A790
04-07-2006, 02:44 PM
The econo-box segment is just buzzing with activity. I mean buzzing quite literally, as when these cars drive by that’s all you hear!
Having reviewed the Toyota Yaris and Kia Rio5, I felt it only necessary to take out Honda’s latest offering and see how it compares. I’ve driven quite a few Hondas, have owned two of them personally, and am pretty biased. I like Honda, I really do. When I first saw this car I wasn’t particular enthused about it, but then again, who gets excited about an economy car?
INITIAL IMPRESSION
This Honda starts low (just under $15,000 for the base) and gets all the way up to $19,500 without any options for the Sport! That’s quite the varied price difference, especially considering you can get a fully loaded Kia Rio5 for $18,400 out the door. That $19,500 is before tax and dealer fees.
This has got to be the most expensive economy car, topping the decked out Yaris (which sits at $23,500) at over $26,000 for the Sport with a few options! For that Price we’re getting into Civic Si, Cobalt SS, and Pontiac Pursuit territory!
Since I reviewed a fully loaded Yaris as well as a fully loaded Rio5, I’m going to review this one fully loaded and tipping the scales at $26,175 tax included.
They had only one vehicle in Calgary that was comparable to what I was looking for, and I found myself at T and T to drive it. There’s been a lot of talk about this car, and if you’re interested, don’t expect to be able to negotiate on the price at all. I sure wasn’t able to.
I was repeatedly told that there are less than a dozen of them in Calgary, and with a bit of persistence, I found myself driving one.
INSIDE THE CAR
Compared to the other cars in the segment this interior has them beat, hands down. This interior is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in an economy car before.
The gauge cluster/dash comes together in an attractive, and dare I say it, elegant manner. All the buttons are in their usual places, but they just look so much better being there than in anything else in this segment today.
All the seats are comfortable and have enough room. The front seats hold you in place without being grippy or uncomfortable, and the rear passengers are given a rare and unexpected treat: leg room!
The CD/MP3 player is incorporated into the dash very nicely, and sounds pretty darn good for a stock unit. It looks like an after market deck would, and sounds like it as well. A big point for this little Honda.
DRIVING THE CAR
The car, with just under 110HP, goes with a little bounce in its step. It’s not fast, and it actually feels slower than the Yaris, but it definitely isn’t a turtle on the road either. It beats out the Rio5 in terms of drivability, but as I said, is just edged out by the Toyota Yaris.
The car feels very solid as you drive in typical Honda fashion. No squeaks, rattles, wiggles, bonks, or otherwise. It is actually surprisingly quiet inside the cabin with the windows down, and stays that way when they’re open. You get the usual wind, but you don’t get the constant buzz of the engine.
The engine itself is quite capable, and is also quite quiet when you aren’t driving the poop out of it. It revs up nicely, without sounding raspy or out of breath, and is able to propel the car around relatively quickly and without much complaint.
One thing I will say is that this Honda has suspension that is just a bit too soft for my personal taste, which means that it’s probably on par for the majority of the buyers out there. Turning yields a bit more body roll than the Yaris, but less than the Rio5. Keep in mind that neither the Yaris nor Rio5 have much body-roll either.
This car’s steering is beautiful, a sheer work of art. As is the transmission/clutch. Just amazing. I firmly stand behind my belief that Honda makes the best manual transmissions around.
My test ride was cut short, however, as the salesman didn’t want to be out too long or put too many kilometers on it. I got the distinct impression that the car I was driving was already spoken for.
CONCLUSION
A great car, yes. A fun car? It could be. It’s comfortable to be in, nice enough to drive, but expensive to attain. Sure you could get the base model at $15,000, but you still have to pay your dealer fees and taxed on top, pushing that to right around $18,000. For that price you got a loaded Rio5 in your driveway.
Move up a trim level and add a few options and suddenly you’re at $18,500 before taxes. The top model with the “Car Buff” package comes to almost $27,000! $150 for all season floor mats and $150 for a block heater.
