The odometer now reads 152000 miles on my 2011 Honda Fit. Its actually in pretty good shape and taking offers.

I am selling it to get a Toyota Camry Hybrid. Toyota is running some aggressive deals to get rid of the 2014s and so I thought I would take them up on it.

The reason why I am selling my Honda Fit is that I am getting older, I work out of my car on a daily basis and I need the dumbed down ride qualities of the Toyota so I do not get overly fatigued from day to day. Another issue is that I could use a little more acceleration.

The things I liked about the 2011 Honda Fit are the following:

- Very easy to park in New York City

- Very easy to maneuver around New York City - i.e. changing lanes, squeezing into tight places, etc. Drives like its on rails.

- Reliability/Durability- 152,000 NYC miles and the biggest problems were the alternator failing, the A/C knob only operating at high, TPMS sensors because of potholes, and a few other minor issues. Many other vehicles I know of drop transmissions during that time period. Auto trans still shifts well (the tranny fluid has been completely flushed every 30,000 miles). You will need to do fluid flushes (4 times drain and fill) to keep the tranny in good health.

- Practical- I was able to fit some very large lawn chairs into the back without issue. I fit plenty of large boxes and other items inside

- $18500 out the door - I was able to get out of the door of the dealership under 20k when I bought it in 2011.

- Never really needed an alignment or tie rod changes - My former Toyotas always seemed like they needed new tie rods and needed to be aligned. The Fit just seems to keep alignment. The suspension still seems pretty strong for 152k miles.

- 40 mpg+ on the highway - 28 mpg in NYC city driving


Things which I didnt like about the Fit-

- Ride and noise - This car is clearly not a Toyota. It rides a bit stiff and there is the issue of constant road noise. You most certainly can feel the road. Changing to the Yokohama Ascends dumbed down the ride substantially. Before that change, I would really get tired from driving the car. After the change to those tires made the ride a bit more likable. I got tired after long driving with the stock Dunlop tires.

- Steering tracks like its on rails - This is both a positive and a negative. If you let your eyes off the road or get distracted the car will drift as any slight steering wheel change will move the vehicle. This is unlike on Toyotas which have the boat-like steering. Even though you move the wheel on a Toyota the car doesnt really move. It depends on which type of steering favors your style and which you prefer. Honda's steering is more like a train on rails whereas Toyota is more like a boat. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. When driving the Fit, you cant get distracted otherwise you might drift into the divider.

- Brake pads and tires seem to wear out too quickly- I solved the brake pad issue by getting the lifetime brake pads from Firestone for $99. Be careful at Firestone as they will try to upsell you. Remember, at Firestone you are only there for the brakes. If you want long lasting tires, you have to go with the Ascends, but the Ascends take away the sport from the Fit.

- Acceleration- While the Honda Fit seems to effortlessly change lanes and squeeze into tight places. It maneuvers like a dancer. However, it is not a muscle car. Acceleration with the auto trans seems to take quite a bit. When I merge onto the highway, I put my signal on and allow a lot of room. Most other cars out there can beat the Fit on the straight-away to include a Crown Vic, a 4 cylinder Civic/Accord, a 4 cylinder Corolla/Camry. Grandpa goes past you on the straightaway in his boat.

- People tend to bang into your bumper when parking. I solved this issue by getting these moldings from Amazon and the cushioned Bumpshox XL protector. I had a big Lexus suv back into the Fit with no damage as the Bumpshox was protecting it. There were a few other occasions where someone backed into my front with the bumpshox installed and no damage. To protect my rear bumper I used the Pacer Performance 25-502 moldings. If either your front or rear bumper becomes damaged in any way, the cost to repair it will be at least $500 from any bodyshop. The Bumpshox XL really does the job although it may be an eyesore to some people.

Generally, my view is very positive on the Honda Fit, however, for my day to day purposes the Camry Hybrid works better. I know I will have a greater issue parking and maneuvering it around, but I really need the dumbed down feel of the Camry from day to day. Im finding I need a boat and to be separated from the road. Thats just me and my personal preference. Yours may be different. In regards to maintenance for the Fit, dont buy into what the Honda dealership tells you. Most of the time you really need just a $32 oil change.

