Nissan Versa Note?

[Mitsu3000gt]

My GF needs a new car, and seems to like the 2015 Versa Note SV a lot. Nissan has 6 years of 0% financing at the moment, which is part of the appeal. Just looking to get some opinions on the Versa Note in case I'm missing anything. Seemed like a pretty good little car to me for the money. I think they have long worked out their CVT issues (someone please correct me if I am wrong there.)

Yesterday I called up Fish Creek Nissan and Brasso Nissan. The FCN salesperson sounded like the typical greasy salesperson, and the Brasso salesperson did not, so off we went to Brasso.

We drove the Note, and it seemed like pretty good bang for the buck. Seems to be put together pretty well for a $17K car, has tons of space, and is well optioned (bluetooth, back up camera, A/C, USB, keyless entry, etc.) No rattles or creaks on the test drive. Only thing I didn't like was you needed to go to the very top model to get alloy rims and heated seats, but that isn't a big deal for her.

She absolutely hates car shopping, so I need to try and be as thorough as possible without dragging her around to a million different cars. As long as it's practical, cute, reliable, and gets her from A to B she's happy. She does not care about power, handling, or anything like that in the slightest. She's a low KM driver, probably 10K a year tops.

We're going to look at a Fit and a Yaris for due dilligence, but are there any red flags with the Versa Note? I suspect that is what she will choose at the end of the day, especially with that financing. I was in a Fit at the car show and build quality seemed to be at an all time low, but it probably drives the best and they beefed up the motor. Honda won't be offering 0% for 6 years though, and it's more expensive (DX trim doesn't have A/C either). I haven't seen a Yaris recently, so I have no opinion there yet, but I think they are a bit smaller.

Thoughts? Anyone have anything good or bad to say about the Versa Note?

Thanks!

[jwslam]

Focus ST seems to be all the hype on beyond lately. Is the focus comparable? (I haven't done the research).
What about Mazda 2 or 3? (I really like the 3 on paper, haven't actually gone to see one)

I remember reading the versa note being abysmal on reviews. Let me find some.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by jwslam
Focus ST seems to be all the hype on beyond lately. Is the focus comparable? (I haven't done the research).
What about Mazda 2 or 3? (I really like the 3 on paper, haven't actually gone to see one)

I remember reading the versa note being abysmal on reviews. Let me find some.

Not looking at any American cars this time around, and the auto/DCT on the Focus seems to be an absolute nightmare. We had a Focus rental in Hawaii as well and it was god awful, so I think we are going to steer clear of those.

~$17K is already pushing it for the price range as it is (Original plan was to buy a used $8-10K car, but the 0% fianancing for 6 years got us looking at new). The base Mazda 3 is pushing the budget too much I think. I also don't think it has the cargo space that the Versa/Fit type cars do. We're looking more at Versa/Fit/Yaris/Accent type cars instead of Mazda3/Civic, etc. Trying to keep it around $15-17K max, with monthly payments in the low-mid $200's.

The Mazda 2 with comparable options to the Versa also seems to be a little too spendy, and I don't think it's as big.

The Hyundai Accent actually looks not bad, I had one as a rental for a week and it was surpisingly decent. Same price as the Versa, but 30 more HP and 4 wheel disc brakes, excellent 6-speed auto, as well as 0%/84 month financing. I don't think it has the same amount of Cargo space though, and I worry a little bit about resale. I don't have a problem with Hyundai, but so many people still think they are garbage that I wonder if it would be hard to sell later on.

Thanks!

[eglove]

The focus is in a totally different class lol.

Fit / Note / Yaris / Mazda 2 etc

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by eglove
The focus is in a totally different class lol.

Fit / Note / Yaris / Mazda 2 etc

Yup, that is the segment we are looking at, rather than Civic/Mazda3/Elantra/Focus/Corolla/etc.

$15-17K, basic options, 5 doors, good cargo space, financing deals, etc.

Hyundai and Nissan seem to be the only two offering the crazy financing deals.

