I am ready to get a new car. My current car, a well-loved '95 Camry with 120+K miles on it, will go to my 17-year-old son to drive himself and his younger brother to and from school. When hubby and I first started looking at new cars for me, we were thinking to just get a new Camry - we've had 2 and he drives a 4-runner now. But then we found out that the '07 Camry has a real problem that causes it to hesitate just when you need extra power, like getting onto the highway. Evidently it's a drive-by-wire feature but it's freaking people out, and causing a lot of people to get rid of their Camrys.

So then hubby brought up the Rav4. It's a LOT bigger than it used to be, which I thought wasn't that great, but I kind of liked the idea of a hatchback. This was before gas went so high - last year. We looked at them, test drove one, and then I got swamped by all the options and pricing and just shut down on the whole project. I also found a few reports of the same thing happening on the Rav4 that has been happening on the Camry, and I got nervous. Also, if I spend upwards of 30K on my car, and then son's car craps out, we're going to have problems buying HIM something.

My brilliant idea was to buy a used Camry, the year before the problem started, and save the extra bucks in case the older car konked on us, and buy son a newer used car (maybe an Accord or something) to take to college. BUT, and there always is a BUT - finding a low-mileage '06 Camry in this area is almost impossible - 20K miles a year is not unusual.

Frustrated reading this yet??? Gas prices shot up and I started thinking about getting better gas mileage - I do mostly city driving and I get maybe 21 mpg in the Camry. I picked up Consumer Reports' car issue, leafed through it, saw the Fit, and was interested. (I toyed with buying an XB when they first came out - it was weird enough to be interesting - but at the time, we didn't need the 3rd car and by now, they've ruined the car, so that's out too.) One reason I've never seriously considered a Honda is the road noise issue - it really bothers me that a brand new car should have so much road noise. But with the Fit, somehow it...doesn't seem so important. Maybe it's because the car is so darn inexpensive...

I've seen, handled, driven the Fit now. I was a little torn between the MT and the AT, but am leaning toward the AT, just because I do so much city driving. I think the paddle shifting is an interesting gimmick but tricky to use at first, and I probably wouldn't use it much, maybe for getting onto the highway. I was impressed with the high revs though.

I guess my main concerns are: It's just so darn small! I know it has safety equipment and all, but there are so many HUGE trucks and SUVs in my area. Can I feel safe in it? I want to have a fun drive, I want good gas mileage, I HAVE to have a reliable car, period. One other concern is the AC, as I said in another thread. It seemed pretty puny when we drove the other day. We use our AC from March through October or November down here, and it HAS to work, and work well.

I'm a suburban mom of teenagers - maybe it's my mid-life crisis car? If so, hubby is getting off pretty cheap. Tell me what you think of my story and if I can be happy with the Fit or if I should go back to the Rav4, which is way more comfy but LOTS more $$$.

 

Juliane,
You'll be as safe in the Fit in a crash with a big truck as you would be in a big truck in the same crash. Probably safer, but the Fit will spend longer in a body shop afterward. The Fit WILL be reliable, FUN, and get good gas mileage. I sold my F-150 Supercab V-8, that I mostly drove around empty with only me in the cab, in order to buy my Fit for cash. With a roof rack and a trailer hitch on the Fit, I have NOT missed the luxury truck, and have fun with every single drive.

Buy it-Buy it-Buy it!

 

I would suggest that you read all of the complaints and praise for this vehicle on this forum. I was actually on this forum for about a year before I purchased my Fit. This forum is a great source of information.

With that said, here is my two cents. You might miss the power of your Camry. I went from a turbo Mazda Protege to this car. That car was no V8 powered sports car either. I'm actually use to the power of the Fit, and it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I live in Dallas and I was a little worried about the A/C too, although the humidity isn't quite as bad as Houston. We have been hitting 100 for the past couple of weeks almost daily. The A/C does fine. I usually have it on setting 3 or 4 after it sits in the sun all day. After about ten minutes, I have to turn it down. I have a white Fit and with beige interior and that may help some. I suggest you get the darkest tint and a light exterior color. I can't believe the amount of vehicles I see in Texas without tint.

I've never really cared or payed much attention to mpg until recently with the current gas prices. I drive about 50/50 city/hwy consistently and always get around 34 mpg. On a recent road trip towards Houston down I-45, I averaged 39 mpg. I don't drive fast, but I don't get ridiculous trying to drive perfectly for best mpg. I have a manual as well, but I've had a manual in every car since 1991.