As I said earlier, these prices won’t get any cheaper anytime soon as there seems to be a huge demand for this car.
A good contender in the segment, as it was expected from Honda, but not worth the cost in my eyes.
SCORING
Exterior: 4/5
Interior: 4.5/5
Roominess: 3.5/5
Drivability: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Overall in segment: 4/5 – due to cost.
The bottom line is that this is a good car, that performs and handles exactly as you’d expect it too. However, it is also the most expensive car in the segment. For almost $10,000 less than a loaded sport Fit you can get a loaded Rio5, and $3,500 less gets you a loaded Yaris RS.
__________________________________
I was lucky to get a test drive in the Fit, and it perfomed pretty much how it promised it would.
But, would I buy one over the competition? Maybe, but only if the price was more down to earth.
The basic model costs $15,000 before tax and literally is bare bones - no power anything, no air, and a 2 speaker radio. Jumping up to the next trim (the LX) brings the brice to $17,500 and includes basic options and not much else. The sport, starting at $19,500, is the only Fit I'd even consider buying because of the options.
Conversely, a fully loaded Yaris with options that most people wouldn't even bother with (lowering springs) comes to $23,500 tax in and out the door. A similarly optioned Fit comes to $26,500 out the door.
Which one drives better? Of the two, I preferred the Yaris as it seemed to just have a bit more get up and go. The lowering springs also helped nicely in the handleing department. That's not saying that the Fit doesn't drive or handle well, I just preferred the Yaris.
Which one looks better? That's completely subjective, as I do like the look of the Fit with the optional body panels. In the same manner though, I do like the look of the Yaris with the lowering springs/rims. Of the two, I'd probably pick the Fit if the Yaris wasn't dropped.
Which one has a nicer interior? The Fit, hands down. Toyota needs to get their stuff together and get rid of that ugly fabric.
Which one would I buy? The Yaris. The Fit just isn't worth the premium in price, in my opinion. Go out and drive one for yourself (if they'll let you) and see what I mean.
Having reviewed the Toyota Yaris and Kia Rio5, I felt it only necessary to take out Honda’s latest offering and see how it compares. I’ve driven quite a few Hondas, have owned two of them personally, and am pretty biased. I like Honda, I really do. When I first saw this car I wasn’t particular enthused about it, but then again, who gets excited about an economy car?
INITIAL IMPRESSION
This Honda starts low (just under $15,000 for the base) and gets all the way up to $19,500 without any options for the Sport! That’s quite the varied price difference, especially considering you can get a fully loaded Kia Rio5 for $18,400 out the door. That $19,500 is before tax and dealer fees.
This has got to be the most expensive economy car, topping the decked out Yaris (which sits at $23,500) at over $26,000 for the Sport with a few options! For that Price we’re getting into Civic Si, Cobalt SS, and Pontiac Pursuit territory!
Since I reviewed a fully loaded Yaris as well as a fully loaded Rio5, I’m going to review this one fully loaded and tipping the scales at $26,175 tax included.
They had only one vehicle in Calgary that was comparable to what I was looking for, and I found myself at T and T to drive it. There’s been a lot of talk about this car, and if you’re interested, don’t expect to be able to negotiate on the price at all. I sure wasn’t able to.
I was repeatedly told that there are less than a dozen of them in Calgary, and with a bit of persistence, I found myself driving one.
INSIDE THE CAR
Compared to the other cars in the segment this interior has them beat, hands down. This interior is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in an economy car before.
The gauge cluster/dash comes together in an attractive, and dare I say it, elegant manner. All the buttons are in their usual places, but they just look so much better being there than in anything else in this segment today.
All the seats are comfortable and have enough room. The front seats hold you in place without being grippy or uncomfortable, and the rear passengers are given a rare and unexpected treat: leg room!
