Anything wrong with the 08 Honda Fit?

[jeffreymccoy]

About to make the switch from F150 to an 08 fit. Any thoughts or insights. It has gotten good reviews based on what I have read. I have test driven it compared to a Yaris, Civic, and Accord.

The accord is nicer of course, but at 21/31, the fit and civic are much better on FE. I find that Im just spending more money on a bigger car with the accord basically (Id get the LX-P model), but not much else.

The civic and fit are comparable, but I found that the road noise was actually less with the fit than the civic. Tested them both 2wice to confirm, and the fit I drove was much quieter than the civic. Both handled and felt about he same otherwise.

I like the versatility of the fit over the civic too....some disagree, but I dont think its all that ugly of a car (with the sport package anyway).

[lovemysan]

My take on the fit is that it can be an under achiever mileage wise. Some have blamed its "short" gearing. I find it to be an attractive car. You are getting a manual trans, correct?

[cfg83]

jeffreymccoy -

You may want to wait for the 2009 model :

First Drive: 2009 Honda Fit
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=122688
Attachment 1013

The teeny Honda that dared to be big is back with a redefined package for 2008. What's this? A brand-new Honda Fit? Didn't it just arrive in America last year?

Well, yes, but Japan and Europe have known about the superb Honda Fit since 2001, when it first landed in their respective showrooms and quickly set sales records. It simply took a further five years to reach us here in the U.S. as Honda struggled with the "ifs" and "buts" of introducing such a small car in America. In the end, the combination of Scion's marketing success and skyrocketing gasoline prices finally forced American Honda to bring the Honda Fit to the U.S.

Now it's time for a major model change, and the new Honda Fit will be introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show. About a year from now, it will reach America as the 2009 Honda Fit.

Early look: 2009 Honda Fit
http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-fit.html

Honda has released images of the 2009 Fit ahead of the car's Tokyo Motor Show debut. Set to launch in Japan on October 26th, the new Fit will build on the last-generation's sporty nature and high efficiency. Honda will also add a new model to the Fit range for 2009 ? dubbed the Road Sailing trim level ? which adds a larger engine.

For 2009, Honda has stretched the Fit's wheelbase by 2 inches and moved the A-pillars forward, adding to the car's interior space. The added space allows for "Ultra Seats," which can be moved into four different configurations ? including Refresh mode which turns the Fit's interior into a bed.

Power for the Fit will come from either a 1.3L or an optional 1.5L. New for 2009, owners can now choose between front and all-wheel drive. Transmission choices for the new Fit will include a five-speed automatic, a five-speed manual and a CVT automatic.

Good news : Looks cooler (to me anyway).

Bad news : Bigger and fatter, so probably not as good MPG.

CarloSW2

[SVOboy]

For the bad news, it does say it comes with the 1.3 in the US, so that's better than the 1.5 it's got now. As I recall the 1.3 gets much better mileage in japan and europe.

[Daox]

I'm a bit biased as I love mine, but have you looked at the Matrix? Its a little bigger, but the mileage is rated almost exactly the same as the Fit. Also, as with the Fit, the utility is great. In my case, the wife wanted something larger than a Fit, but not sacrificing mileage. The perfect choice for us was the Matrix.


08 Fit (5spd manual):
city - 28
highway - 34

08 Matrix(5spd manual):
city -26
highway - 33

[cfg83]

Daox -

Originally Posted by Daox

I'm a bit biased as I love mine, but have you looked at the Matrix? Its a little bigger, but the mileage is rated almost exactly the same as the Fit. Also, as with the Fit, the utility is great. In my case, the wife wanted something larger than a Fit, but not sacrificing mileage. The perfect choice for us was the Matrix.


08 Fit (5spd manual):
city - 28
highway - 34

08 Matrix(5spd manual):
city -26
highway - 33

Oh yeah (duuuuh Carlos). If you want to buy USA assembled, the Pontiac Vibe is the same as the Matrix. The Matrix/Vibe interior organizations are identical/optimized for cargo capacity.

CarloSW2

[jeffreymccoy]

well, honda did not come through with a good price on teh F150...only 9K. So carmax was my next stop to see what they would pay. They gave a fairer value of 11.5K, which I accepted. During the wait, I was attracted to an 06 mazda 3 4 door sedan, with bells and whistles that teh base fit didnt have. only 18K miles and 1000 bucks cheaper than the new fit. EPA on that is 27/32 compared to the fits 28/34. So overall, a more substantial car, almost the same epa estimates, and 1000 less. Im a satisfied carmax customer. Yes its a manual transmission, 2L engine. I think Ill be very happy with the new arrangement. Looking forward to those drives to Baltimore...and with reimbusement, the company will pay what little I had to finance.

went from 04 / 40K miles / auto / epa 14-18
to an 06 / 18K miles / manual / epa 27-32...for $4K.

A good deal to me. Thanks for everyones thoughts and comments, Ive enjoyed playing.

[OdieTurbo]

Originally Posted by jeffreymccoy

Looking forward to those drives to Baltimore...

Hey, did you get it at Carmax in Laurel? If so I worked in Savage for 6 months, I love that area!

PS - Congrats on the new Mazda

[thisisntjared]

mazda is just as fun to drive as honda, only not as reliable.

the utility of the fit will be better than the 3 by a long shot. my wife wanted either the 3 or a fit and she liked the fit more strictly for utility. i like the fit more because it handles like a go kart.

so to answer the title of this thread in a nutshell: blind spots, 1st and second gear being too far appart, and lack of torque below 3krpm and above 6krpm. other than that i love the car and think it handles better and rides cleaner than my civic.

[jandree22]

Originally Posted by thisisntjared

mazda is just as fun to drive as honda, only not as reliable.

Myth. A big reason I didn't go with a Civic this time around was because of real owners(not paid-off 'expert' reviewers) on 8thgencivic.com with horror stories of coupe windshields falling out, grinding noises from the engine, bent frames, etc. My brother's 01 Civic's 5spd tranny just got replaced and I can assure you, he's a light driver. Clutch didn't go, the 2nd gear did. $1000+ out of pocket. And this was a common TSB issue for that gen, which Honda didn't cover for my bro cause his car was out of the VIN range, bastards. Reputation alone doesn't always hold water, JMHO.

K, I'm a biased Mazda owner, I know, but what I explained above is truth. My fav two Jap makes are Toyota and Subaru, can't go wrong with either one of those. The 5 was just a perfect fit for my needs so I went Mazda.