After going back and forth for a while, I have decided to purchase a Honda Fit. I've driven Honda's mostly, and based on my experience (insights and civics) and based on what I always hear about Honda, I have decided this is the car I need.

Based on my budget and needs, I want to know what things I need to consider in purchasing this car.

- I'm buying used. In terms of looks and style, 2009 through 2011 are acceptable to me. It might come down to budget.

- My budget is going to try to stay under 12,000. under 13,000 only if absolutely needed. According to KBB, the base model ranges from 10,xxx to 13,xxx in price, and the sport model ranges from 11,xxx to 14,xxx in range).

- I will purchase automatic transmission

- This will be the primary car for transporting 2 adults to and from work. Driving habit will probably be 40 miles per day mix of highway/city, just a tad more on the weekends, and the occasional 300 mile road trip to visit family once every 2 to 3 months. So at the end of the day, maybe around 1200 miles+/- a little bit per month.

- Don't need NAV, LCD or anything, but I think people here do mention that the Sport is worth it.

- The hope is for this car to last as long as possible, 7 to 10 years will be great (unless I'm financially able to afford a new car).

For the Fits I am looking at, in order for it to meet my price range, most of the cars are already 50k to 70k miles. Is this okay for the Honda? Should I be wary if a car is already up to a certain mileage (I'm referring to the longevity).

So for a typical working adult, is there anything 'bad' to consider for this car? It seems to fit all my needs.
Does the 09 to 11 have any history of malfunction that should be kept in mind?
As for the 2009 vs 2011 version, in terms of safety, features or longevity, is there one that stands out over the other?
KBB shows the 2010 is a little bit cheaper than 2009.. why?

thanks and appreciate.

 

There is no history of problems. The Fit had 1 major engine recall for motion springs; however if that was not done, you can go to the dealer and get that done at no charge.

So there is no special model specific information. You have to follow standard buyer's steps to seeing your actual buying options what maintenance maybe needed on the specific models.


Do not use KBB for pricing. Cars are not quite a commodity where they're interchangeable and all 2009 cars are the same, and available for the same price. You need to see what's actually out there and the specific car you can actually buy and in what condition.


You need to consider:
This is an low priced car. There is not an extraordinary amount of depreciation.
You should definitely shop to see how much really it costs for a new or newer car (with warranty) versus the used model with parts that are due for replacement.

There are some improvements in the later year models, mainly standard VSC and increased sound proofing.

Good luck, you should write back with specific cars that you've found and checked out for the forum's opinion if you should pull the trigger or not.

 

Now that i think about it, there are a few niggles you should review. Check out the TSB sticky at top of this forum.

Beyond the sticky there are a couple other issues these is not specifically due to defect.

Sport fog lights are prone to be damaged due to rocks.
Solution: replace lens, install grating or headlight PPF film for future protection(search for threads)

The A/C condenser/radiator may also be vulnerable to rock hits:
Solution: install mesh (simple gutterguard plastic or fancy metal) for protection. (search for easy DIY threads)

Sport Tire Size is uncommon and difficult to find exact replacement.
Solution: can also mount 205/50/R16 and drive on the same rim with no mechanical issues; but potential differences in mpg/ride characteristics. so much so that tirerack even blogged on it: http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/roll-o...l-save-the-day

 

Thanks Ray, that helps a lot. What about mileage? I've always purchased new cars, so this is something new for me to consider. Should they be in relation to the year of the vehicle? A lot of the ones i"m seeing are 80K+ miles (2008 to 2011). I know Honda's are great cars and are built to last, but at what point is an acceptable (or not acceptable) mileage when looking for a car (Honda Fit)? Also, after looking at the availability vs budget, I might go with 2008 just to keep the cost down

 

me personally like the 2nd gen better. i own one lol and i DD mine to work and have 46k miles on a 2011. Its great for what i use it for. Spacious, good MPG and easy to maintain. ONly gripe is the interior seating isnt the nicest and seats are taxing on the body if driving for long trips. 4 hrs+. but its a HONDA so its reliable which is a huge plus. Im sure you can find a 2009-2011 for $11-$13k with reasonable miles. Just make sure it was taken care of and maintenance was up to date. Good luck.

