Totally agree with you.
I did not recommend my mother a 2015 Fit for these reasons. She ended up buying a 2015 Civic but if she needed a reliable hatchback, I would suggested 2013 Fit even if slightly used.

My other options would be a Yaris, a manual Corolla, possibly Mazda 2 (though that one is due for new model release any time soon).

I would never consider Ford vehicles. Subarus are super expensive not just on gas for the awd but on parts and repairs as well, compared to the Fit at least.

Finally, a Korean car like a Hyundai or KIA might be reasonable alternatives as their long term reliability has been reported to be quite good over last few years.

 

Buying a used 2013 rather than the newly re-designed 2015 sounds like a good idea to me. The new plant in mexico has experienced supply shortages and glitches in some new Fits. I would be weary of getting a brand new Fit until the kinks are worked out in both the model and the factory it's built in. I bought a 2013 Fit for this reason rather than the new 2015 Fit.

 

I agree that Honda's packaging leaves a lot to be desired...just one of the annoyances you have to accept if you think the rest of the car is right for you. You'll get a lot for the price point no matter which trim level you choose, but it won't necessarily be the things you actually want. :-) And it's a bit of a roll of the dice on long-term quality, given the new factory in Mexico.

The Ford Fiesta is really appealing to me, but I've ruled it out because of 1) the tiny hatch space and 2) concerns about quality (Mike's experience just reinforces that).

Have you considered the Versa Note? It has a cheaper looking interior (though it's better for 2015), but it's got great gas mileage, it's roomy, and you can get a lot of tech features for a low price. My favorite trim is the SR because it accentuates the car's looks, both inside and out, and can be had for roughly $17,000 including the upgraded stereo. On the downside, it's underpowered compared to the Fit and you have to live with the slightly down-rent interior.

As John noted, Kia is worth checking out. The Rio is a good looking car and will probably cost you about $2000 less than the Fit, comparably equipped. The Soul is essentially just a funkier-looking subcompact, so it's worth a look too, but the gas mileage is probably too low for someone who drives as much as you do.

Finally, have you considered the Chevy Sonic? It's another car that intrigues me, but I worry about the long-term (and even short-term) reliability. A lot of people seem to be having issues with the 6-speed manual on the 1.4 turbo engine, judging by the forums.

 

Cars and trucks have been getting built in Mexico for over a decade now. The early quality control issues are more about it being a new plant. Not about where it is. I had a 98 Dodge truck that was built in Mexico and it ran like a top. Had it for 10 years and 150,000+ miles before trading it in.

I looked at the Kia, the Nissan, the Chevy, and the Ford too. I chose the Fit because it was obviously engineered better when you compare them in person. You don't get that amount of space in such a small package by accident. And then there's the expected resale value. Out of all those brands, Hondas have always had the higher resale value over the last 20+ years and the new Fit will be no different.

In my area, 2014 Chevy Sonics were almost being given away. Why? Because of rental fleets trying to unload about 50 of them before the end of the year. No Thanks. Every new one I drove felt solid. But I also drove a couple of used ones and they all had a ton of squeaks and rattles. Chevys interiors in general are just crap over time. I've had 3 over the last 30 years and likely will never buy another. Ever.

Kia has spotty reliability. Their warranty kind of offsets that, but not enough in some people's minds so resale value won't be very high. My wife drives a 2011 Kia Forte and hasn't had any trouble with almost 70k miles so far. I really considered the Rio, but the newer style just doesn't appeal to me.

The Nissan Versa has zero cool factor in my opinion. Nothing about it is visually appealing, inside or out. Nissan CVTs have had long term reliability problems for years and the fact that they do their best to not acknowledge that in any way has seriously turned me off from Nissans in general.

Then there is the Ford. The regular Fiesta is OK, but is too small overall. Driving it didn't impress me at all. It felt underpowered and boring. Now the Fiesta ST was totally opposite. I would have bought that instead of the Fit if it didn't require premium gas.

