I'll cut to the chase;

Thinking about picking up a new 2016 honda fit with the manufacturer promotional apr of 1.9%. I have read NUMEROUS issues with the 2015. I am aware 2015 was made in mexico and every model I've seen of 2016 is made in Japan.

Have many or all of these issues been resolved?

Few nuances come to mind; forgive the lack of format to my post.

1. is the ride any quieter in the 2016? I plan to grab an automatic

2.How annoying is it there is a drink holder in front of a vent on the driver seat?

3. Are the RPMs running high at high speeds? I do tend to hit the highway relatively frequently. I plan to grab an automatic.

4. I've read things here and there about the paint...really about the paint? Is this an issue? What is a good remedy? I plan to skip up that rust protection nonsense; I've always heard that's just an upsell.

5. What accessories are necessary to owning the vehicle.

6. I hear the climate control in terms of heating cooling kinda stinks on this car? is that true? has that been resolved at all?

7. Would you recomend a used civic 2014/2015 instead? I know it's very different car just wondering.

8. How is the touch screen? Again I'm leaning EX but might go LX or even EX-L

I appreciate anyone who takes time to reply. Why am I after a Honda fit? Well I picked up a used one for purchase assuming test drive went well and I could talk them down several hundred...called and the fit was recalled for an airbag problem. Mostly I'm tired of shopping.

 

Bilmore... as I was in the dealer just yesterday to get my door handle brackets replaced and had an opportunity to inspect a Japan built fit here is what I can say... Just do it, buy the Fit, but buy a Japanese built version and inspect it carefully. I have a Mexican assembled EX CVT built in 01/2015. I have all the issues common on this forum... mostly bad fit and finish and poor paint quality. I've had pieces replaced because of poor manufacturing standards (and the pieces always said "Made in Mexico' on them) and the most disturbing issue is I had failing clear coat that had to be resolved under warranty. New paint on a new car... not a confidence builder. On the other hand, mechanically the car has been fine. The major take away I had from inspection of the Japanese built fit is that it looked and felt like a Honda, while mine looks and feels like a... well anything sub-Honda. All of the doors fit well, gaps on all trim, doors, bumpers, dash, all looked fantastic. The doors even felt more solid (I swear the doors on the driver's side of my car were replaced after mfg. They don't fit well, can't be 'adjusted' and don't feel solid). The most glaring difference with the Japanese v. Mexican built Fits was in the paint quality. It looked great. Mine looks simply 'painted'. As for your concerns... Ride: I imagine the ride is no different. Some people complain of the seat comfort, but I never had any issues, Drink holder: hard to get tall drinks to fit, otherwise it's ok, RPMs: Opt for the CVT and you'll be running around 2500 at 75 mph, 6 speed will be North of 3000. Accessories: personal preference, nothing outstanding. Heat/Cool: it does the job. I have no complaints about smells. Touchscreen: No problems with it and nice to have the back up cam (never thought I would like it, but it is handy). Remember, it is a sub compact and the ride/power combination may not be to your liking, then again that's a personal issue. I can definitely attest that the Japanese built Fit and mine are like cars from 2 different companies. I swear mine was made by the re-employed Yugo factory workers resettled in Mexico.

 

There are two other recalls other then the airbag problem. I forgot what they were. In addition to what Rooster had stated. The AC on my 2015 is weak compared to our older 2004 Civic. We even went as far as having our system properly evacuated and recharged under warranty. You also want to check if you can get used to the A pillars . Depending on how far you sit back in the drivers seat. I would have to tilt my head left or right to see. That's one issue I did not immediately notice on my test drive. The rear trim on the hatch is fragile, we cracked ours from lifting the hatch. Not sure how it is on the 2016. We are trading our 2015 in and we are currently looking at Mazda as it's still a J VIN. In regards to the Civic purchase, I've seen the 2015 and most models on the lot had orange peel pretty much everywhere (quite sad)

 

I bought a 2016 Fit 6MT, and I'll answer as many of your concerns as possible.

