Honda decided to ship the new 2009 Fit to dealer lots a full one month before it was scheduled to do so. Why? Because they are selling them as fast as they can build them – or faster. The diminutive Honda hatchback is sold out through September, and Honda figured they might as well get a move on delivering Fits ASAP. And so begins the process of trying to buy a Fit. Welcome to "No, we're not doing test drives" and "It's a 2 month wait or longer" or the popular "We're going to need a credit card deposit." For people that want their own fun to drive 28/35 mpg car right now, there's already a 2009 Fit on eBay Motors, a Sport model (that's the higher trim level). Starting bid is at MSRP of $17,580, or you can buy it right now for $1000 over MSRP.
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Hmmmm
Nice car, but I will wait a coupla months till I get my hands on that beut.
As for 28/35…
Civic does better (26/36).. and would do me better with a 5dr hatch. If they can overlap with the RDX / CRV and the MDX / Pilot.. whats to stop them from bringing over a Civic 5dr hatch??
It’s cute, but really expensive, and not really suited for American roads.
My sister has a Fit. It’s a mundane vehicle. I’m not impressed by the performance, mileage, or price. Nothing special.
Kei cars would be more exciting due to their novelty nature and potentially their price:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car
romanjetfighter : […] not really suited for American roads.
How so? I test drove a 2008 model a couple months ago and it was quite peppy. Handled the freeway nicely as well. Quicker feeling than my Hyundai Accent, which has served me nicely on American roads for 84k miles and almost 5 years.
It would be an interesting comparison with a Civic hatchback, but of course Honda doesn’t import one to the US at this point. Comparably equipped, the Fit is still a couple thousand dollars cheaper than a Civic as well — that makes a difference at this price point.
I’ll be on the market for a new daily driver (must be a 5 door hatch) next year, and the Fit is my top choice right now.
Hmmm
Ya dont buy a Fit for power or performance…
A Mada 3 5dr hatch has it for me.. Fit just isnt right.
And there is nothing else thats a comparison so far..
I cant believe the pricing on these little things. Remember the price gouging fiasco when the CRX appeared ?
The thing is, the Fit is all the car most people actually need
Not everbody needs to haul 30 foot yachts, ford a 6 inch deep stream, or beat local track records on a daily basis.
The Fit is a fine example of the new minimalism. It does everything that most people need of a car with little fuss. In the “car as appliance” sense, if the Camry is a 4-burner stove with self-cleaning oven, the Fit is a dorm room hot-plate.
Almost reminds me of the original Beetle…
“For people that want their own fun to drive 28/35 mpg car right now….”
Funny that. I drove a midsized 4-cylinder Chevy Malibu sedan for about 500 miles round-trip and got 35mpg on the highway. Granted it was your average run-of-the-mill rental, but a subcompact shouldn’t be beaten in gas mileage by a much-taxed midsized rental car. Or are the new EPA mpg ratings that “broken”?
I asked this in earlier blogs…WHY the Fit at 16 grand when the Civic is around 17-18.
Everybody jumped all over me.
The Mazda3 2.0 is around 15-16.
OK.
Its gets a tiny bit better MPG than the mazda, not the Civic…but hell…its half the car and none of the pleasure.
I drove past one on the highway last week and it looked, well…funny.
It had an old woman driving it and I felt sorry for the little thing out on the highway.
Sort of like it was working against the elements.
Seemed unnatual.
First, I have a 2008 Honda Fit Sport (auto) and it’s just fine for American roads.
Second, it’s got a 1.5L engine so it isn’t a Kei car (<660cc is the typical definition, even using the wiki that was referenced) so that’s a poor reference. And no, I did read the post and it states that Kei cars are more exciting rather than labeling it as such, but after that reference I wanted to head that off right now. I believe that Kei cars and kind of cool, but would get trashed the first time someone tries to create an “HKS Turbo Kit” for it… :-)
It’s just a small car that can hold a lot of stuff, and gets great mileage. Add the typical Honda engineering, manufacturing, and durability trademarks and it’s a desirable car for the demographic it’s targeting. That’s it.
It was interesting to autocross, but doesn’t make up for the WRX I traded in for it. However, it’s a lot better suited for supporting my mountain bike rides/races and 98% of other driving I need a car for. I can co-drive a supercharged Miata for any autocross needs, and rent a car or truck for anything else I don’t want to use the Fit for.