[realazy]

My gf bought one last year, top of the line model in 2014 was the SL with tech package, I think they shuffled some options in 2015 and came out with the SR.

At the time, it was the cheapest car with all the options she wanted, 360 degree camera (quite useful for parking), navi, and heated seats. The car is roomy, way roomier than my 3 series, tons of leg room in the backseat even with the front seat all the way back.

I think hers was just under 22k all in, with 60 months 0% financing. The cash discount of $1500 wasn't worth it IMO.

We drove it to Vancouver last year against my recommendation to rent a car, but it actually wasn't that bad. It's a bit underpowered for the big hills even with just the 2 of us, had to almost floor it to keep pace at 110km/h, the cvt stayed at about 5k rpm.

For the city and the little amount of driving that my gf does (probably similar to yours at ~10k kms/year), it's fine, and it's pretty good on gas too.

I think it looks fine, it looks similar to the first gen fit and it's non offensive. The SR trim does make it look a bit better with the sporty bumpers and spoiler though.

It's also built in Mexico, not that I have any problems with that, I don't think it's any worse than being built in the US/Canada.

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ Thanks for chiming in! Yeah I think it would be a bit underpowered in the mountains for sure, but she would be doing that pretty much never though, so likely not a big deal.

All these cars actually get quite a bit more expensive when you factor in freight & PDI ($1500+) and GST. Your $17K car becomes $20K in a hurry, but over 6 years not so bad I guess. Nissan even charges $135 for any color except black lol. They REALLY strip every possible cost off when advertising prices.

I agree the SR looks way better (small spoiler and alloy wheels make a huge difference) but my GF couldn't possibly care less about that, and wouldnt' want to pay for it, so it would for sure be SV trim if she went with the Versa.

[ZeroGravity]

I picked up a fit LX cvt for about a month now. Not much complaints. Interior wise, it is much better than what it replaced (2004 Echo RS). Not much room for discounts and like you've said, no 0% financing. Coming from a conventional auto, the cvt needs some getting used to. These are built in Mexico. Some reports say that both the front and rear bumpers sag. I don't see it in mine yet, hopefully it won't happen. Paint is chipped easily.

The only other car I test drove before buying the fit is the 2015 Prius C. The price is a bit higher than the fit, but their rates are lower. With my intended purpose of the vehicle, estimated that I couldn't recover the cost difference via gas savings even after 5 years. But insurance is cheaper on the Prius.

With cvt, the fit LX will be above your budget price when all things are said and done.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Yeah the Fit I think is going to be a little too spendy, but the LX is actually is only $900 more than the Versa for similar equipment. You lose the great financing though.

The Freight & PDI is the killer on all these cars. Basically makes everything cost $20K haha.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
Nissan just brought out the Micra as well for Canada only. I have a friend that bought one that thinks it is awesome. Same engine as the note, only a lot lighter.

We did look at the Micra, and the price is certainly attractive, but the only automatic option is a 4spd, which is just brutal in 2015 (I'm sure the manual is the way to go with these, but isn't an option for us unfortunately). It also didn't seem to be put together as well as the Versa. The Versa just seemed like a lot more car for not a whole lot more money. The Micra with the same equipment as the Versa was only 2-3 grand cheaper, and seemed like a lot less car. Maybe we will have a second look at it though, just to be sure of our initial impressions.

[heavyD]

Versa's are primarily driven by the same type of women that purchased Hyundai Pony's decades ago. Anyone that can decipher a decent car from junk will stay clear of these cars. My brother's girlfriend has one and while it gets her to and from work it's not what I would call a quality car at all even considering the price point.

[Redlyne_mr2]

A basic Jetta 2.0 is essentially the same price as those little hatchs.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
A basic Jetta 2.0 is essentially the same price as those little hatchs.

I do like the Jetta, and I think it's one of the better entry level cars, but she really wants a hatchback for the space. The Golf sport wagon is unfortunately much too expensive, but I like that one a lot as well.

