I'm in the market for a used car, preferably something in the 2009-2012 range. I currently have a 2004 Pontiac Vibe.

I'm torn between a Fit, a Rio5 (2012 or 2013 version), or a Vibe/Matrix (2009+). I just test drove a 2008 Fit today and liked it, but I'm mainly concerned about reliability, longevity, and hasslelessness (is that a word?? lol). With Vibes/Matrixes, for instance, it's not uncommon for them to last well over 300,000km without breaking a sweat, with nothing but basic maintenance. Can the same be said for the Fit? Interior bells and whistles don't mean a whole lot to me...I like a car that gets me from point A to point B with a minimum of fuss, and is comfortable, hassle-free, and durable.

Also, I'm concerned about rust. The 2008 Fit we looked at was starting to rust around the rear keyhole, and had a couple of small spots of rust elsewhere on the body. I didn't even get a chance to look at the undercarriage. Is the Fit more, or less, prone to rust than other cars?

I also test-drove the 2012 Rio5, and really liked it a lot as well, but I have similar concerns about quality/longevity/durability/rustproofness as compared to a Fit or Matrix.

Help me here, I'm torn

 

All vehicles are prone to rust with age, some deal better than others.

I've found the Fit to be an extremely durable, simple to own vehicle.

 

Dave: I own both so I think I can help you out here. Have owned both generations of Vibes and now the first generation of the Fit. The Fit is as close as mechanically possible to being a bullet proof car. I bought mine sight unseen from an owner 2 hours away knowing that the car would last a very long time. Staying with the Fit, and regarding the first and second generations, I would NOT buy a 2009-2011 Fit. If buying the second generation, I would buy a 2012-2013 model which I believe are the years that they added sound proofing to the vehicle. If it was the 2011 model, someone here can chime in and correct me.
Now for the Vibe: having owned both iterations, I would definitely buy the second generation model over the first. It is superior in almost every way and with all the standard safety features, is one of the safest cars on the road. It will also be more sure footed in northern climate driving than the Fit or the first generation Vibe. A second reason to buy the second generation Vibe over the Fit is that you will have a LOT more buying power given that you can shop for both the Vibe and the Matrix, giving you more choices in available used cars in your area. So for me, I'd buy the Vibe/Matrix over the Fit.
Now for some Toyota reality checks: I have had about 5 recalls from Toyota on my Vibe. While that is not a cause for concern financially since your local dealer is obligated to perform any recall for free, it does indicate a real deterioration in Toyota's part suppliers, who continue to fail the larger company. Toyota needs to reign in their contractors or dump them to stop the company's image from sinking. On my 2009 Vibe, (non recall) things that plague the Vibe and Matrix are: a) Corolla engines and Camry engines are oil burners. It is normal for those cars and do so and are well within mechanical specifications. You probably know this already because I'm betting your first generation Vibe (like my 2003 did) also has a drinking problem with oil. b) the intermediate steering shaft rattles. This is not a safety issue and as such, GM and Toyota won't do anything about it. So at slow speeds going into your driveway or over a parking lot speed bump, you will hear the rattle. It is just something all of us live with. c) Corolla engines (again as you probably know) have an inherent valve tappet making them pretty loud engines. Unfortunately the VVTi valves cannot be adjusted to correct this.
If you decide on a second generation Vibe, make sure you identify which engine you are getting (Corolla or Camry). The Camry won't give you the same gas mileage but will provide you with more power for sure.
So between the Vibe and Fit, I'd take the Vibe every time. It is a much more comfortable ride and beats the Fit in almost every category except one; one big one: there are very few cars made in the world that can be labeled as bullet proof. The Fit is one of them. It is hard to break them and the Fit will outlast any other subcompact on the road. Best of luck with your hunt. My only other advice (as always) is to buy your car from an actual owner who can tell you about the history of the car. Never buy a car from a dealer. They know nothing about the history of the car they are about to sell you at a $4000 profit over what they paid the previous owner. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Both the Fit and the Vibe/Matrix are pretty reliable cars. I don't think there's a whole lot to prefer one over the other for longevity. (I previously drove a couple of Prizms, which are rebadged Corollas and hence mechanically related to the Matrix/Vibe. They were reliable, but of course still required maintenance and the occasional minor repair.) Oil consumption, as BurntZ mentioned, is very common on older Corollas, and failure to keep the oil level up will sooner or later cause engine wear and breakdown and so forth. Likewise, I don't think there's much to prefer one or the other for propensity to rust. Pretty much any car will rust sooner or later up north here where they salt the roads; it's just an unfortunate fact of life.

Advantages of the Fit in my opinion are unsurpassed cargo carrying flexibility for vehicles of its size and fun in driving. The Fit also gets somewhat better gas milage. Advantages of the Matrix/Vibe, I suspect, are somewhat more comfortable seating, at least in the front, and the availability of all wheel drive for winter. You wouldn't go wrong with either one.

I don't know much of anything one way or the other about the Rio.

I am very happy with my '12 Fit, all in all. At least when I was looking, used Fits were not particularly good deals—they were priced almost as much as new Fits.

 

I don't think any of us here are going to recommend the Kia. Truedelta lists their user-reported repairs as being generally about twice as frequent as for the Fit. Sure it will be cheaper, but probably not enough cheaper to cover its shorter expected lifespan and increased repair costs.

For Vibe/Matrix versus Fit, it will be closer. Reliability for both should be excellent. The Fit MPG is better, the V/M has more power. The Fit has the magic seat. I personally would lean towards the Fit, but would go with a V/M if the price were right (and the price was not right for the Fit).

 

Thanks everybody, those are all tremendously helpful responses. I think I've mentally narrowed it down to the Vibe/Matrix vs. the Fit. I'll have to do another test drive of a later model of Fit just to see what's up.

 

Quick question on this point--are those TrueDelta reports regarding the later versions of the Rio5? (2012+?) Or are they for the previous generation (up to 2011)? The Rio5 was totally redesigned in 2012 and bears little resemblance to the previous generation.

 

The truedelta reports do stop before the current Rio model, but they do have data for the Hyundai Accent, which has the same platform, and at least the 12 and 13 Accent don't improve on the reliability of the older ones. They're a much nicer design with better fuel economy, but not better reliability.