Oh, and as for mileage I managed to get 30.9mpg and stick around 28+ with just city driving and full time A/C in SE AZ. This is at altitude (from 4000 to 5500ft) and quite hilly. The first time I drove it on the interstate I got up to 95 (passing) and hovered between 75 and 82 to stay with traffic flow. On that trip, I got 32mpg including a good chunk of city driving in Phoenix.
However, I would say it’s best at 65mph on the highway, and depending on your driving you should still get at or just over 30mpg around town. Not a bad deal. One last thing is how easy it is to park; it isn’t something you notice until you have a car that’s either easy or horrible to find a spot for. Getting things like bikes and wheelchairs out of it is pretty convenient, too. Not a bad package.
I considered the Mazda3 5 door, as that’s my favorite, but I couldn’t find any priced below 19K where I’m at, and I got my Fit for 15,200 or so (can’t remember) with the 5 speed automatic. Plus it still had better city mileage (again, most of my driving by far) than anything else I was going to bother with.
Funny that. I drove a midsized 4-cylinder Chevy Malibu sedan for about 500 miles round-trip and got 35mpg on the highway. Granted it was your average run-of-the-mill rental, but a subcompact shouldn’t be beaten in gas mileage by a much-taxed midsized rental car. Or are the new EPA mpg ratings that “broken”?
This bugs me. Not that a midsize sedan can get 35mpg, but that people compare speculative ratings with EPA-cycle results and consider it fair.
You can compare EPA to EPA, or between examples of Consumer Reports’ City/Highway/Combined/150, but you cannot compare your mileage with the EPA cycle (people who diss compacts do this all the time), EPA Combined to European Extra-Urban (diesel nuts do this), or your late-eighties Papier-mâché econobox to a new car with a modern crash structure. (everyone is guilty of this, it seems). They’re not valid comparisons, not at all.
I own a Fit. My Saab can approach it’s highway mileage if I drive conservatively, but in combined or city driving I’ve yet to see a nonhybrid or diesel beat it, except the Echo/Yaris.
It’s not that EPA is broken, it’s that it’s a compromise. It’s supposed to be something like what most people drive, not what you or I do.
WHY the Fit at 16 grand when the Civic is around 17-18.
The fit is more lively, holds more stuff and, other than width, is roomier. The Civic is more refined, but the shape is annoyingly impractical: low roof, tiny trunk.
I was sold on the car by two things: the drive and the rear seat versatility. I could have bought a Civic, but turned it down for those reasons alone.
Its gets a tiny bit better MPG than the mazda, not the Civic…but hell…its half the car and none of the pleasure.
It’s wonderfully amusing, even if it’s not very fast in absolute terms. Spiritually, it’s the closest car out there to the early-1990s econo/sports models that we all wax on about, such as, oh, the old Civic Si.
Remember when 0-60 in under nine used to be more than acceptable? It’s only recently that people have been such wimps about merging onto the highway that they “need” a car that can do 0-60 in five-and-change. That used to be Ferrari territory; now there are Camrys that can do it. That’s messed up.
It had an old woman driving it and I felt sorry for the little thing out on the highway.
Sort of like it was working against the elements.
It’s not too bad. It’s not a Lexus, but it’s fairly well-planted. The suspension is choppy, but it’s not jiggly. You take hits only once; my Saab, by comparison, wiggles for a few seconds after a bump, despite being a theoretically more capable cruiser.
The only issue is with the manual transmission model. On the highway, it revs far too high.
It’s cute, but really expensive, and not really suited for American roads.
This vexes me. It’s a little harsh-riding, but it’s fine for the most part. I’ve seen the thing by the zillions in Quebec, which has, at the same time, the worst-maintained roads and the craziest drivers on this continent.
I prefer the European name: Jazz.
It’s vexing to me that anyone would tolerate excuses from dealerships for not allowing customers to take a test drive. My response would be simple – you’ve not only lost this sale, but I’ll never come back to this dealership again. Oh, and I’ll be sure to tell friends and family of this experience.
I feel like I’m getting ripped off if I pay MSRP, so I can’t even imagine paying an extra thousand in dealer markup. I’m in the market for a small car though, where stock is next to nothing and you have to put something on order to get what you want. I’ve been told that there aren’t any dealers who will order you a car for under MSRP. I don’t know why they wouldn’t. They still make profit, there’s no overhead, and they’re not losing out on potentially selling it for more to someone else since they can make as many orders as they want.
Starting bid is at MSRP of $17,580, or you can buy it right now for $1000 over MSRP.
