Honda Fit: Your Thoughts?

[Skyline_Addict]

Hey Guys,
As I come close (I hope) to selling my Prelude, I am definetely going to be looking for something more easy going, most likely brand new and which deviates a bit more from the ideal "tuner car". It would be a car I would keep for a couple years before I re-enter the buyers' market for a sports car.
Most important things are resale value, comfort, gas economy and bang-for-buck. I need to worry about school and jobs for the short-term, so a problem-free car is important too. So far I've looked at the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 3. Price-wise, for fully loaded models, the Fit is in the middle of the 3 cars and I am currently most interested in it. Anything below the "Sport" trim seems to be seriously lacking in imporant departments, so I am looking at that trim. When all is said and done the Honda Fit Sport comes to a little over $21 000.
Just wondering what you guys think of the car, feel free to post any thoughts.

[Mikey_008]

Honda Fit= Awesome car!!

Handles awesome, but lacks the power and torque! But I would by one for sure!

[Slashin_]

fit > yaris > mazda mazda is costly

go check out hyundai/kia cars they aren't pretty, but the quality is there now, plus there dirt cheap,
resale value might be hard but then if u keep it u have a nice winter beater

[VTEXTC]

My wife and I looked at the Fit as we shopped around for a replacement for our aging 97 Civic LX. Like you, I discovered that the Fit, nicely equipped comes in just shy of $22,000. For that kind of money, you can get yourself into a larger, more affordable Civic (better finance rates) with a handful of extra horsepower to boot.

The Fit is a great little car, but with the replacement due out within a year or two, my loyalties would tend to side with the newer, roomier Civic.

Good luck!
A

[Toms-SC]

http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/riaa.gif/10

[GTS Jeff]

The Mazda3 isn't really a fair comparison to the Fit, plus it sucks, so let's throw that one out.

The Versa is a big piece of shit as well. It's like a smaller version of a Sentra SE-R. Bucket of shit with lots of torque.

The Yaris used to be a favorite car of mine til I test drove it. I was thoroughly dissappointed by the totally uninspired feel to it. It felt like a minivan, plus it looks kinda dumb. The interior is garbage too. Only pro is resale value.

The Fit is a great car IMO. It drives nicely, has decent power for that type of car, and the interior is surprisingly nice compared to the Versa and Yaris. I also like the versatility of the Fit's rear seats. I think the Sport model is overpriced because it costs so much more than the other models with no real functional improvements. I think the LX model is a much better deal. You save a couple Gs and still get power everything. The only bad thing about the Fit is that it's only a couple Gs short of a Civic, which is really a better car for not much more money.

So I think your real decision should be between the Fit and the Civic.

[Shaad]

Fir is pretty good car I like wht Ive seen.

here some pics of what people have been doing to their fits in the past little while

http://www.carview.co.jp/tas/2004/car/photo/mugen/fit_dynamite/02.jpg

3rd link and picture down
http://www.urbanracer.com/articles/anmviewer.asp?a=1175
Notice the engine bay!

[carzcraz]

Haven't had a chance to test drive one, but we did sit in one at the dealership.

IMO I don't think you can go wrong with any of these cars, but I would personally go with the Fit or a white 2-door Yaris (this combo is probably a little more "girlish" though) of the three. We had a 2004 Toyota Echo HB before, and if the Yaris performs similar to it, it's pretty underpowered!

Here are some nice pictures of the Fit....sorry to steal your pictures Illusive 4-2

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144106&highlight=honda+fit

[BigMass]

not too hot on those, but check out this time attack Fit!

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=438850

[Skyline_Addict]

Originally posted by GTS Jeff
The Mazda3 isn't really a fair comparison to the Fit, plus it sucks, so let's throw that one out.

The Versa is a big piece of shit as well. It's like a smaller version of a Sentra SE-R. Bucket of shit with lots of torque.

The Yaris used to be a favorite car of mine til I test drove it. I was thoroughly dissappointed by the totally uninspired feel to it. It felt like a minivan, plus it looks kinda dumb. The interior is garbage too. Only pro is resale value.

