Sold my Mazdaspeed3. Wanted a truck, so I ended up with an '03 Sport Edition 4Runner V8, which I love. I've always wanted one.

But.. I underestimated the gas. I knew it was a gas guzzler, I just didn't quite think it through with how much it would cost me on a week to week basis because I was blinded by the good deal I got. Plus I work a minute away from home. I can make it work, but I love to drive and take trips so it's killin' me.

That brings me here... the Fit's interesting, but I've never driven one.I do a lot of hiking, have a small dog that is always with me, want to go on long road trips, drive on windy mountain roads. Don't want the high insurance and premium gas of a turbo. Love hatchbacks.What's this Fit all about? Is it underpowered, honestly?

 

If you get a manual its 0-60 in around 8-8.5 seconds which is good in the compact market. Lots of space, fun to drive, reliable, and award winning (if your into that kind of thing) all describe the Fit. With only 117hp though on the highway and going up hills it is kinda underpowered (30+ mpg city is worth it though).

 

Cool thanks for the info. I'm not looking for something fast, I mean I had that with my Speed3 (263hp, but i had an intake and access port tune, so it was more like 280hp) But I also don't want to be frustrated with lack of power, like I was with my Dodge Caliber, that did 0-60 in like 11 seconds lol.

Anyone own the fit that does a lot of mountain driving? 30mpg does sound nice. Oh and my budget is around 14-15k.

 

Power is adequate everywhere IF you're not afraid to rev the motor, you'll need the power between 5k and 6.8k, and it seems kind of weird to do that if you're used to cars with more torque/hp. I have never once ended up at the end of an onramp worried I wouldn't be able to catch up with traffic. Also, don't be afraid to use 3rd gear on the freeway/expressway/highway.

I drive through the mountains from SF to Reno all the time, still return decent gas mileage, just have to use lower gears. Besides, it's more fun that way. I drive up a huge hill every day on my way home (steep) and I get stuck behind bigger, more powerful cars all the time. The Fit has almost 4.7 final drive stock, gearing is key to what it lacks in power.

At the same time, you may have to get used to cruising at ~4k rpm @ 80mph You'll get used to it and learn to ignore it or turn up the radio.

 

Yeah if you rev i enough the power is there. Its a Honda thing I guess i used to keep my Prelude at 5-7.5K. Way more fun to drive a slow car fast

 

I call it slow everyday ha but it's the best damn multi function car ever

 

I find it very slow. I don't care. It does all the cool lifestyle stuff you mentioned above and if you DO want to flog it, you won't be going highly illegal speeds doing so. I love the car, but you have to decide for yourself. Go drive one.

At the very least I can assure you that it is not going to be slower than the Caliber. And it is going to be substantially less crap.

 

My previous car was a Mazda P5. Not in the same department as a Speed 3 in terms of power, but the handling and toss around factor was really fun in Protege 5. I wanted to get another Mazda, but the Mazda 2 wasn't really that great. The Fit caught my attention due to the space it gives. I'd recommend it. It's a real fun car. You don't need HP to have fun with these cars. I never have problems making a pass in the highways.

It's the fact that it's zippy and fun to toss around. The HP to weight ratio is relatively good. It's approximately 2500 lbs vehicle. Go try one out. You'll like it.

PS:
If you do get it, first thing I'd recommend is getting yourself some decent wheels and tires. The stock 185/55/16 set up makes it seem real top heavy. Plus the Dunlop on them suck. Currently got a 195/50/15 set up on stock suspension and it makes a real difference in terms of handling.

 

What does everyone mean saying it's underpowered? As a former owner and customizer of 4x4 cars that had 1300cc and ~67hp, driving with the gas pedal being used as a fully-on or fully-off switch, and redlined for hours on end to do 65 - 70mph on the highways (once I dialed in transfer case and differential gearing right) is second nature. That and I started driving in the late 60s with "old" style VW Beetles and a 74 VW Van...

So to me the Fit has 200 more cc and 50 more hp than I used in the past. It isn't underpowered, it's a car I can drive in b*lls to the wall race mode while not drawing the attention of local highway patrols.

Paul H

 

yah, while i was car shopping, MS3 was on the short list as i test drove it back in 2009 and thought it was a fun, capable car. i recently test drove the '12 and i just didnt connect with the car any more like i did back 3yrs ago.

while the FitSport MT is a much slower car, it's a better package overall. especially if you're looking at mpg, interior space, and cargo, total cost to own. it's just a fun utility hatch imo and looks better too.

 

Fit rocks. We have 2.

 

Thanks for all the info everyone. The new gen MS3 isn't as brutal as the first gen, 2007-2009. most people couldn't connect with the new ones either. I had an '09 in Crystal White Pearl. I think it all depends on what you've driven in the past. After my Dodge Caliber, everything was fast. After my Speed3, not so much.

