Do I need to go test drive a Fit?

"Tristan" (casselts) 01/12/2019 at 00:35 • Filed to: None

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Because other than being a wildly practical small car, I don’t get the attraction. Yet, here we are 3% of the way through  2019 and it’s already practically the Oppo car of the year for 2019. Is it some sort of automotive best-kept-secret, or just a Versa that doesn’t suck?

TheJWT > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 00:47

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The Fit life chooses you.

JoshROOSTER > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 00:52

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And the gti sings “ anything you can do, I can do better!”

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > JoshROOSTER 01/12/2019 at 00:53

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“Anyth ing you can break, I can break bigger!”*

FTFY

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 00:53

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My grandmother just got a brand new one and I have to say, it’s pleasant to drive with a great greenhouse. Doesn’t feel like punishment at all.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 00:54

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Meanwhile, FoSTs still sit on lots at ridiculous markdowns.

This one is under 20k brand new.

Chuckles > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 00:55

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I can't speak for the older models, but the current gen Fit is absurdly practical. I considered one before getting my used 500, but it was out of my price range. But you can comfortably take 4 adults and gear on a trip, something that would be really tight in my Fiat.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/12/2019 at 00:59

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Unbelievable. The darlings of the recent past...

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 01:00

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I started a good trend. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 01:03

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I can see the appeal. It’s a bit of a pavement  swiss-army knife. It's small but it carries 4 people and their crap admirably. It's a good car for the city, but plenty useful and strong for the suburbs. It gets good fuel economy but isn't dependent on a hybrid powertrain. It's slow, but not Paseo slow.

Chuckles > JoshROOSTER 01/12/2019 at 01:03

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Sure, for an extra 10 grand or more I would hope so.

JoshROOSTER > Chuckles 01/12/2019 at 01:07

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Mkv and mkvi can be had for cheap as long as you’re not looking at stanced specimens with silly chewed up tires.

JoshROOSTER > JoshROOSTER 01/12/2019 at 01:08

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Heck, an mkiv with a vr6, for all the sweet sweet exhaust and engine noises, can be had for a fish sandwich.

JoshROOSTER > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/12/2019 at 01:11

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Lol. I can disagree based on past experience ( anecdotal), but I can’t say anything based on a simple Google search.

Chuckles > JoshROOSTER 01/12/2019 at 01:16

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I was just comparing new to new, and the top of the line Fit is about 20 grand and the GTI gets up over 30. I have no doubt it's a better car, but it doesn't come cheap.

JoshROOSTER > Chuckles 01/12/2019 at 01:27

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I get that. I’ve personally yet to ever buy new. My price range is skewed to that sweet 2 to 3 year threshold.

Honestly, I’d go test drive a golf just for comparison. Besides their terrible hubcaps they are still a ton of fun and have so so so much rear hatch space before you put the seats down.

Chuckles > JoshROOSTER 01/12/2019 at 01:54

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I ended up going with a 5 year old Fiat 500 for $7,500. My sweet spot for used  cars is “less than 10 grand.”

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 02:14

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we test drove one for my wife.  I mean... it has AC and my Forte does not.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/12/2019 at 02:21

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Hve you been in one? Everything is a hidden cubby. You can store so much crap in it

Dogsatemypants > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 06:34

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Small and practical. Seems to have enough juice in a manual transmission. T he slushboxes on these turn them into a slug . Like pedal to the  floor to get any acceleration at 45+.   My big issue with them is the comfort level of the seats and the driver side footwell layout.

My dad loves his 2010 auto, I call it the penalty box.

Dogsatemypants > TheJWT 01/12/2019 at 06:38

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https://youtu.be/kWwRDoMYt_o

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > JoshROOSTER 01/12/2019 at 07:30

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He is probably referencing me. My Mk7.5 has now spent the past 15 days at the dealer, though the past few were because of the incompetence of the dealer. 

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 08:42

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Join the fold! I know it’s just an economy car in sporty duds, but the ride/handling balance is pretty good, the steering is damn near telepathic, and the engine likes to rev. Drawbacks? Not much power, questionable front-seat comfort (I think the cloth is just too grippy), and the slushbox is very slushy. (Get the manual and the last problem is solved.)

Maxima Speed > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 09:37

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It’s small, lightweight, has a very handy, go kart feelbto the handling, and is imminently practical. Yes you should definitely test drive one.

