So I'm still waffling about putting down a $500 deposit and ordering a purple 2015 Fit without having test driven it first. I test drove a 2013 Fit and a 2014 Civic today. Of the two I by far preferred the Civic's feel although I don't know enough about cars to really be able to describe to you why (sorry!). The car salesman wanted me to drive the Civic because he said the interior touch screen and instrument panel is very similar to the one that will be in the Fit. But when I asked him if the Fit will FEEL like the Civic, he said he didn't really know.

What do y'all think?

 

Thank god this isn't another Fit vs Civic comparison. If you liked the Civic "by far" better than the Fit, go for a Civic. A Fit has rather stiff suspension and an upright driving position. It is geared less towards comfort than a civic.

The 2015 is probably more refined than the 2013 but it's still a Fit which is sort of like a cross between a golf kart and a minivan

 

I have driven a 2013 and a 2015 Fit. To me the 15 felt like a definite upgrade over the 13. I actually was thinking of getting a Civic as my next car but I really like the versatility of the hatch. Think of it like this, if a 2014 Civic and a 2013 Fit had a baby it would be the 2015 Fit. It has all the upgraded "tech and comfort" features of a new Civic but still has the "guts" of a Fit.

 

For me the Civic and the Fit are so totally different cars intended for totally different purposes. If you need, or desire, the utility afforded by the Fit hatchback/magic seat configuration, then there is no option to even consider the Civic

But if you want a sedan or coupe and do not need the utility of the Fit, then the Civic is a fine choice. If I did not need the Fit's utility, then civic Si coupe appeals to me. But I need the cargo capacity of the Fit.

Keep in mind that you are at least 60 days away from a purple 2015 Fit. So if you cannot wait until mid to late July, then you might consider other options.

 

My salesman showed me a Civic to "see" the interior of new Fit. It felt like a great value honestly.

TCroly hit the nail on the head as far as a constructive response goes, you have to evaluate it with your specific needs. Honda will be reliable.

 

Remember that most salesmen will tell you anything to keep you on the hook. They'll put you in a Civic or a '13 Fit in the hope that you will change your mind and they'll make a sale.

 

From reading your posts, you must be dealing with some poor sales people or possibly don't know how to deal with them. I've experienced very little of what you've been posting about. If the salesman is suggesting you hop in a Civic to get a similar experience to the interior of the new Fit, why do you automatically assume they are trying to get you to buy the Civic?

 

Well, actually my salesman WAS trying to get me to buy the Civic. He kept making comments like, "Who knows? Maybe you'll like the Civic and forget the Fit." So I don't think GeorgeL is completely wrong. But seeing the instrument panel in the Civic did give me a decent idea about what the Fit will look like from the inside. What it didn't do, however, was give me a decent idea about what the Fit will feel like when driving.

I don't have any particular need for tons of cargo space as I am a single woman with no kids, but I just like the idea of having something different from the standard sedan. After driving a Toyota Corolla for 12 years, I was hoping to get something a little less "vanilla" if that makes any sense.

 

Well, I thought I had plenty of time as long as the old Taurus is still working fine, but I just found out recently that my grandmother had casually promised to give the old Taurus to my uncle, but he had never made a move to come get it. Now that she has given it to me, apparently he's inquiring about it, and that's causing a little bit of mild family drama. It's nothing too serious, but it does give me an incentive to want to move forward with my purchase. I suppose I may need to start researching short-term car leases.

 

Any salesman who didn't push the cars that are actually on the lot and upsell his customers would not last long with his sales manager.

Unfortunately, manipulative tactics are the norm, not the exception, for the simple reason that they are effective.

I've no doubt that there is, somewhere, a car salesman who is patient and knowledgeable, who listens to customers and does his best to meet their needs without consideration of his income. My chances of finding such a salesman is about the same as finding a 4-leaf clover.

I actually know a great salesman who works for Sears selling appliances. Nice guy, no pressure, and he'll even tell me to hold off on buying something that is going on special soon. I once lamented that he should go to work for a car dealer so I could buy cars from him. He said "What do you think I did before this? I hated having to lie to customers!"

I'm watching with great interest the saga of Elon Musk and his new sales model for Tesla. It is causing conventional dealers great consternation since he isn't inviting them to insert themselves into the process and siphon off some profit for themselves. The auto dealers associations say, with a perfectly straight face, that selling cars directly will "eliminate good customer service" to which anyone who has actually bought a car can't help but laugh.

 

Yeah, anyone who doesn't think that a salesperson is focusing more on a current sale than the customer's best ultimate option is a bit naive.

The salesperson I dealt with on my current DD is a great guy, and it was a pleasure to deal with him. And I talk to him every so often when I have to buy parts from the dealership or am there for whatever reason. But that's the first time I've been able to say that about a salesperson. Don't forget that a Honda salesperson really is looking for an upgrade themselves, so they'll make whatever numbers they'll have to to get up to the more luxurious marques eventually. It all boils down to a numbers game unfortunately; go looking for a good deal, not a drinking buddy.

 

First post here.... Hello everybody!

