Hi everyone.. big time lurker, first time poster here..

I've been flipping back and forth between a FIT Sport and a Civic LX-S as my next car. Haven't decided yet.

Anyhow, I keep reading relatively recent posts about people who are waiting weeks and even months for a new FIT. Are there parts of the country here in the US where they are that much in demand? I'm in East TN, and the same 5 FITS have been on the local dealer lot for 4-6 weeks. I drove past a dealer in NC last week that had literally over 20 of them lined up out front. With the economy the way it is, and Honda sales down 32%, I really can't understand why people are on a waiting list to buy a car at full MSRP.

Please, someone explain this to me.


Francois

 

My guess? People are ordering exactly what they want. The nearest Honda dealer is miles away for me and they had 2 Fits on the lot.....both gray and Sports without NAV/VSA. The only Fits I've seen on this particular lot are Black and Gray. I think people will order and wait for what they want? I know that's what I did! Just my thoughts. BTW, I researched a lot of vehicles and I'm sure pleased with my purchase....good luck with your decision!

 

people arent waiting long for auto's.... theyre waiting long for manuals.

 

They're waiting that long for specific options/colors.

It doesn't matter if the local lot have every single configuration except the one I want...it simply doesn't have the one I want. They could have one FIT or FIFTY FITS, but if they didn't have the white, base, automatic, I wasn't buying.

And after poking around all over several states for cars, for fun, I found that some areas just don't have certain cars. Apparently north Florida is THE place to find a stick Sport. Either they ordered a lot, or nobody buys them there. Whatever the case may be, they have them.

Some places don't have certain colors. Some places don't have stick. Some places don't have NAV. Some places don't have a base model.

You can try this at home.
Flip a coin: Base or Sport.
If Sport, flip a coin: Sport or Sport with Nav
Flip a coin: Stick or auto
Spin the bottle: for a color...

Now, find that car.

Fit Manual = six car colors
Fit Auto = six car colors
Sport Fit Manual = eight colors
Sport Fit Auto = eight colors
Sport Fit Manual NAV = eight colors
Sport Fit Auto NAV = eight colors
----------
Total: 44 variations.

 

welcome to the forum nice to see anther east tn member i know what you mean. i live in north knoxville and the 2 dealers near me have a bunch of fits fit sports with and without navi auto and manual. bases auto and manual and in the popular colors tw/or/bs/ssm/cbm the 09 fits just aren't selling here.

 

I could have had an Auto without Nav at any time, maybe only a couple week wait since they sell here before they hit the lot. Add more time if you want a certain color....


However, if you want a Manual, you pretty much have to order it and wait for it to be built. I have been waiting 4 months for my Orange MT Nav.

 

The combination of low gas prices and high inventory of Fits has slowed their sales. When gas was $4 a gallon, dealers were getting $1000 over sticker in many cases. Even though all car sales are down, Honda's timing of the Fit has been a great success for them. Although Honda's sales are down, they increased market share a few percent this year, a very difficult task. Apparently they had sold out of their first US allotment of Fits, prior to the release of the 2009 model. They are making a lot more of those.
I bought mine on December 12. The dealer had just recieved a shipment of 37 Fits the week before. He was down to 24 left. Even in a crappy economy, these things are selling, but because of slow sales, you can finally get a good deal on one, if you can get financing (better deal if you don't need financing)

When I hear about all the moaning & groaning of investors losing money from stock market & 401's, I can't think how much better off they would be if they made a car loan to their neighbors.

 

I agree that people are waiting so long because they want a specific color/trim/transmission. Most people seem to be buying a Fit because they want to, not just because they have to, so they can wait.

As for location, it seems that in New England there are very few Fits available at all, and those that are left tend to be unpopular Base ATs. Also, even though my dealership had already ordered the one I wanted before I put my name on it, I had to wait over a month for mine to ship from Japan and travel across the country to arrive here. They have none on their lot and travel time doesn't happen as quickly as you'd like to think.

 

I agree with that. I waited 2 weeks for my 09 Black Sport in Manual, I even had to travel 60 miles away to find one. This car is my daily and will be the beater for 2020. So I wanted to get the right color & tranny.

 

Exactly... Manuals for the most part are harder to come by, then factor in people who only want their one color. It was even harder for me, MT with Navi and only in the color I wanted. All together I've been waiting 4 months, it should be here any week. I needed a car bad, but was willing to wait to get what I wanted exactly as I wanted, plus my friend at the dealership got me a good price (below msrp).

If I was flexible on AT I could have had the car the same day with Navi, but I would have had to go to a different dealer (less discount), and it wouldn't have been manual.

 

And it IS regional, because the base AT for me was hard to find. I don't know how high anyone's gas prices got in their area, but it was close to $5.00 here.

Closest dealer to me right now has a whopping THREE FITs in stock. One sport, two nav, all auto. No base. Next one has 7 auto, with 4 nav, 2 sport, 1 base in silver (I wanted white). Another close one has 4 auto sports, that's it. One place has a lot, 18 or so, no stick, and one base (not white). That last dealer has several used Fits too, which have 20-30K on them and the prices are MORE than what I paid for my base.

Also, insurance costs less on the base model. It costs more to insure in a city, because it's more likely to be in an accident, simply because of all the other cars!!!

 

I've only found THREE stick Navs in my searching. That's it. There are not very many.

 

when the 09's first came out around here all you could get was auto sports with navis and the only colors where storm silver. but like alot of people have said since gas has gone down they are loaded with fits now.

 

I have a deposit on mine.
I went last Saturday and the dealer didn't have a ssm sport so he said he would do a dealer trade. He called me Monday and told me they have a shipment of fits coming in this week straight from Japan (including a ssm sport). So I told him I'd rather wait and get a fit sport that way nobody else has even touched my car. (yea I'm anal about my cars) ha ha.

That's the only reason I'm on hold.

btw I have new bulbs (Silverstar Ultra's) in my garage waiting and a tint appointment for Monday so hopefully it comes before then...



next month is suspension (tanabe nf210's or RS*R's)

P.S. Dealers can't keep them on the lots here.

 

I was in your same situation GapRunr. I was looking at the Fit vs Civic LX-s. I sat in the Fit and Civic. Fit seems so much more roomie inside. Drove the Fit and was convinced. It's fun to drive! Drive both. Sit in both. You will go with the Fit! I know it!

The dealer here has had 5 or so for a month. They parked them in back cuz they not selling. Hopefully they will have a tidewater one in a couple months.

 

I paid msrp for mine. Fits were a commodity in my state at the time. I could have gotten it for invoice, but I really didnt feel like traveling a total of 250+ miles for it.

 

Yes... mine was a pain to get.

 

Our Orange Revolution Sport w/Nav and automatic transmission is on the boat,as we speak. That particular color seems to be in short supply, either because:
a. It is very attractive and desirable
b. It is ugly and few people want it,and so very few are manufactured.

Whatever the case, we are waiting. Hopefully, the ship will not be attacked by pirates.

 

no worries. it's coming from Japan so there are plenty of Ninja on board to protect your Fit

 

I go with B!! I kid I kid! I like the orange. It's probably A. If my wife wasn't the boss, I'd 4 sure look into the orange.