Is a Honda Jazz a good first car?
Yes, but budget for a higher starting point: the Jazz's insurance groups run higher across the board than most rivals its size, and the popular hybrid trims (with genuinely excellent fuel economy) push higher still.
The numbers*
| Insurance group | Group 13 to 22, depending on engine and trim. There is no low-group Jazz: even the entry petrol trim starts around group 13. |
|---|---|
| Typical used price | £14,500 to £19,300 on the used market (most trims and years) |
| Road tax | Around £200 a year across the range |
| Fuel economy | 52 to 56 mpg on the ordinary 1.3 to 1.5 petrol; up to 113 mpg on the i-MMD hybrid |
| Euro NCAP rating | 5 stars |
Ins grp 13 Honda Jazz 1.3 i-VTEC SE 5dr
- Standard
- £2,100/yr
- Telematics
- £1,470/yr
Standard monthly £175/mo
Ins grp 20 Honda Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid EX 5dr eCVT
- Standard
- £2,576/yr
- Telematics
- £1,803/yr
Standard monthly £215/mo
Ins grp 22 Honda Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid Crosstar Advance 5dr eCVT
- Standard
- £2,854/yr
- Telematics
- £1,998/yr
Standard monthly £238/mo
Labels go by monthly insurance: Manageable up to £150, Getting pricey £151 to £200, Danger zone over £200.
Why parents like it
Honda's reliability record is close to Toyota's, and the Jazz's boxy shape gives it genuinely more interior space and visibility than most rivals its size, both of which matter for a new driver's confidence.
Why new drivers like it
The upright driving position and big windows make it easy to judge the car's edges, which matters more than outright looks when you're still building confidence behind the wheel.
The catch
The Jazz doesn't have a genuinely cheap insurance entry point: even the lowest group (13) costs £175 a month standard cover for a young new driver, and the popular hybrid trims common on the used market sit at group 20 to 22, £215 to £238 a month. The trade-off is real fuel economy: the i-MMD hybrid returns up to 113 mpg combined, among the best of any car on this site.
Which version to look for
Every Jazz trim insures higher than most rivals its size, so there isn't a genuinely cheap version to seek out. The i-MMD hybrid's exceptional fuel economy is the strongest reason to accept the higher group over the plainer 1.3 petrol.
* Sources: First Car Scout vehicle listing and insurance-group data (July 2026).