In the next few months I'm thinking of trading in my 07 Yaris LB for either a FIT Sport A/T or a Civic LX A/T.

I don't really need the utility of the FIT as I rarely exceed the need of the Yaris' cargo capacity.

Interesting thing I discovered as I started my research ... a 09 FIT Sport in good condition had approx $600 greater trade in value than a 09 Civic LX A/T in good condition both at 12,000 miles even though the Civic's MSRP is great. (according to KBB.com)

 

Bought my daughter an 07 Yaris 2dr HB MT because of the economy and utlity. It is a great little car, she loves it. Four weeks ago I took possession of a 2010 Storm Silver FIT Sport MT. You can not really compare the cars - hands down FIT all the way. A whole lot more going on with the FIT. A test drive will most likely be all it takes to convince you. My daughter is eyballing my FIT on that, '...oh Daddy!' sort of way.

Can't comment on the Civic - no nothing of them. You have discovered the value inherent in all Honda's and it seems the FIT over the Civic.

The FIT is a blast to drive - gets great [38+] MPG's and has the utility of a 4dr hatch. I would go with it without hesitation unless that Civic really has something about it you like. K_C_

 

How does the ride quality compare (Fit vs Yaris)? Is the road noise similar?

I know the FIT has a lot more utility and is safer.

 

I want to say get the Fit, but I just can't get past the horror of the redesign. So I put one vote for the Civic. If I was looking for a new Honda that's what i would get.

 

How is the GE8 a horrible redesign? (Personal styling tastes aside)

Not looking to start up any trouble on the whole GD3 vs. GE8 issue again, but why misinform people?

 

My gf has a 09 Civic ex. I have a 2010 Fit. The fit is a way better car For the money. The Civic rides a Lil better, but not by much.

 

I just put a set of Cooper Touring's on the Yaris and it made a word of difference. Smoother quieter ride, though at the expense of MPG - however, not enough to be concerned about in the real world.

I will seriously consider a set on my FIT when the dun's tread out at 30K or they become impossible in the North East winters. Those Cooper's are a heck of a tire.

I have to say, however, that the FIT rides smoother and a bit quieter overall. The difference in wheel base has a lot to do with it. Yaris is more nimble, but not nearly as drivable. Both suffer from cabin noise in order to keep the weight down - sound deadening adds considerable weight to be effective, but you know what - I bought it because it makes the most sense to me to drive a small car with great economy. It's what cars should have been years ago.

I still have my 96 Sedan Deville if I ever want to ride in a living room_

Honda is a quality product and their engines are bullet-proof if you ask me. I coulda got a Yaris - a 4door hatch - or any others in the class - just couldn't stand up to the FIT and I'm seeing the same MPG as in my daughters Yaris. K_C_

 

DON'T DO IT

Just kidding, but seriously, you'll probably save a little cash going to a civic, but often you conscience won't let you go with the civic if you are a fit fan.

The Civics are pretty refined these days and I personally think you get slightly better quality with the Civic over the Fit. I have had a couple minor yet noticeable manufacturing quality issues with my 2010 fit sport (loose seat bolts, body panels WAAAY out of alignment). The FIT is a different car though... more apples to apples with a yaris 4 door hatch. Small motor like the yaris but still a load of fun.

 

My FIT is my first ever honda and won't be my last, my biggest regret is I couldn't afford a his and hers type of deal for my and my wife (2 cars different colors).

The best way I can describe the Fit Sport (Base isn't worth it unless you really just want the economy and nothing else).

Things you get for the 17K price tag that others charge more for in the sport for an econobox:
-Ipod Integration (typically $250+) (way underadvertised too)
-Premium Paint colors ($2000+)
-Alloy Wheels ($1500+)
-Fog Lights ($150+)
-Body Kit ($2000+ +installation...)
-Keyless entry and alarm ($500+)

Thats over $5K in options for an up price of $1500.00 I would like to thank all the base model purchasers for paying for my goodies.

You buy a Yaris you get basic features, you buy a Versa you get basic features and to top it all off the Cockpit of the FIT looks like a much more expensive sports car IMO.

I'm 600 miles into my FIT experience and I'm keeping this car till it dies a good 300K+ mile death. For price and quality there is no other option in my opinion.

Think of a FIT sport as all the cool stuff you can get in a Honda and most other cars with the lowest markup you can get.

The car is a blast to drive the engine sounds beautiful and I can blast my playlists with cruise control on, giant bugeye headlights and fogs illuminating the road 70mph while pulling 36mpg reliably. I'm older a far as fit owners go (29) but I don't think I've ever spent the right price on the right car till now. We have 21 month old and he loves that he can see out the window.

Yes I'm FITatical about the FIT. From now on when someone tells me that they want a car to get to from here to there I'll tell them buy a FIT or be disappointed; its your choice.

 

lol i thought that was funny too...

of course its a horrible design because the GE8 is longer and wider then the GD3... head room height was increased, and .... 164% increase in chassis rigidity.... i mean. are they trying to make this thing good on the track or something? because chassis rigidity is only for La Man's 24 hour endurance race cars... iam trying to drive an economical car here.

just a horrible horrible redesign... hes absolutely correct.



on a good note the honda fit has twice the cargo space compared to the Toyota Yaris behind the seats. so it only seems like a win situation for me.

 

i think it's a myth that most fit drivers are young.

the vast majority of fit owners i see are middle-age or older.