Sounds like the plan is to drive a Yaris, Fit, and Accent this weekend if we have time. Then she will have driven most of the options, and have all the pricing scenarios to look at to make her decision. I have a feeling it will be one of the 0% financing options, but who knows.

Thanks for the input!

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


Actually now that you mention it, I think my friend got the manual

4spd is pretty poor, although the base price is under 10K... so they had to trim cost somewhere.

If I was doing an affordable Hatch, I'd probably go Fit. The seats that fold down into the floor are freaking amazing and something I miss a lot. My Fiesta seats for instance just look stupid and out of place when I fold them down.

Honda is supposed to be bringing out the turbo ''Earth Dreams'' motors this summer here, I've heard rumors the Fit will get a boosted 1.0L which would be pretty awesome. Not entirely certain what the timeline for that will be though.

Yeah you don't get the CVT on the Micra unfortunately, and I would strongly oppose buying a 4spd transmission in 2015 haha. I imagine most of them are sold as manuals.

They are technically $9995, but then you have to get the automatic for A/C which is a $3,300 bump, and then freight, tire tax, & PDI is $1693, and if you don't want black it's $135 for paint haha. It really starts to add up even on the $10K base price if you want any of the "must haves" like A/C. It's amazing what they do to get those advertised "starting" prices.

I think we will take a closer look at the Fit as well. I don't think she will care that it might drive a bit nicer than the Versa, but she might prefer the interior layout - we will see. It has 30 HP on the Versa as well, but no purchase incentives, and I know price is a primary consideration.

Thanks!

[ShermanEF9]

the fit is a great car. my girlfriend bought a 2015 a few months back and its been phenominal. the new one has a much nicer interior than previous, and come with some neat features. she ended up with a full load, which would be out of your price range, but definitely a car to consider.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Yeah I know the Fit is the closest thing to a "no brainer" decision, but we're starting to lose sight of the original plan, which is to get her into something newer, safer, more reliable, and cheaply. The original plan was $8-10K used, and now we're looking at $15-17K new (0% 6 year financing is the only reason we were looking there), and the Fit is pushing it closer to $20K with no financing deals haha.

She has a 1998 Altima right now (in surprisingly good condition), but it's time for a new car. Pretty much anything is going to be an upgrade. Her Altima has had almost zero problems in 17 years, so she really likes Nissan.

Definitely going to spend some time with the Fit. At the end of the day it's her money, so maybe she will love it, who knows. The Fit probably has the best resale as well.

Also on May 1, all the dealers find out their new financing rates, so the 0% might go away and throw another wrench in the mix haha.

[muse017]

Last year I test drove fit, Versa Note, Yaris etc, and I went with used VW GOLF TDI. I'm currently thinking of trade it in but not because of the car itself. It's much better car than other econobox cars.
I'd consider 15 Golf 2.0 trendline or Jetta trenline if you'd like to stay within your budget.

[Aleks]

Originally posted by muse017
Last year I test drove fit, Versa Note, Yaris etc, and I went with used VW GOLF TDI. I'm currently thinking of trade it in but not because of the car itself. It's much better car than other econobox cars.
I'd consider 15 Golf 2.0 trendline or Jetta trenline if you'd like to stay within your budget.

Only Jettas have the base 2.0 gas engine. Golf entry level engine is the 1.8 turbo.

[Xtrema]

Scope creep.

My advice is, it's spring and all kind of deals are happening. Last time I did an A to B car shopping, I went thru all the same and ended up with a Corolla because it's a 5 year 0% lease at less than $190 a month all in.

The extra 0.3L over the Fit/Yaris make it a way better driver and dealer had tons on the lot so they are more willing the deal.

So give the Civic/Corolla/Sentra class a chance. You may end up paying less or same for more. Like right now, Sentra is a bit cheaper than Versa Note due to higher discounts.

