Ford Fiesta vs. Honda Fit

[msommers]

Helping the gf find a used (or potentially new) vehicle. Needs are kinda open but it must be a hatch, good on gas and most importantly reliable. Budget I think honestly 15k is realistic but she seems ok moving up to 20k at most for something new if it was worthwhile to keep long-term and last.

We went out to test both of these vehicles but unfortunately not in very good comparisons. The Honda Fit was a used manual. She drives manual normally and she said it feel sloppy and already worn out - is a 2013. Otherwise I'm pretty surprised by this car, feels huge inside but bumps don't get soaked up as nicely as the Fiesta.

The Fiesta was brand new and an auto (again not a great comparison). She really liked the ride and actually came away saying that she is surprised she liked it so much. I asked why and she had the notion that Fords weren't reliable. But I was under the impression that recently Fords had really picked up their reliability in the last 5years.

Well my buddy has an F150 that is constantly in the shop for a parasitic draw, one they cannot find and according to him quite common. Then I googled about the Fiesta's transmission and lots of issues seemed to pop up. Negatives about the Fit I can't really find much of so far.

Does anyone have any long/short-term experience with either of these? What do you like/not like about them?

[xnvy]

The only issue widely reported on the Fiesta forum is the transmission. I haven't heard about any electrical issues with them. A TSB was given for incorrectly wired aux jacks on cars with 2014 build dates, like mine.

I love my Fiesta. It's well equipped for a base model car, heated seats and interior accent lighting and such. Also has all the standard voice controls that come with Ford Sync. Huge windshield makes visibility amazing. The A-pillars don't get in my way like they usually do. The car handles great too. Gets great mileage, I average 6.6 L/100km with the 3 cylinder Ecoboost. The Ecoboost only comes in manual though so I guess you'd be stuck with the 4-cylinder. It's and the Mazda 2 are the class leaders IMO. I haven't had the Fiesta long, only since Halloween last year, but haven't had any issues with it. Also has 6 cupholders but only seats 5 at most .

TL;DR Automatic transmission is the only problem with the Fiesta.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[ddduke]

I had a Fiesta as a rental while on vaca last week, the build quality was pure shit and I felt like I was in a kids toy, the tranny was slipping like a motherfucker, you felt every bump in the road and it was so cramped in the front seat that I was touching elbows with my girl. I would never even consider buying one of those pieces of shit. My girl doesn't know anything about cars and even mentioned how cheap it seemed.

My brother owns a fit and I find it superior in every way, especially when it comes to comfort and room.

[InRich]

You cant compare a HONDA vs FORD... The Hondas dont have the styling anymore, but quality wise, their amazing. I still remember my 02 Accord. Not a single problem from new - 193km. I miss that car ;(

[AE92_TreunoSC]

The Fiestas have a lot more design appeal, and they feel more high tech inside.

The quality will show up over time, the simple Honda will outlast almost anything, and it will retain its value much better. Sure the Ford has more buttons and creature comforts but thats more to go wrong, and they do go wrong.

The new 5 door Toyota Yaris is pretty good looking and is at par with Honda Fit for reliability and quality.

[A2VR6]

If you are looking at usability and space the Fit wins hands down. The Fit has loads more room than the Fiesta and the magic seats are a huge plus that the Fit has vs. the Fiesta.

I find the GD (07-08) and GE (09 - 14) Fit quite fun to drive but it's nowhere near as fun as the Fiesta ST (I havent driven a lower trim Fiesta however). If utility is the primary driver and you arent looking at a ST i'd say get the Fit. I had a chance to look at the new GK (15+) Fit and the interior is worlds better than the previous gens and it still drives quite well while keeping the same versatility.

[CanmoreOrLess]

I've plenty of seat time in Fits 2008-2014, they are trouble free and other than scheduled service they run like a Honda should. The negatives are:

-loud at highway speeds (110 KMs/hr). Like 72 dB plus, that is loud. I've tested this in a 2008 and 2014 on the same road, same day.
-difficult to carry on a front seat conversation at highway speeds. Forget those in the back, you'll not hear them.
-passing power is not good at all. God help you if it is on a hill of any sort.
-I have 108 HP at sea level, we are far from the sea Billy and you need more HP at our elevation.
-no heated seats.
-stereo is not Bluetooth friendly.

+trouble free.
+rear seats fold in so many directions, fit tons of stuff in there.
+front seats are good for six hours of comfort.
+economical overall
+winter tires are needed and makes the car trouble free.

Personally I'd look at a Subaru Impreza for the AWD and heated seats. I'd trade fuel economy for traction and the extra HP. Or perhaps a VW Golf (Consumer Reports recommends), Hyundai, etc. The Honda is great, but the highway road noise, lack of HP, no heated seats, no sunroof, etc are fairly large negatives to overcome. Also, the Subaru is a much safer car, the Fits really are iffy in the front overlap accidents, I think that is what it is called.