Anyway, I hope that I helped some. I love my Fit. Good luck.

David - Dallas
07' tw Fit Sport
91' NX2000

 

To be honest I haven't read anything you posted besides your title. I would talk you into buying a fit by just saying. Just do it bro.....

jk..... hopefully we will see you in a fit soon

 

Check out my thread below about Fit crash testing and you can compare it with results of other cars you are interested in.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...e-impacts.html

 

I've had my Fit for two weeks now and still trying to get used to the non-telescoping steering wheel being too far away. Just make sure you are comfortable with that.

 

While I highly recommend the Fit, and it does get a high rating in crash tests, I disagree with your statement that "You'll be as safe in the Fit in a crash with a big truck as you would be in a big truck in the same crash. Probably safer ... The crash tests I have seen involve two different scenarios: 1. Test vehicle (the Fit) traveling forward, crashing into a fixed object. 2. Stationary test vehicle (the Fit) hit in the side by a rolling object. The Fit does well in both tests. But that is not to say that the Fit would fare as well if it were hit by a Suburban, a Hummer, or even a Tahoe, for that matter, especially if the collision were head on.

 

I have an '08 Fit Sport with a manual transmission. I'm a male, age 57, and totally believe Honda got it right with this car.

Based on what I have read on this forum, I believe you will get a lot more out of the Fit if you select a manual transmission -- better mileage (I'm averaging over 40 mpg), better acceleration, more driving fun. However, a manual can be tedious in city stop-and-go, so maybe an automatic is a better choice for your situation.

I do not find road noise to be excessive, and the AC works well (though we don't need to use it as much in Vermont as you would in Texas, obviously).

In Europe and other parts of the world, many, many people -- the majority -- drive subcompacts like the Fit/Jazz. I hope the US trends in that direction. So maybe if you get a Fit, you'll see a decrease in people driving overly large, wasteful vehicles within the next five years.

I would say, Go ahead and get a Fit. If, after a year or two, you find that it's too small or underpowered, you can pass it on to your son. Or you can sell it -- as a Honda and a good-gas-mileage vehicle, it will have held its value.

 

Well, you're probably on the wrong forum for us to talk you out of buying one . Since your concern isn't money, I can relate. We just sold our loaded 07 IS250 and got a Fit...we love it! Do we miss some of the luxuries? Sure, but I like having the extra money too. I say get the Fit and if you don't like it you can trade it or sell it without much loss. If you get the RAV4 and don't like it, you'll definitely lose more getting rid of it.

As for the A/C issue, we just got our windows tinted and there is a huge difference. It is so much better now.

Hope that helps and good luck with whatever you decide!

 

I'm 40 years old. I've got a wife and a 3 year old and a baby's coming in November. My wife drives a $40,000 vehicle (that'll be payed off in 2 more payments - wooohooooooo!!!). I needed a car to replace the Camry we had. I test drove 13 cars (including the xB and the CRV) and after all that it came down to the new Jetta TDI or a Honda Accord EX-L. Both are about $25,000. Then I drove the fit. Loved it! I'll be buying an '09 Fit Sport in December. It'll save us about $150 a month over the Accord - gas and payments.

I say go for the fit. If you find it's just not right for whatever reason, sell it - it won't take long!!

 

Well, I'm with the majority here, definitely get a Fit. I'm 46, and I've driven Honda's since the 80's, and they are very reliable and cost-efficient. As far as crashes go, I was in quite a serious wreck with my Honda Civic a few years back. Now, I know that a Civic isn't a Fit, but the construction of the Civic is what saved my life.

If it were me, I'd probably get the Fit for your son, and drive the older car around myself. The peace of mind knowing that my child was in a very very safe and reliable wehicle would be worth the price of the Fit!

 

I have thought about that - driving it for a year and sending son to college with it. Of course he wants an S-2000 or a Tc! Dream on, kid, and GET A JOB! Ha ha. In fact, it was really funny, b/c we both went to Toyota so I could compare the Matrix, and the sales guy thought son was getting the car! No way. What is there for a kid to strive for if he's got his first new car at 17???!!!

One other factor is that this will technically be my very first brand-new car. Our Camrys were "program" cars, with about 7K miles on each, and when I was younger, for years I didn't even own a car (lived in Denver where there is good mass transit, worked w/in walking distance of my apartment). I'm fighting with myself on "cheaping out" with this little car - should I go for a more expensive vehicle? Then the thrifty side kicks in and says, "No matter what, it's just an engine, transmission, and 4 wheels!"

