface, but that aside it’s easy to use.

There are still plenty of physical buttons and knobs in the Honda Jazz meaning you don’t have to negotiate the touchscreen system to adjust the volume or change the temperature of the climate control.

Although the system comes with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, only the latter operates wirelessly, which is behind the times. Sound quality through the four-speaker system is nothing special.

Prices for the Honda Jazz start at £28,060 for the Elegance model. That's a lot for the entry-level version of a small car, especially when the cheapest Skoda Fabia is £21,055.

It doesn't help the Jazz's cause that it's only available with a hybrid-assisted engine, but that's the same for the Toyota Yaris which can be had from the much lower starting point of £23,445. 

The Jazz Elegance model is well equipped, while strong residual values and low running costs should help offset some of the initial outlay. 

Further up the range, it's £29,280 for the Jazz Advance and £30,055 for the Advance Sport. 

The Honda Jazz Hybrid will officially see up to 62.8mpg according to WLTP fuel economy tests. In our experience, this is relatively realistic. We’ve seen 60mpg with day-to-day driving without much effort. The same can’t be said for rivals with small turbocharged petrol engines.

A 40-litre fuel tank means it won’t cost you much more than £50 to brim it the Jazz entirely. Drive it gently and tou should be able to see upwards of 500 miles from each fill. 

Honda's warranty lasts for three years or 90,000 miles, whichever comes first, with elements of the hybrid system covered for five years. You're unlikely to use that cover, however, because the Jazz has an excellent reliability record.

In the most recent Honest John Satisfaction Index the Jazz was fourth for reliability with a score of nearly 97%, suggesting only a small portion of owners experience issues. Honda as a brand, meanwhile, also placed fourth for reliability. 

Before its facelift the Honda Jazz trim levels were SE, SR, EX and EX Style. These were binned to coincide with its makeover and replaced with Elegance, Advance and Advance Sport. 

The Honda Jazz Elegance comes with the following equipment as standard: 

• 15-inch alloy wheels
• Front and rear electric windows
• Body-coloured door mirror housings
• Rear Magic Seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with remote audio controls
• 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen
• Integral Garmin navigation
• DAB digital radio
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• Two front USB ports
• Four-speaker sound system
• Climate control

Upgrading to the Honda Jazz Advance adds: 

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Differently styled front and rear bumpers
• Front and rear one-touch electric windows
• Dark-tinted rear privacy windows
• Heated leather-wrapped steering wheel with remote audio controls
• Leather-wrapped drive selector knob
• Two front and two rear USB ports

The range-topping Honda Jazz Advance Sport also features: 

• Gloss Black front and rear bumper trims
• Rear spoiler
• Exhaust pipe finisher
• Black door mirror housings
• Heated, leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with remote audio controls
• Sports pedals
• Selectable driving modes — Econ, Sport and Normal