2nd Generation (GE 08-present)The New Fit... Generation specific talk and questions here.
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DrZ, you said it all. My only gripe with the list makers is the usual one; they're entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. They totally mistated the safety rating of the Caliber tribe.
Uncle Gary, first a Neon story. A chit-kicking buddy from near our hunting camp has a built-up Chevy pickup and his wife has a Neon. He has a long commute to a coal mine in Kentucky. He'd been talking about how great the Neon was; lots of pep, great gas mileage, fun to drive. We asked him why he didn't take the Neon on his long commute,and let the truck for his wife. He responded '...you don' unnerstand; real men don't drive Neons...'
Even tho' it's slotted in the same spot in the Chrysler lineup, the Caliber really isn't a Neon replacement; instead it is more of a crossover.
All I knew of them is what I read, but I was pleasantly surprised when I drove it. We took it on vacation as a test hop, and it did very well for three people and a bunch of luggage; we still got 24-25 mpg with 80mph running and the A/C cranking, and it is the AWD version.
Moon
Like I care what "real men" drive? I drive a Fit for God's sake!
I'm a biker, anyway. The car is just something I drive when it's raining.
Just what the hell is a "crossover" anyway? A car pretending to be an SUV? Basically an SUV without any off-road capability, I guess. Yeah, that's what the people want- a pretend SUV. If that floats your boat, fine, but it's not what I was looking for.
__________________
“Man, I was what you call ‘ragged,’
I mean, I was way beyond ‘torn up,’
I wasn’t gonna be no man’s friend today,
Been out of storage about a year now,
And to me, this endless blacktop was my sweet eternity…
It's a rhino without the horn. Slap a horn on the hood just above the nostrils that points up and slightly backwards and there you have it. A Rhino... and a FUGLY one at that. the back looked like a bad attempt at a "sport-back minivan"... not a good option and it's narrow stance made the vehicle as a whole just look awkward. It may have had some function (camper tent for the back, lots of storage, etc...) but overall it was a practice in what not to do from a design standpoint. And then there were the mechanical/electrical issues I mentioned above... It's a combination of Ugly and lack of quality. I feel a few more years on the list before being kicked off.
There are so many cars with almost identical shapes now....Nissan Rogue, Infiniti FX, Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7...they all have that bumbling chopped minivan look.
IMO it's far more an exercise in the dangers of mob mentality than it is from any kind of exercise in poor aesthetics. You may have something on the mechanics, but no one ever says it's unreliable in these "reviews," they just say it's ugly.
Like I care what "real men" drive? I drive a Fit for God's sake!
I'm a biker, anyway. The car is just something I drive when it's raining.
Just what the hell is a "crossover" anyway? A car pretending to be an SUV? Basically an SUV without any off-road capability, I guess. Yeah, that's what the people want- a pretend SUV. If that floats your boat, fine, but it's not what I was looking for.
Hey, re-read what he said about the Neon...it was just image that kept him from driving it, not good sense.
So ya' know, I'm a right-wing gun nut, and I drive a Fit...tho' my other ride is a brush-scratched Wrangler.
The Caliber is the kid's, and the ground clearance actually lets her get in and out of our camp with the muffler still attached. But you're not far off the mark; many people buy crossovers because they want the SUV height and space, (and image) but not necessarily off-road ability.
Moon
Hey, re-read what he said about the Neon...it was just image that kept him from driving it, not good sense.
So ya' know, I'm a right-wing gun nut, and I drive a Fit...tho' my other ride is a brush-scratched Wrangler.
The Caliber is the kid's, and the ground clearance actually lets her get in and out of our camp with the muffler still attached. But you're not far off the mark; many people buy crossovers because they want the SUV height and space, (and image) but not necessarily off-road ability.
Moon
Not trying to rain on anyone's parade here. I guess I'm just not an SUV guy in the first place. To me, they are neither "sport" nor "utility", so I guess I don't get the "image". If I could afford it, I'd have a sports car AND a pickup truck. I can't, so I have a Fit.
