Should you buy one?

If you’re after a practical, well-made, reliable small car, then the Honda Jazz has a lot to recommend it. If you’re after a hybrid, then there’s even more – as it’s the cheapest self-charging car on sale in the UK. That alone is worth something.

Rival superminis with more conventional petrol engines are more keenly priced, and some can even come close to the Jazz for running costs. None, however, offers the same combination of interior space in supermini dimensions – truly, if you want a car that has more room for people, you need to look at hatchbacks or SUVs from the class above.

The Jazz won’t set the world alight for keen drivers, and a Toyota Yaris remains a slightly more desirable hybrid choice. But as ever, the Jazz is incredibly fit for purpose – and there’s nothing out there quite like it.

What we like

It’s small enough to manoeuvre and park easily, especially if you go for SR trim and up, yet is surprisingly spacious inside. The boot is above average for the class and has a usefully low loading lip, the magic rear seats allow you to transport tall items and the fold flat passenger seat accommodates long ones.

Real world efficiency impresses with more than 50mpg easily achieved and performance is good. It’s also comfortable with soft suspension and good seats.

What we don’t like

It’s not a bad car to drive by any stretch but clearly prioritises cosiness and ease of use over everything else, and a balance of economy and performance over outright thrills. It’s also expensive to buy and is beaten on warranty by the Kia Rio.

You’ll also find a few below par plastics inside and the engine is rather noisy when pushed.