What are the advantages of the Fit vs. the non-hybrid Civic sedan? The prices are comparable, the gas milage is similar, but the Civic has a peppier engine and probably a smoother ride. Is it just because the Civic is boring compared to the Fit?

Obviously, the Civic is not going to be as roomy as the Fit. (That's probably why they call it the Fit, 'cuz everything fits.)

But seriously, has anyone else wondered about this?

 

The Fit IS cooler. The 5-speed is plenty sporty for zipping around town, and handles great at interstate speeds. I'm getting 33.4mpg right now driving around the city! The best part is having ALL that space, it's truly ridiculous. Plus my friends love it, guys AND girls.

 

Well, I have to admit, space is a huge advantage with the Fit. You almost don't need to ask you friends if you can borrow the pickup truck!

But as far as performance, how does the Fit perform at high speeds? Say, 90 MPH? I currently have a Civic, and sometimes when I'm late...well, you know...

 

I haven't taken it past 80mph yet! Haha. Can't tell the difference between 60 and 80 though. Still crisp and doesn't feel like you're loosing it when you change lanes.

 

The Civic quite frankly is a class ahead of the fit in luxury and amenities. It's quieter, faster, gets better gas mileage, Better interior materials, etc.. There are also TONS of aftermarket upgrades for the engine. But it's a quite familiar shape and they are a dime a dozen.
The FIT is rarer, more "worldly" (ie/sport hatch uniqueness), and for my purposes, a lot more practical if you need utility space, (I do!). Unfortunately there aren't a lot of engine upgrades for the GE8, ....yet.
It was probably vain to trade it in, but I haven't regreted it.
p/s.... I am still surprised the number of folks who think this car is a hybrid.

 

Oh, yeah, I thought of another advantage to the Fit! Parking! It's over a foot shorter than the Civic sedan, and sometimes that can make a difference when between having a parking spot or not!

(But how is visibility when backing into a space?)

 

i had a 2008 civic ex coupe w/navi...traded in cuz i hated it. I felt the build quality is better in the fit than a civic...maybe cuz the fit is made in japan?

but honestly, i had the auto on the civic and it felt slow for me. it constantly downshifted for power...i opt for the 5spd manual on the fit and let me tell you, the fit is SO much quicker...or at least it FEELS like its quicker.

and civic and fit is a different car...sedan/coupe vs hatchback. my gf has a 2008 civic sedan and i have a 09 fit...everytime she sits in my car she feels more bumps on the road from my car and it feels more "jerky"..but i just tell her its cuz the civic she drives is more smooth and more "comfy". the fit is honestly the more "driver to road feel" car.

ive driven up to 90mph on my fit once..it felt stable..but it took a little longer than expected in getting up there..but honestly, in california, u rarely go speed limit due to traffic 24/7.

gas mileage..i would say its about same..civic has bigger tank..but i enjoy filling up the fit rather than the civic..because u know your car if frugal. hahaha.

go test drive both. if you go for fit..spend the extra $1000-$1500 for the sport model. you won't regret it. TRUST me.

a lot of people on this forum had other fast/luxury cars before the fit and they love the fit..u dont hear that often for people going to a civic from a fast/luxury car (maybe to a civic si...maybe). i went from a is300 to a fit..and i love the fit.

for parking: u have to get use to it being a hatchback...when you think youre gonna hit hte car behind you..you have another 2-3 feet. lol. its much easier to park once u get a hang of it. the only drawback is if you park too tight to the car behind you, u cant open your hatch.

 

I'm going to be an ass here, but why not wake up earlier? The other thread you said you like to speed on the highway and now this one says you sometimes run late. Which sounds like it is happens frequently.

I'm not going to badger you further, because I am in a glass house right now. On my drive over to Suzuka, I hit a top of about 170km/h (speed limited to 180km/h) when I was playing with a FD2R (no other cars were around us as it was about 4:30am). With that being said, the Fit felt completely stable.

If you need to compare the cars, I don't think the Fit is for you and should just go the route of the Civic. At least for me, I knew I wanted the Fit, this coming from a DC5R Integra and a AP2 S2000, but ultimately I will have another fun car...a NA2 NS-X. You do know the GE Fit is the 2nd best chassis Honda has ever produced right behind the FD2R Civic as far as structural strength. I don't know how much of that has translated over to the Civic offered in North America since there are some differences. What I am getting at with this is, sure it is not a fast car by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an absolute blast to drive and by driving I don't mean going in straight lines. I do wish it had a bit more power and about 100kg less weight, but only from a NA standpoint and a better rear sussy setup to get the most out of the vehicle, but then the packaging of the car wouldn't be what it is and the cost would also go up.

Good luck with whatever choice you end up making.

 

Is this because of the ACE structure? if thats so, how about the accord? how does that fare for structural strength? or the acura line up?

so you mentioned that civic offered in N.A. might be different since there are some differences..but the GE should be exactly the same as the Japanese ones since its a direct transfer over to North American soil?

Im asking for informational purposes. Thanks!

