Hi all,
I'm in the market for a new car, and I come to FitFreak to ask for some help.
Convince me to buy a Fit. That's your goal. And it's gonna be hard, cos it's up against some pretty difficult competitors.
Bear with me here, I know the list that I'm comparing it to isn't really fair. The Fit is at the bottom of my price range, the few other cars I've narrowed it down to include the Civic, Impreza 5dr, and Mini Cooper. The Rabbit used to be on the list, but after test driving it I'm not super estatic about it.
Here are the things I absolutely adore about the Fit. Out of all my choices, I find the exterior the most attractive. With the factory lip kit, the Sport looks as sporty as I want it to be with a mild drop.
There's the functionality of the hatch. A few days ago I helped my ladyfriend move out, and our family's SUV swallowed so much more stuff vs a sedan. Though not as large, I'm sure a Fit has impressive cargo hauling ability.
The lack of power I'm not concerned about. I drove a GD Fit for a day, and had so much fun.
The fuel economy puts a huge smile on my face. Sipping 5L/100KM highway would be wonderful, as I would love to take roadtrips often. I just came back from Quebec, QC .. my favourite city in the country.
There's, of course, the Honda reliability and resale. Whichever car I decide to choose, it will kept for a while. Though a new car, I expect the Honda to last 300k and beyond.
The biggest advantage of the Fit over the other cars I'm considering is the price. It's 5-10k cheaper, and that much money in the bank really helps out with student loans and such. However, I am a car enthusiast that loves to drive ... so a car that I love means a lot to me.
Lets get to the things I dislike about the Fit.
-Lack of moonroof, no real biggie. I love being under the stars, but I'm sure if it's not there I wont really miss it. I'm just so used to cars with it.
-Rear drum brakes. Hm. Archaic design isn't it? Reliable I'm sure, but stopping power? I care far more about stopping quickly than accelerating quickly. I almost always change out to performance pads, SS brake lines, and high temp brake fluids ... so this design bothers me.
-Torsion beam rear suspension. This is my biggest concern.
In terms of performance, I want a car that eat corners for breakfast. I want a car that'll dive into an apex faster, brake later, and exit at a higher speed than any other car. I want to be able to reel in muscle cars at the turns =) Handling is by far the most important out of all.
Granted, I'll only track my Fit for fun ... and not more then a handful of days per year ... I still want that precision handling for my everyday driver.
A brief look at the Track forum tells me the Fit is severely outclassed by the Mini Cooper. That's to be understood I suppose. The Cooper had racing heritage, and far superior suspension design. The Cooper is also the most expensive vehicle I'm looking at.
How does the Fit compare with the other vehicles? They are more powerful, so I'm sure they will be far faster on the straights, but in the corners? Civic Si with LSD? Impreza with the horizontally opposed H4 and symmetrical AWD?
Has anyone tracked these aggressively?
These two competitors both have superior suspension in theory (macPherson strut front and double wishbone rear)... however are pigs compared to the Fit. A substantial 500lb difference. The Cooper was the same weight with superior suspension, but in this comparison would the weight be enough to offset the inferior design?
Stock?
Modified? (let's say upgraded matched dampers/springs with a rear anti-sway and grippy tires)
I really want to love the Fit. I really do. The lack of power doesn't bother me. It's just the inferior suspension and brakes. Now theory doesn't always equal real world results. For example, I've seen a comparison where a Yaris Sedan pulled higher Gs on a modified suspension compared to many race cars
g Masters Challenges - Lateral Acceleration Testing
I keep hearing the Fit is fun to drive, and handles real well. I'm sure it's true, but how about compared to the other vehicles in question?
Can I toss the Fit into a turn and not worry about it breaking traction and losing itself?
Start the convincing =)