Potential Fit owner here with a couple questions for long time owners.

1. I test drove a brand new 2015 Fit EX MT on Saturday and noticed the steering wheel seemed slightly twitchy, both at low and high speeds. It didn't actually seem to affect the steering, but you could feel the wheel moving slightly left/right while driving straight (not sure how else to describe it). My concern is this would be annoying long term, and even lead to fatigue on a long road trip. The car had ~7 miles on the odometer so I'm hoping it wasn't an alignment issue right off the lot, but I also didn't feel the car trying to pull to the side like a bad alignment would indicate. For comparison I test drove another identical Fit from a different dealer on Saturday and didn't notice the steering wheel "twitch", but the salesperson was distracting so I could've easily overlooked it. Has anyone else noticed this on their Fits?
   
2. Secondly, I've received two offers from local Honda dealers for a 2015 EX MT at $16,500 plus taxes/delivery fees (total "out the door" price around $19,350). Is this in line with what others have paid? Almost all of the Washington DC metro Honda dealers seem to be sold out of 2015 Fits, especially automatics, so it's difficult to compare pricing.
   
3. Lastly, I'm on the fence between the Honda Fit and a Mazda3. I read through another post on this site debating the ups and downs of each car. The Mazda dealer has quoted a sales price of $17,000 for a 2015 Mazda3 Sport so it's tempting for the extra HP over a fit, but I'd also lose out on Honda tech like sunroof, rear backup camera, side camera, etc. Has anyone bought a Fit and wished they'd gone with the Mazda3?

If you couldn't tell by my screen name, I'm an avid cyclist so I'm looking for a car that I can fit bike(s) in and both the Mazda and Honda fit the bill.

Thank you in advance for feedback on any of the questions above!

 

The Mazda3 is a very nice car and handles much better than the Fit. If you really like sport driving the Mazda3 is better. However the gas mileage is not as good. Here in Canada the Mazda3s have 2.0L or 2.5L engines, much larger than the 1.5L of the Fit, and is much more expensive. Ensure you car comparing apples to apples.

Nothing beats the Fit for carrying capacity. I'm unsure how many bikes you want to carry, but I'm sure you can get more bikes into the Fit. The Fit has a 1.5L engine and much better gas mileage. While peppy, the Fit does not corner or handle anything like the Mazda3.

These two cars may not be very comparable.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-...vs-mazda3.html

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/othe...a-3-sport.html

 

You're in luck because I happen to own both a 2015 FIT and a Mazda 3s (2010 model though...). They're really not comparable models since the Mazda is bigger and more powerful. Honestly, my Mazda with the 2.5L engine handles better and accelerates better than the FIT, which is what you'd expect. The FIT does have more interior room or I should say, allows me to configure the interior to carry more stuff. I was able to haul six 2x4x8ft boards and I know the Mazda couldn't do that. That being said, the Mazda gets about 29mpg and the FIT about 41mpg on the same route to work so the FIT is the more efficient car.

To address your points specifically though, the steering on the FIT is a little twitchy as others have pointed out. It's the nature of the car and you do get used to it.

For the price, the offer for both cars sounds fair but then I'm not one to haggle that much with the sales team as I go in with an offer for them which they usually ignore but throw me a bone that's mostly acceptable. I guess pay what you're comfortable with and you can always check Kelly Blue Book to see what the average sales price is for each vehicle.

And, last, I wouldn't put too much stock in the sunroof or cameras. Honestly, I'm old school so I still turn my head when backing up and I still look out the side windows before changing lanes. And frankly, depending on the sun glare, the camera screen may not even be legible in certain circumstances. But, if those things are important to you, you may want to factor the higher in your decision.

Bottom line, I like my FIT mainly due to its size and mileage which were the main reasons I got it. I still haven't figured out what to do with my Mazda mainly because I still enjoy driving it from time to time.

 

Thank you both for the great feedback. I'm definitely leaning towards the Fit over the Mazda due to the fuel efficiency and (slightly) better options (compared with the 3 Sport). The biggest issue I had with the Honda was the twitchy steering but I guess that's to be expected from a sub-compact.

How does the lane watch camera work in night driving? Any problems with low lighting?

My current car is a 2010 Honda Insight EX and while it gets decent MPG and can carry a huge amount of cargo, it's a turtle on the roads even with the paddle shifters and "sport" mode.

 

The lane watch camera in low light and night time driving still works, but you're really relying on headlights of the other cars to indicate if something is in that lane. I still look over the shoulder.

The backup camera is better in low light, it seems it has infrared because you can see a lot more detail. Backing up my dark driveway is a piece of cake.

