I've got one of each, if I had to do it again I would be driving two Fits.
also iirc, they both have identical crash ratings

 

Look at that Civic!

"I'm yawning!"


Hey, how 'bout that Civic drive?

"I'm yawning again!"


So, that Civic is better that the Fit, eh?

and... "ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZ!"

 

im getting an si instead of a fit sport, but if it was any other civic (ex,lx,dx), i would rather get a fit sport, but get whatever you want because its your car and it should make you happy , good luck!

 

I test drove both. The Civic was just ok...the Fit was more my cup of tea.

 

This is Great advice !! Buy what you like.
I am curious how much $$ is your friend putting towards the car? If none, then it is completely your decision to make.

 

I test drove both before buying and found the Civic to be a somewhat numb drive compared to the Fit. Everything seemed to be remote, while the Fit felt immediate, like a sports car.

The only thing I would like in my next new car would be a real trunk, so the Civic may get a second look....

YMMV

 

That was exactly my mentality when i traded in my Fit in July. If my Civic wasn't a Si, I'd want my GD3 back.

 

OK... Well, drive them both, consider what your primary uses would be (i.e. if you like the ride, style, and comfort of a civic and haul junk twice a year, the junk-hauling ability of the Fit won't matter so much to you. You can borrow/rent a truck.
The longer wheelbase will be give you less hobby-horse bucking on concrete slab surfaces. It is a more comfortable ride, and depending on your build and desired driving position, it may be more comfortable. The Fit is low, but it is not a stretch your legs position like the Civic. If you have a long torso, the Fit would give you more headroom. If you have long legs, the Civic would give you more leg-stretching room (though the current iteration has a ridiculous hand-brake design that is engineered to jab you in the leg.)

It is marginally heavier... around 100-150 lbs. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean safer:


But mass usually* gives you a leg-up if it comes down to letting Isaac Newton do his work.

*Usually as in, when vehicles collide with opposing forces, more force is transferred from the more massive one. When dealing with stationary objects, the lighter vehicle will have less force to dissipate.

The current Civic has about three more years in its production cycle than the current Fit in the US market. Does he suggest that Honda sends their dunce engineers to the Fit department? No argument there. EPA ratings are the same overall. Highway may be better... it should be more comfortable anyway.
That's a repeat, no?Pretty close in size, but the Civic has a different personality.I've owned a Civic before, and I have a sorta-rule about cars - I never buy the same model twice. I may have to violate that rule for another (old, junker, weekend-toy) Wrangler one day... I still have "Jeep-dreams" about driving one, 8 years after selling it.There's a community for every car. I swear, there is a Sienna Forum. There's a CR-V forum.

There was (is?) an Echo forum. The CR-V and Element ones are amusing - on here, you see people dumping lots of money into Fits in pursuit of "performance," with widely varying degrees of success. On there, you see guys dumping money into cute-utes to make them more off-road capable, showing videos of driving down dirt roads and calling it "off-roading." It makes me wonder if the Jeep and Mustang guys are bragging about their fuel economy mods or how much stuff they can haul.

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. If cargo hauling and city scooting are less improtant to you than highway cruising and comfort, I'd suggest the Civic. The Fit isn't the most comfortable car, unless you devote some effort to tweaking the interior. Things like a center armrest (I don't count the fabric covered plunger-handle) and padded door armrests and seat height adjustment aren't standard (and the latter two aren't even available) in the Fit. Depending on what you want to spend, the Civic is available with far nicer options, including factory heated leather, heated mirrors, XM, and a moonroof. It has more power with no significant mileage hit. It does, however, lack the interior versatility.

 

Is there a reason why you are limiting your choices to just Hondas (Civic and Fit)? There are a lot of new redesigns coming in these next few months from other car makers.

 

I was really wanting an Si back in 2006 before I read that the Fit was going to start being imported here.... There was a lot of magazine comparisons of the Si and Golf GTI and The GTI would have won me over since I became infatuated with hatchbacks by way of the old VW Rabbit after owning both an old pre FI model and a later model diesel... There was a Honda SI hatchback Si being sold in Europe that I would have jumped on in a heartbeat if available here or even if there had been talk of it becoming so in a year or two.... Insurance premiums even for an old man with a good driving record and excellent credit was going to be much higher than I wanted to pay and so The first Fit I ever laid eyes on is what I chose to get.... The after market has been good to the GD-3s and Oscar Jackson took his time in developing a Rotrex supercharger setup that has addressed the lacking power between the Fit and the other cars I was giving some consideration to purchase without hurting the fuel mileage too much so I am very pleased with what I ended up with.... It is hard to beat the insurance rates on a small station wagon... I think I'll change the oil sometime in the next few days and maybe rotate the tires.

