Jazz at Your Local Honda Dealer

Every day we're told the world is becoming more Americanised, but that, as all the best things are from America this is no bad thing. Space travel, fast food, blues and jazz, theme parks, telephone numbers such as 0-8-0-0-F-U-N-T-I-M-E have all found their way over here. What's wrong with using numbers on the telephone anyway, why use letters? No, for me the US of A has contributed more than enough for the time being and rather than our culture becoming further Americanised, I vote for us to become Japanised. I mean that's where the really cool stuff comes from: computer games, Manga cartoons, toilets that shoot water towards your...well you know, that cool robot from television (not available at your Honda dealer) and the most reliable cars on the planet.

Yep for cool stuff that 99 percent of the time will never be used in mainstream markets, Japan is the place to go. It's the one percent that really does work however that excites me the most. The Sony PlayStation has been the market leader since its inception and the gaming industry as a whole is a multi, multi billion pound yearly business. In fact Japan's economy alone generated £120 billion through the sale of publishing, games, films and music in 2006 alone. The cars are fast becoming market leaders too. Gone are the days of reliable vehicles that looked like a baby had styled it - enter the simply stunning Nissan GTR or Honda's most successful hot-hatch the Civic Type R (this unlike the robot is available at your Honda dealer).

The reason why the latest cars from Japan are so well styled whilst maintaining the build quality and reliability you'd expect from the country is that they've embraced their culture, which to Western society is, well, bonkers. We've all seen the clip shows on TV that showcase the mad game shows Japan have as entertainment. In the UK you answer a few questions correctly and you win some money. In Japan you answer a few questions correctly and then you only have to eat ten snakes, jump through fire and have your leg chopped off to win the big prize.

Then there's the Bosozoku. Essentially they were a motorcycle gang that started in the mid fifties, but thanks to Manga comics and Anime films such as Akira, the image has been glamourised so the modern day Bosozoku are more style than actual gang fighting and neighbourhood terrorising. They have also branched out to modifying cars with crazy features such as exhausts that reach skywards and end above the roofline. Japanese culture is the perfect ying and yang - they work really hard, they play really, really hard.

You can see now why channelling all the above into a car such as the Nissan GTR is pretty exciting. You have the reliability and build quality from the hard-working Japanese culture, the mad styling from the Manga culture and the incredible handling and on-board computer wizardry from the gaming culture. You can see these elements filtering through to many Japanese car-makers and most notably across their range, Honda.

When judging a car brand, I like to see what their entry-level car is and if that's good then it's a good rule of thumb to assume this standard is maintained as the pound signs increase. Using this logic and a trip to your Honda dealer will bring the Honda Jazz before you. It's a fun little hatchback from the styling to the way it drives around town. In fact it's not too dissimilar to Doctor Who's Tardis. Admittedly the Jazz doesn't transcend time and space, but it's far bigger on the inside than its exterior would have you believe. The front and rear lights wrap around both ends and a simple arched line down the side completes the shape. It is once again Japan in microcosm: small, functional and stylish.

There are two engines available, a 1.2 litre unit or a 1.4 VTEC litre version. The later is also available with a 6-speed i-SHIFT gearbox that is semi automatic. The funky features don't end there, with the Jazz offering a panoramic glass roof, a refrigerated glove box and iPod connectivity. Crucially your Honda dealer will take pride in declaring the Jazz emitting just 130g/km CO2 and returning a combined fuel consumption figure of 51.4mpg. The Jazz is cheap to run then, but it's reasonable to buy in the first place, with prices starting at £9,990 in the UK.

The verdict on the Jazz then is a glowing one. Obviously I'd love a Nissan GTR to embrace my love of all things Japanese, but to suit my wallet and I'm sure the vast majority of readers, nip to your Honda dealer for a sm