Originally Posted by Ecky
Some further thoughts on the 1st gen Fit:
I feel like it's a very well built car, with a few odd things cut from it to save costs.
Handling is good to great from the factory, especially considering the type of suspension it needs to have that cavernous interior which allows two (not tall) people to stretch out and sleep comfortably in a subcompact.
The cargo space is ludicrous. My partner and I regularly crack jokes when moving things, "Think it'll Fit? Oh wait, why am I bothering to ask, of course it will." The rear seats fold down into the floor and give a ~5.5ft x ~40" completely flat and very tall cargo area. The door panels are very narrow to maximize interior width. Honda moved the gas tank under the driver seat to improve cargo space and give a more upright seating position, while keeping a low center of gravity.
Materials inside could be called "cheap" much like Subaru interiors are "cheap", but you can beat the crap out of them. Lots of textured hard black plastic. Seats are surprisingly comfortable though, considering how minimal they are.
The L15A engine in the 1st gen has gobs of torque for an engine as small as it is, but don't bother revving it, there's not much high-end. I understand the 2nd gen can breath better at higher revs but the few times I've been in one, I haven't had the chance or inclination to do any spirited driving. These engines are absolutely bulletproof too.
Fuel economy in the manual is fantastic considering the car is a brick with short gearing.
One issue in the 1st gen, probably the only common thing to fail under the hood, is that the coil packs don't have typical Honda longevity. That's the most common cause of a poor-running L15A, but luckily they're dirt cheap.
As far as cost savings, it's weird the little things missing from the car. Only the driver's door has a key hole, for instance - I don't think there's even one on the hatch. There's virtually no sound insulation, though it's still not an overly noisy ride. Amenities: it's primitive for a car of its vintage. One 12v port, halogen headlights, seats have manual tilt adjustment and forward-back slide, it has a radio which is half decent, and that's where the feature list ends. No temperature gauge, no battery gauge, feel lucky Honda deigned to give it power locks and windows.
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