Id get a Sport model if you can afford it so that you have the OEM lip kit, fogs, keyless access, and nicer sound system with additional speakers.

 

My experience keeping Hondas for high miles (225K '97 Odyssey traded for the fit, and currently have an '03 Accord with 160K) is they are pretty bullet proof through 150K. After that random things start to fail and you can expect $300-$600 in repairs yearly. Before that point it's normal maintenance, except for a valve adjustment ($400+) due around 100K. Major drive-train issues aren't a concern if it's been maintained adequately (the exception are early 2000's Accords/Odysseys that had transmission issues).

 

thanks guys. So I do have a couple more questions as I did narrow my choices to a few. I want to get this all done in one day because I'll be driving out of state for a job interview and since my home state doesn't have a lot, I'm going to buy out of state. I plan to rent a car locally, and drop off the rental in Texas.

I'm approved for a total of $12,000 (as that is all I want to spend), but best case would be to spend around $10,000.

Here is one that I found locally in my state. This will be the easiest as I can get that car and I won't have to hassle with renting a car for my job interview.

2009 Honda Fit base
listed at $11,995 (will try to negotiate down)
mileage: 43,674
CarFax shows 2 previous owners, 10 service records, personal vehicle, no accident reported, guaranteed no problem on junk, salvage, rebuilt etc, and no issues indicated on everything else.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...55790339&Log=0
Literally, this is the only Fit I see near my location that fits my budget. The biggest con I see is that the reviews of the reseller is pretty bad..


2008 Honda Fit Sport
listed at 10,995 (will try to negotiate down)
mileage 55003
Car fax shows 1 owner, no issues reported, 1 open recall
This is about an hour away from my location, so I can make it work...

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...79145412&Log=0
Everything else is out of state, and I'm deciding how to make that work, with test drive, inspection and all.

This one is nice:
2010 Honda Fit Base
price 11700
mileage: 30,910

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...79219712&Log=0

or this one

2008 Honda Fit Sport
Price: 8998
mileage 89849
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...71457602&Log=0


the 2008 is really affordable and that is really tempting. I'm just wondering what I lose out with the higher mileage and it being a 2008 vs 09+. I'm not so much concerned about mileage any more, but it just turns out that those are what popped up

As for doing in depending inspections, would you still take it to an inspection if you buy it at a dealer vs a place that sells used car? One of the above has a 112 point inspection or whatever....is that enough?

 

I'm gonna have to look at prices again. I was under the impression that my 09 Base with 75K would bring about $9K on a private sale. Those prices seem high. Negotiate well...

 

Let's get to some real world pricing rather than inflated sources like dealers and KBB.

I just settled 2 weeks ago with the insurance company on a totaled 2009 Sport with 66k miles. They paid us $9228 (plus sales taxes and license fees for a replacement). That same week I bought a 2011 Sport with 53k miles for $9250. Both cars were in excellent condition (the 09 prior to the accident) and prices are based on Private Party sales. The only differences were year, miles, and color. The 2011 we bought belonged to a woman whose husband bought her a Lexus and she no longer cared to drive the Fit.

Be careful when buying vehicles with "repaired / salvage" titles. The are worth 15% to 40% less. In general I figure their value at -30%. So when looking be sure you are looking at clean titles if you are paying a clean title price. Many private partly and dealer sales advertisements do not tell you they are selling a "repaired" title vehicle.

Good luck on your hunt.

 

go for a fit sport you wont regret it at all, already equipped with sport body a paddle shifter and alloy rims did I mention better looking?

 

There is a dealer in the St Louis area that has 15 new '13 Base AT Fits.
Check on a car site.
You could fly up and drive home in a brand new Fit and a great deal.
An '11 with 70,000 miles is an expensive car at $10,000.
A new '13 at $15,000 is an investment. Seriously.

 

Good luck. You are shopping for the same car as me with all the same parameters.