2008 Honda Fit -- Opinions

[Siaharok]

Hello everyone,

My first post here. I've enjoyed reading this forum, but I haven't seen too many opinions on the Honda Fit. I'm thinking of buying one. I've never bought a new car before, and it feels a bit weird, but here are my main reasons.

• I don't have time to search for the perfect used car.
• I really want a station wagon.
• I like the look of the Fit.
• I want the best FE I can get.

I'm in the process of opening a new business. I live in a medium-small city, and people tend to know what you drive. In that regard, I feel that driving a nice-looking car is good business. I'm currently driving a beater, and it doesn't help my image or my business. A newer used car would probably look okay, but then I'd have to find the perfect one, which isn't easy.

The Honda Fit seems like a logical choice. From what I've read, people seem to get the 28/34 mpg up considerably higher, even without serious hypermiling. Does anyone here have any experience? Any idea what kind of mileage can I expect with mild hypermiling? Any thoughts on my choice?

Thank in advance,
Siaharok

[Daox]

Welcome to the site Siaharok. The Fit is a great car. I've heard of more than a few owners getting 50+ and some are almost getting 55. Of course this is a bit more than mild hypermiling. Doing the mild stuff you would probably be in the low 40s I would think.

[SVOboy]

Welcome to ecomodder! I like the car, well made, has been around for many many years (not in the US).

[digitaldissent]

all depends what you want, it is definitely more plush than the Yaris but heavier and the power to weigh ratio compared to the Yaris hurts it on FE and speed.

The wagon part is nice; a friend of mine has one. I have both the sedan and hatch Yaris. The hatch is pretty small...

based on about the same commute(we live close and work together) he gets low 30s in the Fit and I get low 40s.

The Fit also has side impact airbags and antilock brakes standard, the Yaris does not. I rented the Versa for about 3 weeks, lots more power but mileage sucked

I am an environmentally minded revolutionary...I went for FE and Toyota reliability, the Yaris is cheaper too

[cfg83]

Siaharok -

Welcome to EM! The only real shortcoming of the Fit is that I think we expected even better MPG from the Honda than we got. Then again, we didn't get all the engine options that the Fit (aka the Honda Jazz) has in other countries.

If it helps your business to drive a mini-wagon with an American nameplate, the Pontiac Vibe is a good choice. It's a Toyota Matrix under the skin, which means it's a Toyota Corolla drivetrain. Here is a review of it by RH77 :

2008 Pontiac Vibe (Record Results)
2008 Pontiac Vibe (Record Results)

If you pick the Fit then I think you will be fine. It's the Swiss-Army-Knife of mini-wagons. Here are some cubic feet capacity comparisons between the Fit and the Vibe :

Honda Fit Specifications
http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/specifications.aspx

Cargo Volume (cu. ft., seat up/down) 21.3 / 41.9
Passenger Volume (cu. ft.) 90

2009 Pontiac Vibe
http://www.automobilemag.com/am/2009...fications.html

Cargo capacity: rear seat down (cu ft): 49.4 and all seats in place (cu ft): 20.1
Interior volume (cu ft): 91.4

CarloSW2

[NeilBlanchard]

Hello,

If I had to buy a car today, it would be a Honda Fit. The back seat and the resulting storage is amazing -- it is a Tardis if there ever was one.

If I could wait a bit, I'd like the 2009 Fit even more -- especially the hybrid model that they have promised.

[Arminius]

Originally Posted by cfg83

Siaharok -

Welcome to EM! The only real shortcoming of the Fit is that I think we expected even better MPG from the Honda than we got. Then again, we didn't get all the engine options that the Fit (aka the Honda Jazz) has in other countries.