I understand the ground clearance thing, though. I already grounded the Fit out on a rock ($1200 in repairs) coming home in the dark from a band gig. Most outdoor gigs anymore are in the middle of nowhere (no noise ordinances), so I probably need a truck or SUV more than I want to admit.
__________________
“Man, I was what you call ‘ragged,’
I mean, I was way beyond ‘torn up,’
I wasn’t gonna be no man’s friend today,
Been out of storage about a year now,
And to me, this endless blacktop was my sweet eternity…
He'd been talking about how great the Neon was; lots of pep, great gas mileage, fun to drive. We asked him why he didn't take the Neon on his long commute,and let the truck for his wife. He responded '...you don' unnerstand; real men don't drive Neons...'
Sounds like the guy has some manhood issues...or is compensating for something...
Sounds like the guy has some manhood issues...or is compensating for something...
Naah, Buck (that's his name!) knows who he is. But he is a good ol' boy, and he'd drive a pickup if gas was $100 @ gallon.
Actually, I repeated the story for humor and irony, and I think that's why Buck said it in the first place. Or maybe he just couldn't get the Neon away from his wife...
Moon
Not trying to rain on anyone's parade here. I guess I'm just not an SUV guy in the first place. To me, they are neither "sport" nor "utility", so I guess I don't get the "image". If I could afford it, I'd have a sports car AND a pickup truck. I can't, so I have a Fit.
I understand the ground clearance thing, though. I already grounded the Fit out on a rock ($1200 in repairs) coming home in the dark from a band gig. Most outdoor gigs anymore are in the middle of nowhere (no noise ordinances), so I probably need a truck or SUV more than I want to admit.
Were it not for the fuel issue, I'd gladly drive 'utes the rest of my life. I had a Montero, two Cherokees and now the Wrangler. I really ran all of them in the woods, and all have been on long trips and daily drivers. Image bullshit notwithstanding, it's hard to express just how useful they are. But 17 mpg made me feel tied to the house (my wife's 6 cylinder sedans didn't do much better) when gas was $4@. So the Fit came to be...I had VW Bugs in my youth, so it isn't too big an adjustment...except you can actually use a Bug as an offroader.
Moon
ETA-Apologies for the thread hijack.
M
Except that it IS. I think I got scared when gas hit $4.45/gallon last year. My brother has a Dodge Ram 3500 duallie 4x4 and loves it, but he can't afford to go anywhere at 9 MPG. It does come in handy, though.
Sorry to hijack the thread. We really did get off on a tangent, didn't we, halfmoon?
__________________
“Man, I was what you call ‘ragged,’
I mean, I was way beyond ‘torn up,’
I wasn’t gonna be no man’s friend today,
Been out of storage about a year now,
And to me, this endless blacktop was my sweet eternity…
UG, I 'spect we did. One last thing; my dad used his Bug for band gigs...he played a doghouse bass fiddle(!)...a local craftsman made the bottom peg removeable for an easier fit.
Best,
Moon
whoa, ease up fellas, I posted this for ish and giggles, not so people can attack each other...
I'm okay, and it sounds like Uncle Gary is as well; we're more off task than upset...
Good thread starter, even if some of the Yahoo! opinions expressed are hay that's been thru' cow...
Moon
__________________
“Man, I was what you call ‘ragged,’
I mean, I was way beyond ‘torn up,’
I wasn’t gonna be no man’s friend today,
Been out of storage about a year now,
And to me, this endless blacktop was my sweet eternity…
our fit is a 2nd car - a city runabout and the everyday hauller - our primary is a nissan xtrail - which is great and comfy for long trips with 2 kids and their gear and loves the snow - has a 2.5l 4 cy engine and is great - but its too much when its only 1 or 2 of us - thats where the fit comes in (plus the fun from the 5sp)
Linear Mode
