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Fit vs Focus

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  #21  
Old 10-23-2012, 11:10 AM
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^ Get an aftermarket headunit with BT and you'll be fine.
 
  #22  
Old 10-23-2012, 11:20 AM
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Automatic to automatic the Focus outperforms the Fit in almost every category. .91g on skidpad for the Focus is pretty impressive. Slalom speeds are good too. 2 seconds faster 0-60 (10 seconds for the automatic Fit is 80's Toyota territory )

I would be concerned about the Focus' reliability myself, but I guess if I wasn't planning on keeping the car more than 3 or 4 years I might consider it. Also skeptical on resale value down the line. The Fit has kept it's value very well through the years and on top of the reliability makes a good car for the long haul.

How long do you plan on keeping the car?
 
  #23  
Old 10-23-2012, 11:23 AM
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This time for a very long time. Till it says I cannot go any further
 
  #24  
Old 10-23-2012, 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by hteejus
This time for a very long time. Till it says I cannot go any further
Well I think the Fit will get you further with less small annoying problems. I don't doubt that the Focus will go the distance as far as being a running reliable car, but I predict fixing a lot of small gadgets, knobs and doo-dads along the way.

8-10 miles per day isn't bad with the Fit, I don't think comfort will really be an issue unless you have back, leg or shoulder problems. I've done several 10-11 hr days driving in mine and I was ok. There is definitely more comfortable cars out there, but it does the job ok. I have a bad left shoulder and right knee (and no cruise haha) and i'm fine with it.
 
  #25  
Old 10-23-2012, 11:49 AM
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And as a general reminder, you can always rent a more comfortable car for occasional long distance travel.
 
  #26  
Old 10-23-2012, 11:57 AM
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Thanks all for your thoughtful comments so far. Really appreciate it.

Also is $19,538 OTD a good price for 2013 sport?

@Kenchan, do you know of any good aftermarket handsfree/bluetooth for Fit?
 
  #27  
Old 10-23-2012, 12:50 PM
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That OTD price seems high, but your local and state taxes may be inflating it more. The price before TTL is more important...
 
  #28  
Old 10-23-2012, 01:15 PM
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Currently sales tax is 8.625% in my county. So price before sales tax is $17,850. If another 100 is deducted as DMV fee, then $17,750 is what I guess he is selling the vehicle for.
 
  #29  
Old 10-23-2012, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by hteejus
Thanks all for your thoughtful comments so far. Really appreciate it.

Also is $19,538 OTD a good price for 2013 sport?

@Kenchan, do you know of any good aftermarket handsfree/bluetooth for Fit?

if that's a sport MT that's kinda high. if AT sport then that's a good deal, i think depending on your tax.

i use a motorola Droid4 so i use their Roadster2. it's been pairing up great, battery lasts like 5wks without a charge for me used daily auto on/off.

actually i have two units. one in my GE, one in my G35C. the pioneer doubledin i use in my G35C is notorious for not pairing well with motorola phones for some reason so didn't get the BT module. the roadster2 works great.
 
  #30  
Old 10-23-2012, 03:05 PM
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btw, someone did a factory BT/speaker phone in their Fit... might want to consider this if you want OEM finish.
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ck-stereo.html

wat i dont like about these is it cuts off your music when you get a call. in my case, the party on the other end cannot hear music im playing in the background thanks to the roadster2's noise cancelling/beam forming technology. they say i sound clear as if im talking directly into my phone.
 
  #31  
Old 10-24-2012, 01:53 PM
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So I got the breakdown of price quote from dealer for 2013 sport A/T. Let me know what you think of the price...

Price = $17,995
Tax@8.625% = $1,548
DMV fee = $195
Grand total = $19,738
 
  #32  
Old 10-24-2012, 03:40 PM
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$700 off MSRP. Considering these are hot sellers, I think that's a good price...The dealer is making around $500 off of you.
 
  #33  
Old 10-24-2012, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by hteejus
Thanks all for your thoughtful comments so far. Really appreciate it.

Also is $19,538 OTD a good price for 2013 sport?

@Kenchan, do you know of any good aftermarket handsfree/bluetooth for Fit?
One thing you may want to do for Bluetooth is consider upgrading the head unit. For $250, you can get a nice Head unit from crutchfield with Bluetooth, better quality sound, iPod control, and many other options (like it is control-able from an android phone). if that isn't up your alley, I'd recommend one of the Parrot BT units. i have a rechargable one which works well but If i had to do it again, i'd get a hardwired unit that turned on with the car. Parrot has a lot of good units. That said, i'd still go for a head unit.

~SB
 
  #34  
Old 10-24-2012, 10:24 PM
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Well speaking from personal experience, the Focus is a lot more comfortable, more powerful, and more convenient. It seems like a cheap version of a luxury sports car. That being said, I would take my Fit over it any day. My dad has the 2012 Focus SE with most of the options, I have the '08 Base MT Fit. Personally, the Fit is WAY more fun to drive. Even though it doesn't actually perform as well, the Focus just feels insulated and boring. Something else to note... the inside of the Focus looks like it was designed to be a jet fighter cockpit. TONS of buttons, kind of cramped even in the driver's seat (compared to my Fit anyway) lots of angular surfaces... And the back seat is incredibly more cramped than my Magic Seats. The rear seats in my Fit are a sofa compared to the Focus. But the quality of the interior stuff is better in the Focus.