-The ride is the same as the 2015. It is a subcompact and small, so not a quiet ride. There is a huge hatch which I use to haul stuff, and this seems to make the ride louder.
-RPMs on the highway: CVT 2,300rpm at 70mph, 6MT 3,300rpm at 70mph. The 6MT revs higher, for sure, but I've not had a problem with it. The Fit drives well at highway speed.
-paint: Yes, the paint is pretty thin. I scratched my rear quarter panel on a cardboard box. The paint is thin, that is for sure.
-accessories: If you're in IL you have snow. I got some Husky floor mats that are great at containing the snow/slush/water so it does not damage my carpeting. Instead of a hatch tray I bought a black blanket. I find it adequate to cover any items in the hatch.
-the climate control is meh, but this is a subcompact car. I'd have preferred a faster heater as we do have winter here. After 10 minutes it has just barely adequate heat if the temp is -10C/14F. I've not tested the heater at -24C/-11F. This might happen tomorrow.
-A neighbour bought a 2015 Civic and really likes it. The 2016 Civics are a 1st year refresh and have already had their first major engine recall. The 2016 Civic is larger than the 2015 civic. You'll need to read up on the 2016 Civic issues. I wanted the hatch, not a sedan, so went with the Fit. If you like the Civic I'd consider the 2015 Civic, as you'll get a discount for an older year and you'll get a better car.
-I did not like the 7" touch screen. It was slow and the lack of volume knob bothered me. While driving I could not change the volume on the radio, but there is a volume control on the steering wheel. The LX has a 5" non-touch screen that is easy to use, understand, learn and really works well. You'll need to test drive and see for yourself.
-the rear hatch carpeting is very, very thin. Some call it mouse fur. I am careful loading and unloading items so I don't damage the carpeting. This is built to a low price point.

There is a lot written about the crap quality of the Mexico built Fits. I do not see this in my Hecho en Mexico Fit. So far, no major issues, but I have not had the car for long. The paint, while thin, is good. The fit and finish of the Fit matches an entry level car at a low price. If you want better quality fit and finish look at the Mazda3, but it has a much higher price. My 6MT is super smooth and a pleasure to shift. The Fit is a fun car to drive.

There is a splash screen on the underside of the engine. After an oil change this tends to fall off, so you need to zip tie it to the car. This design defect will be the same Mexican or Japan-built.

I think Honda has worked out most of the bugs on the 2016 Fit. Of course there will be exceptions.

You are not getting a "bargain" with the Fit. You get an adequate car built to a low price point. While the Fit shows well initially, Honda has cut corners to save money. After a while these do show themselves. Know what type of car you want (sedan or hatch), narrow down your list and then go from there. I wanted a hatch, and compared to the Nissan Versa Note, Hyundai Accent, Ford Sonic, the Fit was the best "fit" for our family. It was not the best quality car for fit and finish but is fun to drive. No car is perfect.

 

I do have the automatic (cvt) made in Japan and as far as engine noise goes, I can't really hear it. Mainly because of the road noise from the tires. When I hit a newly paved road, the tire noise goes away and I can hear the engine but it's not loud at all, at least to me it's not.

Haven't used the drink holder.

90% of my driving is on the highway and it really is a smooth drive. 65mph = 2100 rpm. 70mph = 22-2300 rpm.

Paint is fine on mine.

Accessories needed = floor mats.

Climate control is OK by me (A/C in FL, heater in GA).

The last civic I owned was a '91 so can't help you there.

I have an LX so no touch screen - just knobs.

other observations: I've owned my Fit now for 30 days and have put 3,000 miles on it. It is solidly built with no rattles, smells or oddities. The sound system in the LX is actually pretty decent but the AM sound seems muffled. I am 6ft tall and 190 pounds and I have no problems with the seat. Too me, they are comfortable enough. I'm averaging 43.0 mpg so far so the mpg is great. I don't use the Econo button because that's pretty much the way I drive anyway (easy on the accelerator). The armrest/console is too low to be much help unless you are very short. And ... it's fun to drive. But I don't think the body style is very distinct - the Ford Fiesta has the Fit beat in that category.

 

> 2.How annoying is it the drink holder in front of a vent on the driver seat?

The cupholder is fine and doubles as a holder for your cell phone when using it as a GPS.



> 5. What accessories are necessary to owning the vehicle.

So far I've only added a litter basket.



> 7. Would you recomend a used civic 2014/2015 instead? I know it's very different car just wondering.

I would have bought a Civic except I needed the hatchback for everything I haul.



> 8. How is the touch screen? Again I'm leaning EX but might go LX or even EX-L

One has to adapt to the EX touchscreen to be happy with it. My wife and I have adapted fine by using the steering wheel control.



> Mostly I'm tired of shopping.

I know the feeling!

 

I just bought a new 2016 LX cvt, and while no car is perfect it is pretty close, I am very satisfied with the car and see no issues in either fit or finish or driving. I also have a 2013 civic and would consider there quality very similar. My car is Japan built!

 

Mexican built 16. Zero issues.

 

I should add in a more off the wall question. I purchased my last car with hopes(and a level of research to produce anticipation) my car would have a high resale/trade in value. That car was since rear ended and totaled. While I got more than most of my friends and family thought I would get the car still sells around town for 3 grand more pre-tax (an issue I will dispute with insurance). The question is due to the problems with mexico plant can I expect that to effect the resale/tradein value of the fit down the road even if I'm clear it's made in Japan?
I've heard manual 2016s are still made in mexico as well as the EX-L (which I will need to look into)

 

Released yesterday, According to the Canadian Black Book, cars with the highest resale value, looking at 2011 cars: Honda Fit is the best for the subcompact. What will happen in 5 years is anyone's guess.

