Loved it, but it is kinda a maintence whore. Brakes last about 20k miles before they go, the front brakes alone were $600 in parts. The rear were $400. A cracked windshield is $1800. El cheapo tires were $130 each for 15" tires (175/65-15s). Oil changes were $130 minimum.

Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but wow... at around 30-40k miles, get ready to spend some money.

It was a lease base model anyways. I may go back, but i'll probably get a S model. My biggest compaint, was that a Mini... is... well Mini...

People or stuff, but not both.

 

RPM set abnormally low, rev it out to get a little more hp, fix the head/header cast into one unit exhaust. While cheap, it does nothing for performance and actually adds weight to the system. add a decent air filter box to take advantage of that extra RPM and better breathing. I like it, but it seems they really compromised this engine for the sake of cost when it could have been a stellar performer like the b series.

 

It is a stellar performer considering it's a 1.5L single cam. Most breakdowns of the motor i've seen on here show little room for improvement anyway unless you're willing to go straight to performance at the expense of economy and "green". It's supposed to be an economy motor with a little pep, not a sport oriented motor with a little economy.

 

I was a MT driver all my life till I got my 2013 Fit. I have to say that it DOES seem to rev VERY low. At many speeds it feels like if it were a MT it would be about one mph from stalling out. (But then I see other threads where people are complaining about it constantly downshifting and killing their mileage, so I guess it depends on how you drive!).

I suppose some of my feeling is just a matter of getting used to an AT. However, I think I would prefer if it revved somewhat higher so I wouldn't feel like I had almost no power available a lot of the time. But I hasten to add that it IS very responsive if I give it gas even at these low-rev points, and goes when I need it to. So I am liking it very much.

 

Exactly! It's all relative and I think most people forget that.

My first car was '89 Civic Si. 109hp, 100lbs/ft torque and had worse fuel economy that the Fit with less weight and almost no modern safety features like ABS, VSA, airbags at all let alone curtain airbags. My Fit Sport reminds of that car, but with more power/torque, better fuel economy and way safer.

The civic Si started out as what the Fit Sport is today; an economy car with a sporty feel so no real complaints about my Fit Sport.

 

What do you mean by this?

Fit MT is hard to stall btw unless you do noob clutchwork like dump clutch with no throttle. It will chug happily along at idle with no throttle in gear.

 

Sounds like some cars I owned in the past my wife had a Chevy Monza nice looking car but by 60k I had to replace the transmission and by 70k had it towed off to the junk yard. After that started buying Toyota seem to never ever had to anything but minor maintenance. Cars were not exciting or real fun to drive but never ended up on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck. And always willing to drive anywhere with no matter how high of mileage hoping the same with my Fit. Actual my second Honda the first was a 2003 Element.

 

Well, I mean that it seems that sometimes to maintain a steady speed (say at about 37 mph), the tachometer is showing about 1200, which I think is a much lower rpm than my old MT used to be at under similar circumstances. It feels like it should be downshifted at such times. Sure, I can make it downshift by goosing the throttle some, but then it will speed up.

As I said earlier, it may just be that I am not used to an AT. And it's got plenty of punch when I do want to speed up, so it isn't any big deal.

 

coming from a mechanic , the fit will always trump the reliability of the Mazda , the mazdas rust even when you take care of them , the parts just seem to fail much more often then honda's parts (electrical)

 

Because the Fit is an overall better more durable car for what I need. Based on exterior it’s a subcompact but interior passenger room and hatch room it’s much bigger than the compact class 3. In the drivers seat even at the furthest back setting the 3 is still less roomy than the Fit for my just under 6’ frame. What really shocked me was how much more hatch room the Fit a subcompact has over the 3 hatch.

 

in simple words. a small under power car is more fun to drive than a heavier car with ok power. take it from someone who had to get a fit because his Subaru Impreza Hatch got totaled while parked outside. I miss my subaru, but man I never thought I would fall in love with the Fit.

 

Update: I bought a '13 Fit Base with MT. I have about 90k on it so far. Aside from door dings and a few cosmetic complaints, it has been an excellent car for me.

I have since moved into the Mojave Desert, where I drive in a slow relaxed manner. I'm getting 48-53 mpg without drafting anyone (as per dash instrument; a calculation from fill amount and distance traveled is about 1.5 mpg less), which is staggering when I remember the EPA figs of 28 city 35 highway.

I may have to join Fuelly for gloating purposes.

 

I get 38-41 consistently with my 2010 MT
With the Sprint throttle controller, it's a blast to drive.
235K miles...only reg maintenance done.

Why buy a Mazda 3 instead of a Honda Fit? WHY???? WHY???

 

Love my '13 MT, too. Loved my '08 MT, as well. Waiting for someone to start a Fit vs. Kia thread (because I'm interested in learning what Kia has to offer).

 

Problems! )

 

Same for Hyundai?

 

From my experience (and friends experience), Hyundai > Kia.

One good way to know if a brand is reliable is to check if you see a lot of 20 years old cars still on the road from that brand. That doesn't mean you won't have problem with your car, but it is a good beginning.

 

For a long time, I was hearing that Hyundais were overbuilt and underpriced. The reason for the underpricing was that Hyundai was trying to establish itself in the market.

When it's time for me to replace my Fit, I'll probably move over to a Civic (f I can get port injection and MT), but the ballgame has changed, and I'm open to new options.

 

for what it's worth, i spent a while vehicle shopping a year ago. Though we wound up going with a 2nd gen single cab RWD tacoma, I was actually hunting for a mazda CX5 of similar year to the fit. you know, before they switched to electronic power steering in i think 2015, which I believe has tons of potential (think throttle controller, but for your steering wheel) but felt super removed when trying the 2020 mx5 miata.
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i'd recommend anyone before purchasing a car that ain't the fit, check first for an OEM service manual (If you've worked with toyota's TIS I think you feel my pain) and an online community of helpful persons such as yourselves.

You guys have been such an asset over the years. I've found that communities are not always as friendly or practical as this one.
Sorry for rambles, not directly in line with the thread. I hope you all have a good day!

 

Interesting.

Also, it uses direct injection if I recall correctly.