Well, the other day i was bothering my dad to take me to see the new fit and he did. I really liked it. It looked nice, the interior was a lot better in person, and i really really liked it. Yet, my dad was unsure. IT was even worse when he opened the rear doors and felt how light they were. He now questions how safe it is. He described it as being "in a tuna can." Is the Fit (in general 1st gen and 2nd gen) safe. I know the 07-08 fits have at least a 3 star rating (or better) which is fine, but what about the 09. Or maybe is my dad just used to bigger cars??

 

I throw my hands up in the air when people gauge a car's safety and strength by how heavy it feels or how heavy the doors are and what kind of sound they make when shut. Those have nothing to do with safety or build quality.

The Fit is very safe. It's composed of over 50% high tensile strength steel and includes ACE engineering.

5 star crash rating from front/ 4 star for rear side impacts.

The doors and everything else in the car (shift effort, steering, clutch etc.) are engineered to feel a little light for user-friendliness.

 

let's clear the air...

no car is safe...

but even a cheap car like the honda fit... has been run through its safety checks... it passed... case closed

 

Personally, I was quite satisfied with the nice safety features in the Fit (dual-stage air bags, seat belt pre-tensioners, ABS (a given), 3-point belts all around, occupancy sensors, etc.). I was, however, disappointed that VSA was not offered on all but the highest end model. I think VSA is a useful safety net for new or less-skilled drivers.

The reality, however, is that (depending on where you live) there are a lot of big, huge cars out there that weren't there 10 years ago before the SUV craze. The explosion of gigantic SUVs over the years is a real concern to me. If you tango with Hummers, Escalades, Suburbans, Durangos, etc., you will probably lose. F=ma, right? Does that mean the Fit isn't safe? I don't think so. A big car is also harder to control. It does mean that if you are driving a Fit, you are going to have to pay attention more and learn to be more aware of the cars around you and not drive in blind spots of Suburbans, etc.

P.S. Tell your dad you want a red one. That'll make it easier for SUV drivers to see. Also, red will attract cops more, so you'll be a better driver (I'm actually not kidding.)

 

In multi-vehicle collisions, it is advantageous to have a heaver vehicle. I believe the opposite is true in single vehicle collisions.

For frontal crash ratings, that rating is specific to the class of vehicle. So you can't say for example a Fit is as safe as an Acura RL for frontal ratings (both five stars). For side ratings I believe it is comparable among vehicle class.

Bottom line in my opinion is that there is a higher safety risk with the Fit. Death rates per vehicle class back this up.

With this in mind I personally would not hesitate to buy a Fit. Just wish stability control was included.

 

Part of this sounds like (and no offense at all to your dad) that older generations, or people less open to new ways of doing things look at a small car like the Fit and just think "ha - that's so small it must be totally unsafe compared to an SUV".

The Fit's safety is probably around that of any small/mid-sized car. To get any vehicle that is significantly "safer" than the Fit you are talking about buying a decent sized SUV that costs in the region of 30,000...

For decades, the US has had such cheap access to gas that driving such a small vehicle seemed ridiculous. People take time to catch up to new ideas, and yes, perhaps a Fit would be a little less safe in a crash than an Escalade, but if that was everyone's only concern we would all be driving tanks. People have always traded off size/safety against price, buying a sedan instead of an SUV, or a small SUV instead of a big one - but now the economics make going even smaller a very good idea - it will just take the mainstream a while to realize that the safety differences are insignificant compared to the savings and practicality of going smaller.

 

Personally, I think the whole safety concern is a fad. It's overblown.

Small, light, nimble cars like the Fit can AVOID accidents in the first place that a heavy lumbering SUV can't.

And if people are so concerned about this safety thing, why don't they simply get off their cell phones, make up or newspapers and drive more carefully? How 'bout taking a driving class to improve their skills so there would be less accidents?

 

i trust all honda cars. i was rear ended in my 01 accord years back. the girl tried to pick up her cell phone that she dropped on the floor going 40mph+ and BANG!...but i was perfectly fine...i love my honda.

 

Very good points!

Also SUVs have rollover issues.

 

At just over 6' tall, the headroom afforded by the Fit adds significant comfort.

When I took it in to have some accessories installed, the dealer gave me an Accord Coupe as a loaner car. It was very nicely appointed, but having my skull within an inch of the roof over the door frame made me uncomfortable.

I felt much safer getting back into my Fit.

 

its good to hear that the newer fit has significantly improved the safety ratings.


remember that the star rating system is only with regards to that particular vehicles class: a five star front rating for a honda fit doesn't mean that its as safe as a honda ridgeline with the same rating. (dunno if the ridegline is a five star car, i'm just using it as an example of a larger car.)

having said that, the fit is probably one of the safer, if not safest cars in this segment.

 

Fit's are VERY SAFE!

Also, the 2007, 2008, and 2009's have a 5 star rating. IDK where you got 3 stars for the 07 & 08's from.

Check the links:

Safercar.gov

Safercar.gov

YouTube - Crash Test 2007 - Present Honda Fit / Jazz / Aria IIHS

YouTube - Crash Test 2008 Honda Fit / Jazz IIHS (Side Impact)

YouTube - 2009 Honda Fit/Jazz crash test (NHTSA)

 

Have dad get you a FIT with navi. It comes with VSA.

Have dad google 2009 HONDA FIT REVIEWS. Safety is a feature of most reviewers.

Everyone call Honda and tell them that VSA should be included or at least an option on the FIT base model.
Honda claims safety as a #1 goal and it should be available to everyone regardless of their price range.

 

It's about as safe as a 2,500-pound car is going to be.

As others have noted, the weight of the doors isn't relevant.

 

This kind of post is so stupid...

Why ask... it is a honda... usually safe... but if you get hit by an SUV... what do you think will happen... duh

 

I feel very safe when driving my GE8. Even during spirited driving.

 

I am gonna elaborate a little on this... *cough cough*

IMO no car is ABSOLUTELY safe. It really depends on how you are going to drive the car and other external factors (such as weather condition and other drivers' mentally + experience)

Having said that, the fit is safe enough for DD and with so many made around the world, there is no doubt about the fit's reliability.

Why is the car doors so light? Well maybe your dad got used to heavy doors? He is strong and it takes little effort to close the doors? It all depends on what you / your dad is comparing the fit to. The doors on a fit is obviously lighter than, say, a Humvee~

Safety should not be gaged upon how many airbags, weight of door, or whatever material it is made of... I just believe that if you have good road sense and good driving experience, you should be able to avoid MOST accidents =\

And of cos, avoid cell phone calls when Driving (I am working on it myself) this includes TEXT Msging and Emailing (I dun see one can read / reply email while driving at the same time... =\)

 

Sorry, but "no car is ABSOLUTELY safe"??? No kidding. An M1 tank isn't safe in the battlefield either. No one on Earth is safe of anything. The world can end with a giant meteor colliding with our planet.

It's a silly statement.

 

You guys are right, but a car is only as safe as the driver.

 

The weight of a door depends more than you'd think on how components are positioned within it. Position the window and lock mechanisms towards the rear as much as possible, and it feels heavier. The thickness of the glass is also a factor.

Some accidents are unavoidable even for skilled drivers. But it certainly doesn't hurt to keep your eyes well down the road and alert for other vehicles that might do things they shouldn't.