More Dash and Flash, for a little more Cash

The Honda Jazz is a great hatchback, but we already knew that. Arguably Honda’s most talked-about car these days, the little hatchback’s snazzy styling and smart packaging have won over many hearts who, for some reason or other, tended to stray away from its kind not long before. When it was first introduced, it easily garnered its fair share of fans for its sharp looks and peppy, state-of-the-art drivetrain. Buyers that liked the City’s sophistication but couldn’t stomach its geeky looks had a cute, if pricey, alternative. Of course, there was one card Honda didn’t show with right away: its tiny, 1.5-liter VTEC motor, which it exclusively made available to the City for about a year.

Did the strategy work? We’re not privy to how many VTEC Cities were sold as a result, but we do know that Honda sold a healthy number of i-DSI Jazzes anyway, particularly in the metro and in middle- to upper-class subdivisions. In any case, the good company finally decided to let the hatchback market play with the horses, and so it released the VTEC-equipped Jazz sometime in the 2nd half of last year. A few months later, it let fly with a nipped and tucked City sporting a facelift, a trimmer derriere, and a little massaging of the bits and pieces that make it GO. These big and small changes make for two compelling choices in the increasingly popular subcompact market.

VTEC Jazz

Is 110 horsepower enough to make it a hot hatch in the tradition of the Mini? Of course not. It is, however, a useful upgrade from the base 83-horsepower i-DSI engine. Peer inside the tight engine bay and it’s interesting to note how the engineers were able to make such a small engine so peppy. Only ten years ago your basic 1.6-liter EFI engine was almost twice the size of the Jazz’s mighty-mite motor. Variable valve timing blesses the motor with thrifty low-speed economy and peppy high-rpm performance. Purists, take note: you can pair it with a 7-speed Steermatic CVT or a 5-speed manual.

The VTEC spec also comes with all-disk brakes, ABS, dual airbags, a better stereo, a sexy body kit, 55-series 15-inch tires, and some other items. Equipped with the 5-speed stick for the 2005 Honda Jazz VTEC Media Challenge, dozens of journalists subjected the car to dozens of laps at the tight Carmona Race Circuit with nary a hitch. No performance mods were installed, although extraneous items such as carpeting and passenger seats were removed while a roll bar was installed.

At the limit, the motor revved smoothly, the tranny shifted cleanly, and the brakes never failed (ABS was constantly engaged in the tightest corners). The car is predisposed to understeer, and there’s actually more than enough power to spin the tires (and waste time) if your right foot’s too heavy. Trail brake and the fairly conventional front-drive, rear torsion beam chassis shows its limits, transitioning from understeer to oversteer in a snap if you’re too eager.

At 8/10ths driving though, which is probably all that you’d subject a car you actually own, the car is pleasant and quite adept at getting from Point A to Point B without drama. One thing I’d wish for is more torque, though. For someone like me who’s spoiled for my Galant’s torque-y 2-liter, the VTEC’s 14.2 kg-m is merely adequate; you really need to get into the higher rpm range to cut through traffic easily. This, of course, compromises fuel efficiency. Still, it’s a good upgrade over the basic 1.3-liter motor, especially if you carry a lot of people or luggage all the time… or you just want your fair share of driving fun in a car that just oozes with cute-appeal.

2006 City VTEC

Alright, alright. Does the City look better now? Yes. Also, No. It must have privately anguished Honda to notice that, as smart and as logical a choice as the 2nd generation City was, rival Toyota’s Vios was simply the better-looking car. And in a market where looks play a BIG part in the sale, Toyota had the last laugh despite the Vios’ more conventional design. Towards the latter months of ’05, Honda released the slightly restyled City, which in summary sports a front end reminiscent of a Civic, better-looking wheels, and a revised rear fascia with different taillights and trunk lid. Yes, the look is trendier now, and passers-by frequently did double-takes wherever we parked the test unit.

The back, however, may not look slightly frumpy like before, now it just looks a little dated. Whereas the old tail looked a wee bit like a BMW 5-Series (not a bad thing, unless you’re a 5-series owner…), the new butt tends to look a little bit "Kia Rio" after a while. It just goes to show you how following the trend can sometimes not be a good thing. Multireflector taillamps were all the rage a few years ago, but now anyone with access to Banawe can make his car look as gaudy as his wallet can afford. The 5-spoke, 15-inch alloy wheels are a beaut, though. With their smoke-gray finish, the wheels look raffish without being baduy. A little Honda Racing, eh?

In other respects, the car is as good as it ever was. What we’ve just said about the Jazz VTEC motor applies to the City as well, of course. In interior room, the City is a little less capacious than the Jazz because of its sedan layout, although as one owner-friend told me, they like the added security for their belongings that a trunklid provides from would-be thieves. A little more sound-deadening material than before also hushes up the impressive (for a subcompact) ride, while 5-speed buyers also benefit from a taller 5th gear ratio, making for both a higher top speed and less buzziness in that gear. The cabin features classy two-tone gray upholstery and bright Optitron meters for a ritzy feel.

Like the Jazz, the City has an agile but disciplined demeanor about it, turning, banking, and braking with class-leading refinement. Only the deeper potholes remind you of its lesser pedigree, sending the short-travel suspension into the stops and making for some unsettling noises and vibrations throughout the body. The electric power-assisted steering feels unnaturally heavy at creeping (parking lot) speeds, though, which is exactly when you’d like a lot of assist. That said, it’s impressive what Honda has wrought with these erstwhile econo-cars. Though neither car offers bargain basement pricing like a Hyundai or Kia, they’re proof that you do get a little more than what you pay for in the abstract, such as build quality and long-term satisfaction.