Hi, first post! my ford edge is having differntial problems I'm considering replacing it, or getting an additional car. Im looking for a cheap commuter to rack up ~250,000 in 8 years. I figured hondas are an excellent choice for reliabilty and why not get a compact car if I'm not towing. I noticed the subcompact market has blown up with tons of cars starting at 16K and specced well at 20k-22k. My short list consists of the Fit base or ex-l (adding remote start 3rd party on the base), Mazda 3, Honda accord, elantra.

Looking at the styling and specs alone the Mazda 3 looks like a clear winner. But I'm really looking for a car that can give me 250,000+ miles with just oil changes, filter changes, belt changes, plug/coil changes and pump changes. I found out how costly it is just to get a water pump changed of its internal. I'm not sure if Mazda has moved away from ford's design, and tactics of using "lifetime" oils. The reliability scores for Mazda don't look great. The data on fits appear limited. I had trouble finding tech specs online. So my question is
1) Do you think this car is for me, a reliable commuter thats cheap to mantain? I think the accord insurance and parts would be cheaper than the fit, and considering the ex-l and the base accord is only ~$1,000 difference the decision is difficult.
2) Does this car use parts like a timing belt instead of a chain that would warrant a couple changes over 250,000 miles?
3) Base fit w/ remote start vs ex-l?
4) Is 3-5% off msrp the target for a cash paid car off the lot? I'm used to negotiating 10-15% from other brands. I was considering the recent college grad discount but since I don't know the interest rate I'll leave that consideration for later.
5) What method did you use when buying your car? I've tried using edmunds in the past and thought it was better than true car.

 

I'll give you some quick answers.

1) How am I supposed to know?
2) Bing.
3) I can't even parse that.
4) You'll be lucky if you can get any money off of a Honda MSRP.
5) Can't parse this one either.

There, that should get the ball rolling.

 

Interesting choice of Honda Fit vs Honda Accord. You skipped right over the new Honda civic which I understand is pretty good from reviews.

You didnt mention anything with regards to your needs; cargo capacity, comfort for rear passengers, absolute MPG, manual vs automatic, to name a few.

In December 2014 when we got our 2015 Fit, we were downsizing from a high mileage Odyssey van (after kids off to college) and wanting flexible yet good cargo capacity, high MPG, Honda reliability, decent handling, fun to drive, reasonably quiet inside. I believe the Fit for us achieved all of those goals. I would have preferred the manual, but the CVT is substantially quieter at highway speeds and I don't want to talk loud to have a normal conversation, so the CVT was my choice and its turned out to be pretty good overall.

The new Mazda 3 hatchback is pretty nice, but not as large or versatile from a cargo capacity perspective. However, their manual transmission offering may be nicer to drive than the Fit's MT. Personally, that is the only other one in your list I would have considered and it needs to be a hatchback.

 

Thanks for the replies. Maybe my sentences weren't very coherent, which is why you couldn't parse them. Or possibly you were just trolling.

So AT is a must, CVT is no problem. A naturally aspirated engine getting good mileage is a plus. Cargo space is a must when I drive between offices with merchandise. A sedan or fit have enough cargo space. I do like hatchbacks because they can fit a bike easily without a rack. That being said I do have a rack, and find this feature is a low priority. While economy of the vehicle is a higher priority. I frequently have 2-3 passengers and some light cargo. Power seats and power front windows are a must. If seat warming is not available a remote start is a huge plus.

I really did miss the civic in my search. I haven't looked at the service recommendations for any cars and compared them. This is probably a good place to start, with determining reliability. I checked out the sonata last night and it has moved up the list of reliable and affordable vehicles for me. Next dealerships will be honda, toyota Mazda and subaru. I will let you all know what I think of the honda lineup.

Is andriod or carplay standard in some trims or models?

Thanks for mentioning the quiet cabin noise on the fit, many reviews mentioned the opposite.

How is the balance of the vehicle and traction with the smaller wheels?

 

The 2016 Civic is the size of the older Accord. If you want a smaller car from Honda the Fit is your only choice. The Fit has more rear legroom than the Accord.

Also note that in the 2016 Consumers Report vehicle reliability survey Honda dropped 4 spots, losing on the infotainment system and their new CVT/DCT transmissions. You should read their report.

Go test drive a Fit, Civic and Accord. Then test drive a Mazda3, Hyundai Accent. They all have their strong points.

 

You mentioned power seats and remote start. Power seats are not an option on the Fit. But it really takes no effort to adjust them manually. If you go with the EX-L you get heated seats.

I believe remote start is an add-on for any trim level and not included.

When I mentioned the CVT is 'quiet', it is certainly quieter than my Odyssey or Integra, but it is not luxury car quiet inside at roads speeds where you tend to hear a little wind noise, then road noise, then finally engine noise when going up a hill, otherwise engine noise on the CVT cruising is hard to hear until 3K RPM's or higher.

Sadly apple carplay and android auto is not yet on the Fit, but the new Civic has it if I recall.

Balance and traction of the car is great and handles pretty well for California. I don't know if it will ever see snow and I'll let those chime in on that.

Passengers in the back will enjoy the ample leg room, but not much else in way of comfy arm rests.

Good luck and report in when you have some road tests done!

 

I had an '09 Fit Sport and traded it for a '12 Civic Si. If you're carrying a lot of stuff, the Fit is definitely suited for it. I put about 35,000 miles a year on mine of highway commuting. But while, the Fit's not terrible, I'd say the Civic beats the Fit in long range driving comfort. The whole time I had my Fit, I wished I'd just gotten a Civic. The whole time I had my Civic, I wished I'd never traded in my Fit.

 

im not a fan of mazda's.. they are just a poorman's some other car. get the fit.