Hey guys. Yesterday I finalized a deal on a 2013 Fit Sport 5MT, alabaster silver.

Debated TF and PMM before choosing the silver. In the end I decided it will show scratches and dirt the least and I never regretted my silver civic but have regretted pretty much all other colors I have owned at some point.

I am going to grab my laptop and explain more about the switch to the Fit from the Mustang (although I still own the Mustang I am going to list it for sale).

 

I see the Fit as a one car solution. My other three vehicles will be obsolete (mostly) once it arrives. It is more fun to drive than the Mustang. It reminds me of my old 93 Civic EX sedan. I actually shopped for one of those (92-95 ex sedan) for quite a while and realized I would never find one in great shape that had all the maintenance it should have had. That, and besides being more fun to drive it is inferior to my Civic hybrid.

The Fit was never on my radar because it is positioned below the Civic and the Civic already was a super economy car in my book. I usually drive a more "premium" car and keep a Honda on the side.

I have continually upgraded cars commensurate with my income and I recently stumbled across a website that changed my life. No, it wasnt fitfreak, it was theminimalists.com

These guys are from Ohio (I am too) and were on a similar path as I am. I am relatively young but very successful and constantly buying more and more just because I can. I started questioning everything I owned. My stupid car with a tiny trunk, terrible MPG, expensive insurance, poor visibility. Why? The only thing it has on my Civic Hybrid is that it is more fun to drive (albeit not as fun as my 89 prelude 2.0Si 4WS or even 93 Civic EX sedan were). I was actually about to buy a 2013 Audi S4 and saw the Mustang as a more affordable and faster alternative. In my mind the car was saving me $17,000 over the S4, not that it was unnecessarily costing me $38,000.

How stupid this all was...I used to pride myself in being the only one of my friends with no car payment, despite the fact that my income was much greater. Living well within my means brought me great comfort. In those days (2008), however, I was driving an 03 Civic and most of my friends had things like new Chevy Cobalts which were in the same class and I never considered superior. Once I had a taste of decent $$ and my new work friends all had Mercedes/Audi/Acura/BMW/Infiniti cars I justified a brand new Camry SE because compared to everyone else I was being practical.

Over the last few weeks I have actually sold, donated, or thrown out over half of my material possessions. I am selling the Civic Hybrid and Mustang. I will either leave the Jeep with family for them to use at their convenience or sell it also. I am selling my CBR as my little Ninja offers more legal fun. As far as minimalists go I probably own a lot, but considering where I came from and my new mental detachment from status and material possessions I have definitely come a long way.

I am really looking forward to taking delivery of my Fit and once the mustang is sold I will no longer have a car payment for the first time in a couple years. The Fit gets great MPG like my hybrid (although not 50mpg...), holds about as much cargo as my jeep, and is more fun to drive than my mustang with its heavy clutch and notchy Chinese transmission

 

I bet a lot of us have gone thru a similar transformation. I'm 50 now but all thru the 90s etc....I had to have the latest Computer, Tech Toys and Cars. I had a great VW GTi VR6 that I traded on a BMW 330ci just to keep up with my friends. In 2008 I lost my job of 26 years in Detroit and knew I didn't want to stay there. I started selling everything I could - "stuff" I just had to have at the time but no longer. I moved to Florida and simplified my life!

I love my Fit. Just today I was driving it around and grinning ear to ear!! I'll let others buy the BWMs or Audis to impress others.

 

I can't believe how fun the Fit is! I can't wait to pick mine up. If reminds me so much of the old Hondas. The 99-00 Si was a blast and I drove the 2012 Si before buying the Fit and was hugely disappointed. The Fit actually felt faster due to the engine character, lighter weight, and better road feel

I made a similar move- Toledo area to Tampa FL. Lots I like but I am moving to Chicago soon

 

Whoa, what a transition Sapper. Pretty graphic too - girlfriend... supermodel... Priorty-shifts happen quite frequent in life. Some are in the moment and some are more long termed and life-changing. And at times those shifts can dictate where we end up in the food chain.

As one gets older, hopefully we realize not too many things are as important as we thought they were. Society has dictated "dress to impress" the many aspects of our being. And when young, we're too busy to reflect on who, what and why... Some of us take a lifetime looking and never find it. Some of us find it by just keeping still. Then all of a sudden the scratch on the bumper and the "what they might think" no longer matters. We all have a place. It's up to us to find it.

The legacy we leave behind are in the people we've touched along the way. Just my take... Peace with self and share with the world. Good luck and enjoy your new ride!

 

Way to go I told all those guys on the Mustang forums I was starting something when I sold my 2011 5.0 and picked up my Fit lol

Man they went nuts calling me all kinds of names.I mean you would have thought I took away their cars and made them all get a Prius.

You will love the Fit and heck you can always get another Stang if you want one in the future.The Fit will hold it's resale value much better then a Mustang.

I had close to 600hp with a Kenne bell blower on my Mustang and it was fun and all but at 48 and with these crazy gas prices in Cali it was time for a return to my roots.

I honestly have just as much fun driving my Fit in the canyons as I did in the Mustang.

