mmarshall

Well, like I said in some earlier posts, take those EPA ratings with a grain of salt. Drive moderately and sensibly, and you can often beat them....especially on the highway at constant, moderate speeds.

What's interesting about many of today's automatics, as oppposed to the past, is they often equal or exceed the mileage of manual transmissions on the same car.....even the inherently less efficient torque-converter automatics.

mmarshall

Sure. Anytime.

Yes, in some ways, but the Chevy Aveo's 2LT interior (not the base model) just blows the Fit's away. Honda could have used materials like that inside, but chose not to.

The Yaris, especially the four-door, also has more solid-sounding doors when you close them, and about the same quality interior hardware (and here, I'm just speaking of hardware quality, not its looks or trim, where the Aveo 2LT outdoes them both). The Yaris, however, has one BIG irritating feature, IMO (I don't know if you agree).....the center-dash gauges, which, in my book, are a big no-no.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the review Mike!

Sub-compact cars are making a huge impact in the automotive market in the U.S. because of the need for more funcionality, better gas mileage, and thrifty bargain price tags. As you have noted, the Yaris and Aveo are playing this game, along with a gamut of other models such as the Versa, xD, etc. But they all lack one thing...

My question regards your thoughts on the market in general: should automakers actually focus on making these cars more sporty such as their European counterparts, of would you prefer that they "keep it simple and cheap" with everyday functional loftiness, which are preferred by most cushy American drivers?

mmarshall

Sure. Anytime.

IMO, this is the interior that sets the best example for how to do a small-car...the Chevy Aveo 2LT. (and the Hyundai Accent/Elantra interiors are not far behind it)



As far as the chassis is concerned, Short-wheelbase/short-track cars already have an edge in agility and manuverability to start with, so, IMO, one does not need to beef their chassis and tires up to sports-car stiffness to get reasonably good handling. But, specifically, yes, there should be at least a couple of versions available on the market which do offer mini-sports-sedan handling....the Honda Civic Si, VW GTi, and MazdaSpeed3 come readily to mind.

Another factor to take into consideration is that with cars as small, light, and with as short a wheelbase as the Fit, Yaris, and Aveo, you can only beef the chassis up so much before you get a ride that is unacceptably stiff on rough roads.
Then, of course, their engine compartments are small enough so that you are limited in what size powerplant you stick in (many cars have engines that are already crammed in too tight). To get around that, engineers use turbos. But, the larger the turbo (or supercharger) and the more boost you run, the more room you need underhood for the ducting, radiator, and intercoolers.....so then you are back to square one.

shyguy16

is it a worthy successor to the 1st gen?
i've read that it's not much of an upgrade over the outgoing model.

ST430

Of course, but one can say the same about the Civic, drive it sensibly and you can also obliterate those EPA numbers as well. Anyhow, that was the biggest disappointment, along with the price gouging that is going on with this model, propelling this subcompact to the $19k+ price range!

superchan7

With the body size increase, it doesn't seem like a subcompact anymore. Great review and great car...this would be one of my first picks for an econocar. Alas, I'm found on the ES forums...I'm sure the Fit is much more entertaining to drive.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

So the only 'sport' in this Fit Sport is bits of plastic on the front and side?

-J-P-L-

Have you seen a base Fit? It's not even worth buying because it looks so cheap and boring. The body kit, 16" alloys, and spoiler are absolutely necessary to even liking this car.

Plus, with economy cars, you typically aren't getting a bigger engine and different suspension with the sport versions. That wouldn't make economical sense. An example of an exeption was the Neon SRT-4 and look how much it sold. $20K for a Neon with bad gas mileage didn't draw much more than a select few who wanted the most performance you could get for $20K.

That sort of thing makes no sense for Fit, Yaris, Aveo, Versa, Accent, ect...

mmarshall

Mechanically, yes. The 5-speed automatic Sportshift, especially, is a good feature, and interior space efficiency/versatility is quite good, and, of course, there is always Honda reliability, but I find interior trim and body sheet metal a little disappointing. And the general body styling is not my cup of tea, especially up front.

mmarshall

k? Explain, please.

mmarshall

When the Fit was brand-new to the American market, 2-3 years ago, some Fit Sports were indeed up to 19-20K, but that's generally not the case now, as supply has improved somewhat in relation to demand. Fits are not in great supply at dealerships, but you generally don't have long waiting lists for them anymore, and, while discounts are still hard to get, the markups (if applicable) are much lower now. The dealership I was at offered to sell the one I had at list.....$17,500 plus tax/tags..

mmarshall

No, it's definitely a subcompact.....just a very space-efficient one, that's all.
When you see one and stand next to it, you'll see what I mean. It does have a rather high roof, though, for a subcompact.


Thanks.

Anything with the Honda nameplate on it, of course, can be expected to be pretty reliable and stay out of the repair shop. But I did not find this car "entertaining" to drive, by any means. As I see it, it's strictly basic transportation built for small size and space efficiency.

mmarshall

I wouldn't just say that. The 5-speed Sportshift transmission one-ups some of the competition in the number of gears, and it has nice shift-paddles on the steering wheel. It also comes in some nice "Sport" paint colors, instead of the usual funeral shades I comment on so much. But, outside of that, I'll agree with you that this is not a "sport" vehicle as you and I would think of one. As I noted in my reply to superchan7 above, it's basic transportation, with a dose of space efficiency, and not a whole lot else, except what you and I have noted.

mmarshall

The Fit trumps all these cars for interior space efficiency vs. exterior size. The Fit Sport model also has a rather sporty 5-speed automatic sport-shift. It also has Honda reliability.

But, outside of that, I agree, there is little reason to recommend it. The interior trim (not the hardware) is cheap (especially compared to the superb trim of the Aveo 2LT), its road manners are rather ho-hum, and the body styling, IMO, almost puts it in the Pontiac Aztek class. It also can be difficult to bargain on.