As far as transmission, the selective shifting on the A/T on the Focus is a gimmick. It doesn't do anything apart from letting you decide if you want to shift in 6 seconds or in 12 seconds. I understand m/t will shift much faster but it's a little ridiculous. There are zero problems with the transmission in the Focus other than that though.

All in all, I would definitely pick the Fit any day. The only exception being for a long highway trip (the Focus has a lot less road noise than the Fit)
 
  #35  
Old 10-25-2012, 01:21 PM
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Really appreciate for the helpful replies. I'm 90% decided on Honda Fit unless ford offers me some mind blowing rebate. I actually got another dealer beat that price. Will check if someone else can better that.

Dealer #1(Huntington Honda) : $17,995
Dealer #2(Paragon Honda) : $17,910
 
  #36  
Old 10-25-2012, 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by kenchan
yep, i think civic and focus are in the same league? fit should be compared to the festiva or fiesta or watever they call the smaller hatch.
Maybe, except the B-segment Fit has more interior space, even if the C-segment cars may have bigger engines. Fiesta is smaller inside, but are marketed as the same as the Fit.

The deal-breaker with the Fords is if you get the automatic. That new transmission may be more efficient, but a brand new design is taking a big risk on long-term durability. Honda doesnt have a good track record on that, either, but the Fit automatic is a proven conventional design.
 
  #37  
Old 10-25-2012, 04:58 PM
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considering everyone's using cvt these days which is also sort of new (well not new if you considered justy...but anyway), you can also say that honda hasn't 'evolved' much on the Fit's AT which could also be taken as a 'bad' thing...(?) not sure, what do the kids think about this?
 
  #38  
Old 10-26-2012, 12:41 AM
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Hi, I tested a 2012 Focus hatchback AT back in february when I shopping for a new car and before I got the Fit.

my personal opinions:
Pros for the focus:
- Nice interior
- Comfortable ride (rides like a larger car)

Cons:
- Electronically aided steering, feels numb
- Funky throttle response

So compared to the Fit, the Focus definitely has a better ride feel, better for long trips and ride on the Fit just feels harsh when compared to the Focus. But the stiffer suspension on the Fit just makes it feels better to toss into corners. I like the tactile feel of the Fit's steering better than the Focus, this is all subjective though and just my opinion.

I did test an AT Fit and it was a bit sluggish so I went with a MT. To be honest, if the MT wasn't an option on the Fit, I probably wouldn't have bought it.

anyway, I bought my Fit sport MT for $17500 before TTL and OTD was $19200 or so and I also live in nyc. I wrote a check for the full price of the car and i'm satisfied with that. I find that the final price you get really depends if you are going to finance or pay in full and at what percentage rate you get if you decide to take out a loan. So someone might say they got it for $16000 before TTL but what they're not saying is that they are financing it from the dealer at 5-8% or whatever. Sure the dealer will go for a lower selling price since they will rake you over the course of the loan. If you finance and at a rate favorable for the dealer, they will give you a better price for the car from my experience.

They prices you are mentioning are average, at those prices you aren't getting ripped off massively.
 
  #39  
Old 10-26-2012, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by kenchan
considering everyone's using cvt these days which is also sort of new (well not new if you considered justy...but anyway), you can also say that honda hasn't 'evolved' much on the Fit's AT which could also be taken as a 'bad' thing...(?) not sure, what do the kids think about this?
Not a kid, but understand that Ford is not using a CVT. BTW, Honda uses a CVT on the Jazz (Fit) in other markets. I just rented a CVT-equipped Sentra and hated it. Reminded me of 1950's automatics.

Ford is using a transaxle that essentially contains two manual transmissions with staggered ratios, two clutches, and computer driven solenoids to actuate everything. VW/Audi has been doing this for a few years now. Ford has cheapened it by using dry instead of wet clutches, which is why Ive heard complaints of not so smooth creeping along in traffic.
 
  #40  
Old 10-26-2012, 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by sy_edison
To be honest, if the MT wasn't an option on the Fit, I probably wouldn't have bought it.

anyway, I bought my Fit sport MT for $17500 before TTL and OTD was $19200 or so and I also live in nyc. I wrote a check for the full price of the car and i'm satisfied with that.
i agree completely. if the '12 didn't come with MT i wouldn't have bought mine either. i already have a 09 AT which my wife uses 99% of the time and i just hate that car's transmission and bogging slow drive. it's great in the evening hours when im relaxing, but as soon as i want to do any type of quick driving the car just does not respond well.

good deal on the car. i paid invoice on mine so was a tad lower on the otd. i also just gave them a check. i buy my cars cash.
 


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