CD Article: 2007 Honda Fit LX

[CD_Editor]

Test Drive:


Surprisingly roomy for a subcompact car, the Honda Fit offers ingeniously designed seats that provide unique seating and cargo-carrying options, says Editor Greg Wilson.  The mid-level Fit LX model offers the most popular features and sells for less than $20,000, but options can quickly boost this price, he says.
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[Arctic_White]

Great review.

My opinion: Unless I really need that extra utility, I'd rather opt for a Civic DX-G even if it'll cost me a thousand or so more.

Just drive both cars back-to-back, and you'll understand what I'm talking about. 

 

[Demosthenes X]

 

Unless I was die-hard for a hatchback, I would chose a Civic over the Fit as well.  It's just priced a little higher than it should be, especially given the pricing of the more powerful Civic.

Options seem costly (especially those alloys!), but that's not limited just to the Fit.

I've seen a few around, but priced as they are, I don't think they'll ever be more popular than the Civic.

[Winklovic]

Give me cruise control or give me death!  Okay, maybe not, but I fail to see why I should have to purchase the most expensive Sport model just to get cruise.  That's bogus.

[Arctic_White]

Unless I was die-hard for a hatchback, I would chose a Civic over the Fit as well.  It's just priced a little higher than it should be, especially given the pricing of the more powerful Civic.

Options seem costly (especially those alloys!), but that's not limited just to the Fit.

I've seen a few around, but priced as they are, I don't think they'll ever be more popular than the Civic.

Civic isn't just more powerful, it's a better drive all around, from the clutch to it's drive-train.  I don't know, but the Civic felt... more substantial.  As if the car is a lot more expensive as compared to Fit.

Moreover, Fit doesn't have telescopic steering wheel, nor does it have height-adjustable seats, unlike Civic.

More reasons to go with the Civic! (From a guy who drives a Mazda3.  LOL.   )

[tpl]

If Honda would just produce the various flavours of Civic hatchback  for Canada that they sell elsewhere in the world...there would be no need for a Fit

the best and most useful Civic ever sold here was the Civic wagon in the early '90s

having said that, we are considering a fit as a 2nd car 'cos its small and it can carry "stuff". However good a Civic sedan or coupe is they can't carry "stuff"

[Rupert]

I think that the flat folding rear seats with dissapearing head restraints is a terrific feature that raises this vehicles desirability above offerings from other quarters. I suppose that for those who don't need the utillity of the five door hatch, the Civic may be a better buy. Have not compared the pricing with a Matrix. If it is close could be a problem IMO. Are the rear seat backs firm (hard) to support a load similar to a Matrix.

[Matthew]

ARE YOU KIDDING! This car way over priced.  I urge anyone to try the quality of the Dodge Caliber to this piece of outdated and overpriced junk!  The Fit has no where near the utility and standard features of the Caliber and the Fuel Economy is nearly as good, and the caliber is a veritable refridgerator aerodynamically!!!  So it should do much worse, but does not!!  For the same price as a base Fit you can have a mid level caliber which is not only larger, but has a more useful and practical interior.  Keyless entry and cargo cover and 17" wheels and tires are standard and yet you pay extra for 16" wheels (never mind tires!) for the fit.  AND LETS FACE THE TRUTH HERE FOLKS, THIS IS A 4 YEAR OLD DESIGN IN EUROPE!!  LETS NOT ALL FALL FOR HONDA PEDDLING OUT DATED MODELS IN CANADA.  I am not a Chrysler fan by any stretch, but I respect a vehicle that is both very dependable and highly practical for a very low price.  I may consider buying one.  I am a toyota and suzuki guy, but I have been very dissappointed with their designs lately.  Has anyone noticed that a 1995-2001 Geo Metro has more interior and cargo space than a Yaris??  Compare the specs you will laugh!

[Matthew]

Oh and what precisely am I supposed to do if I want to upgrade my stereo in the fit??  You get a silly 100 Watt Head unit in the fit!! Woopdeedoo!  The Caliber gives you a 200 Watt standard with 6 speakers and two subwoofers in the front door, and the head unit is upgradeable!  The Fit does not have fold flat seats as can be seen in the picture in the article, instead you get a nice lump in the fron seat, any company could do that!  My 1997 Geo Metro hatchback did that little trick too, and that was 10 years ago and nobody said anything about it!  In addition when you remove the headrests on the fit... where precisely do you put them??  Typical Honda engineering, remember the Honda Odyssey??  When you used the spare tire, you could not put the Full Size Tire in the same spot as the spare, so what do they do about that??? They give you a plastic bag! GENIOUS!!!  I know because my uncle was shocked when he had to do it himself.  They could at least have included that same plastic bag in the fit for those headrests!

[haris]

The Civic feels more substantial than the Fit because it's a car class above.
Comparing Fit to Civic is like comparing Civic to Accord.

[serenaray]

Interesting comments...

Civic vs. Fit - it really depends on what you want/need. They are two different cars. I test drove both cars and I'd agree the Civic feels more planted on the road. If it's a windy day, the Fit doesn't feel very stable. One trip to Ikea with a Civic and you'll be wishing for the versatility of the Fit (totally agreeing with tpl).

I'm not ashamed to say I bought a Fit Sport 5-sp. It took just over a month of researching and test driving to come to this conclusion. Was going to get the Matrix but Honda ended up giving me more for my trade-in and had a lower interest rate.