That’s a bargin compared to the people who were paying many times that mark-up for the pleasure of owning a two seat car with the capacity to haul an overnight bag, the Smart?fortwo.
jkross22:
Not allowing a test drive in a Fit is not an “excuse” when every one that arrives is already sold.
Most dealerships are anxious to deliver pre-sold vehicles to their intended buyers immediately.
And, I’d be willing to bet, most buyers of pre-sold vehicles would not appreciate their new pride and joy being driven about town by all and sundry.
Those who really want a Fit (or any other Honda) don’t need a test drive. There really are no substitutes. TTAC Honda owners know what I mean.
Those who do need a test drive deserve what they get.
Why do we take a sub 20K car and try and compare it to ones much more expensive? This is the urban and suburban little commuter that does what the VW beetle did 40 years ago. It gets you there and back (this time holding real cargo) and does it cheaply. Also, when you get there it parks or garages easily. Why don’t we compare it to things like the smart car or even the Prius. Do the math on fuel economy versus the extra say $8K for the Toyota. Or do the hauling against say a smart car. Let’s compare it for what it is. It is no Saab, Lexus or Porsche. That should be the other car in your garage.
Actually, gouging isn’t necessarily the case. The local Napa dealer got one in two nights ago (I think they sold it yesterday…)
FULLY loaded (Sport + NAV, automatic) $19.5K MSRP.
The only dealer gouge on the sticker was a $500 7-year aftermarket warantee on the paintjob/rust. For the first one on the lot, sold within 24 hours car.
The interior is even better than before: Ultra utility and really solid ergonomics. Adding the tilt & telescope steering wheel, and the seats don’t feel like a subcompact’s.
The head room is astounding, and the cargo volume? Lets just call it a Tardis and be done with it.
As for the mileage, thats the cost of the square-back, short-front: It really hurts aerodynamics. IF you want high mileage, it has to look like a Prius, which means to get the same interior volume, it would have to be a much longer car.
And which would you rather have? 2 month waiting lists and deposits, or $4k in dealer markup?
not really suited for American roads.
I would love to hear some elaboration on this comment.
ttac2000:
not really suited for American roads.
I would love to hear some elaboration on this comment.
Perhaps he means shitty, deteriorating highways and unsafe bridges we have neglected for too long?
I’d say the Fit is more than robust enough to survive here, just like in the third world.
Or just maybe, the comment was a polite way of saying the Fit is too small for the average American ass?
See:
http://sidesplitters.catastrophe.net/arch/2004/Paris-France.jpg
http://sidesplitters.catastrophe.net/arch/2004/Paris-Kentucky.jpg
I want one, and I’m pretty sure I’ll like it, but i’ll be damned if I’m not going to drive one first. A car is the second most expensive thing people buy, behind a house. Why the hell would you buy one without even driving it first? It’s a pretty freaking expensive mistake if you don’t and it ends up being crap.
We’re kind of down to one of these bad boys, a TSX, an Si, or a new WRX. Got until the end of october to pull the trigger… good times.
From another thread on this, I just want to repost these facts about the economy/cargo hauling capabilities of this car:
Mazda 3 5 door max cargo space 43.8
Honda Fit max cargo space 57.3 (more than a Bummer H3!!)
Mazda 3 MPG 22/29
Fit Sport (5sp) MPG 27/33
I don’t believe there are any other cars for sale in the USA that have that ratio of extremely usable cargo space & mileage.
For the record, I too am perpetually steamed that we don’t get the HB configured Civic, but the Fit does have more utility going for it even if both were in this market.
& the “Not suited for USA highways” comment is just embarrassing.
I too am not sure why, if I’m going to consider a SUBcompact, that I wouldn’t be getting more MPG since I’d be sacrificing room. I have a Civic and get 32 combined, more on the highway. Yes, the Fit is cute, but I agree that it’s a bit on the expensive side for a subcompact.
Comparing a Mazda3 hatch to a Fit…
Good God, come on ya’ all!
If SIZE is all that matters, well…I guess a lot of us guys lose there!
And yes, my ass is bigger than that of the euro trash’s.
That’s where I win with size!
But I still pamper it!
And don’t go there with the third world streets…I actually have and often.
The Fit is not used on the third world roads outside the city.
It would die.
Its a city get around go cart like all the city transports they have.
Not exactly a US hiway cruizer.
But I am not ashamed of my love of the highway and long drives across country.
I just know what I need to do this.
Its not a Fit.