The Fit is a great car IMO. It drives nicely, has decent power for that type of car, and the interior is surprisingly nice compared to the Versa and Yaris. I also like the versatility of the Fit's rear seats. I think the Sport model is overpriced because it costs so much more than the other models with no real functional improvements. I think the LX model is a much better deal. You save a couple Gs and still get power everything. The only bad thing about the Fit is that it's only a couple Gs short of a Civic, which is really a better car for not much more money.

So I think your real decision should be between the Fit and the Civic.


Wow, quick responses. I <3 Beyond.

Anyways, what do you not like about the 3, Jeff? It's always been one of my favorite cars in it's class/price-range.

I was dissapointed by the Yaris for the same reasons as you - it felt cheap. Yeah it's a cheap car, but there are alot of cheap cars out there which don't feel so cheap.

So the Civic is a better bang for buck, hmmm....this applicable to all trims?

[Whitetiger]

Originally posted by Toms-SC
http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/riaa.gif/10 :rofl: x2

[Aleks]

For 22K you can have a new VW Rabbit with heated seats, ESP, power everything, 16" alloys, 6 disc changer, only 6 speed auto in the class, only 5 cyl in the class. Sounds like a mini VR6 and has crazy TQ for city driving.

We (GF and I) looked at all the cars you mentioned and VW has the nicest interior, drove the best and was equiped best in the price range.

The only thing I worry about is reliability but hope that won't be an issue. Car comes with 4yr 80K bumper to bumper. I bashed VW on this site until I drove it. Now it's in our garage next to the subie.

resale value --- should be close to best in class
comfort --- great
gas economy --- 10l/100k in the city (a lot worse than competition)
bang-for-buck ---- great IMO.

[danno]

my sister just bought a fit and loves it. i test drove it for her and it was super slow, but i didn't expect much else. decent interior, but i found it a bit loud (compared to my gti). i would by one if i didn't care what i was driving.

[SilverBoost]

Originally posted by danno
my sister just bought a fit and loves it. i test drove it for her and it was super slow, but i didn't expect much else. decent interior, but i found it a bit loud (compared to my gti). i would by one if i didn't care what i was driving.

That's a great evaluation. And to add to it, the environment will thank you. I'd buy one too if I only used a car to get from A to B and wanted to do it as cheaply as possible with some reliability. Actually, now that I rethink it, if that was my criteria, I'd buy a toyota.

[S206]

I used to live in asia, so wanna give u some useful informations. The fit is named Jazz in japan and is in a k-car class( which used to deliver stuff in city). It is really good at fuel efficient and roomy.However, the brakes let me feel "soft". lots of fit owners tuned their to bremboo or other brakes..............
Toyota's Yaris is kicked out. As the same reasons above.
The Mazda 3 is my favorite car among ur choices. It built on the same platfrom as Volvo S40 and Ford Focus. After I have test drove it, it has a lot driving funs. In my opinion. it is better than civic. Coz it chassis' setting is better. You used to drive a sporty car, so I guess u don't want to drive a car which is boring. Hope these will help

[Klobi-1-Kinobi]

Originally posted by Aleks
For 22K you can have a new VW Rabbit with heated seats, ESP, power everything, 16&quot; alloys, 6 disc changer, only 6 speed auto in the class, only 5 cyl in the class. Sounds like a mini VR6 and has crazy TQ for city driving.

We (GF and I) looked at all the cars you mentioned and VW has the nicest interior, drove the best and was equiped best in the price range.

The only thing I worry about is reliability but hope that won't be an issue. Car comes with 4yr 80K bumper to bumper. I bashed VW on this site until I drove it. Now it's in our garage next to the subie.

resale value --- should be close to best in class
comfort --- great
gas economy --- 10l/100k in the city (a lot worse than competition)
bang-for-buck ---- great IMO.

Yes, for the same $$, I would way rather be in a rabbit. A stripped down 5-speed fit would make a great runaround car for not a bad price, only if you had a second "fun" car though.

[Weapon_R]

I'd skip the fit/yaris and compare the civic and new VWs. For 21k, you can get either and they are far better cars than the ones you're looking at.