JoshROOSTER > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 01/12/2019 at 09:50

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I found a fantastic dealer in Tacoma! They give me a permanent 15% discount on everything, appreciate cool cars, provide me with good loaners for free on any service over 4 hours and were a huge part of why I traded my mustang.

Volkswagen did leave a snap on wrench in my engine bay once. They told me to keep the wrench and then gave me two free oil changes and a detail service for my troubles.

The Ford dealerships around here expect everyone to be 75 and no nothing about cars.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 10:27

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We owned a first gen that we bought new in 2008 until 2013 when we needed something bigger. At the time gas prices had spiked to well over $3/gallon, we had an unreliable 2nd-gen RAV4 that was at the shop more as much as it was on the road and my wife had job that required her to use her personal car to move around large plastic containers that couldn’t fit in a sedan trunk. At the time the Fit was something of a revaluation. Compared to other new cars in the price range it could hold an amazing amount of stuff, got decent fuel economy and felt really well screwed together. The intrior materials were plain but very solid. The thing didn’t steer and handle like a wet noodle like so many other cars in the class. The ride was choppy but at least didn’t shudder the whole structrure over every bump like the Scion xB we test d rove first. Going from the penalty spec base model to the Sport trim was a no-brainer sub-$2k option that added really useful remote entry, a leather steering wheeel and fog lights along with alloy rims that were probably worth the price alone over the 1” smaller steelies. We paid around $16k (plus got a decent trade on our RAV4 that we snuck over directly from a transmission shop after its most recent breakdown). For the price it was amazing and doing 10+ MPG better than the RAV4 it probably paid for itself by the time gas prices calmed back down. That being said, it’s still an economy car and objectively not that great. Part of the reason it holds so much stuff is the seats are really thin. They are well shaped and great in town for short trips but pretty awful after much more than half an hour. It had low power by 2008 standards and by 2018 standards it is rediculously slow. The fuel economy was OK in 2008 but by 2010 it was getting beat by midsize sedans (we got around 27 city/31 highway - the generation of sedans that came around 2010-2011 were much larger cars doing 25/35). The fuel tank is under the front seats which allows for the trick low flat load floor with the rear seats folded, but makes for a 9 gallon tank not great for road trips. Of course you need get out of those seats pretty often anyway. It gets pushed around by the wind on the highway. It’s really loud inside. The handling is good for farting through traffic but get it out on an open road and the narrow tires start protesting very quickly. It’s a good city car and better than its competition. Even with all the used car choices in its price range it’s a solid one if you need something reliable that hold a surprising amount of stuff. But yeah at the end of the day it’s just a better than average boringmobile.

TL;DR I owned one. It’s a  Versa that doesn’t suck.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 10:36

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I love the Fit. It ticks all the boxes I want/need in a car. It's just my wife and I (and some dogs), so I don't need a ton of space. When I bought my Civic in 2015 that is actually the car I wanted to buy. But I just couldn’t find a comfortable driving position in the car. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming redesign to see if it’s any more comfortable than the current gen.

Brian McKay > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 10:37

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narrow, small wagon for Japanese mommies to drive in cities

Tristan > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/12/2019 at 10:56

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Oh how the mighty have fallen!

vondon302 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 01/12/2019 at 10:56

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Wow.

Tristan > Maxima Speed 01/12/2019 at 11:03

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How does it compare to the NC Miata and MKV GLI I already own? 

Tristan > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 01/12/2019 at 11:03

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If you reupholster in plaid, I'll be in.

Tristan > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/12/2019 at 11:05

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I’m 6'7"/240 with a bad back ... Chances are if you couldn’t get comfy, I definitely can’t.

Tristan > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 01/12/2019 at 11:05

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My impression is confirmed!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 01/12/2019 at 12:21

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Actially the GTI line as a whole has been of poor reliability starting with the mkiv and all its terrible understeer and CELs, the MKV catching all its electrics on fire after 60k miles, and the mkvi finally having some semblance of normal reliability but still plagued with Gremlins and weird behavior ahoy.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Tristan 01/12/2019 at 14:53

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Well yeah, probably. Leg room was my issue. I'm only 6'1 (but a rotund 320). It's a shame, really. Honda's in the 80s were my favorite vehicle because they had tons of space. It's the damn center console that is ruining everything.