But .. i dont need anymore tickets. and i want to spend my money elsewhere, not on insurance/premium gas. Anything else in the same class as the Fit that gets the same gas mileage/price range/spaciousness?

 

Well said. I'm also 6'2 245 (soon to be 200..). Good leg room?

 

Nope that's why the Fit is ranked so high in its class. There are other cars that get good mpg's but the fit is a damn blackhole when it comes to space in its class.

 

^ +1 wat krunk said.

i think performance wise, sonic ltz comes close or might even beat the FitSport MT, but then the thing has no cargo space with the rear seat upright. and even with the seats down, not that good...and no magic seat.

FitSport 5MT is the way to go.

 

Maybe underpower when comparing it to some compact models like the Focus or Civic.
I remember having a 88 Mazda 323LX car weight about 300 pounds less then my Fit had 82 hp from a 1.6l I would lose power going up a hill if I had the A/C on. Great car.

I think the reason I like the Fit is reminds me of the Japanese cars of the 80's and 90's even though when I see the 4th generation Civic hatchback it makes me feel like my car is huge.

 

Yes / Yes / No

=Plenty of cars are rated at higher MPG, especially if you are willing to drive a sedan. Some of those cars are faster or more comfortable.
=The Fit is fairly pricey within its class. Mostly because, it's a better design than everything else in the class. But we're talking, at this level, about minor differences in price.
=There is nothing in the "subcompact" space offering close to the interior room that the Fit does. It's longer and taller than most competitors, and designing the gas tank to go under the front seats means the rear seats fold into the floor, giving you tons of useful space. I'm surprised no one has copied this, but I guess, most car design is iterative and it's tough for engineers to push big changes past management ... or the other way around potentially.

I like the Mazda2 a lot, but it is very much a tiny, fun car. We needed ONE car that could do everything and something that is hard to get bags of mulch (or coffee tables or a lawn mower or two bikes) in and out of wasn't going to work. The Accent is supposedly nice too. The Sonic has been making waves because "it doesn't suck any more!" and it has an interesting powertrain and interior design. Things like the Yaris, Rio, Versa .. you don't want these.

But truthfully, in a lot of "car classes" there is one car that you can compare favorably to everything else that competes. They're all a similar price, ya? So you have to ask yourself .. why would you choose to NOT buy the best option? Like the Mazda Miata. There is a reason it continues to sell while things like the del Sol or Solstice or MR2 come and go. The Accord. The Boxster. The 3-series. The stuff that stays on the C&D 10 Best list. The S-class. In many ways it's more relevant to choose the type of car you want, and then just buy the best one in the class

Of course not everybody puts much thought into their cars. C&D recently observed: The Azera says about its owner, "I needed a car, and Hyundai sells cars." When clearly in that class you buy an Avalon or maaaaybe a Buick.

 

i went form an '06 SI to a fit. i was unhappy with the power from the fit. i dealt with it, but was never satisfied...and i knew going in that the fit was slow. being that your MS3 was more powerfull than an SI, chances are you will be unhappy as well. needless to say, i paid it of and traded it in. got a 350z and havent looked back. worse MPG? yes. much more impracticle? yes. do i miss my fit? hardly. id rather be paying for a car i enjoy, rather than paying for a car that i "deal with".

you know a car is slow when you have to play with the AC on/off to balance out acceleration and comfort.

dont get me wrong, there are good things about the fit, and its a great car in its class..but being that your already doubting its "power", driving it will make you doubt it more.

as far as road trips, i hated it. my manual gd3 at 60mph was at a constant 3k rpm. obviously on a faster 70-75mph road is was significantly higher rpms...between 3.5-4k. considering it redlined at 6400ish, i thought it was miserable. road noise is loud too.

on the plus side, its a good pet hauler for your dog.

 

A lot of hatchbacks that are larger like the Focus that are rated higher gas mileage but have less cargo room. That was my problem when looking for a car no one offers a wagon anymore except European cars. And of course the Elantra Touring which I think is discontinue but the gas mileage was only rated at 30mpg highway. I also looked at the Mazda CX-5 briefly since you can get a FWD with manual rated at 35 mpg. But I was worried about resale value since I live in the Northeast fwd mt SUV would not be in high demand used.

So I picked the Fit since the other vehicles with more cargo room could run me as much as $4k more and nothing really excited me to spend more money. Except the Focus ST which I was getting quotes on prior to buying my Fit. But not knowing the MPG at the time, premium gas, summer tires and first year reliability prevented me from buying (and wife). I am averaging 34 mpg combine in my Fit.

 

True if you do not like a car you are better off getting something you like. That is why I brought a used NA Miata two years ago. Lots of aftermarket parts rear wheel drive fun to drive and at the time I had a Corolla for my daily driver.