[riander5]

For what its worth car and driver thinks its a POS. I do like how those little Micras look

http://www.caranddriver.com/nissan/versa-note

Lists all relevant competitors. I think the Fit, Yaris, and Chevy Spark/Sonic are all nice looking compared to the versa

[blownz]

Most magazines think it is a POS and they are right. My brother leased on for driving to and from Fort McMurray as he didn't want to put so many miles on his other car. 24 month lease for $180 a month with zero down. Dirt cheap which is all he cared about. The car is pure crap though. So many creaks and rattles after only 12K. Engine is gutless, noisy, and vibrates like hell. Car feels like a poorly put together tin can. There are so many better alternatives out there.

Mazda 2 or Ford Fiesta may cost a bit more, but they feel like they are worth way more. Don't let her do it!

[Mitsu3000gt]

Yeah hopefully after I get her in a few more cars to try, she will start to see and appreciate some differences mentioned here. She hates car shopping, and just want's it to be over with, which is really bad for making the best decision haha.

The thing is she could not possibly care less about performance, power, handling, etc. so where the magazine reviews give these cars poor marks will make no difference to her. Price, utility, fuel economy, and reliability are pretty much the only things she cares about. Price being the #1 thing (hence the attraction to the 0% deals). She's also coming from a 1998 Altima, so anything she drives is so much better than her current car, that she thinks everything is pretty good compared to what she's used to.

The Note we drove had no creaks or rattles, and seemed to be put together well enough for a $15K car, but obviously I have no idea how it will hold up 10k, 20k, 30k+ KM down the road.

I like the idea of a Civic/Corolla, etc. but she would prefer 5-door hatchback. The hatch just offers so much more utility, which she will actually use. If the price was right, I suspect she would still take a sedan though.

I have a feeling the deals aren't going anywhere, or may only get better, so maybe we should wait another month or two. The closer we get to 2016's landing in September, the better the deals are likely to be. It will also give me more time to drag her around to more delaers haha.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
I have a feeling the deals aren't going anywhere, or may only get better, so maybe we should wait another month or two. The closer we get to 2016's landing in September, the better the deals are likely to be. It will also give me more time to drag her around to more delaers haha.

You still have a least a month or two if your Altima holds out.

The only thing is the deals are for cars already on the lot and selection may reduce over the few weeks. And historically, dealers don't like the stock sub-compacts because of low margin and popularity. So your ability to get a good deal on them is pretty low.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Xtrema


You still have a least a month or two if your Altima holds out.

The only thing is the deals are for cars already on the lot and selection may reduce over the few weeks. And historically, dealers don't like the stock sub-compacts because of low margin and popularity. So your ability to get a good deal on them is pretty low.

Yeah her car is in surprisingly good condition, and just got a new battery & alternator. It only has 160K on it or something like that, and is well maintained. It's just getting old, and she wants something safer, no chance of breaking down, not 18 years old, etc. It will easily last until whenever she picks a new car.

Good point about selection. And yeah when I asked the salesperson about a deal, he basically said margin is so low that they could do a few hundred bucks here and there but nothing major. Seemed reasonable on a $17K car, but I don't have a sense for what people get for discounts on econoboxes. I wouldn't expect $2-3K off or anything.

[Aleks]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


Yeah her car is in surprisingly good condition, and just got a new battery & alternator. It only has 160K on it or something like that, and is well maintained. It's just getting old, and she wants something safer, no chance of breaking down, not 18 years old, etc. It will easily last until whenever she picks a new car.

Good point about selection. And yeah when I asked the salesperson about a deal, he basically said margin is so low that they could do a few hundred bucks here and there but nothing major. Seemed reasonable on a $17K car, but I don't have a sense for what people get for discounts on econoboxes. I wouldn't expect $2-3K off or anything.

Few hundred off here and there directly from dealer sounds right. Very tight margins. Where savings are more substantial is when you have clearance deals and Manufacturers have rebates and low rates to clear the units. When I picked up a Honda Fit a while back during boxing week, I got $700 from dealer, $1000 from Honda and 1% off lease rate.

[tehwegz]

Nissans are trash (except Z/GT-R). Their whole line up is supposed to see some radical changes by 2017 I heard. Titan with a Cummins, Frontier sharing platform with Mercedes' new mid size pick up, etc.