 

I would suggest changing over to the Koni shocks that recently came out for the FIT. They both soften impacts and improve road handling. They make the rear stick better at highway speeds and they are not expensive. Try the rears first. They take around 10 minutes per side to put in. You will definitely see a difference, particularly if you never replaced the OEM shocks.

FYI I have no stake in Koni, but I did put them on my 2009 Sport and think they will solve some of your unhappiness with your Fit.

 

Severe Service,
Have you investigated the 2014/15 Mirage? It's an EXCELLENT city car; it's soft riding AND it gets 40-50 mpg's.

It should cost u less than 16K.

 

you missed the part about wanting more acceleration and less fatigue. not to mention 4 yrs and 150k miles later he'd be lucky to get 4 grand on resale.

 

i lost track after the 2nd line...

 

I would rather get an Accord over the Camry

I can understand your gripe with the ride quality since the car has such a short wheelbase but I would suggest trying out the Koni's as others have suggested

 

I spent last week in a rental Prius in south west Vermont.
The mountains were very taxing on the little motor and I missed my '13 Fit like crazy. Over all 50 mpg.
I've had a 96,99,2002,2007 Camary. They were all great cars even if they feel like a Buick on the road. I had trucks at the time to haul in, now I'm retired.
My kid has a 14 Camary Hybrid and she's nuts about it. She can make the 600 mile trip home without stoping for gas.
Would be interested to know what your car brings.

 

A Honda is a Honda and a Toyota is a Toyota. If you want to feel the road and have some sport in your ride, you get a Honda. If you want to forget about the road and squeal around corners than you get the Toyota. Toyotas are more like Benzes, Caddies, Buicks, etc and Honda is more like Porsche, Audi, Nissan, etc.

Toyota has done some things such as put 17 inch wheels on their cars or stiffen the shocks/springs. However, that doesnt change the fact that the ride still feels like a Toyota.

I have had the Camry Hybrid for a few days now and it is a very different car. The Honda Fit is a precision handling instrument where you can do wild lane changes and really move in the corners. Its a dancer. The Camry can best be described as a boat or a land yacht. You feel every bump in the road with the Fit, but the Camry its more like the road is much less there. The Camry Hybrid is certainly faster, but turn the thing and you can clearly see the difference.

You just have to ask yourself what matters to you most and make your decision whether you want the Toyota or the Honda. Toyotas are great cruise machines where you just want to cruise and do little else. Hondas are great for having fun with your car and maneuvering in tight places. I do miss doing the u-turn in the street in just one turn. Now I have to do the K turn...

 

 

Severe Service,

How did you dispose of your Fit?

 

agreed. the new accord sedan 6MT would be my choice for a sedan in that price range.

 

As for Honda Fit, I will get it professionally cleaned and detailed. Get an oil change. I will then put it up for sale on the Autotrader for cash. Even with the 153000 miles NADA guide is 6-9k. Im not going to have anyone meet me at my home, but meet at the local DMV so if the deal goes down we can go to the bank and do all the paperwork at the DMV. If someone wants to test drive what you do is take a picture of their drivers license and text or email it to a family member just to be safe. If I cant get the price I want for it than I will just keep it. I would say no less than 6000 dollars cash.

 

The main reason why I chose to go "Toyota" is because I wanted the grandpa-like ride. The Honda Accord Hybrid doesnt have the same good ride as the Toyota Camry Hybrid. I also did not choose to go Prius because it didnt have that grandpa-like ride.

I am on the road every day putting on 50k per year. I am also now going to drive for Uber and Lyft on the side to make extra cash BTW. The stiff ride of the Fit was causing health issues where I would be really tired.

Honda makes FUN cars, but Toyota makes cars that seem more like you are driving a couch. I need that couch-like experience for my health.

 

I agree about the grandpa-ness of the Toyota ride but I find the unresponsive steering more tiring not less. Parking and turning a 90 degree angle is much more of a workout when you have to constantly spin the steering wheel.

I somewhat disagree about the need to pay more attention. When I drive my fit on the highway I hold the steering wheel with one hand and make small corrections. When I drive my parents Matrix, it's nth hands on the wheel because it needs much more turning to make corrections or take a bend in the highway.

Good luck with your new car!