 

Forgot to thank everyone for their input! THANK YOU! And I hope to hear more. I'm looking at the Chevy Sonic hatchback as an option currently. Used honda civic, hyundai elentra...I'm going to give similar ford and kia cars a look as well. All I can say this is a rush job...I spent half a year picking out my last car and I was extremely pleased with it..though it was a lemon in the gas consumption department.

 

I'm not a fan of the Sonic, but there are others here that are. Read this thread on a head-to-head comparo: Fit and Sonic. If you can get a great deal on the Sonic, like $12,500 then....Also take a look at the Nissan Versa Note, another hatch. If you can get a deal...

 

2016 FIT LX, 6MT.

Purchased WeatherTech digital fit floor mats, front and back. I live in snow country and even if the car had come with mats, would have replaced them since OEM mats offer no protection in the winter.

The cupholder is good for holding a phone. Otherwise I don't notice it.

Heater works fine. It was 4F when I started my ride home from work and snowing heavily. Defrosters worked fine and the cabin was comfortable. Hatchback defroster works very well.

Haven't noticed any issues with the paint, but then, my car was delivered December 29 and it's winter here.

RMPs around 2100 at 55MPH. No one can drive 70MPH here in the winter (and expect to stay on the road) because the roads are snowy/ice covered. With four snow tires, FIT plows through the snow quite well.

No recalls of anything (I check at the owner's site).

I rented a Sonic earlier this summer for a road trip. Boring car. The FIT is fun to drive.

My FIT was assembled in Mexico. I had been reading this forum for a couple of months before my FIT was delivered, so I checked it very carefully. No issues whatsoever.

The touchscreen works fine for the applications that come with the base model. I personally prefer radio knobs so I can keep my eyes on the road.

Bluetooth easy to pair.

While I've only driven my FIT for 1,000 months in winter conditions, I'm quite happy with it.

Edited to add that this morning it was -21F. so the FIT got a real test of cold weather driving. All systems worked fine, including the heater. I did start the car and let it run for around five minutes before I left.

 

I have a '16 Fit EX-L NAV built in Mexico in Oct '15, purchased in Nov '15. Silver. Zero defects. Much better than the '09 Fit, and better mileage. Almost bought a Sonic but lacked push-button start and Nav and great back seat room, for people and/or cargo. Also odd shape...to me (truncated rear). Wife said no to it, and loves the Fit. Only things I have done is adjusted the headlights so they shine a little higher, and loosened one bolt under the hood and aligned the right front fender better with the hood edge...now perfect.

 

YES! I thought I noticed this during my very short night time drive..the head lights seem to aim low right?
Does anyone else agree? What was the remedy?

 

All except for the EX-Ls, which still seem to be from Mexico.

Even Japanese-built Fits have 15% Mexican content, so it seems that a lot of the US-specific hardware is going from Mexico to Japan to be put on our cars. The important bits, engine and transmission, are currently made in Japan.

2015 is identical to the 2016, so no change in noise level. The CVT will have less engine noise at cruise.

The idea is that the cold air from the AC or hot air from the heat will keep the drink cool or hot.

CVT runs 2500-2700 on level roads at 70MPH. Pretty good for a tiny engine. Of course, if there is a hill it'll spool up.

It's a big greenhouse and the black interior doesn't help. I'm going to tint my windows and put on light-colored seat covers.

I chose the LX largely because of the bad reviews and sketchy reliability of the touch screen system. Knobs are a better interface. One thing I discovered about the touch screen system is that it has an electric cooling fan built into it. OK for a computer with a 5-year life, but in a car it pretty much guarantees that there will be a failure before I will sell the car. The Display Audio radio is hardly low on features. You still get the backup camera, bluetooth hands free phone and music, USB input, and one trick that the touch screen doesn't have, an aux input.

 

George just handled it.. but I too was like "what the hell?" I thought they were good engineers??? Then when I used it in the summer, my drink stayed cold... *oh* guess they are!

The Fit is also the third largest selling car in Japan.

I was originally leaning towards and LX.. but the extra electronics alone are worth the price of admission to the EX.. (I'm an OLD guy too)..

 

I had wanted fit for years but could not get the deal I wanted until 2016. I bought the LX with cvt. I think dealers are offering better deals on the fit due to cheap gas prices and so much inventory. I am also an old guy .

 

I am an old guy. I don't think the Honda Fit is the right car for you. Go find something else.

 

holy bananas what a fantastic reply in addition to all the others...did you see my most recent post about the low aimed headlights? is that my imagination or is that happening...wish I had a longer test drive.