 

Before the internet wars begin, I'd like to compare the two, as equally as I can manage:

The Civic LX Sedan Manual starts at 18,315 with no accessories. You get with this:
140 Hp inline 4, discs up front and drums in the rear, ABS, 160 watt 4-speaker system with NO USB connectivity, and 16 inch Steel wheels. This doesn't sound too bad until compared with the Fit, which has:

The Fit Sport Manual starts at 17,120 and includes a 117 Hp engine, discs up front and drums in the rear, ABS, 160 watt 6-speaker WITH USB connectivity, and 16 inch Alloy wheels.

The Civic does have a power advantage, a multi-link rear suspension set-up and does come with carpet mats, something that's a $200 dollar extra on the Fit, but that's where the disadvantages end. The Fit has 57 cubic feet of storage, which clubs the hell out of the Civic's 12 cubic feet. Users here have reported staggering MPG figures as high as 40, killer looks inside and out, and it's rare.

While I still want a Civic, I'd have to shell out closer to 24,000 to get the Si coupe. For the money, nothing comes close to what the Fit can offer.

 

I asked myself the exact same question when shopping a couple months ago and ended up choosing the Fit. I drove both and really wavered back and forth for a long while on the decision. Why I chose Fit:
More fun to drive than Civic.
Better cargo capability
More bang for my buck in terms of standard equipment
The Fit appears to get better real-world MPG than the Civic--look at Fuelly.com and see what actual owners are getting.

Matt

 

I bought the Fit because:

I'm tall, I thought the door/roof to the Civic was too low.
I think the Fit looks cooler.
The Fit has more space + "magic" seats.
The gas mileage is great.
The only car that I have had that was close to as much fun to drive was my '85 RX-7.

When I test drove it I didn't take it on a highway though. My wife and I took it on the back roads. We had so much fun we bought the Fit the day we test drove it. I love the way my little car handles, even with the 14x5.5 steel wheels and base suspension. Although one day I might get that progress rsb and upgrade the wheels.

I think the real question is if you want/need the versatility of the hatchback in this case. They are both Hondas, they both do 90, and they will both get you to work on time if you leave home early enough.

 

we have both. To be honest if they made a Civic wagon I'd have that.

Civic is smoother quieter I think faster and better MPG above 70 because of the lower roof line and more sculpted body work. Civic is still fun to drive and handles well (lower CG)

But carry a lot of stuff for work or get bulky items from the store and the Fit shines! The fit is fun and has a lot of character.

 

I also drove both. Civic reminded me of my 95 Integra.
I too thought the civic was faster until I started playing with the paddles and sport mode. Then realized the Fit felt faster. It might not be faster but it felt like it was and more fun to drive on spirited drives. I also had never owned a hatch before so I wanted to give one a try. I don't think I will ever own a non-hatch car again. So much better utility than a normal sedan style car.
The Civic reminds me of my TSX. quiet...smooth ride. I bit on the numb side though. I wanted something different. Thus the Fit. Perfect fit for me.

 

They are two different cars. They both are strong points but also weakness.

For me they are so different, that choosing was easy. Same for mu GF, with the opposite choice. In all cases they are very good cars.

Drive them for a while ( try renting for a full day ) then make a list of + and - for each.

 

I had an offer for an '09 Civic LX auto for well under a good '09 Fit Sport M/T deal... Went with the '09 Fit Sport M/T (replaced after an accident recently with a '10)

I'm somewhat tall, and the Civic felt cramped in this regard, while the Fit has room for people far taller than myself. --Civic ++Fit
I prefer a large, high windshield. -Civic ++Fit
I prefer smaller cars (parking, handling, driving style). ++Fit
I strongly, strongly dislike the aesthetic design of the Civic. I loved my '93, but the Civic's today just look terrible in my *opinion*. Fit good looking IMHO. --Civic +Fit
Fit was easy to get into, Civic you have to fall into. -Civic +Fit

Then you have the USB audio, the appeal (to me) of a less common car rather than a dime-a-dozen car, the Fit feels more fun to drive IMHO, there is superb room for lugging big things around if necessary, real life MPG reports compete with Civic's.

End result... If you want good reliability, good mileage, small car, good price and plenty of storage room, I really don't think *anything* (in North America...) competes with the Fit right now for this combination of factors.

 

I saw Civic SI hatch yesterday here in Connecticut. Appeared to be late model with iVTEC. What country of origin is that? It had a manual tranny where the shifter came out of the dashboard. Cool looking car.

 

That's the 01-05 Civic Si hatchback (EP3). I've driven the EP3 a couple of times and it''s a nice car. The ride is comfortable, it corners well, and the K20A3 is good enough for daily driving. Wish it came with the K20A2 though. I heard some rumors that the UKDM CTR hatchback might come to the U.S. But then again, they are just rumors.

BTW, the Civic also has the ACE chassis design.

 

Thanks! It looked pretty sweet but the Fit looks roomier.

 

We have an '07 Civic and my wife loves it but...
the Fit is easier to get out of (for me)
the Fit carries more
the Fit gets better mileage
the Fit is easier to park
the Fit is more fun to drive
and my wife is always asking to drive it