Stay away from Focus/Fiesta unless manual transmission...I heard bad things about their current automatics.

Solid choice right now would be Mazda 3, Honda FIT, Subaru Impreza, or look into CUVs.

[BigMass]

I've had my Yaris since 2007 and feel like it could withstand a warzone. If you're after reliability I can't complain so far (knock on wood). The only thing I've ever done to it was change the oil. It's never even seen the inside of the dealership since the day of purchase.

[relyt92]

My girlfriend has an 08' Yaris, thing is stupid reliable and good on gas. It's not an exciting car to drive but it feels quite quick off the line, is super easy to drive and park and just seems to keep going and going.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by tehwegz
Nissans are trash (except Z/GT-R). Their whole line up is supposed to see some radical changes by 2017 I heard.

New Max is a few month away. New Murano (which I was quite impressed with) has been on the road for almost 6 months now. Rogue is so hot, US customers are getting South Korean built copies of the car. Pathfinders continues to be the best value for 7 seaters SUV.

Nissan only missed the mark (sales #) with Sentra and Versa. The only cars that are too long in the tooth are Altima, Titan, 370Z and GT-R.

I don't think Nissans are trash. The only thing they lacking is the tech in the engine bay.

[BigMass]

Originally posted by relyt92
My girlfriend has an 08' Yaris, thing is stupid reliable and good on gas. It's not an exciting car to drive but it feels quite quick off the line, is super easy to drive and park and just seems to keep going and going.

I agree, mine is great on gas and with the manual off the line I have zero issues even when trying to get ahead of someone to change lanes etc. I've even had friends asked if I did anything to it in terms of mods to get more power. I think it's just geared right compared to an automatic that makes it responsive enough for city driving.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Xtrema

I don't think Nissans are trash. The only thing they lacking is the tech in the engine bay.

Maybe not total trash but IMO by far the most unremarkable brand out there. Nissan could vanish off the face of the earth and nobody would miss them as they seemingly exist only to fill the void of mediocre. Outside of the GTR they do absolutely nothing great or even good. Just middle of the road and worse.

[01RedDX]

.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by 01RedDX
There is no such thing as a "void of mediocre" as there are plenty of cars from many manufacturers to fill that category. Many major brands can be described as most unremarkable, like Chevy, Kia and others come to mind.
You are making a purely emotional statement based on a rather misinformed, biased opinion and not facts. Sadly some people never outgrow that stage and are blissfully unaware of how silly they sound.

Not true at all as you just sound like a Nissan fan defending the brand. Now I'm not going to call you silly for it as you have a right to your opinion.

Chevy makes a lot of unremarkable vehicles but they make a good pickup truck and some solid cars in the Camaro, Corvette, and CTS-V. Kia has their niche as cheap entry level vehicle supplier. Nissan is in the middle with nothing great (outside of the GTR which is an extremely low volume seller), some of the worst entry level vehicles in the business and the worst full size pickup truck you can buy. Not biased at all simply looking at it from the consumer perspective of what void they would leave if they disappeared and that would be nothing at all as there are plenty of better offerings in every segment they have a vehicle offering.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks guys - going to try get her to drive a Fit and Yaris this weekend. The biggest struggle will definitely be price, since that is her #1 priority and simply doesn't care about a lot of the things that make most cars in this segment mediocre haha.

I had a quick look at Notes on Auto Trader and Okotoks Nissan has a some 2014's left, but they are priced more than 2015's haha, wtf?

http://wwwb.autotrader.ca/a/Nissan/Versa+Note/Okotoks/Alberta/5_18792206_20130311113420250/?showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=3_15_7

[01RedDX]

.

[clem24]

I realize the 0% thing is a big draw but I am seeing 2012 Civics in the 11'ish region on Kijiji and can't see why that wouldn't be a better choice than a new Versa?

Although ME personally, I'd just hang on to the Altima - by the sounds of it, it won't be taken out of town, it hasn't broken down, she loves it, and by just keeping up with regular maintenance I don't see how it won't last quite a while longer. The "safer" reason is just an excuse to get into a new car. And how do you know your new car won't spend a lot of time in the shop?