I am still pondering and meanwhile the Vivid Blue AT will probably be reserved by someone else....sigh...

Oh, and the European feel of this car is part of what I like...We travel in Europe and drive rental cars over there, and the Fit is very European in that it looks small on the outside but feels roomy inside, and gets reasonable gas mileage - although it would be still better over there.

 

Oh, I forgot to say that we buy cars with the intent to keep them until they die. We've had the Camry for 12 years now, and we intend to keep the 4 runner that long too. So I have to get a car I really, really like.

That doesn't completely rule out selling if I find I can't deal with the Fit's drawbacks, just that we aren't trade-in after 2 years folks.

 

It may be a good idea to check out the thread below before purchasing an 08 Fit right now:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...8-vs-09-a.html

 

Thank you very much - I do not like the elongated look of the '09s so if I get a Fit, it has to be an '08, which only adds to the pressure cooker feeling, since the '08s are mostly gone now!

I am a person who, when pushed, will just shut down and choose none of the above. A little mulish, I guess, my daddy was from Missouri and his daddy was a mule trader!

 

"No matter what, it's just an engine, transmission, and 4 wheels!"

You know what? The Fit is more than that. It has this elan and spunk that really appeals to me. It handles beautifully, provides very useful and efficiently laid out space, and just plain looks good. I like it more than any car I have owned before.

We, too, believe in buying cars and keeping them. Before the Fit, we had a Subaru station wagon, 12 years old and with 180,000 miles. We intend to keep the Fit that long also.

We travel in Europe at times -- Iceland most recently -- and like the "less is more" philosophy embodied in small, efficient cars. We also appreciate their economy.

I also much prefer the looks of the current generation Fit to the redesign. That's why I bought my Fit in April rather than wait for the new ones to come out. I don't think you need to panic, though, unless you're set on a specific color/configuration. (I wanted Milano Red, and it is a beautiful cheery color. I also highly recommend the Sport over the Base.) I should mention that there's a persistent rumor that the '09 may not have a spare, if that is a factor for you.

Good luck in making your choice.

 

I'm also in Houston, and I just got my Fit on Monday. So far with these scorchers we've been having this week the air conditioner has been struggling a little on that afternoon drive home, but it's not too bad. There were times my old Explorer had trouble with Houston in July as well.

The feel with cars around you is not too bad, even on Houston freeways. Unlike most smaller cars, you sit pretty high in the Fit, so those F350's don't seem that gigantic.

Rannous

Oh, and good luck finding a Fit locally - I lucked out and got one that somebody else had failed finance on after special ordering, or I'd still be waiting. Almost nobody had any in stock here.

 

I have it on good authority that there are 2 Sports, one in Vivid Blue Pearl and the other in Silver, I think, on their way here from OK. That was on Tuesday and by now, they might both be spoken for.

Congratulations on getting your new car! What color did you end up with? I had decided ahead of time that my next car would be black, but totally changed my mind for the Fit. It just doesn't look better in black. I wish they had given us that bright yellow they have in Japan, though. I also like the red, but red paint always fades out.

 

We got really lucky - My wife fell in love with Blackberry Pearl, and when the one at John Eagle became available just happened to be Blackberry Pearl, it was fate. We had gone in to give them a deposit and probably end up waiting for an '09, and this one dropped in our laps.

And if you were thinking about black and haven't seen what the Blackberry Pearl looks like outside of pictures, you might want to give it a try. My best explanation is glossy black paint, with purple (and a few blue) metallic flecks in it. At night it looks black, but the brighter the light, the more purple it gets.

Rannous

 

The first one I test drove was in Blackberry Pearl, but I thought it was actually more like navy blue. I don't want a navy blue car, so I didn't even consider it. Any color swatches I have seen of this color look like plain old navy blue to me. Now, it was a rainy day and perhaps the color just wasn't showing up. I don't really like any of the colors that much, truth to tell, so it's kind of a washout on color for me. I don't think I'm going to have that much to pick from now. What was your OTD price, if you don't mind sharing that? John Eagle was one of the dealers I got a quote from, but they told me they wouldn't have any more Fits until the '09s get there in September/October. I hated Honda Cars of Katy - they called me to say they had the EXACT car I wanted, in fact, 5 of them, but when I got there, SURPRISE! No cars. I was steaming!