Why not the Mazda3 Sport? Cost of ownership. My wife has an '03 Protege5 and we've spent well over $5k in maintenance in less than 3yrs. The issues: Brakes, Water Pump, Transmission, Tail Lights. [I would bet this would be the same case with most domestics - which is why I avoided Ford, Chrysler/Dodge, GM]

Versa? Nissan doesn't have the best reliability and it was a loud car to drive. Liked the bluetooth and Intelligent key. Didn't like the lack of ABS nor the CVT (awkward). [I know you have to buy the optional package but it really should be standard]

To keep this short, knowing the the Fit/Jazz has been out there already for a few years says a lot about the dependability factor. It is a good design and in this segment, I'm confident it'll be a winner with AJAC.

And there is no perfect car - everything is give and take. Some cars have this, others don't. I'm no auto designer or professional driver - but I can say that given the limitations of this segment (ie Price, Economy, Reliability), Honda's done an excellent job in the Fit.

[Rupert]

Looks like the rear seats fold flat to me and the head rests stay on the seat. Is that not what the article said?

[Matthew]

Indeed, I find that everyone finds an excuse for Honda and Toyota being fine.  But if a Domestic were to do the same thing, oh my goodness the trouble that would insue.  However, while Ford and General Motors are indeed pathetic when it comes to vehicle reliability, Dodge/Chrysler is to be commended for their recent reliability scores when compared to the industry.  Chrysler really pushes the envelop in terms of technology being standard, and issues such as Brakes, Transmission, engine and so on are relategated to the other two domestics.  The Fit is indeed a far better alternative to the stupidly and absurdely over priced Yaris and cheap and loud Versa (I agree entirely).  The Caliber on the other hand is nearly inaudible at idle and so smooth I found.  That CVT is way cool.  But hats off to Honda I must admit for making a great car 4 years ago, certainly beat out the other automakers that's for sure.  I just don't think its fair that we group one great domestic brand in with the other crappy two!

[mdxtasy]

Friend of mine was all set to buy a Fit Sport.  Because of availability, they went with a AWD Vibe.  Those are really well designed and they are happy with their purchase. 

[serenaray]

Availability is for sure an issue - I'm waiting on my Fit Sport... most likely will have to come from the factory in Japan... I think it's worth the wait.

As for the Dodge Caliber, check out Consumer Reports review -- they had issues with the acceleration, fuel economy, fit and finish, noise (same issue as the Versa has, although it might just need some getting used to by the industry)... and Dodge in general doesn't rate very high on the predicted reliability scale. Then again, VW doesn't either - which is also why I didn't consider the Rabbit.


[/co]lor

[Matthew]

Good Point with the Consumers Reports, and that's why they are under investigation!  The Caliber was criticized for noise, and joltiness of transmission, but no other magazine found this, and Reliability is just fine with JD Power and other websites, and that is why they are being investigated.  So don't trust them!

[jww]

...the best and most useful Civic ever sold here was the Civic wagon in the early '90s
...

No where near enough wagon variants in North America. AWD Matrix/Vibe is a good option - even with it being dated, it drives well, has as much cargo room as a PT Cruiser, and seats 5 if you really have to. Wonder what the next Matrix/Vibe is gonna look like. Maybe Toyota should slap AWD on the Verso and bring it here.



But then, you'd be in Mazda5 territory rather than the subcompact market.

[wing]

What's the issue with the seats?  They fold flat, the headrests have to come out to make them fold flat.  Where do you put them?  Simple they fit under the rear seats before you fold them flat.  I'm confused at the confusion....

[Demosthenes X]

How comfortable are the seats?  From what I remember of a brief look at a Fit, the rear seats didn't look terribly inviting - making them fold in every direction probably negatively effects their comfort, no?

[Giant Dwarf]

Further to the comments regarding the value of the Fit versus Civic:

Earlier this week, my wife received a mailed invitation from the local Honda dealership requesting her to visit their preferred customer event.  Since the piece was so well done (and as a marketer, I tend to appreciate these things), we decided to go and check it out.  Aside from the event not quite living up to the marketing piece's expectations, we had an interesting happening there.

In the showroom was a black Fit LX.  It had the upgraded 16" wheels on it (really nice gun-metal grey) and tinted windows.  It looked really sharp.  Though my wife wanted to go and have a look at the new Civic and the new CRV, she really became fixated on the Fit.  ("Neat!" I thought... "she's going to save us money here!").  When we started talking to the salesperson, it didn't take long to realize that the Civic's significantly better residual value (ie. propensity to depreciate in value LESS) when compared to the Fit, combined with a more appealing lease rate, meant that a DX-G Civic 4 door and an LX-model Fit work out to nearly exactly the same monthly cost with $0 down over a 48 month term.  For the number of Ikea trips I take in a year that have me purchasing an item pre-assembled (since Ikea stuff is always in wide, flat boxes), and needing me to have a boxier car, I think I could simply rent a van.  The rest of the time, I'd rather be driving the Civic. 

Still... ultimately, my wife wasn't overly thrilled with the Civic either and decided she'd rather wait a bit longer and see if a deal will come up on a Subaru Impreza wagon (her 1st choice) or a Mazda3 Sport (her second choice, and since my brother and his friend have both had great success with theirs, we're not too worried about high maintenance cost or reliability woes)