I just wanted to chime back. Let me just say that I meant to say, "I'm NOT a big car person" That was a typo on my end. Also, I'm not here to bash the Fit in any way! As I mentioned, I really, really like the Fit! It's a damn fine car for the money, plus I would have just put-up an extra $2,560.00 out of my own pocket & no car payments! Remember I sold my 2003 Jetta VR6 for $13,500 ($16060.00 Honda Sport) Now granted it only had 23,000 miles on it. But my company gave me an additional sales territory to work & I need MPG now!

I won't touch the reliability Honda vs. VW scenario. We all know Honda wins hands down! But...I would like to mentioned that I have owned 5 Jettas since 1988 & the 1st one (1988 model) was "iffy" @ best. Since then, I have only had very minor issues, as the car got older. I mean very minor (i.e. power door regulator etc.) Small stuff. So...When someone mentions VW is crap, sorry I just don't agree. They are simply different types of cars. You want nice interior & handling? VW wins. It's not even fair to compare the two. One is a sedan & the Fit is a hatchback. Plus were talking about a lot more money here.

I'm kind of surprised that my wife didn't like the Fit. Hell...She bought a 1998 CR-V brand new & it had the smaller 2.0L engine vs. the newer VTEC engine. We both loved that car. We sold it in 2006 for our friend & it has over 140,000 miles on it without any major issues. Guess what she bought for a replacement? V8 Volkswagen Toureg! It's a wonderful SUV, but a pig on gas. She also owns a VW Beetle convertible she uses in the spring/summer months. Wouldn't you think a wife would appreciate that a husband is spending less money then more for a car? I'm 43 & you would think a mid-life crisis is in order. So….My 1st thought? A Honda Fit! She thinks it's looks silly I guess. Doesn't like that "Econo" look.

VW does have some advantages in New England. Resale value! VW rules the roads up here & there is no place in the US where you see more VW's then here. I got a pretty penny for my 2003 Jetta & it was sold in two days! Again....Please don't bash VW, they make a solid car. It may not be for everyone, but it has it's place in the auto market. Again....I would have been happy with my Red Honda Fit Sport & if in stock, I wouldn't even be writing this! Maybe next time. Good Luck to all & I appreciate the well-wishers with me & my new Jetta TDI purchase.

 

Before I owned my first car (WAY back in 2004) I used to rent cars fairly frequently. I had a fully loaded Jetta for the entire month of December and did really love it! Mileage was really astonishing, even given our Canadian winter climate. So you're right, to each's own. All that matters is that you get yourself a vehicle that both you and your wife really enjoy. Of course posting this thread on a forum dedicated to the Honda Fit is bound to elicit some adverse responses, but oh well. Hope your new vehicle will bring you many trouble-free years of enjoyment!

 

Handling? The Jetta isn't a good handler at all, and the Fit is known for its adept and fun handling. Your wife should really spend a little time in a Fit. If she values looks over anything else and she doesn't like the Fit's design, well, okay. But take a look at VW's reliability reports lately. Abyssmal. Bottom in the industry. Recent owners of VW swear never again.

Resale? How 'bout an 07 Fit Sport bought for $16,200 and now going for $16,600 with 15k miles? The Jetta, or any VW for that matter can't touch Honda in resale either.

 

Sorry....You're incorrect. Yes...The Honda Fit (@ the moment) is keeping it's value because of supply & demand. There simply isn't enough Fit's to go around & for damn good reason! It's a GREAT "value" car, no doubt. If you're saying how a 2009 VW TDI Jetta handles vs. a Honda Fit, it's not even in the same class. The VW wins by a country mile! It's almost comical that you would even say that! VW's historcially are know for their handling & it doesn't end with the 2009 Jetta TDI. Plus on top of that, the Jetta is LOADED with features that the Honda Fit can't even begin to incorporate without a $20,000 price tag!

Checkout the "average resale" values on cars. Honda does very well, but not as good (depending on location) as VW.

Resale values depend son location my friend! Example: Buick XYZ model sold in Florida gets "X" amount. A Buick in The Michigan area gets "X" plus more! VW's are very popular in New England.

It's not even fair to compare the two. One cost $7500.00 more then the other! End of story.

 

FitCanada: Thanks for your kind words. It's funny my wife will never even use the new Jetta TDI (which I haven't even taken delivery yet) Many VW TDI owners are getting close to 50MPG on the highway, 33+ in the city. Diesel costs more here in New England (plus 50 cents a gallon) but over time I'll make that back up. Plus, we get a $1300.00 rebate for good old Uncle Sam for clean emissions! Yes...The new TDI is very, very green aswell. I knew there would be some people that would "bash" the TDI. Usually there are kids & they need to justify their purchase. No worries here. Thanks again for your positive reply!

 

No problem! Don't get me wrong, it isn't possible to love a Honda Fit more than I do but I can respect other people's decisions to opt for another makes/models. Here's to many happy years of driving for both of us!

 

Sorry, I disagree on all points again.

And I did a KBB search for an 07 Jetta GLI which stickers for $24,000. KBB now lists it for $18,630. That's hardly coming close to the Fit's APPRECIATION. Link:

http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/Pric...uizConditions=

And as you stated, $7500 more for a car that spends most of its time in the shop, which of course will tally a continuously escalating tab after end of warranty, and doesn't hold its value as well as the Fit.

Hey, if you really want that Jetta, go for it. We all here are trying to provide some input on the Fit's end, since that's the reason you must've posted this here in the first place.

 

As I mentioned, I've owned 5 previous VW Jettas. None of them spent any time in the "Shop" with the exception of my 1988 Jetta. It had some issues, although not major ones. Still..The 88 versions was kind of a PITA!