No matter how many of my suitcases it will hold.
I thought you people wanted smaller cars. What gives?
Like I said before…there is no such car as a car that does it all.
A Fit is a great message carrier’s car in the city.
But it ain’t no Mazda3.
It ain’t sporty…really.
And don’t expect it to be your highway car.
It is what it is.
We’ve had a 2007 Fit for little over a year and half. The mileage is good, but not great (especially with the auto transmission), but we’ve hauled many a large thing in the back. As for highway driving, it drives quietly and comfortably all day long on good roads. On the relatively good blacktop you see in most areas, it does fantastic. On roads have large-aggregate asphalt (I’m looking at you, I-5 in Oregon), or a poorly-maintained concrete (I’m looking at you, CA-85) the noise can get pretty punishing on long-term drives. I’m wondering if a change from the stock tires would fix this issue. The stock tires are pretty grippy and make the car decently tossable.
I’m happy with the 31mpg of my 2004 Accord EX-L 5-speed manual. I’m not sure why the Fit commands such a high price when it sees well under 40mpg. I’m sure that has been covered here before though.
A Fit is a great message carrier’s car in the city.
But it ain’t no Mazda3.
It ain’t sporty…really.
You see, this is where I disagree. I’d say that it is sporty, especially next to the 3. The Fit is, if anything, closer in experience to Mazda’s Protege, which despite not putting up the 3’s numbers, was more fun to actually drive because of the lack of sophistication.
I think you need to drive, say, the Yaris (or worse, the Aveo or Accent) to understand what an un-fun-to-drive small car really is.
@polpo: Generally, OEM tires are not going to be the best for NVH simply because they need them to be cheap, long-lasting, and get good EPA numbers. If you buy nicer tires known for their low noise you will 9/10 times be much happier. Once in a while a car just stays loud because there isn’t any foam in the wheel wells to reduce the tire noise or some other cost/weight saving measure.
Also, you WILL probably be able to testdrive it. My sister testdrove before purchase, and she got one of the early ones. Call around and ask.
@ plunk10:
You make it sound as though the Accord and Fit are close in price and fuel mileage. The base 2009 Fit 5-speed (non-Sport trim) lists at $15220 including destination charge.
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-honda-fit-2.htm
A 2009 Accord EX-L 5-speed sells for $26090 with destination. The base LX 5-sp is still over $21K.
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2009-honda-accord-2.htm
Actual mileage figures from owners on fueleconomy.gov run about 5 mpg higher on the equivalent Fit vs. Accord.
I have a Volvo DL wagon(2.3, RWD, true mid-size 4-Speed w/ OD manual) in the driveway that gets 28MPG highway.
There is also a Dodge neon sport coupé in the driveway(2.0 DOHC, 5-Speed, compact class– but the size of it’s contemporary Accord) that I cannot abuse enough to get anything below 30MPG from. We’re talking 100MPH+ drives for 60 miles, guys.
This car is so small, the old ladies driving them make them look like toys. We’re talking two 5-foot women, shoulder-to-shoulder, not two drag queens.
The Caliber gets 1MPG less, costs less, is not unreliable, and fits more people with as much stuff. This is a non-contender except for those who think the Honda logo brings automotive nirvana.
An automatic 2.4l Sebring is only at 3MPG less. What is this car’s reason for being?
The patriot 2.0 can drive through a puddle without falling in, and still matches this car’s mileage.
psarhjinian
Be real.
Especially next to the hatch 3????
I have driven the Fit and own 2 3s…its not even close.
If I sounded like the Fit wasn’t sporty at all, then I appologize.
Its just not supposed to be compared to the Hatch3.
Really.
OK. compare it to the other econo crap traps out there and it looks good.
Even I look good if you carefully pick the line up!
I never drove those others you suggested.
I read enough on this and other sights to stay clear.
I guess I have trouble with some of the blending of these car categories.
To me they get awfully close (if not even overlapping) at the top and bottoms of each category and in the end, you would have been better off just getting more car for a couple thousand.
Or less.
And I need to dissagree with most when they say this thing looks good.
Well, not to me.
To me it looks unbalanced and uncool.
A sort of anvil body and nose.
Not that that means anything in the handling, its just everybody keeps touting its good looks.
Not to me.
Putting aside for a moment the relative merits of the Fit, when was the last time anyone saw the public clamoring for a new model?
The e-bay one must have been sold.