 

That's because when you're older, you're wiser. I'm a thirtysomething on the road to 40.

 

Well that's great, but if you are looking for recommendations given the above original quote I have a hard time offering an opinion. You don't offer any reasons "why" you are looking to make the change to a Fit or Civic, only that you DON'T think you need the utility of the Fit, and you've discovered a 600 trade in value difference between a FIT sport an an 09 Civic LX.

Without knowing your reasons for researching or considering a switch than it makes it hard to offer any insight. The Yaris is a nice, economical hatchback as I'm sure you already know. IMO The Fit is a great, economical hatchback...as you may or maynot know. But what advantage do you think you desire or you'll be gaining? To me, it is significant that The Fit has "magic seats" and great utility and versatility for it's size. But you've already stated that utility isn't an area you are looking for gain. My further opinion is that The Fit is far more sporty a vehicle in comparison to a Yaris. I personally think the Fit has what I perceive as a nice balance of Sporty, Geeky, and Utility...but that's subjective.

The Civic is a compact sedan, so really a totally different animal.

I'm just unclear as to what you are looking for, or what your desires are in a vehicle. If you like an economical hatchback, but aren't looking for something sportier and/or with greater utility, then I'd just stick with The Yaris you already own.

I love my Fit, but if utility isn't a factor, I might even suggest waiting a little and checking out The Ford Fiesta. If you want a change and something that might combine some qualities of Civic refinement and Fit sportiness then actually The Fiesta might be worth considering.

 

I made the leap from an 07 yaris M/T, which I loved, to a GE8 in 09 and never looked back. When I was shopping around for my Yaris I looked at the GD3. The deciding factor for me was the price. The Yaris is cheaper (you can't get all the bells and whistles even if you wanted to) and gets better fuel economy, but at what cost. After owning it for a year, my wife and I had a child. The two door mobile had to go. After seeing the new design of the fit, which is a VAST improvement over the previous design (GD3) I went for a test drive. I said my goodbye's to the Yaris that day and drove away in my new Honda Fit A/T Sport.

I've got to say, go with the fit. The Civic would be my second choice. There are plenty of pro's to owning a fit over a Civic. Honestly, I can't think of any pros to owning a Civic over a Fit. The look is personal preference, the cargo (wouldn't you rather have it than not), etc.

Also, don't listen to the mindless bantering from the GD3 owners in this thread. People who complain and constantly find reasons to negatively dismiss positives of the redesigned fit as simply ugly are just jealous they don't have the better version.

Go with the FIT, ditch the Yaris.

 

Some food for thought.

You probably know that the Yaris has a four-door sedan brother right? The sedan version is sold here in the Philippines as the Vios. Body aside they're mechanically identical.

I haven't tried sitting in the Yaris, but to be honest the Vios is surprisingly, disappointingly cramped compared to even my "old" GD1 Fit/Jazz...especially at the back. If the Vios' lack of headroom and simple passenger space is any indication, the Fit is going to feel like a lounge chair compared to the Yaris.

Note that I didn't touch on the utility - just simple passenger space. That's my big reason why you should go for the Fit. It just liberates more space for people or cargo.

The FA/FD Civic is nowhere near as roomy or as clever in the way it uses its interior volume. Doesn't drive nearly as well as the Fit either IMHO - it feels heavy and remote - although it does make a case for itself as a better cruiser.

 

I have a '08 Yaris base Sedan 5spd and a '09 Fit Sport 5spd.
The Fit is the car I prefer to drive the most.

The Yaris has alot of things I like about it too. I like the Yaris doors, when you close them it sounds much more solid than the Fit. The Yaris beats the Fit by about 3-4 MPG and I really like the center pod speedometer!

The Fit has more headroom for me [6'1''] I'm not hitting my head on the drivers side trim while driving. The interior is more thought out. The seats are way more comfy. The Fit is a hella lot easier to drive and a hella lot more fun too! And I think the Fit just looks better.

I'm not the only one in my family with this opinion, my wife feels the same way too!

My father also has an '08 Yaris base Sedan 5spd and he enjoys the Fit over the Yaris.

 

Rarely...but sometimes you do...

That's my favorite part, knowing I've got this fun, little efficient car but when I need to load up a piece of furniture or 10 bags of mulch, I don't have to bug a friend with a bigger car.

As far as cars go, $600 is pretty much negligible. The main question is basically how important is the hatchback configuration to you? The "fun to drive" part seems the secondary concern.

They're both nice cars.

 

Hmmm - that makes me a genius then - sweet K_C_

 

are you kidding me? i think its the other way around.. my sister.. has one.. my neighbor while iam at college, which is also a young female has one...

i drove by my old highschool while i was home from college.. and it was a freaken honda fit dealership out there.. down by the sorority house at my college theres also like 3 honda fits parked out there..

its like not only mostly young people, but i think its mostly young females lol.



buttt.... this is my experience.

 

He doesn't really think that... it's a classic case of "I wish I had a GE because deep down inside I really think it's better looking and more refined than the GD"... so I'll just bash the GE since I can't have one right now!



As far as you starting the GE/GD debate again? You didn't start it! Mr. I'm-trying-to-make-everyone-think-my-GD-is-better-than-any-GE, started it with his blatant bias and confrontational model comparison!

Although, we all know how superior GD's are compared to our dramatically more boxy, less stylish and more underpowered GEs are!