Hello Fit Freaks,

I have found your forums very helpful when deciding to look for a Honda Fit as my next car. I have scheduled myself to go see two Fits tomorrow for sale by owner but I'm having trouble weighing the pros and cons of them since one is stock and one is slightly modified.

The best Fit for me will be the one with the lowest cost to own, best mpg, most reliable, and the most safety features. I'm still paying to get through college!

Car 1
Fit Sport 2009
Roof Rack
All stock
33,000 miles
A/T
KBB: Good
$10,000

Car 2 (where the confusion steps in)
Fit Sport 2007
Modified:
AEM intake and exhaust
17'' Rims
Tow package
HID LED Headlights, fog lights, interior, and rear.
Tinted windows
30,000 miles
A/T
KBB: Good
$10500 (price negotiable)

My confusion concerns the cost to operate car 2.
1. Will the AEM intake and exhaust reduce mpg? Will that limit my driving in wet and adverse weather?
2. Do the 17'' rims need low profile tires? If they do, will the ride comfort be decrease? Is it true that start up and mpg will reduce with this size?
3. Why is the tow package installed? Should I be worried the car has been abused?
4. Will HID LED headlights need replacing more often, will they cost more, and can I install traditional bulbs in the same housing?
5. What are your thoughts on the 2007 vs 2009 Fits?

Thanks for your help everyone. I look forward to joining you here on FitFreaks.com once I have a Fit of my own.

 

honestly having big fat rims on a car is terrible for everything... unless they're light as hell i would'nt take this one... even if i like the GD better than the GE

1. MPG should be pretty much the same (btw short ram or cold air) little more power... i think AEM only makes CAI (dangerous in wet weather)
2. yes, yes and yes!
3. perhaps
4. they should last the entire life of the car, so not a problem... but have they been done properly? HID's with the reflectors is a bad idea, if you want it done right, retrofit projectors is the only option
5. I like the GD more (07-08) in a tuning optic... the GE is really nice if you want the car to remain mostly stock.

I would definitly go with car number 1 if these two were my only options... and 30 000 miles on a 2007 is not much... a car that has'nt been driven is'nt a good thing either...

and welcome to the forum

 

Thanks for your quick reply, I will take your advice into account when I meet with the sellers. I am still open to more input on the matter.

As for the AEM, I'm not sure about the details since the communications I've recieved only state, "upgraded AEM intake and exhaust". I can be more specific tomorrow after I see the cars.

On warranties: Since both cars are near 30k miles, will they be covered under bumper to bumper warranty or just 60k power train? Should I be considering an extended warranty or a AAA warranty? I drive about 12k per year but repairing and maintaining cars has been a huge drain for me after owning a 95 Civic with 140k and a 2000 Ford Focus with 162k.

Thanks again everyone.

 

well i searched a little, and i'm pretty sure AEM only makes CAIs... some members here had problems related to having this type of setup, there is no danger with a SRI...

As for guarantee, i think that the one on the GD should expire soon... but so far the Fit as proved to be very reliable! only issues i saw so far where coil packs problems and valve adjustements... these cars are almost bulletproof!

So far i only changed motor oil, engine/cabin filters & pads!!!

 

I agree with cr4zy3lgato on most points except I don't think the low mileage on the '07 is a concern, i think it is a plus for the car. Thats about 7,500 to 10,000 a year so it hasn't been just sitting around. The tow bar concerns me. Honda advises against using this car for towing. I'd ask him what he has been towing, light loads might be all right, but nothing heavy.

I think the changes made in the 2009 fits are improvements, not huge ones - mostly just incremental. A little larger, a little more power, easier to access, dead pedal, and a few other things I can't think of right now. Basically they took a very good car and addressed some issues and tweaked it a bit.

From the info you gave I favor the 2009, if they are both in good condition. In addition to the reasons cr4zy3lgato gives plus the towing thing and the resale value will be higher for the 2009 will be higher in the long run.

You probably thought of this but get the Carfax report for the cars and ask to see the repair and warranty records for the cars.

Good Luck!

 

Buy the stock Fit and customize it if you want to and this way you don't have to worry about the previous owner potentially having screwed anything up playing Joe "Shade Tree" Mechanic.

That's my opinion anyway.