Back in February, I sold my '15 Fit LX after buying a brand new '15 Sonic LT that was left over at the dealership.


I just recently spotted my old Fit at its new residence, and it looked pretty grim. A nasty dent on the rear quarter, some paint scraps, and it looked it hasn't been cleaned since it was bought. Apparently, the young lady who bought it hasn't kept it as pristine as I did.


Regardless, in the six months since, it was good to reflect on what I miss, and don't miss, about the Fit. There's little features that we can take for granted each day, and we don't realize how much we miss them, or loathe them, until months later.


So, here is what I miss the most about the Fit:


HILL HOLD: The Sonic has this too, but it's only effective on the steepest slopes. The Fit's was so aggressive at kicking in on slight slopes and was a nice touch


CRUISE RESET: The Fit is the only manual transmission car I've ever had where the cruise reactivates automatically after switching gears. No need to press "resume".


BACK SEAT/CARGO ROOM: We rarely use the rear seat, but when we do, we go big. A few weeks ago when we were going to the airport for a month-long trip to Australia, we crammed four passengers and a corresponding amount of baggage in the Sonic. In the real estate world, they would call it "cozy". It was cramped. The Fit would've done a better job with making everyone feel at ease.


FUEL ECONOMY: The Sonic isn't bad, but the Fit gets about 3-4mpg more. The 41mpg that I average on the highway in the Sonic is good, but it's not match for the 45 I'd get in the Fit.


VISIBILITY: Both aren't bad looking forward or to the side, but the Sonic's thick rear pillars can be tricky in tighter situations. The Fit's generous greenhouse was nice.


CENTER STORAGE: Both cars have a driver's armrest, but the Fit had a covered storage bin between the seats. It was a perfect space for hiding odd knick knacks. To the Sonic's credit, it does have the dual glovebox (ala prior Fits), but it's not as convenient to reach


TRIP B ODOMETER: It was nice to have two sets of mileage recorded, and fuel economy, trip stats etc. with each one. The Sonic has one, which is fine, but the second trip odometer pleased the geek in me.


HANDLING: The Sonic is very good for a subcompact, but the Fit just had that extra level of go-kart feel to it. It felt more flingable


And here's what I don't miss about the Fit:


NOISE: The Fit just always seemed relentless with noise. Engine, tire, and road noise were always there. The Sonic is a cathedral in comparison. It's a much nicer cabin to be in


SLUGGISHNESS: Maybe it's perception from the noise, but the Fit always felt slow and like an overloaded Cuisinart. It never felt quick or sprightly


TRANSMISSION: Sure, it shifted smoothly and had a nice clutch. But the gearing on the Fit's six-speed was bizarre and annoying. The Sonic's shifter is just as smooth, and the gearing is much easier to work with while making the most out of the engine's power.


FRONT LEGROOM: The Fit had great rear space, but compromised front leg room. The dash jutted into knee space and the footwell was sharply raked around the wheel well. It always felt cramped up front. The Sonic compromises rear seat room, and since people are rarely back there, the front seats take precedence, and the Chevy feels like a much larger car up front.


CARGO COVER: I finally have one! And an storage area beneath the floor. Why Honda neglects to put a cover in is beyond me. It seems like a tacky way to save a penny.


QUALITY: This is a big one. In its 5k miles, my Fit visited the dealership over 10 times for quality defects: some small like trim (the rear hatch plastic) to moderate (fuel gauge not working) to severe (alternator failure). Let's not forget the "denting the roof while waxing" sage, which hasn't occurred on the Chevy. It was as though the Fit had progeria, and after 1 1/2 years, it felt like it was 10 years old. The Sonic feels just as solid as day one, and hasn't had a single issue. Strange that a GM would outshine a Honda in quality


Overall, I don't miss the Fit, and am glad to get the Sonic. It suits my preferences better, and has been immensely more trouble-free. Some of the little thoughtful touches would be nice to have back, but the trade-offs aren't worth it. If Honda fixes the quality problems, which they seem to be progressing, and some of the gearing issues, it'd be a nice little commuter. The main point is that there is life after the Fit


Some of latest damage and neglect from the new owner












And some of the memories:

 

Thanks for coming back and giving us a review of your '15 Sonic as compared to your '15 Fit. I have rented the '15 Sonic a couple of weekends and chose the '16 Fit instead, but I can see your viewpoint.

No car is perfect for everyone, so you chose the car that suits your needs best. I found the '15 Sonic's ride more peppy but ate much more gas. The kids much preferred its infotainment centre with its gidgets and gadgets. The Sonic does have a nicer interior.

Still I chose the Fit because I found the Sonic cramped/cozy, and while I don't haul stuff daily, when I do the Fit is best in class.

