Hello,
I am newbie to this forum and just amazed to see such active (and Fit!) user community.

As the message title suggests, I am in the market for buying a new compact car. My original # 1 choice was Prius, before I came across the Honda Fit - ofcourse.

I haven't test driven the car yet, but based on all the information available online, Fit is definitely my # 1 choice. A 5-6K price difference between Prius and Fit is too big to make me switch sides

My only concern as of now is Honda Fit's performance in bad weather. Being resident of suburban Boston (MA) area, I need a car that my wife can safely drive on snowy/slippery roads as well as in windy conditions on the highway.
This will be mainly a home-office commute car with atleast 50 miles of highway driving daily - though the traffic is no different than driving on a city road

I read somewhere the the Stability and Traction control are additional options on the Sport trim.
How does the Fit perform without those controls? Is this a city driving-preferred car?


I am looking forward to some comments/suggestions/concerns that the Fit owners can throw in based on their experience.

Thanks a lot !
hp

 

Your wise to pick the Fit over the Prius, given all the issues with them right now and besides, I've heard they don't get anywhere close to 61 mpg in the city but then again, maybe with the new rating system its been adjusted to be more realistic. Speaking of mileage I can tell you this, with about 3k on my car I'm blowing away my EPA ratings, heck, I get almost 33 with mixed driving and have gotten 39.4 mpg on a recent trip from Detroit to Chicago! I did feel a little bit on the freeway but that's a given, basically because the car weighs about 2500 lbs, give or take, so its nothing to worry about too much.

As far as weather goes, well, I can't comment on that but I'm sure someone will, but its gotta be good in the snow, its light and FWD and you don't really need the t/c as long as you don't get too carried away in the snow, stability control comes with the sport IIRC and I know the brake control does with the sport. One thing about t/c is that if the snow is deep and you get stuck, you would turn it off anyways as to get the needed momentum to get un-stuck, i.e. the "old school" method of getting yourself out of deeper snow (I'm originally from Detroit, so I too know about snow) It is true that to get t/c you have to get the nav system and because its a Honda, the voice commands are supposed to be of the best on the market and would add to resale value down the road too.

If there were any concerns above and beyond that, you could get snow tires, this would not only give you even more piece of mind but would keep miles and wear off of your nice factory alloys during all the snow and salt. Because the car doesn't have real big brakes, small 15 steel wheels wrapped in snow tires wouldn't cost you all that much money, you might even be able to get 14" steelies with snow tires. The modern snow tire is like having regular tires on your ride, they even look like most oem tires, but with a special compound that works when the temp drops below 45 degrees as well as when the white stuff starts flying.

One last thing, the Fit is cheaper and more fun to drive than the Prius, I detailed a Prius and its actually a pretty big car inside but is boring and handles like a brick and the Fit is ALOT of fun to drive and this is coming from someone who had a Mini Cooper S before my Fit, its that great of car, full of quality "Fit" and finish, looking like something that could wear an Acura badge IMO. Once you get the Fit, come back in here and join the community, I really like it so far

 

I know this is a little off topic, but what kind of mpgs are you expecting? I'm assuming that is a main consideration?

 

hey as far as snow goes, i have a GD3(no stability management option) and I do fine in the snow, on the stock tires i had a bit os wheel spin under start up, this past winter i was on Toyo Proxes 4's and had no trouble at all (actually while messing around in parking lots i had trouble getting the wheels to slip) as far as needing the stability thing I really dont think you do, the fit has 118 hp.... its not fast... but it corners very well and unless you are being a moron you wont need it.

as far as MPG, if i keep my right foot under control i can get 45 around town. as for the prius, yes you will see better mpg but its boring as hell to drive. my grand parents have two, the fit is just about as nice inside, you get almost as much storage (due to the magic seats) and its so much fun to drive. take one for a test drive and you will prob. be hooked... oh and the Fit doesnt have the whole stuck gas pedal thing... just had to throw it out there lol no disrespect to Toyota.... any way what we are all gonna say, is you wont regret the fit good luck and let us know how the car hunt goes!

 

I'm in upstate New York. I was out driving in the middle of one of the bad storms. Police cruisers stuck in the middle of the unplowed road, cars upon cars stuck in unplowed highway onramps. Trucks sliding off the side of the road. OEM tires, and not *one* bit of trouble.

That being said, it's going to drive as well as most cars in the snow. If this is your biggest concern, you should be buying a Fit.

I almost bought a Prius. Parents own one, and I think it's a great car... but quite frankly, it is nowhere near as fun to drive.

PS: with regards to snow performance, I have a manual... This helped :-P

 

Thanks a lot for all the wonderful replies. Now the only thing standing me and Fit is the Test Drive and ofcourse, convincing my wife
btw, does anyone know of a forum/thread about pricing ? This will be my first NEW car and don't want to be ripped off.
I am hoping to get close to the invoice price without too much haggling.

 

I live in Canada... it snows here a lot in the winter.

I usually swap on a good set of snow tires, they work for me about 95% of the time. In deep snow the Fit can be a bit of trouble especially with the Sport package just because the front lip is very low. When you get into bad snow ruts or snow deeper than about 6" it just does not have the weight it needs to move. That lack of weight also means you should be prepared to slide a bit more than a heavier car too.

My solution is pretty simple, I carry a set of easy to install chains in the trunk during the winter months. You can also turn the wheel full crank to one side and then the other and the car will inch forward through the very worst conditions.

But realistically you are not going to face these kinds of conditions, I would suggest just getting a good set of snow tires for the winter months and you should be fine.

 

I had a 2006 civic and it feels like a mountain goat compared to this car in the snow. This is the WORST car I have ever had in the snow, quite frankly it sucks. It does understeer and oversteer in spades if you aren't careful. The tires are probably a big part of the equation, so Snow tires probably help a lot. I am in Minnesota, so I know what snow is, and pot holes. That being said, if you drive carefully it will get you home. Deep snow....forget about it. You will be stranded if there is any challenging depth to the snow. I am always shocked when I read glowing reports about how it handles in the snow. I love how it drives in dry weather. And I Love the gas mileage and great cargo space. I am glad I purchased this car. In all fairness my Honda dealer did tell me that this was the worst car they make for winter driving. It's also the best car they make for combination of great gas mileage, fun to drive, and GREAT interior flexability in one package.

 

seriously?

to the OP- you shouldn't expect a single mpg over what the EPA estimates. Check the avg mpg for every fit on the lot... (push the trip computer's knob/button to cycle through the different info) you wont see a single one there that is even close to 40mpg (if you do, buy it!!! ).

 

@shegetstodrive it; yeah seriously, i also put an extra 10 PSI in the tires, mind you I was shifting 2 2nd by 3500 RPM and every other gear by 2500.... and coasting.... ALOT... but you can totally do it, under "normal" driving i see 32-36 and that includes some sky high reving....

 

the op is trying to choose between a prius and a fit. If he believes your example is a typical experience and convinces his wife to go with the fit, it is likely both of them will be upset by the 31mpg they will actually get.

The fit is an awesome car, but it was designed for all around economy, not specific fuel savings.

Go to Find a Car and do a side by side comparison of the fit and the prius. For even more fun, throw a regular civic and a hybrid civic into the comparison.