I am planning to get the 2015 Fit once it's available here in Canada (summer 2014 - probably around August?).

I currently drive a Civic, and have driven 4 Civics (3rd, 4th, 7th & 8th gens). As a 'Civic-guy' it took me years of consideration to finally deciding to switch to a Fit. When I test drove the '12 Civic (beginning of 9th gen), I honestly didn't feel it nearly as good as the previous Civics (especially in the steering & handling department), but I think they have re-tuned the chassis & improved the steering starting from the '13 model. Haven't tried driving '13-'14 Civic myself.

I haven't driven any Fit so far, but have decided to get the 2015 Fit without test-driving it - just because it's a better/more practical car overall for my needs (you can put 2 mountain bikes easily into the back of the Fit, while you will need a bike rack to even put one in a Civic) - and there is no other sub-compact & compact car available in North America that can give plenty of cargo space as the Fit. For these reasons I'd choose the Fit over Civic for my next ride.

So in my opinion, the only thing better for the (non-Si) 2014 Civic over the 2015 Fit is probably the lower financing/lease rates.

 

Or you just don't know how to deal with them. There are ways to talk to a sales person to get them on your side. I've talked to many car salesmen about the new Fit. Some have mentioned the Civic interior as a way to get a good idea about the Fit's interior, but not one has even hinted at getting me to buy a Civic. The focus has always been about the Fit, even though they don't have them yet.

 

More than a bit naive. My dealer was less subtle, they were extremely aggressive when I mentioned I wanted a 2015 instead of the current model. I politely refused to answer their questions about why I wanted a 15 until they stopped asking. Salesman was nice but definitely working in his own interests. Don't get me started on the shady finance guy even though I'm paying cash.

 

I've actually found it kinda fun to experience the stereotypical aggressive car salesperson. This is my first car shopping experience, so at first I was a little intimidated, but after doing a TON of online research, I feel like in some ways I know more about the cars than the salesman does. When you realize that it gives you an extra bit of confidence, and you can chuckle a little when you spot the lines of BS they spew out.

For example, I test drove a Toyota Corolla last Saturday not because I'm really considering buying one, but I just felt like I should out of loyalty. I drove my old Corolla for 12 years, so I figured I should at least give the tried and true a chance. I decided it was a bit too boring compared to other cars out there right now, but at the end of the test drive, the salesman was really laying it on thick, promising to give me a "really good deal." Having done my research I knew immediately that his numbers were not good at all, and I was able to politely decline while chuckling to myself on the way home.

Yesterday a Honda salesman asked me what other cars I am considering. I honestly answered that I'm considering buying a Mazda 3 because I am. That's my second choice behind the Fit right now. He went on this long spill about how "Mazda is just a glorified Ford" and how I don't want to buy a Mazda because they are "in bed with Ford." From what I understand Ford has some really solid cars out right now, so even if that was true, I don't think it would necessarily be a bad thing. I'm not sure where Ford's sullied reputation came from, but whatever it was must have been many years ago. Second of all, I'm pretty sure I read an article about how Mazda is completely independent of Ford now. So yeah... the salesman pretty much sounded like an idiot to me, and I realized people like him are trained to say whatever they need to make a sale. I just nodded politely like I agreed with him but was cracking up internally.

So yeah... car shopping is FUN.

 

Fords are probably more reliable than Mazdas these days, except maybe the Focus and Fiesta. Which probably says more about Mazda than it does about Ford.

 

You should at minimum test at least 3 different cars and even test some cars that aren't on your list. You might be surprised by a car that you weren't originally considering. The Fit was never on my list (I can't remember why) but after test driving one just because it was the next cheapest car to a Civic I just drove, I was completely blown away. My daughter even noticed how much fun I was having. Unfortunately it was a 2013 and news of a full change for 2014/2015 caused me to hesitate until they sold the last 2013. So now I'm just waiting.

 

No, that's not condescending at all, Miss Manners.
Listen, I'm 48, and have had plenty of experience with car salespeople, both good and bad. There obviously are good ones out there who take the time to work with clients and assess their needs. However, there also a ton of them who try their hand at sales, and you've got a lot of turnover at the lower end including Honda.
What everyone needs to remember that being nice to customers can be a personality trait and/or it can also be a sales technique; there's always a bottom line involved.

The new 3 looks good on paper, and I'm glad they cleaned up the 80s interior theme from the prior version; it's gotta have better reliability than the Focus/Fiesta, which I would consider kryptonite (unfortunately, 'cause I loved driving the Fiesta ST). It would be on my list too.

 

Then like I said before, you're dealing with some really poor salesmen. Doesn't matter how old you are. Your age doesn't automatically mean you know how to deal with people. In fact, most people lose that ability with age.

I'll be as condescending as I want if you guys are going to come in here and call me naive just because I happen to have better salesmen/know how to deal with them better than you do. Don't act like I'm the one being the jerk here.

 

This isn't the Fit you are looking for...

Obviously some of us have Obi-Wan's subtle Jedi talent to get salesmen to act in our interest. The rest of us have to deal with the reality that most salesmen have their own agenda and we are unlikely to divert them from it unless we assert ourselves.