If it helps your business to drive a mini-wagon with an American nameplate, the Pontiac Vibe is a good choice. It's a Toyota Matrix under the skin, which means it's a Toyota Corolla drivetrain. Here is a review of it by RH77 :

2008 Pontiac Vibe (Record Results)
2008 Pontiac Vibe (Record Results)

If you pick the Fit then I think you will be fine. It's the Swiss-Army-Knife of mini-wagons. Here are some cubic feet capacity comparisons between the Fit and the Vibe :

Honda Fit Specifications
http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/specifications.aspx


2009 Pontiac Vibe
http://www.automobilemag.com/am/2009...fications.html


CarloSW2

^^I agree with everything he said.^^

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

The Vibe is a re-badged Toyota Matrix -- isn't it a bit heavier and have a bigger displacement engine than the Fit?

[carbonbuilder]

Love my Fit! Have an automatic that has gotten up to 43 mpg and averages 40. Two other people have them at my place of employment, both of them are sticks. One owner who drives with a bit of a lead foot gets 36-37 mpg. The other owner who drives more conservatively is getting 43-45 mpg.

[Arminius]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Hi,

The Vibe is a re-badged Toyota Matrix -- isn't it a bit heavier and have a bigger displacement engine than the Fit?

Probably, but the issue at hand was the American nameplate/badge.

[cfg83]

NeilBlanchard -

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Hi,

The Vibe is a re-badged Toyota Matrix -- isn't it a bit heavier and have a bigger displacement engine than the Fit?

Yup. Here is a comparison of the car's new EPA MPG with manual transmissions :

2007 Honda Fit 1.5 liter 4 cylinder
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calcu...umn=1&id=22861

28/34 => 31

2007 Toyota Matrix 1.8 liter 4 cylinder
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calcu...umn=1&id=23628

26/33 => 29

2007 Pontiac Vibe 1.8 liter 4 cylinder
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calcu...umn=1&id=23622

26/33 => 29

The Fit weighs 2,432 lbs. The base Vibe is 2,856 lbs, so 400+ lbs more.

The 2008 Vibe is actually 1 MPG less highway, so maybe the combined MPG is closer to 28, .

CarloSW2

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

I wish that Honda would sell the 1.3 liter 2009 Fit in the USA. It's 98HP vs 118HP for the 1.5 liter. Judging from the 103HP in my xA, 98HP is plenty powerful.

[Bror Jace]

"Love my Fit! Have an automatic that has gotten up to 43 mpg and averages 40. Two other people have them at my place of employment, both of them are sticks. One owner who drives with a bit of a lead foot gets 36-37 mpg. The other owner who drives more conservatively is getting 43-45 mpg."

Yes, I'm another that thinks this thing should turn-in even better numbers. My 2006 Civic 4-door manual trans has averaged about 35.2 mpg its whole life and that includes initial break-in, winters, frequent short trips within a city and just mild hypermiling for a quarter of its life.

My last tankful was 41.4mpg in mixed driving.

[Siaharok]

Thanks for all the replies.

The Fit also has side impact airbags and antilock brakes standard, the Yaris does not.

This is important to me. With such a small, light car, I want to feel safe. The Honda Fit seems to be a good choice for safety.

I am an environmentally minded revolutionary...I went for FE and Toyota reliability, the Yaris is cheaper too

I am also enviornmentally minded, although perhaps not a revolutionary. Originally, I was going to buy a TDI and run straight vegetable oil. But it's not easy to find a TDI wagon, and harvesting oil takes time. With my new business, I won't have that much time. The Honda Fit seemed like a good compromise, especially with hypermiling.

If it helps your business to drive a mini-wagon with an American nameplate, the Pontiac Vibe is a good choice. It's a Toyota Matrix under the skin, which means it's a Toyota Corolla drivetrain.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't know whether an American nameplate will help or not. Mainly, I don't want to drive a beater any more. I am a professional, and I want to look professional.

If I had to buy a car today, it would be a Honda Fit. The back seat and the resulting storage is amazing -- it is a Tardis if there ever was one.

LOL. Yes, the interior of the Fit is weird. You have to get in and out of it a few times before you believe that it's possible to have so much room inside such a tiny car. And the magic seats are what finally sold me.