VW has come a long way since then. They use to be known for electrical issues & I only had a slight problem once on my 1997 GLI. You must understand why the Fit is doing extremely well in the resale category...It's very simple...Once Honda picks-up production & you can walk into any Honda dealer & buy one off the lot, then resale will go down. Simple "Supply & Demand" Economy cars never, ever hold their value "that" well, regardless of the manufacturer. The price of gas really helps the Fit's resale. What happens if gas goes back down to $2.50 a gallon (do I hear offshore drilling has been approved?) Give it another year & you'll see what I talking about! In two years The Fit will be eveywhere!

Diesel engines have two positives things going for it. 1st: MPG 2nd: Engine Lifespan. My TDI will outlast any gasoline engine, including your beloved Fit my friend.

PS: Did you account for zip code for the 2007 GLI? Mine is 01930. Trust me, it's worth another $1500.00 here!

 

I just like to say congrats on the jetta. I've actually driven the newer jettas and I like them. I think the interior is top notch for its class and its a great daily driver. I haven't driven the TDI but Im sure the torque is incredible.

 

Juliane: My god...It's not the 70's anymore! Get over it! 70's Beetle & you're comparing it to a 2009 Jetta TDI? Please.

 

With the new GTI just around the corner, I can only imagine how nice the next Jetta will likely be. IMO, it seems as though VW is taking a page from Honda with the styling....very reminiscent of the current Civic with its low roofline and sportier profile. But no hating here...it's all good for the consumer.

As for handling, who cares....no enthusiast is going to leave his vehicle stock anyway.

Honda-Boston, I'm in the same boat...my wife hates the Fit, though I love it. I may very well end up getting a Jetta, myself, if not a Civic. To each his own.

 

I would've taken the VW over the 09 too

 

Congrats to your new Volkswagen Jetta TDi. I've owned 4 VW in the past 2 Gti, Scirroco and a Golf 1.8t. The TDi is a great choice, good gas mileage, so easily tuned to get a lot more power and it is so clean that there is no diesel smell from the exhaust gas. I would not worry what others think as long as you are happy with your VW, thats good enough ...I can't wait to see the new VW Scirroco and the DSG is dope.

 

I love my 07 GTI. LOVE it. I'll even say I tend to loathe automatic transmissions, and my GTI has a DSG and is just a blast to drive. I haven't really had many issues with it, other than a CEL which the dealer diagnosed and I'm waiting on a part to come in. I test drove a Fit and while it's a fun car, I wouldn't say it's quite as fun as the GTI. It kind of reminds me of my Protege5. It's got it's own personality, and while it's not a beast, it feels solid and seems like it'd be a good driver's car. But the GTI, well, I just love the boost. However, I'm looking to get into something with lower payments and better gas mileage without having to fill up on (hard-to-find right now in upstate SC) premium fuel, so I've been eyeing all of the subcompacts available on the market and will pick one of them up if I can get what I want for my VW. I've squeaked out 35 mpg a time or two in the GTI, but I can't do it consistently, more like 28 or 29. In terms of buying another VW, I'd love to have a Scirocco if it's brought to the USA, or whatever new R series they come out with.

 

I showed my parents my new Fit and they loved it. Now they want to trade their Lexus GS 300 for a few days to give it a try!! The sounds is almost as good as their Mark Levinson system (really surprising for such a cheap car, I use the USB and vbr 192 mp3's).

I find if I watch the instantaneous gas consumption display, it really teaches you to drive economically, esp. uphills. Just have to accept to be slow...and I don't seem to be holding up traffic anymore, now that most people seems to have slowed down. The AT have gearing more for fuel mileage and may explain some of the difference. Mine did not seem to go down after 1000km, more my driving changes. My wife can only manage 6.1-6.6 L/100km. Sorry can't find the conversion to mpg.

 

L/100 km to US MPG = 235.2/(L/100 km)....so in your case you're looking at 35.6 MPG to 38.6 MPG.

 

Hey FitGirl, that's my wife's. Mine would be around 42mpg.
Just overinflated my tires to 35psi, nothing too excessive, will see what that gives.
Thanks for the conversion numbers.

 

I'm seriously considering doing the same with my tires. Note, it isn't REALLY overinflating since the MAX Psi posted on the Dunlop tires themselves is 51. It's Honda that posts 33 psi as the recommended tire pressure. Not exactly sure why but there are multitudes of very detailed posts in the ECO section of this forum. Too much detail for me! I think that I'll try 40 psi for my Sport. I'd go to a max of 45 psi if I was assured that my fuel economy would significantly improve. I'll just try 40 first and keep track of my numbers. Ultimately I do not want to greatly impact the wear on my tires. Difficult to reach a compromise between better fuel economy and little impact on the even-ness of tire wear....

 

All-in-All I would have been happy with the Honda Fit, but I need a new car now & 6 weeks is too far away for me. I could have used our extra car for a few weeks, but once again German Engineering won me over (this is my 5th Jetta) Well...I just thought I would throw my 2 cents in. I think all of you really are on with the Honda Fit, great car, excellent MPG & uses 87 octane fuel & it's a bullet-proof Honda! Well...I would like to say good luck to you all!

Alex

Link to my TDI:

http://vw.quirkcars.com/new-inventor...seHistory=true[/quote]


Hey, before you go and never come back, could you let us know what real world MPG you get with that TDI? I test drove one and loved it. I was a little scared of VW's reliability and it's a new emission system (fairly compicated with 3 cats) so I'm leaning towards the fit.

Thanks.

 

I would be very careful if inflating to 40 psi or higher. Keep in mind that as you inflate a tire that high you'll really lose handling, grip and braking. It could be a hazard, and you wouldn't want that. Also steering will get even lighter.

Try it out, but do some handling/braking tests immediately afterward.