why are people blasting drum brakes? The fit has drum brakes in the rear. Im sure there is an easy bolt on honda option though.

If you drive the fit at 75+ mph up I17 you will only get about 24 mpg, but it can pull all those grades, so I don't think it is too weak. On the way back down to Phoenix you would get 40 mpg, so it evens out.

The Fit really has a lot of room inside. If there isnt enough, put on a roof rack, there are several options. You can do all kind of outdoor sports and tote your gear. You can also get a nice rubber cargo mat for the rear for the dogs. Check out the accessories on the honda website. Have you test driven one yet?

 

You must hate your Fit's brakes.

 

The drums came up because they are an example of cost-cutting. VW has deco tented the Jetta to push it's starting price point lower.

There's nothing wrong with rear drums. There's nothing wrong with handcranked windows, no seat height adjustment, steering wheels without telescopic adjustment, 4-speed automatic transmissions, or 14" steel wheels. You pick your wants and needs and find something that I'd agreeable for your checkbook.

Agreed on the Fit's amazing cargo versatility for such a tiny vehicle. It comes at a slight price (front seats are higher than normal to allow for the fuel tank) but that's another personal preference. It doesn't have the cargo space of a compact SUV, but it's fairly close.

 

Of course this is a Honda Fit forum so I would expect the votes and opinions to be overwhelmingly Honda biased.
To be honest? I like Volkswagen product. But here is why I don't drive one today, and why I would "lean" towards The Honda Fit. IMO, Volkswagen products are expensive to start with....then if "economics" are at the heart of your decision? Volkswagens I believe have the potential for a higher maintenance cost and/or occurence.

If you want economical reliabilty as priorities? Honda Fit is the better choice. If you want a higher degree of performance from a stock configuration and argueably a higher degree of fit and finish? The Volks GTI is a better choice.

Not to mention The Fit is IMO much more utilitarian. With the flat load floor and the magic seat configurability it's the subcompact...flatbed truck....

 

It's all about your needs. If you never haul 50+ cubic feet of cargo, the magic seats are probably a nonissue. If you never drive up a muddy embankment, you'll be fine without a 4x4. If you never drive 6 passengers, you'll be fine without third row seating.

 

Those were my reasons for buying a Fit. The lack of power is why I sold my Fit. To some the Fit has enough pep, for myself it simply got old. Just pointing out my experience.

 

I got 29 mpg from phx to flg with 3 cart loads of stuff from costco and a copilot.

Did you buy a fit yet?

 

german engineering = over engineering... take alook into the maintenance costs on the VW's first, they are alot more expensive.


Here are some ratings:

Honda Fit:
Ratings | J.D. Power

VW GTI:
Ratings | J.D. Power

That says enough for me...

 

GTI.

The last blog of the Inside Line guys after their long term review is as follows:

"There are now 22,145 miles on the GTI's odometer and it's past the year mark, which means it shall soon be departing to the big cloud in the sky (and by cloud I mean "list" and by sky I mean "old long-term cars in the lower right-hand corner of this page"). This makes me sad, because the GTI is not only one of my favorite all-time long-termers but also one of my favorite cars, period. I haven't been driving it that much since new long-term cars began flooding our garage like ... OK, so now's not really the time to be making flooding metaphors, but you get the idea. We have a lot of new long-termers and old ones get less attention.
So before the GTI sails off into the sunset (see, get the symbolism of that photo? Clever, I know), I thought I'd drive it home one last time to experience what life would be like if I didn't have this job and actually owned my own car. That's right, barring the funds needed to by an XJ Supercharged or CLS63 AMG, I'd get a four-door GTI modestly equipped just like ours. Hell, even with said funds, I'd probably own one in addition to those. And a ski boat. And this home theater.
Crap, what the hell was I talking about? Oh yes, the GTI. Wonderful car, one of the best cars you can buy today. I shall miss it, but it shall at least forever be placed alongside the 135i, Challenger and S5 on the mantle of my all-time favorites.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 22,145 miles
Categories: 2010 Volkswagen GTI


All the review (Car and Driver, Motortrend, TopGear) of the Mk5/Mk6 are amazing cars to drive. Reliablity may be an issue, but if you get a new one, you get 3 years maintenance. Also, resale on GTI's are much greater than Hondas. (in general)

Yes, cost of gas may be more, but 207 lbs. of torque is way too much fun. After driving the GTI, I would have bought it HANDS DOWN if I could have afforded one. Heck, I may still trade/sell the Fit for one once the 2010's start coming down in price.

