Well my friend bought a Fit a few days ago and i finally got to drive his.
I also drove a 2006 Corolla to compare them. Let me say that both are
very nice cars. Let me point out IMHO the differences.

Fit pro's
-more shoulder room
-interior volume is incredible(the Tardis of small cars)
-felt "peppier" due to higher gearing
-nicer looking IMHO (silver sport 5spd)
-magic seats are magic!
-better handling

Fit con's
-more expensive($500 rebate and their dealing on Corolla's)
-more wind noise at 65
-38 vs 41 mgp rating
-109hp vs 126hp
-front seat isnt as nice
-no temp gauge

just my two cents!

 

Dealing on Corrolas? With what features? Power, Side and side curtain airbags? ABS and EBD brakes?

Add all those and see if you still have a deal.

 

I've always been a fan of the current-generation Corolla.

Nice looking car.

 

Hey I said they were dealing not giving them away!

 

Matrix would be a better comparison since it's the hatch version of Corolla. If I can find Matrix/Vibe w/ auto, abs and side-impact airbags used for under $16K, I may go with that instead since overall comfort should be better while mileage is same. Fit probably faster and def. easier to park being 14" shorter. Despite Fit magic seats, Matrix has more avail. cargo and the front pass seat folds flat to meet folded flat rear seats.

 

Funny, I went to a Toyota dealer this weekend to test drive an XA and a Matrix just for comparison sake to the Fit and the dealer there highly recommended the XA over the Matrix (and Yaris). Mainly because of the standard features that come with the XA but also because the Matrix is US made versus Japan. He also pointed out their used cars across the street and there were about 4 Matrix and no XAs.

Unfortunately I didn't get to drive either, the one XA there was getting pulled for a dealer swap and I also happened to cut my hand pretty badly on the rear head rest. I figured that was a sign. They also can't hang on to any Yaris hatchbacks, he gave me a 2-3 week estimate for one to appear in their showroom. The sedan was nice though.

And also, recently I went on a roadtrip in a new Corolla and I'd have to say it was a pretty uncomfortable drive. My wrists were hurting & the seat was not so comfy. Not that the Fit looks totally designed for long road trips or anything, just wanted to share my experience.

 

well i think the us-built thing is a canard - the corolla/prizm from the same factory had stellar reliability. i bet the salesman gets more money on the xa cuz it's a no-negotiation priced vehicle with lots of little dealer-installed ad-ons. true though - scion is completely absent from used car lots so far and matrix is plentiful. we'll see in a couple years if that changes. i don't know who would buy a yaris hatch over the xa.

 

I don't think the salesman was giving me a line. He knew I wasn't walking out with anything. He wasn't just one of the regular suit & tie guys, he was in jeans and baseball cap and said he was the fleet manager.

Anyway, he gave me quite a few tips actually on what to look at in cars and in their construction. He pointed out a few other Toyotas that he would make quite a bit of money on but didn't think they were that well made. I even made the point of saying he could make more money if he recommended these other models like the Matrix or Yaris, but it really made no difference to him. He thought the XA was just the best value for the money. He even said how the optional side impact bags on the XA would really only deploy in rollovers or unless you were hit so hard part of the roof caved in, he would sell them but didn't think they would do a whole lot in minor crashes. So I thought he was honest, I appreciated what he had to tell me. Too bad he's not selling a Fit.

And I'm not interested in the Yaris either, but I did just want to see it in person and drive it to compare.

 

Carolla's 41 is EPA 2005 or 6, whereas fit's 38mpg uses the stricter (and more realistic) 2007 standards.

 

Can you point me to the info that talks about the change in MPG ratings?

Thanks.

 

between that and the horsepower ratings change this year, it's tough to compare!

 

Give this a whirl: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/

...and an article talking about it: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/con...eage_edit.html

The 2007 Fit's mileage is supposed to have been calculated, using the new method.

 

"Although no single test can ever account for the wide variety of driving conditions and styles, EPA’s proposal will bring the MPG estimates closer to the fuel economy consumers actually achieve on the road. The new MPG estimates will take effect with model year 2008 vehicles, which will be available in dealer showrooms in the fall of 2007"

From the EPA site. The Fit is tested the same as the Corolla.

 

corolla 5spd manual was 2500rpm's@65mph so i could see how it
could get the 41mpg over the fit. I like the fit better even still!