The Focus I looked at just a few moments ago (Just for fun - Build one) was over $24,800.00 without the tax, fee's, etc, and it did not come with a back up camera, nor lane watch, but with Nav system. Fit will be my choice

 

Just spoke to my local dealership's sales guy today. They're expecting to get a few in this week. He asked if I was dead set on a manual transmission. I told him since the auto was a CVT, absolutely. He also didn't know it was made in Mexico, or much about the car at all. The local dealership sells mostly Odysseys, Accords, and CR-Vs, it seems...

 

Isn't the Fiesta a more apples to apples competitor? I would think so. Not the ST, of course, that's way too much fun, but at a higher price point.

 

On the outside, yes. For interior space, the Fit is more in line with the Focus. Ford doesn't have Honda's magic in creating interior room. For driving dynamics, the Fit and Fiesta are closer. So it's kind of in between.

 

I think the Fit competes with both, depending on various factors. I cross-shopped the Fit and the Focus, and only glanced at the Fiesta. Due to the gearing options offered in the new Fit, actually I signed for a Focus ST+moonroof yesterday. My requirements were hatchback, 4 seats 4 doors, sunroof, manual, decent cruising rpms @ 75. That's why I was livid about the 5th=6th gear thing ... I had really planned on a '15 Fit. If I couldn't get what I want, forget it, I'm getting the hot hatch -- I am not crawling up the Altamont in an AT/CVT Fit for the next 8 years again. California is not very flat in some spots.

Yeah, what PaleM said up there. The Fit outside felt Fiesta-sized, but the interior felt Focus-sized. The Fit hatch opening is taller, I think.

 

Your gonna enjoy the Focus' driver's seat. I think its the best in the lower 2 categories (sub and compact). Almost Recaro-like. Good power too!!!! Enjoy it!!!!
As for me, out of the budget. JDM sub-compact here I come!!!

 

There was an event here last summer for test driving the Fiesta ST outside Citi Field (the home of the godawful Mets); it was part of a national thing. Really liked how the ST drove, but did think the interior was a bit cramped, even from just the driver's perspective (nixing the Recaro seating $2k package would have given me a bit more room). The Ford twins are definite contenders, but the spotty reliability still scares me a bit (Green Envy is damn sexy, though ).

It will be fun to test the Fit against the twins.

 

Mystery here in West Tennessee- my small town dealer's internet guy (who is remarkably truthful) says they have 5 new 15s ready.
I went to Memphis to shop without pressure and there are no 15's in the bluff city and I contacted all three dealers. I think they are holding them back to move the rows of 13's.
With such a good product and so many educated young people who need work I wonder why the sales staffs are filled with uninformed liars.
Maybe marketing spends too much on advertising and not enough on training.

 

Enjoy the Focus ST, it should be a very fun car. I went from a 2002 SVT Focus to my 2009 Fit . I enjoyed both cars, the Focus had much more power, although not the power of the new ST! The Fit got much better fuel economy, my lifetime Focus average was only 21.5 MPG. With the same type of driving, my Fit has averaged 35 MPG. Both cars could haul allot of stuff, the Fit being a little larger in cargo capacity seats down. The only really bad thing about the Focus was having to go back and forth to the dealer to get little things fixed and at about 5 years, the inferior build quality, compared to a Honda, started showing up with things going wrong. Ultimately the resale of the Focus was many percentage points lower than a comparable Honda. When I traded my Focus with 40,000 miles it was worth less than 30% of what I had paid for it 6 years earlier, comparable Honda civic Si were selling for 50% of their price new.

I have looked hard at the Focus ST and the $2500 factory cash makes it a bit of a bargain, but I bought my Focus SVT when I was 42 years old and it was a good match for my boy racer dreams at that time, back when I autocrossed. Now, at 53, the Focus ST is just a bit too boy racer for me. Nevertheless it is one car that have have been considering instead of another Fit.

Enjoy!

 

Many good points. Can you add the cost of all the visits for repairs to the deprecation?
What would be the real cost?
I hate to spend time in a customer lounge waiting.

 

Fortunately, most my Focus' repair costs were covered under warranty. But just as you point out there is the value of your time.

My fit in five and a half years of ownership has had no failures requiring a dealer visit except for a battery, that recently failed and was replace free under warranty. The great thing was, the dealer checked my battery when I was in for an oil change 3 years ago and said it was faulty, so they gave me a new battery under warranty and he told me the new battery would have a new warranty. So 3 years later when it failed, I got another one for free. Now that is great customer service and this, and the perfect reliability of my 2009 Fit, are the strongest reasons that I have a new fit on order.

 

Exactly! I'm 38, and undoubtedly when the Focus is exhausted in 7-8 years, I'll be back to Honda for better reliability from age 46-54, hehheh. But if the ST3 deal falls through ... white Fit EX M/T+moonroof. No news from the dealer today is not good news, the ST3 may have been sold already, last white ST3+moonroof in all of California. Yeah, my Z4 got 22~25 mpg, I'm prepared for that. Car buying is so indecisive ...



Yeah my '07 Fit, tires, one battery, and I flushed the coolant at 5 years, oil and filter changes. Debating A/T flush. But bad interior dash rattles in winter.

 

My local dealer said the new 15's will be out in a week or so.

 

According to Cars.com there are almost 6200 2013 Fits on dealers lots which by my count is 1 to 2 months supply.

I'm thinking they will try to sell as many as they can until sometime in May before putting them on fire sale as they try to build up dealer inventory for the 2015's.

The Honda website hasn't switch to the new Fit yet so I take that to indicate it's not officially on sale yet.

 

Listed my 2012 base 5mt fit on Craigslist and it sold today.
I'm ready to order a 2015 after I see and choose a color that I like. Hope that they start to show up soon.

 

I had a chance to drive a Fiesta ST last Sat (4-12), 6 MT & the turbo 4. Man that thing is fast!! It was the Ford Eco Boost event, so just a course laid out in a parking lot at the Cardinals football stadium in Phoenix.

I've always liked the styling of the Fiesta, but found it to be cramped inside, especially the no-room back seat (Focus too). HP is about the same in the Fiesta Vs Fit, but the Fit wins out with interior space, fold flat rear seats, and the ability to lower the rear seat head rests, so you can see thru the rear window. I also like the Fit dash better.

Sorry Ford......

 

Where are these things at!!??? I'm so anxious to drive both the 6mt and the CVT. I need a DD because my Evo is racking up needless freeway miles. Come on Honda, deliver!

 

No hurry for me, just have 150K miles on my '07. Going for at least 225K. I want to see the HR-V, before I decide.

 

I agree that the Ford offerings feel a little cramped in the back seat compared to Fit. Depends on how often you're gonna put victims back there.

 

Any day now my local dealer is getting 2 black EX models. I'm pretty sure that what we want is the Aegean Blue Metallic in the EX-L with Navi. The dealer has a black EX-L with Navi on the way. He said that Honda makes and sends a few colors at a time? I need a new car, and I've gotta have the blue!!