Savage on Wheels - Honda's 2015 Fit delivers excellent gas mileage, not much else


Homeboy has obviously never driven a Honda. Honda's of the past have always been loud, the ride has always been 'tight,' etc.

I am not the GK's greatest fan, I am and will always be a GD dork. But this guy is miles off base, recommending the Kia Soul over the Fit? Put down your pipe breh.

 

At least it seems a fairly sincere review, rather than those "everything is amazing" kind of reviews that pro reviewers tend to give (money involved?).

With that said, I do not think that comparing with the Kia Soul is fair. Fit compares with the Rio, and the HRV with the Soul.

I tested a Soul myself (6MT), and I found it unrefined and no sporty at all. The cargo area is roomy, but only if you are prepared to use it vertically. It is very tall, but very short longitudinally. So I think it might be useful only to carry big suitcases. Also, the Kia Soul is horrible on gas.

Comparing cars in different segments, for $21000 I would consider a VW Golf TDI S, MT.

 

It's an okay review, but seems more like a checklist than a cohesive "review" of the car. FWIW, I don't think he's off-base at all in comparing the Fit to the Soul. Both are on my short list at the moment. The Soul's main negative is gas mileage, but at the $19,000 price point (real-world selling prices, not MSRP) it has a much nicer interior than the Fit, more power, and about the same amount of cargo volume. If you tested the 6MT, Argentum, then you were in the stripped base model, which sells for about $15,000 out the door.

 

Yes, the model that I test drove was the base model. I played at the dealer with higher-end models, but I did not drive them. In fact, I liked the fit and finish of the Soul, and the long list of accessories in higher end models. My biggest concerns were, as I mentioned, MPG, harsh ride, and the "orientation" of the cargo space. I have a kid, and I prefer a more practical layout, to be able to access more easily stuff in the trunk.

 

When you looked at the Soul, are you sure you were looking at a Soul?

I found the interior cheap and rather strange, the power advantage is rather overcome by the weight, horrible aero, horrible gas mileage, etc.

 

Yeah, seriously. This part made me laugh:

A Honda with a muted engine? Which one would that be?

 

The main thing I got from this article is, don't move to Wisconsin, they have "crumbling expansion joints and potholes".

 

I'm assuming the S2000, EM1 Civic Si or Integra Type R. I mean, cruising at 4k RPM is quiet. Right?

Our roads aren't really that bad (none in the US are), but I wouldn't recommend a state with winter to anyone...except those I dislike.

 

Sounds like he got a test model with shitty sunroof seals. I get zero wind noise out of my sunroof at 70 MPH.

 

maybe i need to give the author a ride in my race civic... at that point, all cars will be muted to him

i see he was driving the CVT and not a manual. true what he says about the initial throttle response. it does seem sluggish when taking off from a dead stop. but that is like just about all automatic cars. i know the CVT is great when moving along though. i prefer manual, as i like the instant gratification of the throttle.

as far as the Kia Soul, the 164 HP 2.0L moves the car pretty good... however, my nephew has the 1.6L 130 HP Soul. at 2750 lbs for his Soul, our old 96 Nissan Sentra beater car, which i called "The Slowest Car in the World", is a rocket in comparison. and i am not seeing anything quality about it... but it is what it is... neither his Soul or my Fit ( or my old Sentra ) are BMW's or Mercedes, nor are they trying to be.

anyway, i take the media reviews about cars with a grain of salt. the only magazine that i pay attention to that tests cars, is Grassroots Motorsports. they put equal tires on all the same class of cars and have real world comparison tests with them. that actually means something to me, as i have never replaced my factory grade tires with the same. it has always been with something much better.

 

I used to live there. The potholes are savage. I wonder if he got a bad moonroof seal? I have zero noise from my moonroof when it's closed. I don't expect to use the touch controls when I have ones on the wheel I don't have to reach for. They work fine, but run the volume up on your phone if using Bluetooth. If phone volume is low, the wheel buttons won't increase it past that.

 

Hey, the guy is an automotive writer writing for a local paper in Milwaukee. Is what he has to say really all that relevant?