I am looking to get my first car. This would be my first car to (learn and) drive, so prefer a smaller car. I have decided on a Fit while my family recommends a civic (because its reliable, has a good resale value and easy to find a used one from a private party).

I prefer Fit because its smaller than civic (easy to park/handle), but has enough passenger room as civic and better cargo space. It would mostly be used for city commute, school pick up /drop and grocery shopping. We would take it on freeways but for less than 2hrs drive.


For longer rides we have an odyssey. Would I be satisfied with base fit (auto transmission) or should I look for a sport? I don't think I would be using paddle shifters being a new driver and not keen on cruise control or keyless entry.

What would you recommend? A fit 2009 or sport 2009 or a civic?

Thanks.

 

Best way to tell is to just go for test drives and choose the one that gives you the most confidence and is comfortable for you. As a city commuter for short trips either one would be fine. Both Fit and Civic are pretty reliable and resale holds up the same for both. If you're not price constrained, either one would be fine and I'm assuming you'll be buying used.

Personally i'd recommend a base Fit for a first time driver, if you decide in a few years you'd like to upgrade, selling it off wouldn't be much of a problem and you should recoup a lot of your investment. Good luck on the decision.

 

All three are good choices the problem is finding a used 2009 Fit and price range. 2009 Honda Civic LX

 

The Honda fit has about 117 hp (I think) whereas the civic has 140. I dunno about your area, but in Montreal buying a Fit new was more expensive because the interest rate is terrible compared to the Civic. Because of the terrible interest rate, many peeps end up getting a Yaris since they moved the instrument panel back to the front of the driver. I personally don't like sedans because I don't have kids and feel like I'm dragging around a waste of space. I live in the city so when it's nice out I like to walk or take my bike. I use a car mainly when I have to carry cargo which makes the Fit a perfect "fit" for my needs.

From my test drive, these are the main differences between the Civic and the Fit:

Honda Civic
-Much more luxurious and comfortable interior. More reclined driving position. Nicer high tech instrument panel.
-140 hp. The increased power of the engine is especially noticeable from third to fifth gear. Highway driving in general is a better experience because of the increased power.
-The optional eco-boost mode will greatly increase your miles per gallon. The Civic gets slightly better miles per gallon than the fit.
-The Civic has reinforcements between the backseats and the trunk, so even with the backseats reclined, one can't take full advantage of all the space.

Honda Fit:
-The interior design is clean, simple and functional. Although not as lavish as the civic, it is still very well appointed and doesn't seem cheap like in certain entry-level Toyotas.
-The driving position is more upright and the driver feels higher off the ground then in the Civic.
-Although the engine of the Fit is weaker than the civic, the manual transmission feels great and the light chassis contributes to good and peppy acceleration from first to third gear.
-When it comes to cargo space, the Fit is king. The rear seats can be folded down and rearranged in different ways to maximize practicality for carrying various objects.
-The civic is an extremely popular car in my area. This makes the Fit a bit more appealing to me because there are just so many Civics everywhere.

Conclusion:
If I lived far away from my work and had to commute frequently on the highway, I would probably opt for a civic or even an accord if I could afford it. For city driving, the light chassis and peppy acceleration of the fit make it a real joy to own and drive. Since you already own an odyssey for comfort and long travels, the fit would be a very different and fun alternative to a larger car. The upright driving position and fantastic visibility afforded by the multitude of windows is great for general road awareness and might be nice to learn in.

I would opt for the sports model, though. Cruise control is almost an essential necessity for drivers of all levels of experience when doing long commutes on the highway, especially on an automatic transmission vehicle. I was kind of spooked about using cruise control the first couple of times I tried, but I quickly came to realize that it allowed me to lock in an ideal cruising speed and would allow me to focus all my attention on the road. I find it much more difficult to avoid speeding when driving at highway speeds rather than in the city. I don't like the feeling of glancing down at my speedometer only to realize that I'm going 10 to 15 km/h faster than the speed I want to drive at. Fluctuations in speed and needless acceleration also result in poor fuel economy.

 

Do a search. Tons of threads like this. They're very different, so you don't really need to ask - just pick the one you like.
Civic: Sedan, comfortable, better MPG
Fit: Hatchback, cargo space, more fun

 

Just an FYI but My wife and I are looking to upgrade to a Crosstour from the fit (tad bit of a jump) and we'd be trading or selling our fit private party. I'm not far from Rutland VT so if you're interested, let me know.

~SB

 

I think the Fit is a better choice for YOU for a variety of reasons. You're obviously young so:

1. You'll be carrying your "crap" more often than passengers (family, etc.) and the Fit has more cargo room.

2. The Fit is less expensive and equally as reliable as a Civic... although the Civic is gorgeous.

3. The Fit gets comparable gas mileage and holds less fuel (cheaper to fill)

4. The Fit is not as desirable as a Civic and less apt to get stolen.

 

Thank you. After discussing the options, we hav decided to go with a brand new fit. Thanks for the offer and suggestions.

 

Congrats. I own both an '09 Fit Sport 5-speed and an '09 Civic LX-S Sedan. Although, noisier and rougher, the Fit is a helluva lot more fun to drive.

 

i have a 2013 fit sport gf has a 2009 civic exL. my girlfriend drove my fit and said the fit gets up and goes faster than her civic. the civic speeds up at a slow pace.