Car payments are car payments, even at 0% because at 6 years, she's going to get really tired of paying them where she probably has the Altima paid off by now.

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ That is a fair point. I will remind her what can be had for less money if she is willing to pay a larger sum up front. She's got about $4K saved up that she was going to use as a down payment.

The Altima isn't terrible, but it will be needing things soon for sure, like brakes, etc. It's starting to have problems, and all have been fixed so far, but she would rather not go down that road at all. It's a 1998, so it's long paid off as she got it used as well. I don't think it has ABS, no side air bags, etc.

Doesn't look like Nissan changed their finance rates for May, which isn't surprising. I'm hoping she will let me draw this out a bit so she has a chance to look at all possible options.

A new car might be in the shop a lot if it's a lemon, but I would bet the farm something like a 2015 Versa, Civic, Fit, etc. would be spending no time at all in the shop unless she was extremely unlucky, especially when it's driven around 8K/year.

Going to drive a Yaris and Fit tomorrow. While we're at Honda/Toyota, I'll get her to look at some used Corollas and Civics too.

[Darkane]

Nissan also added bonus cash for some models and loyalty cash this month. You may qualify for both!

I'd go see the folks at fish creek Nissan. If you're serious pm me your name and when you'll go I'll email you in with a manager and they'll take care of you.

I have no ties with fish creek, just excellent experience personally there.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Darkane
Nissan also added bonus cash for some models and loyalty cash this month. You may qualify for both!

I'd go see the folks at fish creek Nissan. If you're serious pm me your name and when you'll go I'll email you in with a manager and they'll take care of you.

I have no ties with fish creek, just excellent experience personally there.

Cool, I will check out those incentives, thanks - I did not notice that.

I appreciate your referral, and maybe things are different now, however I would prefer not to deal with Fish Creek Nissan for two reasons:

1) When I called them, the sales person I got sounded like the stereotypical greasy used car salesperson. Had no interest in answering any of my questions, and instead just alluded to me already owning the car after 10 seconds "don't worry we'll get you a deal, come on down, etc."

2) My parents bought their Murano there, and kept my dad and I in "negotiations" (the ridiculous dance where the sales person ferries lies back and forth from the sales manager) for 2 hours. We did a trade in as well, which we drove there, and they wouldn't give us our keys back to leave, since we were getting so tired of their BS. They wanted to keep seeing if we could reach a deal. Once we were visibly very angry, and searching for the keys to our car ourselves, they agreed to the price that my dad had clearly been repeating for the 2 hours prior was his absolute maximum, and we completed the deal. Had it not been the very last day of a 72 month 0% promotion with not enough time to drive to Brasso before they closed, we would have not done the deal at any price. Worst car purchase experience of my life.

[Darkane]

^^ sorry to hear that. i thought I was something further up about the dealer.

Anyway good luck with the search. Can't go wrong with a fit either. So much room - it's like a car with an undetectable extension charm.

Que Harry Potter theme lol.

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^ Thanks! I do appreciate the help.

I kind of hope she likes the Fit the most, but the price will likely be on the high end.

[muse017]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
^^ Thanks! I do appreciate the help.

I kind of hope she likes the Fit the most, but the price will likely be on the high end.

If you want to take a look at Honda Fit, I'd strongly suggest to visit Airdrie Honda, by far the best service experience I've had.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by muse017


If you want to take a look at Honda Fit, I'd strongly suggest to visit Airdrie Honda, by far the best service experience I've had.

We will probably just go wherever is close for the test drive, but if she really likes them, I would go wherever gives me the best deal and the least hassle. Honda West lost my business, and I haven't been to any of the other Honda dealers recently enough to comment. Probably wouldn't drive to Airdrie for a test drive, but I have heard lots of good things about that dealer. Would certainly give them a chance if the Fit ends up being "the one".