I really haven't noticed the twitchy steering on the Fit but I ride a motorcycle so twitchy is normal - haha

 

A Mazda 3 was on my short list before I chose the Fit. The poor tech and small display, as well as the ugly (to me - I'm an industrial designer) front-end styling were turnoffs, but the price ultimately killed the deal (by the time I optioned it to get it similar to the Fit EX).

Very happy with the Fit after one year and 27,000 miles.

es

 

As I've posted before, that twitch in the steering could be due to the electric power steering. Some people claim they can't really feel the road and it's more like they're in a video game; other people say they don't notice any difference. Supposedly Toyota came out with a software update when Corolla owners complained some years back but you only got the update if you complained about it.

 

I was very close to selecting the Mazda3 before choosing the Fit. Honestly the only reason the Fit won, was my wife was too short to comfortably drive the Mazda.


With that being said, I love the Fit. Better mpg, better reliability (based on the Honda name alone), and a slightly cheaper price point with more bang for your buck. The real reason I wanted the Mazda was the whole zoom zoom thing, and also it has a sexier body style than the Fit.


My only real gripe about the Fit is the front seats are not very comfortable on extended drives. However that is a very small complaint compared to all of the extras you get.


Either is a great choice, but if you want fun behind the wheel, go Mazda.

 

You reminded me of one other point - I have two coworkers that own Mazda3s, and both said A) dealer service is horrible and B) they've had to use it a lot more than they should have for fairly new cars.

es

 

Then, too, you have backup lamps that light up in reverse, thereby giving the camera some light to work with.

 

Left work today, and guess what was parked next to me? Yep, a Mazda3!

es

 

When I first got my Fit I thought there was something wrong with the alignment. But since it is both left and right (seems balanced) I have since concluded its just the type of car and have adjusted.

I think between the Mazda and the Fit it all depends on what you want. They are not in the same category. Personally I love the Fit for the room, gas milage and other goodies. It just suits my needs. I did my research and it fills everything I wanted. The only gripe I have is the thin body material but I guess that is what it took to make it light.

 

We are trading in our Fit for something a little larger. Our Fit could barely hold an umbrella stroller for our little one. On Nissan's Versa, I could Fit our larger stroller without even trying. In the addition to that the AC isn't great on our Fit, especially when sitting in the back and the A pillars can get in the way when looking from left to right. Keep in mind the Mazda 3's are still being shipped directly from Japan and the Fits are now made in Mexico. Not that it means anything , but there have been reported issues such as paint chipping easily and poor AC for some. I like our Fit, but I think it was a mistake buying a car from a new plant in Mexico ( which I didn't find out till much later via Fitfreaks) We will be looking elsewhere when the time comes. Good luck on your decision

 

Love my Fit. Wouldn't trade it for much of anything.

 

Same! Love this car.

 

Thanks for the continued feedback!

Has anyone driven this car in the mountains? My current car, a 2010 Honda Insight, struggles to keep up with freeway traffic when driving up and down mountain passes or steep grades. With a manual transmission do you feel like you have enough HP to keep up with normal traffic up a steeper grade?

 

As with all manual cars and motorcycles, if you run out of HP in any gear, you gear down and rev the engine. The lower gear will have higher torque necessary to get over the hill. At the top, shift up, or coast. This is the fun, and skill, of rowing a manual transmission.

 

Add some 7" wheels and the twitch(I never noticed it) is gone as it will handle/steer like a go-kart.

 

I've never noticed any twitch with the steering either, but I have noticed the great gas mileage and love the fact that I can get both my wife's hybrid and my road bike upright inside the Fit, and still have quite a bit of cargo space between them. Garagability was a huge factor for me too since we have a pretty tight garage. 8 months later and I still love this little car.

 

I owned a 2012 Mazda 3 SkyActiv and have a 2015 Fit 6MT EX now. The only time I feel the Fit being twitchy in the steering is due to specific road surfaces. This is more to do with the tires than the steering though. The 3 was great in the corners, the automatic transmission was the smoothest I have ever driven but acceleration with the SkyActiv tech was anemic. Despite being a larger car, the 3 interior and cargo space were not as usable as the Fit. While the 3 was rated for 39 MPG on the highway, in my driving I was lucky to average 30 MPG (averaging 35.3 without trying in the Fit). With the less than expected fuel economy, the very cramped back seat and less usable space behind the rear seat, I realized that I bought it for ripping it through the corners. I just didn't have the opportunities to drive the car that way and traded it in. The Fit has more tech and usable interior space, but isn't as sporty or comfortable. I would insist on loading my bike into a 3 before buying one, I am not sure it would fit well.