If I could wait a bit, I'd like the 2009 Fit even more -- especially the hybrid model that they have promised.

I wish I could wait, but I can't. Also, I doubt we'll see the Fit Hybrid until 2010.

I wish that Honda would sell the 1.3 liter 2009 Fit in the USA.

Me too.

[ilovecat140]

If you haven't already bought a Fit, here is some food for thought.
1. MPG - EPA are low!, They must drive the hell out of it. I have driven this car(2008 manuel) hard and have gotten no worse than 34mpg, but with normal driving for me, I get 38-40 mpg, and when i have really babied it up to 45 mpg. Its for real, and guess what there will be a 2009 honda fit hybrid!! I believe your best bet is a manuel, if you want to get the best MPG, and you will save $800 dollars with the manuel transmission

2. Interior, nothing to fancy, but what would you expect for less than 17K for the Fit Sport. layout is good, magic seats are magic as the gas tank is under the passenger front seat to allow the back seat to very low, giving you an enormous amount of space. all my coworkers are amazed at the space when rear seats are down.

3. Reviews of this car have been stellar, Rated #1 best subcompact.

4. Extremely safe with side curtain airbags, I don't believe any other car in this price range has the feature standard. crash testing was very good

5. Honda - very good track record with their cars

6. Appeal - looks. People seem to either love it or hate it. I personally am not caught in the "wow look at my BIG expensive car" attitude that many people have. Many of these people are in debt up to their ears because of this attitude, and i have yet to see a cemetary that will allow someone to be buried in their SUV. sorry i will get off my soapbox(Anti-SUV)! I would admit that the Sport model clearly looks much better than the base and is only marginally more expensive. As well there are a few options that make it a bit more sporty as well, - sport grill, muffuler tip, ect.

I spent probably 1 year researching many different cars in this class, the Fit was the clear winner! good luck Peter

[Johnny Mullet]

I met up with a guy in Cleveland driving a Honda Fit. He noticed my "57MPG" stickers on my Metro and started asking questions. He was claiming no problems with his car and could easily get 40 MPG without trying.

[Siaharok]

Yes, I did buy it. And I hate it. What a terrible little car!

Joking. I love it, of course. This turned out to be one of those perfect purchases for me. I average about 38mpg with the A/C on and minimal hypermiling. The EPA estimates are a joke, really.

The magic seats are indeed magic, and I managed to fit a full-sized, boxed fridge in the back with the hatch only slightly open (tied down, of course). The guy at Home Depot looked at my car after it was in and said, "I think we just did the commercial for the Fit."

[cmittle]

I'm glad you bought the Fit. I bought mine on July 15th 08 and am loving it. The worst mileage I've seen so far is 35.6. My range is has been pretty narrow (only ~2000miles right now) from 35.6-38.9 (Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com). I'm curious to see how it gets around this winter the guy at the dealer said they were one of the easier cars to get around when moving them last winter, he said the accords you could plan on pushing (of course he is a sales guy).

[petty]

Originally Posted by Siaharok

Hello everyone,
The Honda Fit seems like a logical choice. From what I've read, people seem to get the 28/34 mpg up considerably higher, even without serious hypermiling. Does anyone here have any experience? Any idea what kind of mileage can I expect with mild hypermiling? (car covers) Any thoughts on my choice?

Siaharok

One common technique of hypermiling technique is by driving slow which means driving at around 55 mph that adds 15% of fuel efficiency compared to driving above the range. Some methods includes proper inflation of the tires to decrease rolling resistance while keeping the air fiter upgraded.

[Geebee]

We have a 2004 CVT auto Honda Jazz, the tardis description is bang on and as stated the magic seats are great, the CVT box is incredible.
Flip side, the steering is wooden/dead, wind noise at speed is high and it has had more faults than any other car that I have ever bought, is is a great practical car in use though.
If you love throwing the car around it will wear the front tyres very unevenly but only if you drive like a loony.