Your Fit saga was traumatic, no doubt, with so many defects, but my Hecho en Mexico '16 manual Fit has been trouble free. Maybe yours was cursed.

As for the Fit defects, yes, the transmission is a bit screwy but I've gotten used to it. Instead of 6 gears I actually skip shifts up and down so just use 5 of the 6:1-3,5,6 up, 6,4-1 down. It is actually not bad, but would have preferred shifting ratios that made more sense. My Honda motorcycle's 6 speed is more logical than the Fit's.

For my family and I, the Fit makes much more sense, and I did not have the quality issues you experienced. The Sonic is a solid car but did not suit our needs.

Thanks for the writeup.

 

My heart goes out to you owning a Sonic. It sounds like some kind of automotive penance. That or being an athlete at the Olympic games in Brazil.

 

No need to feel bad. I love the Sonic, and the name reminds me of a hedgehog or fast food chain. On a side note, I've since rebadged it as a Holden Barina

 

The real queation is how does "Sam" like the new sonic.


James

 

This.

I had one as a rental while my GE was sitting around waiting for a new inflator...and holy cow was it awful. I don't have much experience with the GK (and what I do was not positive), but if it only compares evenly with the Sonic....nopenopenope.

 

I had a Sonic turbo as a rental for a week a few years ago when I visited NorCal. It was a fully loaded turbo, with sunroof, leather, etc...

I really liked it!! So much so that when I bought my '15 Fit, I very strongly considered the Sonic instead (I get a discount from GM through my job so that played a factor too).

It had a very sporty feel when driving and it felt significantly heavier than it was. It just felt much more substantial.

But ultimately my undying love for Honda won and I have my 15 Fit which I also love.

Congrats on the Sonic. Trust me, I understand why you bought it.

 

The EX comes with a Cargo cover, wasn't an issue for me. Had a lot of little annoying quality issues (see other thread), I understand your frustration. For leg room, guess that it suits my 5'7".

 

Wait the most important part is, what on earth is there a Jurassic park explorer doing in the reflection of the fit in the 1st couple pics????.......

Maybe a Raptor made the damage on the Fit?....

 

Thank you for the unbiased response. It may be a gutsy claim, but the Sonic and Fit are probably the best overall subcompacts out there when it comes to livability. GM really made an effort on Sonic; a shock after the days of the Aveo, Metro, etc.


It all comes down personal preferences with either, and there's no going wrong with either. Heck, I've bought both of them and have had a "long-term test drive" in both. The Sonic does feel more substantial and the Fit has a lighter, go-kart feel.


Glad you enjoyed the Sonic rental, and hope you continue enjoying the Fit!

 

We cheaped out and bought the LX. But still, even the Mitsubishi Mirage has a cargo cover standard. My old 1988 Daihatsu Charade even came with one, standard. It was one of those odd Fit quirks I knew before buying, but didn't think much about until owning it. It's almost a necessity in any hatch to keep away prying eyes.


For the front, being 5'7'' would be optimal. But my husband and I were 6'4'', and he especially in the passenger seat, would have his knees pressed right into the dash. The rear seat tracks just needed to go back an extra two inches or so. It was one of those issues that aren't a huge problem on a short test drive, but on a longer trip become bothersome

 

Those raptors are lethal at six months, and I do mean lethal!


Good observation. That is "Timmy", our 1992 Ford Explorer with 64k miles and Jurassic Park replica. I was cruising around in him when I noticed my old Fit parked on the street. I was wondering if anyone would notice!

 

The gearing of the Sonic is likely part of why it doesn't get as good MPG. There are normally trade off for such things..

 

Maybe in your country the EX comes with a cargo cover, but the USDM Fits they were optional.

Never knew the made a sonic with a turbo engine lol.

 

sonic is okay but it's not really good at anything. i looked at dem before getting my last GE. no character like say the abarth, not very good mpg, still slow compared to other hatches with turbos, cargo space is meh..

Fit > Sonic

 

I had a habit of trying out all the hatches I could for a while and the Sonic felt immediately cramped for my knees in the front. I sit close to the dash so the intrusion of the dashboard that low on the Sonic hit my leg. Oddly the Focus does the same thing but both the Fiesta/Spark had miles of room for me. The Fit is pretty close to the Fiesta/Spark. I can hit my knee on the lower HVAC control surround but its rare.

Edit: Didnt realize I was responding to such an old thread. Haha. Brought it back from the dead by accident.

 

Yeah the gearing still bothers me, two years later. My daughter was all over the Sonic eventually got a Yaris iA AT (I failed with my children on the MT); it's really a smart little car and she really likes it. Made in Mexico by Mazda for Toyota, how can yo go wrong?