[thich]

if you're looking for an economy car, the Fit is a good car.
I've had mine for half a year now and it does the job.

1. I've been able to out drive a semi who forced me onto oncoming traffic

2. the Fit's brakes are completely fine; sometimes i feel they brake too abruptly

3. it's not powerful, but it's nimble and can handle the corners well which was a great selling point for me

4. It FITS a lot of stuff due to its design, which was the other selling point.

--

I agree with GTSJeff, don't go with the mazda3, the interior quality is :thumbsdow - plus it is in a different car class

The yaris is smaller than the Fit

The versa... guzzles more gas and it has a horrid interior

I agree you could get a civic or a VW for the price, but the Fit is basically a premium compact; I chose a Fit b/c I didn't need the size of a civic. I just wanted something small that could drive in and around the city and gets great gas mileage.

[Skyline_Addict]

hmmm tough decisions..

[shadowz]

Do it make a nice daily driver/track slut

http://www.aj-racing.com/catalog/files/project_car/AJRFIT/main.jpg

[turab16]

buy a used huge car with lots of power !

never buy brand new due to depreciation... waste of money imo

[90Tegra]

i think their great little cars, their like eg hatch of honda's right now

[Skyline_Addict]

just bought a fit today. will be picking it up on tuesday!

[Aleks]

Congrats hope you enjoy it.


Originally posted by Skyline_Addict
just bought a fit today. will be picking it up on tuesday!

[carzcraz]

Congrats!!

What color did you end up getting if you don't mind me asking?

This seems like a pretty informative Fit site...

http://www.fitfreak.net/

[acura_el]

fits are pimp, good choice :thumbsup:

http://www.fitfreak.net/images/fit_dynamite.jpg

http://www.fitfreak.net/gallery/albums/sema2006/DSC01837_Couture_Model_2.jpg

[Klobi-1-Kinobi]

Congrats on your new purchase. I think the fit is very good at what it was made for. Practical, cheap to buy and maintain, reliable(probably). The base model is $16,xxx which is pretty decent imo. Start adding options though and the price quickly adds up well beyond what I think a car like that is worth.

As far as modding goes, I would leave it stock untill (if) k-series swaps drop in price.

[craigcd]

Originally posted by VTEXTC
My wife and I looked at the Fit as we shopped around for a replacement for our aging 97 Civic LX. Like you, I discovered that the Fit, nicely equipped comes in just shy of $22,000. For that kind of money, you can get yourself into a larger, more affordable Civic (better finance rates) with a handful of extra horsepower to boot.

The Fit is a great little car, but with the replacement due out within a year or two, my loyalties would tend to side with the newer, roomier Civic.

Good luck!
A

If this is true i would go with a civic, Im sure the resale down the road would be stronger.

Why not buy a year old Civic save some depreciation and tax?

[Skyline_Addict]

Originally posted by Klobi-1-Kinobi
Congrats on your new purchase. I think the fit is very good at what it was made for. Practical, cheap to buy and maintain, reliable(probably). The base model is $16,xxx which is pretty decent imo. Start adding options though and the price quickly adds up well beyond what I think a car like that is worth.

As far as modding goes, I would leave it stock untill (if) k-series swaps drop in price.

Thanks.

That is precisely why I did not opt to go with the Sport model. As Jeff also mentioned, you pay almost $3000 more for non-functional, mostly cosmetic additions. The insurance costs are a bit more too, naturally.

I went for the LX model, which comes with virtually everything the Sport model comes with minus the body-kit, alloy wheels and leather steering wheel. As my purpose of getting this car is to be a filler (not for too long) until I get my next car, I don't spend to drop alot of money on non-necessity items. I will probably put a nicer set of wheels on the car for summer, but that's all I plan to do - I don't think I'll ever have a K-swap on my mind.

Planning to get an S2000 next!

[carzcraz]

what color did you end up deciding on?

Congrats once again

[Skyline_Addict]

thanks carzcraz!

I got a black one.

[rc2002]

For a filller, a used car may have been a better choice. Or even hanging onto your prelude. Now you have to deal with depreciation all over again...