[bourge73]

Originally posted by muse017


If you want to take a look at Honda Fit, I'd strongly suggest to visit Airdrie Honda, by far the best service experience I've had.


Please listen to this guy. On Soraths recommendation
we bought a new 2013 CRV via Wayne Loung and the salesman
Rick. Best car experience we have had. So painless, I highly
Recommend.

[Mitsu3000gt]

If it comes down to actually buying a Fit, I will give Airdrie a chance at our business. Would she have to take it all the way there for service? She lives in the South.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
If it comes down to actually buying a Fit, I will give Airdrie a chance at our business. Would she have to take it all the way there for service? She lives in the South.

T&T and Airdrie Honda are the same owners so you can take it to either dealership for the free oil changes.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Drove the Fit today (was there a long time so didn't try a Yaris yet). It was her favorite, as well as mine, so I think it will probably be the one. It looks better than a Versa too. A couple big things I had forgot about were just how versatile the seats are (more-so than anything else) and the one she would get (LX) comes with heated seats, which were an add-on for the Versa Note. Only thing is finance rates blow at 3.99% for 6 years ($1859 cost of borrowing).

We came from her parents house, which unfortunately is right beside Honda West (I know I said I don't like that place but we were low on time), so we went there and the experience was quite bad as expected. Next trip will be to Airdrie Honda. The salesperson was very unprofessional and even made fun of her current car (not in a funny way), I was surprised. They also want to charge the following: $498 money grab fee (window etching, 7-day price guarantee, blah blah blah), $238 block heater, and $108 for locking lug nuts. They said they already paid for all of that, so now we have to (which I don't believe for a second). Basically what they have done is removed the "admin" fee, and replaced it by charging you for things that were previously included, so basically they took their BS and put it in a different package. They also claim to have no haggle pricing and all that, which I don't buy into. Then they try and tell you they are only making 3% on the car with their transparent pricing, but after you give them $850 for the "extra fees", it seems like they make way more than that.

One thing I did not like about the Fit was they use that fuzzy cheap shit on the interior roof, where even the Versa Note used that textured material that you usually see in higher end cars. Not a huge deal, as it was fine everywhere else. Seemed like a solid little car, and the extra 30 HP was noticeable.

Has anyone bought a Honda recently? How much of those BS money grab fees were you able to get out of? I have never paid for for that stuff my life, and don't intend to start now if at all possible. Can anyone point me to a salesperson at Airdrie Honda I can talk to that won't try and rape me with fees?

[bourge73]

Did above Rick Brear I believe is his name
Very nice easy to deal with guy.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by bourge73
Did above Rick Brear I believe is his name
Very nice easy to deal with guy.

What fees did you have to pay and/or what did you get thrown in if you don't mind my asking?

[tehwegz]

My gf is also choosing something in this size car (compact/sub compact).

She decided quickly that it's Fit, no contest. So we went today to have a look and was blown away with how much space is inside them. Mid trim/automatic is just over 20k. Resale value best in class, interior space best in class, one of the best driving (unless you get a Fiesta - but they have garbage automatic transmissions and lose half their value in 2 years) and the fuel mileage beats CRZ/Civic hybrid which is sad.

I found you can get near fully loaded w/ manual transmission for 21-22k.

If they bring out a Fit Si with a 1.5L turbo I'll be pretty jealous. I consider myself a Honda fan boy but long since lost faith in Honda (performance wise). A month ago grabbed a new Focus ST for 30k OTD when originally I was going for a Fiesta ST which I could have had for about just under 25k OTD but decided for another 5k I'm getting a heck of a lot more car in terms of space, features, looks IMO, power, and it's built in the U.S. which doesn't mean anything apparently as I have to take my car in for warranty work on loose tail light/paint issues where tail light rubbed. So yeah, who cares where its built. US to me is now lazy fat cheeseburger eating weak union workers.

[clem24]

Originally posted by tehwegz
I was going for a Fiesta ST which I could have had for about just under 25k OTD

Fiesta ST 25 OTD? Yeah right.. Isn't the MSRP on these like $30 + taxes?

