I'm 38, and I'm the youngest fit driver I have seen in my area. The economy of the vehicle appeals to older folks, not just the young, and the height of the seats above the ground makes it easier for tired bodies to get in and out of the car.

By looking at the literature and the interior styling of the car, I think Honda had has it in their mind that this is another kids car, just like the civic. I think that is a mistake. However, Honda probably wants older adults (with more income) to be buying the more expensive cars on the lot. That is why honda needs to add more expensive options to the fit, like leather and a moonroof.

 

to the OP... actual MPG will vary greatly. Don't expect to get any more MPGs than the window sticker says.

 

Yes, brother... I do know that the Yaris has a 4 door sedan, which is HIDEOUS, they also make a 4 door hatch, which was my first consideration. When I decided to ditch my Yaris for something with 4 doors, my first thought was to move to a 4 door Yaris hatch. The Yaris hatch was set to be released in the US in 2009, but NO toyota dealer (I called 4) had one or was going to have one for me to test drive for 4-6 months. Why, they couldn't explain why, they had the literature and had expected them at the end of the summer but they told me they didn't come in as expected. They said I could order one, but without a test drive that wasn't going to happen.

So, Honda got a sale. I think I would have chosen the fit in the end anyway but the Yaris sedan wasn't even worth my time or consideration. And after reading the specs on the 4 door yaris hatch, it was identical in size, weight, performance, all they did is add a second door in the rear spot and charge 15K instead of 12K.

 

I won't typically need the full utility of the FIT as I rarely use the full utility of the Yaris.

That being said, I am looking to purchase a new economical car (with a new car warranty) and I believe the FIT is superior to the Yaris in features and safety with comparable m.p.g.

$600 won't be the deciding factor. I just found it odd that between two models made by the same manufacturer that the one with the smaller MSRP would bring a bigger trade-in book value.

If the Civic had a significantly nicer ride quality I would choose the Civic. As it stands due to appearances, "fun factor", and a "J" VIN ... the FIT is the leading contender.

 

This isn't the first time I've seen someone complain about how "young" the Fit looks. Is there something wrong with a fresh, fun look? It has to be a nice change from a Chevy Generica, Toyota Economica or Hyundai Blah-zé.

 

based on the TV ad campaign honda had in 2009, they clearly were aiming the fit at the young buyer. but my random experience doesnt indicate a lot of young fit owners... but again, it's just my pin hole view. i will say ive noticed more and more fits on the road in the last 6 months or so... and i have seen younger drivers...whereas before, i never saw a young fit owner.

 

The pendulum swings both ways really.

Over here in Manila,, most people who drive Jazzes are around my age or younger - I'm 27 as of this writing.

Over in the UK though, where Hondas are pigeonholed as pensioners' cars (apart from the FN2 Civic Type R and AP1 S2000), the Jazz generally has no appeal to people my age.

 

I know I'm going to get some heat but if you're considering the Fit you may want to consider the Ford Fiesta

Yes. Ford obviously has had problems but I believe companies that are in a pinch are driven by individuals who have human instinct and will strive to come back with a quality product. Fiestas have been around for a while and have been a hit in the UK so it may be worth it here as well. Hyundai and Kia as well. Go Underdog.

 

I think you coming to our little forum has already made up your mind

 

Well thank you for falling into that ploy. Thats marketing at its finest. Now lets think back....

I got a double din radio with aux input for my ipod. Came standard with my base model and it's much easier to swap it out for a navigator.

I wanted TW and I got it for nothing extra.

Steel wheels are fine too. I got official honda OEM alloy wheels for about $500. I regret it though. I think these alloy wheels (and the US version) look ugly and unless they are really light weight they aren't worth it.

$10 mod.

These are literally crap. They are pieces of plastics worth no more then $100 in asian countries. And they need to drill holes in your vehicle too. The dealer gave me the body kit for free with my base model. If I knew they would drill holes I wouldn't have accepted. This is by far the biggest scam ever and you fell for it.

I got those standard on my base model.

 

Thanks, but I'll go with the "J VIN" FIT before a "M VIN" Ford.

 

Lookie lookie here: AGE K_C_

 

When I was looking around, I would have considered the Yaris 4-door hatchback but... as you said.. they weren't really available and were a 'new model' so-to-speak.. heck even the 2-door hatches weren't so common.

I could have found one, I'm sure. However, the idea of "a new model" that didn't have time to get all it's kinks worked out, and the idea that there were so few of them.. well I considered the fact that the Fit/Jazz is sold in over 70 countries.. had a few years under it's belt, and was much more common. This said a lot for me in regards to it's repair history/testing record, and the fact that should anything unfortunate happen to/with my vehicle, I will most likely be able to find ample parts for repair.

That being said, if I already had a Yaris and was happy with it, and there were no overwhelming economic reasons -- I would probably keep it and just wait for a few years to go for the Fit. (It still bothers me than in just a year and a half the 2012 models will all have VSA..)

 

I'm betting the avg age of fitfreaks in this forum is much different than the whole of fit drivers. I'm 52 and many (maybe a majority) of fit drivers in my area seem to be my age or older. But I doubt any of them are fitfreaks members.

 

 

Well, I sort of do because most people post their location and there aren't many people here from my state--much less my town.