OP - the question is purpose. Best driving experience? GTI. Best economical driver/reliabilty? Fit.

Hope that helps! Good Luck!

 

VW Recommends premium...doesn't require it. You can use 87 in the 2.0T just fine:
2010 Volkswagen GTI: Don't Shoot the Messenger

 

Recently, I had a similar question but I was considering the Honda Fit vs the VW Golf TDI (or JSW TDI). I asked for advice on this forum and on a VW/TDI Forum. The answers I got there could be helpful to you:
Golf TDI vs Fit for CO 30's couple - help us decide! - TDIClub Forums
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...us-decide.html

Having test driven both cars there is no comparison - the VW's are much more fun to drive and have a superior ride. Haven researched cost of ownership and reliability, there is no comparison either - the Fit achieves top ratings in reliability and affordability.

I ended up going with the Fit and am happy with it - though I must admit, I am still dreaming of the TDI. Fit: I have taken two trips with it - on the first averaged 43 MPG and on the second averaged 41 mpg - this in mountain driving over passes from 9,00 feet down to 7,000 and back with a small kayak in the car and a bit of gear. Both trips about 90% hwy/mountain and 10%city/suburban. I must admit, I am surprised by how high the computer mpg readout is. Other Fit drivers - does this seem plausible?

Going up 12,000 foot Monarch pass recently, the car felt fine (but I definitely felt the climb at 60 mph) but like it would be underpowered with several people in the car and a bunch of gear on the roof (duh). If I could have afforded it, I would have gotten a TDI but the cost of ownership and reliability questions scared me off at this financially inconsistent point in my life.

Good luck,

HC

 

You sir are correct! I do hate the drum brakes, but now I'm stuck with them until someone makes a disc kit for the GE8.

 

No, there is a disc kit out there for the rear brakes.

 

I've had six VWs and various other cars. I'm very pro-Honda now that I've owned three. VW does nothing great.

 

All I can say is have fun, look at my sig.. There is a reason why I sold it at that low of mileage, babied the thing more than I would a real baby and it required more maintenance than an jumbo jet.

 

That is the rub....VW's drive/handle awsome, but there is a higher chance of mechanical problems.

RevToTheRedline - you are killin my dream bro! =)

 

I was in your position 2 years ago--was deciding between economical/utilitarian versus more sporty. I considered Honda Fit, VW GTI, Honda Civic Si 4-door, & Honda Element. I had 2 dogs at the time, and I like to take them to the dog park pretty often.

I bought the Fit, and am overall happy with it, especially the low price brand new, super gas mileage, and low cost to own (reg gas, no maintenance other than oil/filters/tires, 3 warranty fixes).

Looking back over the last 2 years, I ended up doing a lot more highway miles than I thought I would, so if I knew then what I know now... I would have gotten a 4-door Civic Si. More expensive new, uses premium fuel, but has better highway manners & more lively engine. Plenty of space for me + 2 dogs. Close second would be the Element, but I didn't like the suicide back doors, and there were no roll-down rear windows for the dogs to hang their heads out.

I really like GTIs, ever since the original one came out in the 80s. I like hot hatches. You might want to add Mazda 3speed to your list--it's a bad-ass little car. Insurance + premium fuel will cost you, though, but reliability is better than VW.

VW Sportwagen TDI and Golf TDI weren't available yet when I was looking in '09--I would have looked at them, too, especially since the Sportwagen comes with vinyl seats--great for dogs. The Fit's cloth is like a super-magnet for dog hair. The only way to really remove it completely is to use tape.

All that said, the Fit works for me. It's great for carrying the dog, getting great mpg, and zooming through most traffic--just got to keep that little engine wound up sometimes.

Good luck... the Fit is a great value, especially in today's economy.

 

if you enjoy any kind of performance and forward thrust out of a vehicle do not get a fit. Every day I shake my head and wonder why I bouight this thing. Only thing that keeps me in it is fuel efficency and low cost to own/insure/operate.

 

My friend owns a 2.0t gti and it is constantly in the shop due to electronic malfunctions. Expensive car + expensive repairs = unhappy owner/wallet

 

Fit vs. GTI? That's an odd choice considering there's almost a $10k difference between the two cars. Well, if you want performance and you have lots of extra money to spend, then get the GTI. If you're on a budget and want a practical car, then get the Fit.

Personally, i don't really like the GTI's shape and exterior design. I would get something else if i had the extra cash.