What's the difference?
Honda's Jazz is like the little engine that could.
It occupies a shrinking part of the market but has seen off a bevy of once-were competitors (most notably the Hyundai i20) and continues to battle gamely with the Mazda2.
Honda gave the range a little tweak in late 2017 to hand us the MY18 Honda Jazz. Some features were lost, and a few gained in an effort to keep up with Mazda's finest.
The Volkswagen Polo is about to turn 30 in Australia but, by 1996, it was already 21-years and three generations old in Europe.
As the least-expensive jumping-on point for the brand here today (RIP VW Up!), the Polo has deftly juggled affordability with the premium pricing that its German engineering demands.
But, at nine-years old, and in an era of newer, hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) and often cheaper alternatives from China and elsewhere, is the ageing Polo as convincing?
We test the mid-spec CityLife to find out.
The Honda Jazz is an extremely capable small car, with an ace card of virtually unbeatable interior space. While it's hardly an excitement machine, or the best looking or equipped in its class (it is missing out on some useful safety gear), the Jazz deserves its status as a well-loved hatchback.
The best in the range is probably the VTi. There isn't anything compelling further up the variants unless you're keen on bigger wheels or leather trim. Its entry-level offering is a good-value, sturdy car that is packed with its best qualities, no matter which one you buy.
The VW Polo may be getting old, but it still shines on a number of fronts, including design, interior packaging and presentation, driving sophistication, efficiency and quality.
But, the ride can be too firm and the turbo/DCT lag frustrating, it is also expensive and not fully equipped enough in CityLife grade as tested, undermining the German’s value-for-money equation somewhat.
Haggle hard, though, and you’ll end up with a fine and mature urban hatch.