I want to thank everyone who left a post so far. I've read them all and really appreciate the feedback and advice.

Got to drive both models today. My initial impressions:

Base:
+1) Base has a more comfortable ride than the Sport. Base's ride is softer, more accommodating, yet I didn't notice a negative effect on handling. I've been to racing schools, but I drive very carefully and responsibly for safety on the road. So would Sport's supposed better handling really come through in everyday driving? What exactly does the rear stabilizer bar do? Where will I feel/notice its effects?

+2) I like the gray seats in the Base much better than the black seats in the Sport. The Sport is literally all black inside and I really don't like this. The Base isn't perfect though. The best would have been black steering-wheel & controls but gray seats and artfully placed gray portions in an otherwise black dash. But neither model has this color arrangement. In total, the base's gray seats win over the all black dash/seats in the Sport.

-1) Base only has 4 speakers. But is 6 speakers really needed for a small car like the Fit? Can anyone comment on whether you've had any issues with only having 4 speakers instead of 6?

-2) Base has no leather-wrapped steering wheel. I was surprised how much I like the leather-steering-wheel in the Sport. It is surely preferable to the steering wheel in the base.

Sport:
+1) Leather wrapped steering wheel

+2) 6 speakers

+3) map lights & fog lights are nice to have (but not absolutely needed)

-1) I admit that the underbody/rear spoilers make the car look better externally. Yet they also have no functional effect for everyday driving (ie, they are just for looks). And they will only get in the way when waxing/polishing the car. So they are mostly a negative.

-2) The Sport's ride is more firm/stiff than the Base. I got the impression that the Sport would be less comfortable (than the Base) to drive in for long periods of time.

-3) Sport's completely black interior is not appealing to me.

Bottom Line:
-The Sport has a few amenities that are appealing but I'm unsure if they are worth the negatives that the Sport brings.

-The Base looks better inside. It's more pleasant to be in because of the gray seats.

-The Base has a more comfortable ride.

I guess the question is how much performance/handling advantage does the rear stabilizer bar & low-profile tires add to the Sport? And is it worth the cost of the more comfortable ride? I'd like to hear other's feedback on this.

Looks wise, inside is more important to me than the outside, because the inside is what I see all the time and I'm not a fan of the Sport's all black interior. The Sport would look a lot better with Gray seats. It's always nice to save some money, but I have no problem spending the extra money for the Sport if it really has what I want. But my initial appraisal tended to favor the Base. It's really kind of annoying that to get the nice amenities (like leather steering wheel & 6 speakers) I have to have a "Sport" model. Seems like it would make more sense to put amenities on the car that is overall more comfortable to ride in. Yet "Sport" models are never the more comfortable car to ride in. Hopefully one day auto-makers will stop adding all the good stuff to just the Sport model. Make a "regular" car and make a "sport" car. Give them the same amenities and make the only difference the handling/stiff-ride/spoilers that "sport cars" seem to always have.

 

If it sways your choice at all, you can buy and install a Honda made leather steering wheel cover on the base. For the US, the cost is ~$50 for a self install.

 

I've not driven the Base, and only had the Sport for 3 days, but I agree about the Sport's ride being very... active. It'll keep you awake on long drives!

 

I've seen these options, but my experience with accessories is that the Factory installed stuff is always better. How exactly does the leather steering wheel cover work? It's wrapped onto the wheel? How does it close together?

 

i had a base. i converted the front end/headlights to the sport model (not cheap to do). if you dont get the sport then want it down the road: it'll cost you down the road.

as it's been suggested, you can buy a used 09+ - then you can get the sport model for far less than new. yah, they can be tough to find, but unless you need it RIGHT NOW: then wait.

plus, with buying new - you instantly lose substantial amounts in value/depreciation the second you drive it off the lot. screw that, buy a year old car and let someone else take that hit.

 

I wanted a base but couldn't find one with a stick NEW, and used ones cost as much as new (with less warranty and higher loan rate). I ended up with a 2110 Sport and was glad I did: All the extra stuff would have cost more in time and money to add on, and don't forget, over the loan term it doesn't cost much more.

 

I recently traded a 2010 Sport for a 2012 base.
The Base gets slightly better gas mileage, doesn't have the stiff suspension (which makes the Sport transmit every bump on the road the the passengers), and you don't have worry about getting your alloy wheels stolen. It also has better ground clearance so you're not constantly scraping the body trim. Also, I frankly would not know the Sport has 6 six speakers as opposed to the 4 in the Base. I don't hear a difference, though I did not compare them side-by-side.

Yes, the Sport is a better looker, but I don't think it's a good value.

Just my 2 cents…

Dan

 

No question, Sport!

 

I'd probably go with the Base were I buying now. I'm used to the Sport's ride at this point, but it's a little annoying.

 

Sure, the base is cheaper and rides a little softer, but in the greater scheme of things 1.7k isn't that much more for a car that will look and handle better. Otherwise, you can easily just go with a Soul, Yaris, Versa, Rio5, etc. Those are all competitively priced and reliable, but when you look at all the major sub-compact reviews, the Fit is on top because of flexible interior room and good/fun handling.