Congrats on the sale of your Prelude btw. :)

[Skyline_Addict]

Thanks Richard, long time no see.


That's true as well. I also wanted to get something new as well and didn't have a used car on my mind. The car itself being economical in price, means yeah, I will likely would have saved money on getting another used car, but I don't think the difference will make me regret anything since the Fit is neither expensive, or likely to have terrible depreciation.

I like the fact that I get to drive a nice brand new car, which is more family friendly (yes, the family likes it alot too) and has all the warranties and what not which come along with it. I wasn't planning on dumping the fit as quickly as you may be thinking - it'll be a couple years before I can afford an s2000 :). My Prelude would be 12+ years by then and I'm not sure how easy it would be to sell it at a price as relatively reasonable as what I received now.

[Mo Squared]

Im looking into the same purchase here. I have looked into the yaris and the fit also, and I was just curious how did you decide on the fit over the yaris? anything in particular

[QuasarCav]

Originally posted by Skyline_Addict
Thanks Richard, long time no see.


That's true as well. I also wanted to get something new as well and didn't have a used car on my mind. The car itself being economical in price, means yeah, I will likely would have saved money on getting another used car, but I don't think the difference will make me regret anything since the Fit is neither expensive, or likely to have terrible depreciation.

I like the fact that I get to drive a nice brand new car, which is more family friendly (yes, the family likes it alot too) and has all the warranties and what not which come along with it. I wasn't planning on dumping the fit as quickly as you may be thinking - it'll be a couple years before I can afford an s2000 :). My Prelude would be 12+ years by then and I'm not sure how easy it would be to sell it at a price as relatively reasonable as what I received now.

That is a good way of thinking about it. I had my eye on your Prelude for quite some time now but the thing that held me back would be taking the kms over 200,000 and seriously depreciating it. In the end I think the economics would favor the used car side but you cant factor in the repair budget of an older car.

[calgaryman]

not bad vehicle :) :thumbsup:

[Skyline_Addict]

Originally posted by Mo Squared
Im looking into the same purchase here. I have looked into the yaris and the fit also, and I was just curious how did you decide on the fit over the yaris? anything in particular

Overall quality of the car was much more apparent in the Fit. The Fit has a much better interior (no thanks on not having a Tachometer, and that ugly central dash) and looks much better on the outside. The driving feel was also better.

In the end it comes down to price, and taste, as most other aspects of the car are very similar, though I thought the Fit was a little more quick and nimble. I think the Fit edges the Yaris out in more than enough areas to make up for the slightly higher price.

The Sport model seems a little gimmicky as you pay mostly for non-functional, cosmetic stuff, but are tasteful and make the car look and feel much sportier none-the-less when compared to the LX. If you wanted to save a couple grand, the LX is the way to go, and if you ever wanted to add the aforementioned "mods" later on, you have more flexibility of choice with the aftermarket.

[FiveFreshFish]

I'll have to take one out for a test drive. Looks like a winner.

[Skyline_Addict]

I managed to take some pictures today, but not in daylight.

Here it is!

https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~tswah/public_html/1.jpg

https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~tswah/public_html/4.jpg


https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~tswah/public_html/3.jpg


https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~tswah/public_html/2.jpg


https://webdisk.ucalgary.ca/~tswah/public_html/interior.jpg

[Police]

what kind of rims are those?

[trieu]

what kind of rims are those?

sort of looks like rota slipstreams, cant really tell :dunno:

[Skyline_Addict]

correct, slipstreams :)

[JordanEG6]

awesome purchase! i love fits. i'd sell my civic for one. hahaha.

you should get a set of springs ;)

[max_boost]

Very cool looking car. Is the power adequate?

Congrats and enjoy the new ride!

[Anton]

Looks very good! Congratulations!

:thumbsup:

[Skyline_Addict]

thanks guys. i am looking into getting some suspension parts :).

power is very adequate for the type of car - it has surprisingly good low end power and is responsive in higher ranges. the suspension definitely holds it's own and the car is very fun and nimble around corners. other than the lack of power, there is not much loss in fun factor when I compare it to my Prelude. a good suspension would make it even better.