I hate the back end, it looks like a Vulcan spaceship. Part of it is how the back window has a V-shape to it on the hatch.

Cargo space and the Honda magic seat were a big part of my decision to go with the Fit.

 

Gonna take my life in my hands here but seems to me mazda and honda lately are pretty close on the reliablity surveys, mazda even better perhaps.

With that said I had an 08 Fit from new and never test drove anything else before buying, did all my research online. Fuel economy and cargo space/passenger room was most important and fun to drive too.

Fit got wrecked in an accident last summer so i went car shopping. Really liked the idea of the skyactiv mazda 3, took one for a test drive, wasn't especially blown away by performance or handling, not much better than the fit. cargo space and back seat more cramped, although the drivers seating area was much better.

Then I did something crazy and walked over to the toyota dealership, drove away with a new prius v. More cargo space than my old fit and better fuel economy, and fun to drive too, in a slightly different way than the fit.

 

The Prius V is $30K, hardly comparable to either a Fit or M3

Cargo space:
Fit 57.3 cu ft.
Prius V 67.3 cu ft.

That's not very much additional space for $12K

_

 

That's interesting. Even though I never bothered taking a Mazda3 for a test drive (as I mentioned above, I got sticker shock and bought the Fit instead), I have always kind of wondered what it's like.

 

Because racecar.

 

Maybe I went in to the test drive expecting some kind of ultimate driving machine, i'm sure its one of the best driving cars in its price range but just wasn't what i was expecting.
The fit is a fine car in itself, in a different class than the mazda 3 really. Mazda 3 more like the civic imo minus the hatchback version. same cramped back seat in the civic for example.

 

Sorry for straying off topic, not saying they are comparable at all to the v, totally different class of vehicle, hence the price difference.
I happened to have more money to spend this time around and decided to get something different for various reasons not just extra cargo space. The numbers may seem pretty close but its amazing what a few inches of extra leg/hip room can do for front and rear passenger comfort + a longer wheelbase smoothing out those bumps on the highway.

 

The V is a good car. It's an excellent size. There are very few (no?) cars you can buy that will give you truly comfortable seating for four (or two plus two of those massive new child seats everyone is sporting) and a huge amount of cargo space behind the rear seats, while delivering 40mpg+

 

But I might add that I might prefer the Mazda5 over the V. A few reasons. It's far more fun to drive. It's based on the Mazda3, and so it tracks like a German car, with excellent steering. (It drives like a Mazda3 with a 400lb weight in the back, which is also an accurate description of the construction.) It holds 6 people, which I don't care about but some might. And while it's not nearly as fuel efficient as a V, it's also much cheaper.

And the reason I wouldn't buy one is that I rented one on a business trip where I caught a norovirus and spent 18hrs vomiting in my hotel room before driving back to the airport. So .. sort of colored my view on what otherwise I have to admit was a very appealing car.

 

Because one day racecar

Is that right?

 

RE:Mazda 5
Yep. It's our family car. 3 rows of 2 seats

 

Apparently can get with 6MT as well, I guess this is my best choice if we ever end up needing another seat thanks.

 

Yep, but I have the auto since its actually the wife's daily driver

 

At at Toyota dealer now getting some scheduled maintenance done to her Prius. Siting here looking at the Scion xB. I'd say that if you are looking for an alternative to the Fit, this is a better comparison.

Similar size, price, mpg, storage space, etc.

Reminds me of my 2005 Honda Element....if ya left it in your pants and accidentally ran it through the wash.

 

The Mazda 3 has big discounts since the model change over coming this fall. My daughter brought a 2013 Mazda 3 with skyactiv fully loaded sticker around 23k for approximately 18k. It all depends on your needs and accessories you want in a car. I wanted fuel economy, hatchback, low depreciation and fun to drive with a manual transmission. The Fit was the only car that seem to fill all of these attributes and I really did not want to expend a lot on a car and did not need to really replace my previous vehicle which could of gone another 80k to get to 200k easily.

 

I would of brought a Prius but does not offer a manual only CVT.

 

Somewhat dissenting opinion. The current-generation xB is heavy, and that C-pillar is simply monstrous imo. My ex had two xBs, first-and second-generation, and breaking 30mpg in either was doable but a chore iirc.

As for the Prius, I seriously considered one for myself, but could not find one with a proper transmission (I like using both feet when I drive). The cute little iQ was also a contender until I found out that none make it into the USA without the accursed CVT. My automotive preferences diverge significantly from the "composite customer" all the companies are using nowadays to decide how many of what they will make. I miss the days of ordering à la carte, when one could actually opt into or out of the optional bits as line items ...

 

I sued to drive a 2010 Cooper, loved it! It gets slightly better fuel milage than the fit... 33mpg avg vs 35mpg. Plus awesome driving characteristics. When the time came to replace it, I looked at the 3 and it was nearly 3-4k more than the Fit. I did also look at the Prius C. While the 50+ mpg is a NO BS number, it is dog slow and has horrid driving characteristics. Plus when you REALLY look at the maintence of a Prius, it is more expensive than a Fit. Also look at the realibility ratings. The Fit is a good choice, while not the best at anything and a relatively decent price, it has a lot to offer. Now honda... lets fix this L15A and fix some of the issues with this engine.... OK?

 

Why did you not keep your Mini seems like a 2010 is not that old? I went on the Mini site problem when building you keep adding options to the car. I think my lowest price one was around $25k.

 

What's wrong with it?