I had a 93 and 96 Civic and both seemed to have had less room that my FIT so I decided to look into the specs a tad further.
93 Civic DX length 160.21
96 Civic HX length 164.5
08 FIT Sprt length 157.4
09 FIT Sprt length 161.6
09 Civic LX length 175.5

useless trivia but if anyone wondered if the Civic was growing, it is.

 

I wanted a Civic, but in the 2009 and 2010 Civics the top of my head rubbed the inside of the roof. I got a Fit, and I could wear a hat in it if I wanted to. The Fit seems to have quite a bit more interior room than the Civic.

 

Cars grow over time; our first Honda was 120" bumper-to-bumper. Our garage is 34" only deeper than a 2009 Fit, and the length of the Fit was a major factor in our choice. The Fit is only 13" shorter than the Subaru it replaced, but that makes a huge difference in parking. Navigating parking garages is also much less claustrophobic with the Fit.

 

It amazed me that my 09 FIT was longer !

 

people always talk about how tiny the Fit looks. when i park next to my brother's ef hatch, the talking stops lol

 

They grow with each generation. The Civic is actually not even a sub-compact anymore!

 

Ever since I got the Fit, I can move around my garage with all sorts of room to spare. I now also consider it a challenge to find the tightest parking spots and pull in at warp speed. The maneuverability of this car never fails to bring a smile to my face.

 

I have an oddly-shaped driveway. It fits two cars, but the apron is only wide enough for one car, so the "inside" car basically has to be backed in because the path is actually identical to a typical parallel park maneuver.

Needless to say, it's much easier to get the Fit in than either of the Civics if the other car is in the "outside" spot, even if the other car is too close to the apron or encroaching on the "inside" spot.

Actually, it's also easier to back the Civic in when the Fit's on the "outside" since the Fit is shorter.

 

As you can see what I was driving before by my sig, the Fit is just bigger and roomier every way you look at it. The cargo capability of the GE Fit is just awesome in comparison.

 

gd3 wagooon, i think ur sig is hilarious.

 

I'd say the Fit uses its interior room better for human habitation. For all the increase in length, the Civic hasn't grown much taller - hence your head rubbing against the roof. The Fit meanwhile subscribes to the "tall-boy" school of car design to liberate hat-clearing headroom.

The Fit might not be the larger car, but with respect to ekeing out the maximum interior volume, it's much better designed. It's "man maximum, machine minimum" as what Honda's corporate blurb often says.

 

Plus the seats are higher--which is great for us older guys getting in and out of the car.

 

anyone know off the top of their heads what the wheelbase is for the ge fits vs the current civics?

 

Wheelbase Fit: 98.4 " Civic: 104.3 "

2010 Honda Fit vs. 2010 Honda Civic

 

its true. like Selden added all cars grow over time. every new generation on all cars grow. the civic used to be subcompact back in the 70's the cvcc. became compact around the mid-late 80's. the civic is now in the current generation, almost midsize. the accord now is almost full size in exterior and interior dimensions. and the full size benzs and lexus are like limos.

i swear by 2030 we'll all be driving yachts on the streets.

 

Passenger volumes say it all:

Accord:
1986-89: 89 cubic feet
1990-93: 93 cubic feet
1994-97: 94 cubic feet
1998-02: 102 cubic feet
2003-07: 103 cubic feet
2008-Present: 106 cubic feet

Civic:
1984-87: 84 cubic feet
1988-91: 88 cubic feet
1992-95: 85 cubic feet
1996-00: 90 cubic feet
2001-05: 91 cubic feet
2006-10: 91 cubic feet

Fit:
2007-08: 90 cubic feet
2009-10: 91 cubic feet

EDIT:

Just for fun, consider the following:

Fit (GE):
91 cubic feet passenger volume,
21 cubic feet cargo volume
57 cubic feet maximum cargo volume

Matrix (2010):
92 cubic feet passenger volume,
20 cubic feet cargo volume
49 cubic feet maximum cargo volume

Suzuki SX4
89 cubic feet passenger volume,
16 cubic feet cargo volume
54 cubic feet maximum cargo volume

Chevrolet Aveo5:
91 cubic feet passenger volume
15 cubic feet cargo volume
37 cubic feet maximum cargo volume

 

Cars grew in the 50s-70s, shrunk from the 70's to 80s, and have begun growing again.




1974 Cutlass


1984 Cutlass


1994 Cutlass


Fun fact: a 1964.5 Ford Mustang and a 2010 Fit Sport weight the same.

 

I think I read over on VTEC.net that the next gen civic is going to shrink in size a little bit. Lighter, shorter, (not sure about width and height)... was a while ago. statement came from the pres at honda I believe.

~SB

 

Hmm. The European Civic is shorter than the American version, at 168". It is also only available as a hatch, and has the very compact twist beam from the Fit instead of the usual unequal-lengh A-arms. I wonder if Honda is going to one platform for all Civics.

 

The european Civic is based off of the Fit Platform, hence the similarity. From what I've read, honda is going to continue using the Fit Platform for the Euro Civic and have the sedan /coupe on a different platorm (as is currently).

~SB