We have always bought cars with the long view - we buy cars to keep and drive, not to trade back in. I guess we will have to stick to cars made before 2004 or something like that, take the higher mileage and get a better-made car. This whole process of looking for a new car has been very stressful and frustrating. It's sickening that every year, we get less and less quality in a car for higher cost.

You're right, the only reason the Fit took off is that gas prices spiked up, and then Consumer Reports reviewed it twice in 2 months as one of the best, lowest-costing gas-saving cars. That did it - all the baby boomers want one! Better than a golf cart...

The reason it "fits" for me is that I am a tightwad, I don't want to spend a lot of money for a third car, I have a 17-year-old who is now driving my 13-year-old Camry and when it dies, I want to buy him a newer used car. If I spent all the money on an expensive car for me, that'd just be plain selfish. The Fit seemed to be a great problem-solver - great mileage, I drive in the city most of the time, short errands, no commute. It's inexpensive, so I don't blow the budget. It's cute and fun to drive - why not, I'm not dead yet! And, it comes in the best color I've ever seen - Blackberry Pearl.

I just had no idea when I started looking at Fits, that everyone and their brother would be buying it right out from under me. I had no idea that the new model year styling would not appeal to me AT ALL, nor that the supply of '08s would completely dry up before I could even drive an AT and decide which tranny I wanted.

Well, anyway, I just told you my life story. Guess I'd better sign off or someone will tell me I have nothing better to do!

 

I mostly agree, but not about the Fit. I think many people have been looking for a small, quality car and the Fit would have been a hit, no matter the price. I was waiting to trade my 11 yrd old Civic Hatchback until they came with something small. I don't want to drive a big bulky car nor a little tinny car.

Comparisons between Civic hatchback and the comparable small cars always had the Civic hatch coming out ahead -- heavier, solid, more luxe...

We have a RAV and I never shut the door that I don't go back and check that it shut. I want to hear a nice, solid door-close on a car, even a "cheap" little car. My favorite thing to show doubters is the curb weight and the solid SHUT of the doors. Honda makes a solid-feeling vehicle. Most other of the comparables feel light and seem cheaply made to me. I want to close a car door and not have it sound like a metal cabinet door closing.

The Fit's quality -- the "feel" of things, the acceleration (sorry, not much up on engine tech terms) and the way it corners like a snake in a rathole certainly beats the competing models to death. And the manufacturing holds up.

I park near a Spectra, an Aveo and a Yaris almost every day. The difference in my coworker's vehicles and mine is remarkable. Their cars, even clean and well-cared for, look raggedy -- even next to the 97 Civic I was driving until last month. In fact, in our small parking lot at work, there is probably a Honda in every other space, the range being probably 1994-2008. Just a glance shows quality...

I've also noticed that non-Honda people are often driving some loaner because their cars are in the shop so often! Ha

 

Gross. Do you have to wash it a lot?

 

Funny!

 

Word, yo.




Updated!!!

looking for new pics, I saw a SSM in the 09 thread!!

 

Yes, and I have to put a clothespin on my nose and my car's every day to survive being around them. Those poor suckers.

Luckily, we are heavily-Honda at work. Three Accords, 2 Elements, at least 5 Civics of all ages, an Odyssey or two, a Pilot once in a while, and a '08 VBP in a pear tree.

 

is it rear disc???????

 

No sir, not in the US at least.

 

One feature I was glad to see for the 09 fit was a locking gas door. Well, I was reading the manual, and it's not a locking door at all. It looks like one, but outside the vehicle, if you push in on the right side of the gas door, it pops open. Oh well, at least it looks like a locking gas door.

 

I guess that means if your gas tank gets siphoned then you know you got robbed by a fellow Fit enthusiast.

 

Thats funny... If that happened to me I would look for the closest Fit in the lot and go get my gas back! Then I'd sit back and watch for when they get in their car and realize

 

Automotive news says width .5" wider, wb 98.4", EPA mileage 1 less on manual, 1 more on auto, and base price $15220, also up $600 on each line. Weight up 57 lb but that is suspected shipping weight without any fluids. Suspected increase 150 lb. to 2584 lb on base MT.

 

No one mentioned (after reading this whole dang thread) that the old motor was LEV (low emissions vehicle) vs. the 09 being ULEV (ultra low emissions). It matters to me. My old Civic HX (03/MT) was ULEV and consistently turned 40 MPG in mixed driving on summer gas. I'm hoping the Sport MT I get does nearly as well. I realize the Fit is almost 4" taller than the Civic.

 

Heard from a local dealer that paddle shifters and navi not available on the canadian Sport model. Is that possible - especially no paddles?

 

Unfortunately that is true. No Paddle Shifters, no VSA, no NAV and no Tire Pressure Monitoring System(TPMS) for us Canadians. I am so tempted to import a fully loaded Sport.

 

Just plain redicolous why Honda Canada wouldn't offer this...and it also doesnt help that we still pay $3000 more and have double the freight/pdi.

 

Very nice pix. How do you post this size pic? I am doing a post on installing a roof rack at this site, but can't figure out how to post my pix. Thanks, Idaho Jake

 

Hey Jake,

To post a pic, you have to have the pic on a third party site. I may have beaten you to the roof rack, as I have been using it all summer with a kayak on top. Still getting over 40 mpg with two kayaks and A/C some of the time.



http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...oofracks04.jpg

 

hmm. hands down ild say 09 wins.

 

Here's a great video that compares the '08 and the '09, as well as comparing the fit to other cars. It also mentions the (very few and minor) negatives to the new '09:

YouTube - 2009 HONDA FIT NEW CAR REVIEW