I have read several threads on seats, highway ride, quickness. Can someone help me with a comparison of the Fit to a Golf? I realize they are quite different, but I have owned 4 hondas and 4 vw golfs (currently VW) and am trying to make the call on a 2011. I really like the Fit, the only thing holding me back is percieved ride quality vs German car. There are merits to both Japanese and German, i.e my perception is service is way better at a Honda dealer, gas mileage is better, maintenance costs are lower, etc. Germans win on interior quality, highway ride, being a "drivers car"?

My question to the forum is - How does the ride / acceleration / noise compare?I will test drive of course, but am interested in hearing from some peeps with long term knowledge, as I drive ~ 35,000 miles per year. Thanks to all that can chime in.

 

you also forgot that the VW is a Hybrid, it runs on both oil and gas! but seriously the fit would be a more affordable car, and from what i have seen of vw golfs recently it the fit will match or beat the vw in most comparisons except performance, cause I think the vw has more hp.

 

I actually test drove both a 2007 GTI and a 2009 Fit Sport. Both Manual. The GTI, being a heavier car, was a smoother more comfortable ride. The Fit, more rough by comparison. Not unbearable, but it's a noticeable difference.

Yeah, I would have totally gotten the GTI for shear driving/ride quality. I ended up getting the Fit because of the price and reliability (known too many frustrated VW owners.)

I drive 50 miles a day and the Fit does it well. I plan to eventually own a 2010 GTI if the reliability (according to Consumer Reports) continues to be good and I can find a good deal on a used one. Yes the Fit is a great commuter and alot of fun, but the GTI is an amazing car.

hope that helps!=)

 

After seeing the seats in a GTI, I'm very, very tempted.

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...driverseat.jpg

Apparently short-leggers don't like them, because the seat-bottoms are too long (!!!) and the pedals too far away (!!!). Which means it may be a car perfect for me. I love Honda's, but damn do they always seem to be designed for sub 6'ers.

 

The Fit was one of the few cars I test drove that felt firm and planted on the road. Seems like Honda is pretty consistent in this regard as the Accord and Civic felt this way too... Seems me that the Jetta's all felt like they were floating. No idea compared to a Golf though I road in the back seat of a 5 door for 2 hours once and that thing was cramped!

 

I test drove a used 09 GTI before buying my brand new 09 Fit. The GTI had more comfortable seats but I think ride (suspension) was very similar. Obviously the GTI had more power but I wasn't concentrating on just that. Overall the Fit gave you alot more bang for the buck. The GTI was $23K, the Fit was $17K. yes a Golf probably would have been a closer comparison but even then it was still ~2K more than the Fit new. Plus with the Fit I got honda's reliability. I've had 2 honda's before this and put 200K on them both without any problems. But that's just my personal experience. Everyone is different. If everyone is the same it would be a boring world.

Good Luck

 

I think the GTI will be a significant step up in each of those categories.

The Fit ride can be harsh at time. It especially doesn't like sharp impacts. The short wheelbase exagerates the firmness by being a little busier than a larger vehicle. The GTI is more often criticized for being too soft for the hot hatch segment, maybe not the best canyon carver but an excellent grand tourer. That will never be said of the Fit.

The Fit is reasonably responsive with the MT. The light weight of the Fit helps. The Fit obviously doesn't have the hp of the GTI, and will be especially weak in midrange punch compared to the turbo. I think there's somewhere around 2 seconds difference in 0-60 between the two... pretty significant.

Another criticism of the Fit is noise, especially on the highway. Road noise and engine noise (especially in the MT) are noticeable and are on par or a little worse than other subcompact competitors. I can only imagine that a premium hatch like the GTI would be significantly quieter.

Like you said, reliability, purchase price, fuel economy, space efficiency, insurance costs (speculation), etc all probably point towards the Fit. I think ride comfort, acceleration, and noise would all easily go to the GTI, though.

 

The Fit and the Golf are two very different vehicles, and even different classes of car (sub-compact, vs. compact.) The Golf will be more steady and solid at high speeds, provide heftier feedback, and won't get blown around as much. German cars are engineered to handle the local driving conditions, which include an Autobahn, so every single car that comes out of that country is going to be able pretty stable at speed, and have a bit of heft to help with that, and safety.

The Fit will be more darty, responsive and fun, while getting superior mileage, resale value, reliability and in my opinion, looks (unless you are talking about a GTI, which is very nice.)

If you are comparing it to a GTI, which is really different than the Fit, then it's no point in doing so. You get what you pay for in most cases. If you can afford a GTi, and like the luxury and power potential, then get it, because the Fit will disappoint there. It is quite comfy for a sporty lightweight car, but is no match for zee germans. The Fit would probably compare more favorably with the Polo, which we don't get here.

 

You give up some power, ride quality, and refinement with the Fit. But in return, you get much, much more usable interior space. Not to mention a lower price and probably much better reliability. It just depends on what your priorities are.

 

Thanks to all for the comments.

 

I drove a 6 speed tdi golf... that car has 230+ ft lb of torque. It felt like an electric car. Didn't care what gear you were in. It accelerated like a sports car too.Didnt take it on the freeway, but on the street it was a bit "imprecise - floaty". I like the driving feel of a fit better.

 

My old 5 speed TDI was tuned up to about 280 at the wheels. Was a little rocket. It was great on the highway, but a MKIV, which is an old model now. Much more planted than the Fit, which gets blown around like a leaf.

 

Drove a golf after my accord and thought it had a lot of appeal, but it was a noisy POS to drive. Funny, because I ended up with a Fit and it's a noisy car too. I think golf>fit in all aspects except reliability and resale, two biggies for me.

 

Again - thank you for the comments. I wanted to clarify that I really like the Fit - I was comparing a base Golf to a Fit Sport, which I know is comparing a compact car to a subcompact. The VW weighs ~500 lbs more, which probably improves ride? But not that far off in price. I like the GTI, but not sure it lives up to the hype / price. Especially when you factor in reliability. I just need to get my head wrapped around the interior and seats. Thanks for helping the new guy