I averaged 9-10mpg in the Mustang

 

I just bought a new '12 Sport MT. It replaced a '95 Ford Contour SE. This car will be my daily driver. I also own an '08 Civic Si (which I don't like all that much) that replaced a '98 Integra GSR which was stolen 3 years ago. I really miss that car. The last generation Integra hit all the high notes in auto design, imho, and safety equipment aside, is a much better car than the Civic Si. I seriously looked at the first generation TSX, but it was too similar to my Contour. Now that the Contour is gone, I might try to find a mint '05 - '06 TSX.

Comparing the Fit to the Civic Si, I can't see how y'all talk about how sporty and fun to drive the Fit is. To me the Fit is utilitarian transportation and is a bit squirrelly at speed and doesn't handle all that well.

@Sapper - you might enjoy this site: Mr. Money Mustache | Early Retirement through Badassity

 

Agree I always say a lot of people need material objects to show success because they lack confidence in themself and need others to affirm it.

 

So true. Validation/affirmation are human traits. How we are affected and/or consumed by it is an individual take. As one gets older, validation becomes more personal, less material. Just me...

Back on thread... Only Mustang I ever owned was a '71 Mach I Fastback 351 4bbl Cleveland ala James Bond "Diamonds Are Forever" back in the days... Great car. Could hardly afford the gas though...

 

What kind of fogs are those on your car? They look awesome!!

 

Took delivery Friday morning and have logged about 1200 miles. Loving it so far!! No disappointments and everything is exceeding my expectations (ESP the MPG!)

 

The 99-00 Si is amazing. I tried to find an unmolested one and after months of searching and one purchase that fell through on the seller's end I gave up. Wasn't a fan of the 01-05 and even less so of the 06-11 coupes. The Sedans are OK but aren't quite as raw old school Honda to me. The 12+ has lost all traces of that lineage to me. I enjoyed driving the '12 Si much less than my new Fit, which was a relief because the Fit is cheaper and more practical. Not to mention I find the styling of the new Civic Sedan abhorrent.

Funny I read this now and currently have an autotrader tab open with a search for a silver 2006 TSX 6MT. I have been on the lookout for a stock well cared for one for a couple of years. It will show up eventually and find it's way to my garage.

Minus a bit too much understeer (which could be significantly improved for less than $500), the Fit handles great for me. Now with nearly 5k miles it does not feel very squirrelly since I have gotten used to how it drives, even up to 120mph.

The excellent road feel, stiff chassis, light weight, lively little motor and short gearing all combine perfectly to make a great driver's car. It reminds me a lot of my 93 EX, with some additional (and very welcome) safety and convenience features.

This car has swung me back to Honda completely as most of their new offerings have pushed me away. Nothing they make is that good to drive. Even the Si is soft and lacks the road feel of the Fit. I have never been more satisfied with a car. There are a few little things I would change, but there is not a SINGLE thing about the car that really bothers me. I have never been able to say that about a car.

If only I could get the stuff in the hatch area to stop sliding around and crashing into the sides. I drive it a little too much like I am on a track.

 

I work in construction and have the same problem, mostly with my hard hat that I keep in the car. I just have to wedge it in between something or wrap it up in a spare jacket to keep it from banging around. Maybe some kind of stretchy cargo net would work for yours.

-Dustin

 

Of all the toys I have and had in the past, the Fit still holds my attention.

Including (but not all):

Yamaha R6 - 42mm turbo
Chevy Monza - Nitrous SBC
Dodge Ram - Compound turbodiesel
Mitsu Eclipse - 71mm turbo on E85/water injection (Was 59mm turbo/meth injection)

Yet the GD3 puts a grin on my face rowing through the gears every time I get in, even now that has been without boost for over a year and a half. Having the FlashPro to play with helps a ton though!

 

I can't justify the kind of money Honda wants for their cargo net. Perhaps I will rig something up myself soon. With 5,000 miles I am still driving it pretty hard so I don't know how much my driving style will change as its not going to get LESS fun to drive

 

An Eclipse GSX was on my shopping list for a long time. Now I think I'll find an NSX instead some day. Rarer and more reliable. My experiences with Honda have all been so positive and with most other companies quite terrible so I think I am done chancing it on other cars.

Despite how ugly I find it, the TL SH-AWD has just bumped the Audi S4 off my list of cars to consider when I make it farther up the career ladder.

 

Test drive an Evo 8 if you are looking for a project in the future, you won't be disappointed.

Pretty sure my next project is going to be a mini-tubbed 87-93 Fox Body, big cube SBF and a big single turbo through a multi-lever lenco street box and a strange rear on some 28" tires.

 

I've started to have this mentality towards the brand. This is my first Honda, and it's just so well put together compared to everything I've owned. It's a nothing more, nothing less, vehicle. A minimalist's choice for sure.

Glad to hear you like the car. Now mod the suspension, tires and wheels for a completely different beast. I need better brakes after doing those. It's a little too confidence inspiring right now compared to its stopping ability.

 

Some grippy pads are all you need now!

 

Suspension tires and wheels are on my list for later this year. I have definitely explored the limits of this cars handling, but it is pretty darn good stock. I had nice suspension on my last Civic and it made a world of difference. I can only imagine what this will be like 1.5" lower on stiffer springs and stickier rubber