 

Coyote I thought the same thing about my insurance rates. Before I traded in my GD3 I got an online quote from my insurance agency. I was cringing the whole time expecting to see double the rate. But my premium only went up $2 a month. So insurance was one of my main concerns, but it turned out to be a non factor for myself. Granted insurance rates are gonna be different for each driver.

 

yea man, thats why im hopefully getting a 2011 taffeta white fa5 in a couple weeks or jan can't wait! K20 ftw!!!! gotta grab the new 1's before they stop producing them lol

 

Here is my list of pros and cons:

Civic Pros:
- Safer, since it's heavier and bigger
- Much more comfortable seats (left and right armrests are where you want them, ohhh, those seats are wonderful)
- Still looks good, yes a bit too common, but it's your car, so if it looks good, it doesn't matter that there are others that are the same.
- Trunk (helps to hide your stuff, plus separate drity and smelly items. Also in the collision, you will not have dangerous cargo flying all over the cabin [think jack stands, engine, dumbells, etc]
- Rear passenger seat has a middle armrest and just more civilized rear seat.

Fit Pros:
- Made in Japan vs Canada and USA for civic
- Real world mpg is significantly better (most civic owners report high 20s. Civic is a heavier car with 1.8 vs Fit's 1.5 engine. Plus the Fit engine is extremely modern and super advanced and improved (I could give you the sources).
- Great handling, amazing economy (40+ hwy for me).
- Cheaper/ more unique, good cargo capability
- Cheaper to maintain. Very high resale value, compared to civic.

If you are not a car enthusiast and just want a safe car for everyday driving, get the civic. I obviously chose the fit because it Fits me much better.

 

Lol not to be rude or anything but you said PROS and CONS. Those are just PROS, but really good PROS and very helpful. I just thought it was funny cause I really didn't see any cons in the post. And again don't take it the wrong way just pointing it out.

 

Get it while you can. Soon it might be a 1.6T, which might not be a bad thing.

 

From a person like myself who has owned both vehicles, I love the Fit better than the Civic. I bought a 2007 Fit Sport in 2006 and absolutely loved it.

Then in 2008 I traded in the Fit and got a good deal on an 2008 Civic LX. The car and ride was good. The car had a bit more power. After 6 months of owning that, I realized that I made a HUGE mistake of buying that car. I missed driving the Fit. Everytime i saw a Fit on the road I shook my head and thought of what an idiot i was for buying a Civic.

In this past October, I traded in the Civic and bought a 2010 Fit Sport. I and am happier than I ever was.

 

I wouldn't buy a civic, you know Honda is finally changing the old civic style in mid 2011??
the current style has been out since fall 2005 and it is dated, but Honda held on to it for more more year as civic sales are doing will with that old style , but still down from 2009 levels.
The fit was restyled in 2009 so it there should only be minor changes until 2014 or so.

 

Info/pics that coordinates with your theory....

Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Spied on the street part 2: 2012 Honda Civic
Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Spied on the street: 2012 Honda Civic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDffg...eature=related

 

I happen to own both a 2010 Civic EX-L and a 2010 Fit Sport (both automatics), and I have to agree with what some others have said here, in that they are both great vehicles, but each is a little better at specific things.

Many points are too close to call as far as a winner... both get great MPG, etc. I feel like the Civic is a bit more "refined" and civilized, while the Fit has more personality. We actually bought the Fit to replace a Pilot, and the Fit certainly lives up to it's reputation for utility.

If I had to choose only one, I would keep the Fit, just because it is more fun to drive and I like it's quirky character/charm.

 

I too have bashed my head into the roof line of the Civic. For people tall in the torso such as myself, the Fit is a God-sent. In my opinion, the Civic may have more interior room by the figures but the Fit feels roomier because of the high roof and all the glass.

Having driven the two, I can say there is no comparison. Give me a Fit.