Wow, the comments here are unexpectedly full of Fit hate. Who knew anyone disliked this car? And just incidentally a lot of the claims about what vehicles get comparable mileage here are very implausible. It’s surprisingly easy to beat the EPA estimates on the Fit; with a light foot, but still cruising at 75, it achieves a consistent 36-37 highway mpg in my experience. I doubt that the Mazda3, much less the Caliber (you seriously propose that as a Fit-beater? have you ever driven one?), can match that.
I do think the shortage story is being grossly overplayed, though — at least in my neck of the woods it was no problem finding Fits to test-drive and getting quotes significantly below MSRP as of a month or two ago. They do tend not to sit around on the lot for long, but there are deals still out there to be had.
bjcpdx :
If by that you mean clamoring for a new Fit, the answer is no – at least in North America.
Since the old model is head and shoulders above its “competition” and Honda had no trouble selling every one of them, you could be excused for thinking Honda could just rest on its laurels. However, that’s not the Honda way.
They didn’t get where they are by resting on their laurels, but rather by seeking continual improvement and refinement.
In addition, in markets where buyers are more sophisticated – such as Europe – the old current Fit/Jazz was seen as outdated and a bit of a fuddy-duddy car for old timers.
After all, over there, they are not competing against obsolete vehicles such as the Cobalt and NA Focus, but up to the minute superminis that Europeans demand.
@AG
I prefer the European name: Jazz.
What about the European drivetrains? 1.2 and 1.4, no torque converter automatic.
Funny that. I drove a midsized 4-cylinder Chevy Malibu sedan for about 500 miles round-trip and got 35mpg on the highway. Granted it was your average run-of-the-mill rental, but a subcompact shouldn’t be beaten in gas mileage by a much-taxed midsized rental car. Or are the new EPA mpg ratings that “broken”?
Seriously? You actually don’t understand that the EPA test procedure is different than the way you might drive? The 4-cylinder Malibu is rated at 22/30, so you probably would have seen low 40s for mileage with the Fit under the same driving conditions. Here’s the remedial lesson from EPA on the subject:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/why_differ.shtml
nudave:
I’m afraid I didn’t express myself very well. I did not mean to say that the public was demanding that there be a new model, but was referring to the fact that the new model is already back-ordered.
In any event, I agree with everything in your post. I would never suggest that Honda is resting on its laurels. Quite the contrary, it is one of the most forward-thinking car companies out there. I have owned several including a 2005 Insight currently. In fact, come to think of it, Honda is the only nameplate I’ve bought more than one of.
Look.
You Fit lovers will not be convinced by me, nor will you be able to convince me (at least not with whats been tossed out) that the Fit makes sense.
Look, here is what I will try to explain one last time:
There are better choices than the Fit that make me believe this is one of those runaway noone can explain the nothingness.
Sort of Obamarama in a car.
Examples:
Nissan Sentra.
Its a real car. 16,300 ,25/33/28 overall mpg.
Kia Rio and Rio5
11,00 to 13,000, 24/33/28 mpg.
Not comparable as a car you say?
Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy 2007 – Subcompact Car
Edmunds.com- “Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars.”
The Car Book. “Best Bet.”
Edmunds.com “Editors’ Most Wanted Wagon Under $15,000”
Greenercars.org, the online home of ACEEE’s Green Book® – “Top 12 Greenest Vehicles of 2007”.
Then…
theres the Focus and Corolla…
I know none of you like them.
The are dull…not sporty.
Well, I think its all bullshit about the Fit sportiness as well.
But you get a whole lot more car, one that can take to to your kid’s college and back without forcing a chiropractors appt.
They are both highly rated for comfort.
Both around 16K and great, great mpg.
26/35/29 Corolla, 24/33/28 Focus.
So go ahead and luv your Fit…but it doesn’t make sense to me.
Sorry.
Nice little car, but I sure wouldn’t pay the markups for it. The new generation fixes why I thought the original was a stinker, but at 18k, I’d *still* take the Mazda3.
For anyone who thinks the (last) gen Fit is more fun to drive than the 3: If this wasn’t a subjective category I’d call you a liar. Below 40mph, the Fit is good (unless you’ve got someone in the car OR it’s a hill) , but on the highway it’s anything but. I’d take the Mazda3 for its competency in both and its far-superior steering. And its better driving position. And its better craftsmanship.
The Fit does provide super-nice cargo numbers, but its last iteration only made sense as a city car. The new version- with a smidgeon more horsepower and many of its faults addressed- should be interesting.