The Fit was just better in every category to me. Mine didn't have any QC issues at all and I checked for all of the ones documented here before I picked mine up. Plus, I know in 10 years when I'm ready for something new again, I'll be able to easily sell or trade it in for at least half of what I paid for it since I don't put a lot of miles on my cars. There won't be any shortage of interested buyers. Nobody is going to interested in those other brand's entry level cars 10 years from now.

Honda has a quality and reliability reputation that spans many generations. It has history from customizers and racers to families and old folks just looking for a good appliance. This new Fit is the new Civic. By that I mean it is what the Civic used to be. Cool, sporty, fun, affordable, efficient, customizable, easy to drive, and reliable.

Go to eBay or AutoTrader and search for Civics from 1985 to 1995 and you'll see lots of well kept examples with 150K to 200K+ miles on them going for $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, etc. This new Fit with the 6MT will be the same way.

 

Get a Fit EX CVT model w/o any option and get an aftermarket satellite radio installed if feasible as someone else mentioned earlier. That will be the cheapest way for you.

BTW, I've considered the exact same cars that you are considering now before I decided on my 2015 Fit - just bought it yesterday. Interestingly Fiesta was the 2nd runner up on my list. It's a great car but it's not a Honda. I know it sounds lame, but once you drive/own one you would know what I mean. Fit is my 5th Honda (had Civic, Integra, Element & RSX before).

 

I drove a 3 cyl Fiesta last spring and overall was impressed. It had very good low end torque, much better than the Fit. Too bad it only comes with a manual (with long throws). My problem with almost all Fords these days is they feel very claustrophobic because of the rooflines. Fiesta, Focus, Escape and Explorer all felt that way to me. The Fit seems much more "airy", not so enclosed. Its personal preference really.

 

I agree! I pick mine up on Wednesday Dec. 31st!

 

This is my 1998 Acura Integra LS (glorified Honda Civic!) with 170K miles and it still runs like a champ with 180+ psi compression on all 4 jugs and gets around 30-34 MPG average. It's a keeper!

 

Your car is in amazing looking shape for the age and mileage. I have a funny feeling my 98 Ford escort would not be in hat good shape and mpg if I still owned it.

 

Nope. 07-13 Fits were though.

 

Just to clear things up, I have nothing against Mexico or any other non-Japanese mfg countries, and no one else should either. It's the fact that it's a brand new plant with workers that might not have years of experience under their belt.

The fit is a unique car in the sense that it has a track record of increasing improvement in reliability. A car is bound to have problems when it first comes out. R&D can only predict customer usage so much. With the 2015, it seems there were many changes, and just because initial QC is good (fit and finish may appear good), it doesn't mean long term reliability will also be good.

New parts suppliers may have a few hiccups along the way that may release bad parts to the market.

Honda is a great car, but don't let the name fool you into thinking that you will have zero problems. Yes, the older cars can still fetch a lot of money but times were simpler then.

How much complicated electronics did those cars have? A power window regulator and DI fuel pump can't fail if you don't have them in the first place haha.

Here were some examples of 1st year cars that had problems: 04 Hybrid Civic with bad CVT trans, 01 Civics with faulty engine/trans, 00 Insight with battery packs that would fail early, 02 Civic Si with front dampers that would blow way before they should, I think the mid 2000 Odysseys and MDXs with faulty transmissions. I'm sure there are other examples, but don't fool yourself into thinking the car will be bulletproof.

The car market is very competitive. Mfgs are trying to push their products out the door as fast as possible to compete with everyone else, and sometimes things are overlooked. You're probably taking a lesser chance on Honda than the others, but no mfg is perfect.

 

On that note, I passed on a 2015 LX MT for $14K and picked up a MT 2013 certified Fit Sport for $15800.

 

Super clean Integra! Gotta love CA. I'm still getting used to zero rust on cars out here.