[Redlyne_mr2]

VW Golf tsi trendline

[Thales of Miletus]

The Honda Fit is a very good car. And lots of cup holders.

For $1,800 you can get bumper to bumper coverage for 8 years from when the car was first sold.

They are not great on hill. But fortunately we are flatlanders.

[A2VR6]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
I've plenty of seat time in Fits, they are trouble free and other than scheduled service they run like a Honda should. The negatives are:

-loud at highway speeds (110 KMs/hr). Like 72 dB plus, that is loud. I've tested this in a 2008 and 2014 on the same road, same day.
-difficult to carry on a front seat conversation at highway speeds. Forget those in the back, you'll not hear them.
-passing power is not good at all. God help you if it is on a hill of any sort.
-I have 108 HP at sea level, we are far from the sea Billy and you need more HP at our elevation.
-no heated seats.
-stereo is not Bluetooth friendly.

+trouble free.
+rear seats fold in so many directions, fit tons of stuff in there.
+front seats are good for six hours of comfort.
+economical overall
+winter tires are needed and makes the car trouble free.

Personally I'd look at a Subaru Impreza for the AWD and heated seats. I'd trade fuel economy for traction and the extra HP. Or perhaps a VW Golf (Consumer Reports recommends), Hyundai, etc. The Honda is great, but the highway road noise, lack of HP, no heated seats, no sunroof, etc are fairly large negatives to overcome. Also, the Subaru is a much safer car, the Fits really are iffy in the front overlap accidents, I think that is what it is called.

The 2015+ redesign adds a few of the items you mention above that the older cars didnt have.

[Black Gts]

Having driven neither I'm chubby for a fiesta although probably the St lol. You're welcome.

[Sorath]

fit is my choice

[MGCM]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
Personally I'd look at a Subaru Impreza for the AWD and heated seats. I'd trade fuel economy for traction and the extra HP. Or perhaps a VW Golf (Consumer Reports recommends), Hyundai, etc. The Honda is great, but the highway road noise, lack of HP, no heated seats, no sunroof, etc are fairly large negatives to overcome. Also, the Subaru is a much safer car, the Fits really are iffy in the front overlap accidents, I think that is what it is called.

I agree, the new Impreza for a basic everyday car is gold. I drove a base auto with basic non studded winter tires on Ghost Lake and it was exceedingly well planted. You want safety all year round, Subaru Impreza..........end thread?

[Rat Fink]

.

[msommers]

Thanks a lot for everyone's comments. This definitely confirms what I was finding yesterday googling about the auto transmission. Rat Fink, what is your experience with manual transmissions on these cars? She has a manual now and on her previous car, and I can tell she really wants to keep her manual tranny. But if these are equally as shit or have their own set of problems then we'll just avoid the Ford brand all together for this price-point. Moreover, I've passed on your comments to friend about the F150 draw, thanks man!

The car's main purpose will be driving around town but there will be a lot of highway driving over the next couple years between Edmonton and Calgary and I'm thinking that taking her car instead of my 4Runner would save a lot in gas over the long run. But if road noise is really that bad that is rather disheartening to hear. A2VR6, is this something that was added to redesign? When I spoke to the salesman at Calgary Honda about any changes or revisions, he was basically just saying heated seats and the user interfaces but the latter seemed to only apply to the top-end model.

The lack of power isn't a huge concern given the driving environments, no mountain passes for this thing.

All that said I initially was pushing her into an entry level Subaru but we were finding that for something newer and lower km's, it was already busting the budget. I'll try to dig a little more to see what we find.

If we go used I'd like to keep it 2011+ to retain some warranty. For new, I think her options are really limited and the Fiesta option is sounding a bit iffy right now for something that needs to be a reliable DD. Whatever vehicle she does get, she's agreed to keep some money aside for winter tires ( )

Again thanks for your guys' insights.
-Matt

[Darkane]

I'd go new fit. Brand new drivetrain for 2015 solves a lot of the power issue.

130hp and new 6sp manual. Should be decent.

[msommers]

Wow that's quite the boost! Hmm we'll see, a user just PM'd me about his 2014 and definitely seems worthwhile looking into.

I think we should test drive a 2015 as well if there are more than just creature comfort updates that I was led to believe from the Honda salesman. Anyone recommend somewhere other than Calgary Honda??!

[speedog]

So if you're looking at the sub-compact size class of car, what about the Mazda 2, Chevrolet Sonic, Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent to name a few competitors in the Fit/Fiesta size class? All seem to have their pluses and minuses - certainly the newest Fit seems to be the class leader in many aspects but others might warrant a look.

[msommers]

And you're absolutely right. I was under the impression these were the two class leaders for this segment but it seems my info is dated and I haven't kept up. The Accent might definitely be worth looking at, along with the Yaris.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...ic_accent.html