[relyt92]

Originally posted by clem24


Fiesta ST 25 OTD? Yeah right.. Isn't the MSRP on these like $30 + taxes? Starts at $24,949.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by clem24


Fiesta ST 25 OTD? Yeah right.. Isn't the MSRP on these like $30 + taxes?

Since when did people start paying remotely close to MSRP on Fords?

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Aleks]

Originally posted by relyt92
Starts at $24,949.

Starts at $22,000 if you can wait for summer employee pricing.

[xnvy]

Originally posted by heavyD


Since when did people start paying remotely close to MSRP on Fords? Nobody does. Unless you're Mar, then you probably would.

[msommers]

I just went through this same segment for my gf, who at the end of the day just kept her car (my advice), but I think the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent are my picks with the Toyota Yaria close behind.

If you do go Nissan, I really like Brasso.

[clem24]

Originally posted by heavyD
Since when did people start paying remotely close to MSRP on Fords?

Of course no one does and I didn't say that. I was asking how one gets a car OTD for $26k when the MSRP before taxes was $30k.

Anyway looks like I am mistaken on the MSRP.

[Aleks]

Originally posted by clem24


Of course no one does and I didn't say that. I was asking how one gets a car OTD for $26k when the MSRP before taxes was $30k.

Anyway looks like I am mistaken on the MSRP.

Focus ST is the once that starts around $30K. Before the Focus redesign, they did look pretty similar at a quick glance.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Thanks for the continued feedback guys - sorry I was on Vacation last week and didn't see any of this. Pretty much set on a Fit, just trying to find the best deal at the moment. Quite disappointed with several dealerships so far not even bothering to return my emails, so on to the next ones.

Compared to the Versa you get 30% more HP, much more flexible seating, better resale, and heated seats for within $500 or so of the Versa so it's a pretty clear choice so long as the two remain reasonably closely priced. The salesperson at Brasso was awesome, I wish he sold Honda's so we could give him some business.

Had a great salesperson at Henninger Toyota as well, but the Yaris was just not comparable. 4-speed auto is pretty much a deal-breaker in 2015, low HP, way less room, no heated seats, no backup camera, etc. and the same price as the others. It drove pretty well though and seemed like a solid little car for sure, but just fell short in too many areas.

[msommers]

Did you guys try the accent at all?

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by msommers
Did you guys try the accent at all?

I find all Kia/Hyundai compact cars have awful center steering feel.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by msommers
Did you guys try the accent at all?

We didn't test drive one alongside the Fit, Versa, and Yaris, however we had a new one for a rental in Phoenix for a week in late April, so we used that as our experience. Quite liked the car actually, surprisingly solid, excellent automatic transmission, no rattles/creaks (car was literally brand new though with 0 miles, didn't even have all it's shipping plastic removed when we rented it). Decent enough interior given the price. Doors shut nice and solid with no rattles. Low wind noise on the highway, adequate power. I have no idea about how it would hold up long-term though, but I assume pretty good.

My GF is pretty much sold on the Fit's seats though, since she can put her bike pretty much right in the rear passenger doors with the seat bottoms flipped up. The Accent we tried had less room, no fancy seats, no backup camera, no heated seats (I don't think), and presumably significantly less resale value. One thing that disappointed me with the Fit was they still use that really cheap fuzzy crap on the roof interior - everyone else seems to have moved onto that nicer textured material that the Germans use.

The one place Honda really sucks is with financing rates. She will be financing for 5-6 years with $5K down or so, and 3.99% is pretty bad when Hyundai and Nissan offer 0 or 0.9% for similar terms. My thinking is that the better resale will at least offset the extra $1100 or so she will pay for the financing at the end of the term.



Does anyone know if you need to pay GST on Freight, PDI, tire tax, AMVIC fee, and A/C Tax? Or is the GST just on the base cost of the car? Seems weird to pay GST on another tax but maybe that's how it is. I can't remember what I did before.

[heavyD]

The Fit is probably the best choice in this segment for a daily driver.