The CD/MP3 player is incorporated into the dash very nicely, and sounds pretty darn good for a stock unit. It looks like an after market deck would, and sounds like it as well. A big point for this little Honda.
DRIVING THE CAR
The car, with just under 110HP, goes with a little bounce in its step. It’s not fast, and it actually feels slower than the Yaris, but it definitely isn’t a turtle on the road either. It beats out the Rio5 in terms of drivability, but as I said, is just edged out by the Toyota Yaris.
The car feels very solid as you drive in typical Honda fashion. No squeaks, rattles, wiggles, bonks, or otherwise. It is actually surprisingly quiet inside the cabin with the windows down, and stays that way when they’re open. You get the usual wind, but you don’t get the constant buzz of the engine.
The engine itself is quite capable, and is also quite quiet when you aren’t driving the poop out of it. It revs up nicely, without sounding raspy or out of breath, and is able to propel the car around relatively quickly and without much complaint.
One thing I will say is that this Honda has suspension that is just a bit too soft for my personal taste, which means that it’s probably on par for the majority of the buyers out there. Turning yields a bit more body roll than the Yaris, but less than the Rio5. Keep in mind that neither the Yaris nor Rio5 have much body-roll either.
This car’s steering is beautiful, a sheer work of art. As is the transmission/clutch. Just amazing. I firmly stand behind my belief that Honda makes the best manual transmissions around.
My test ride was cut short, however, as the salesman didn’t want to be out too long or put too many kilometers on it. I got the distinct impression that the car I was driving was already spoken for.
CONCLUSION
A great car, yes. A fun car? It could be. It’s comfortable to be in, nice enough to drive, but expensive to attain. Sure you could get the base model at $15,000, but you still have to pay your dealer fees and taxed on top, pushing that to right around $18,000. For that price you got a loaded Rio5 in your driveway.
Move up a trim level and add a few options and suddenly you’re at $18,500 before taxes. The top model with the “Car Buff” package comes to almost $27,000! $150 for all season floor mats and $150 for a block heater.
As I said earlier, these prices won’t get any cheaper anytime soon as there seems to be a huge demand for this car.
A good contender in the segment, as it was expected from Honda, but not worth the cost in my eyes.
SCORING
Exterior: 4/5
Interior: 4.5/5
Roominess: 3.5/5
Drivability: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Overall in segment: 4/5 – due to cost.
The bottom line is that this is a good car, that performs and handles exactly as you’d expect it too. However, it is also the most expensive car in the segment. For almost $10,000 less than a loaded sport Fit you can get a loaded Rio5, and $3,500 less gets you a loaded Yaris RS.
__________________________________
I was lucky to get a test drive in the Fit, and it perfomed pretty much how it promised it would.
But, would I buy one over the competition? Maybe, but only if the price was more down to earth.
The basic model costs $15,000 before tax and literally is bare bones - no power anything, no air, and a 2 speaker radio. Jumping up to the next trim (the LX) brings the brice to $17,500 and includes basic options and not much else. The sport, starting at $19,500, is the only Fit I'd even consider buying because of the options.
Conversely, a fully loaded Yaris with options that most people wouldn't even bother with (lowering springs) comes to $23,500 tax in and out the door. A similarly optioned Fit comes to $26,500 out the door.
Which one drives better? Of the two, I preferred the Yaris as it seemed to just have a bit more get up and go. The lowering springs also helped nicely in the handleing department. That's not saying that the Fit doesn't drive or handle well, I just preferred the Yaris.
Which one looks better? That's completely subjective, as I do like the look of the Fit with the optional body panels. In the same manner though, I do like the look of the Yaris with the lowering springs/rims. Of the two, I'd probably pick the Fit if the Yaris wasn't dropped.
Which one has a nicer interior? The Fit, hands down. Toyota needs to get their stuff together and get rid of that ugly fabric.
Which one would I buy? The Yaris. The Fit just isn't worth the premium in price, in my opinion. Go out and drive one for yourself (if they'll let you) and see what I mean.