I wanted a reliable, affordable gas sipper that might not win drag races, but was still fun and lively. And when I park next to a base Fit it just looks cheap and "econo" looking in comparison (IMHO). If ride comfort is really an issue, then you really shouldn't be looking at any Fits or sub-compacts. The base won't feel like merc and the sport won't feel like a porsche, but with a MT and better suspension and tires, it will be much more fun to bomb through the corners. I will agree that I like the grey interior of the base more. Its a rolling greenhouse in the sun - they didn't have to make it worse by making everything black.

 

I bought the BASE model (MT, 2012) ...

I added the Progress RSB. A simple DIY that took less than an hour (six bolts and jacking up the rear end of the car). It seems just as solid as the sport. The tires do slide out a bit more easily, but that's only because I was doing really, really dumb things ... like trying to test the car's cornering limits on the Craig Road on-ramp in Las Vegas rush hour. Easily the best car I've ever owned.

I do miss my tweeters. But I can always trade out the door speakers later with ones with built-in tweeters. Honda DOES NOT run wiring to the tweeter spaces on the dash on the base model (otherwise I'd have added some).

That was, initially, a sad one to miss out on. The sport models have a FANTASTIC steering wheel. But the base model has grown on me. And it's a lot easier to clean. It's nice and fat and easy to grip. I've driven 20k miles since November, and I feel very comfortable on a long trip. I don't think it gets quite as hot as the leather wheel, but I could be wrong.

Another thing to consider: The Sport comes with this rubber-grib shift knob. It feels great, but it's built cheaply and many other owners complain the rubber starts to de-laminate. The Base has a hard-plastic knob, but it feels more durable. There's no way on earth its going to ever come apart, unless I grabbed a hammer and took a few swings at it.

The car is so small, the regular dome light works fine as a map light, imo.

Not to mention, it dates the car. How long do you plan to own it? I plan to drive my Fit to the grave (the car's, not mine). The single owner.

I drove past the fancy "futuristic"-looking landmark restaurant at LAX airport on Saturday. In an effort to make the airport look sporty, the designers gave it a cool look .... for 1965. Today it looks awful. The more conservative "big box" sections of LAX don't look nearly as dated.

I suspect the same thing of the Fit ... the base model will probably age better in the decades to come. Who thinks a '96 Hyundai Scoupe looks cool these days? But back in the day, people paid EXTRA for that look --- just like the Fit Sport.

That's how I felt --- and that's why I just ordered the '12 base manual. If you wait until August, you can order a '13. I'd bet you'd have it before Halloween.

To be fair, even on the Sport --- you can add the Clazzio faux-leather seat covers for around $350 bucks, which will make the seats easier to clean and add variety to your interior.



In short, I picked the base. I'm completely happy with it. I can later add the wheels I want to add. Honestly, I enjoy driving around L.A. and not worrying about somebody snatching my wheels while I'm eating inside a restaurant or something.

Either choice is a good choice!

 

I agree on your last statement... Either is a good choice. I'd disagree in part about the sport package "Dating" the car more than a base. The General Shape of the vehicle will end up dating the car instead of the add-on accessories. looking at past cars, I can't think of one where the upgraded version of the vehicle looks more dated than the base version. Camaro comes to mind as the opposite (RS, Z28 and IROC Versions look less dated than the base camaro, same with Mid-2000 Redesign of the Mustang. A 2000 civic LS looks more dated than an Si. That said, very few hondas look as dated as most other makes/models of the same generation.

Most important thing is what the OP Likes vs Cost. If they are keeping it for 15 years, will the lack of (or addition of) a body kit be worth the extra few $$/month they paid/saved. If they sell it in 5 years, will it help their resale value? Likely the market for this vehicle will be someone in the market for a strict commuter, or a young kid looking for their first "Hot hatch" that they can toy with...

Who knows...

OP, go with your gut. If you have to justify your purchase to yourself now, in 1 year, and again in 2-3 years (over and over), you made the wrong decision.

~SB

 

I bought the base myself. I have a GPS that I can move from car to car and bought a Bluetooth for the visor. I can add wheels later (likely when I need tires). I've been adding some OEM parts from Bernardi's which cost less than from the dealer and I don't have to pay for installation if I do it myself. I think it's a matter of personal preference. I just didn't want to spend the extra on the sport as I didn't think it offered anything I really needed or wanted. If you like the sport better and want to spend the extra then go for it.

 

I do, I guess i'm just weird.

 

I have had both. The Base nose dived on corners. Other than that, it was OK. But I wanted cruise control, and later, better wheels, a spoiler and fog lights. Fact is, it was cheaper, and ended up with better quality stuff by just getting a Sport. The ride is a little rougher, but I will trade that for the lack of nose-diving in turns. I also get slightly (1-3 mpg) better mileage with the auto.

 

The 2012 base comes with cruise control. I haven't noticed the nose diving on corners. Bernardi's and College Hill both sell OEM parts for less than what's listed on the Honda website.

 

Well there's no difference between the sport and base that would cause more dive on one than the other except for tires. Stock base tires are terrible for any sort of spirited driving, so that makes sense.

 

I had planned on replacing the 15 steelies for the OEM 16 alloys (I think they run about $800) but I was going to wait until I'm a little closer to replacing the tires.

 

You can find 15" tires that perform much better than the OEM tires, and will have higher sidewalls, so will keep most of the comfort. You can get shorter sidewall 15" tires as well, but your speedo will be off about 3%+ (185/55, same as sport).

That is, if you don't end up wanting to pay the $800 for the wheels.

 

Was there something specific you had in mind for tires and wheels?