Yes it's reliable, but how long has it been in production for? 7 years for that generation is a LONG time. were there any major changes that took place in the 4 years prior to you having that car?

 

Girlfriend and I visited a Honda dealership today and drove a fit. Seems to ride fairly nice. Plenty of engine noise and engine whine though. Sure does turn a lot of RPM at highway speeds.
Still undecided on a Fit because of the packaging. Kinda had it out with the salesman and sales manager. Doubt I buy a Fit.
I mentioned how I would like Satellite radio and could do without Nav and sunroof. They told me a similar thing I read here. Buy the lower trim level fit and add the Satellite radio aftermarket. I dont really want an aftermarket part hanging in the vehicle.

I have my a piece of my mind. I was told buy sales manager that for years now they have been been selling customers Fits and installing Satellite radio in many new vehicles. Instead of listening to customers and having to change them and modify them and build them to what customers want, maybe they need to tell Honda's marketing what to build and not tell the customers what to build.

Also took a look at Nissan Versa. I think it is rather cheaply built and put together but interestingly their middle of the road package is an "SV" package. It adds all the convenience items like power windows, locks, keyless entry. It had Bluetooth. Auto climate control. Adds a better radio with Siruis radio. No sunroof. Seems and interesting consideration. MSRP about $16,900.
Also the particular vehicle had grey cloth seats, a different look compared to coal bin black in the FIT.

I also like the beige or tan interior in vehicles. I work in the construction trade. I have found tan carpeting and tan seats dont show mud and dirt from my boots or clothing.

My Fiesta has the medium light stone leather (beige) in a two tone combination with black on the interior and dash. IMO it looks quite elegant for an entry level vehicle. I added a pic of my Fiesta.

 

Yep, it growls and whines for sure especially when accelerating.

A lot of RPM? For me, that's expected from a 1.5L engine. It spins at 22-2300 rpm when cruising at 65-70 mph on hwy. That's about 1000 rpm lower than my 5-spd Integra. There is a postive side for spinning at high rpm on this engine. It has less rpm to climb in order to activate the VTECH!

Stay away from Versa! In the US News ranking, it was ranked #39 out of 41 small cars for 2015. The FIT ranked amazing #2. Almost all other reviews are like that.

 

I own the 2014 Fiesta ST and a new 2015 Honda Fit.. Premium is optional on the Fiesta ST, although I do use it with the COBB AP (access port) specific tune for better performance.

Agreed. My first Honda was the '76 CVCC and my first new one was an 85 Civic hatchback SI. Our new Fit reminds me of that hatchback SI but with even more interior space.

I've also had mostly Honda's over the last 30 years including a current Odyssey and Integra GS-R which is still running strong. Good cars overall which is why I found it hard to beat the Fit for practicality to ultimately replace our Odyssey.

Agreed. I also test drove the 3 cylinder Fiesta eco boost manual was actually pretty decent, not as fun as the ST by any means and neither as versatile inside as the Fit.

Wow, looks like new! Nice to see another Integra in great shape.

 

Your link has extra HTTP in it, so it doesnt show up.

Here is your image:

 

I know this is off the topic here. I wondered why pic didn't show. I use Photobucket and I follow a Fiesta enthusiasts website and have posted pics there and they always show up.

Here is better pic of the interior. The pics were taken when new. That tall, lousy shifter was swapped out for a Steeda short throw kit. Ford anyone ever considering a Fiesta, a definite needed upgrade

[IMG][/IMG].

[IMG][/IMG].

I traded a 2007 Jeep Compass FWD limited with a 5-speed manual in on my Fiesta. I included a pic of it moments before trade. Note the mileage!

 

so the OP is basically asking us to convince him to buy a fit. Why? why would you be here if you actually needed convincing. also if you're seriously going to spend 16,000 on a car based on it having integrated serious or xm radio than your priorities are completely off... reliability. track record. fun. space. versatility. all these things make the fit the best choice. thats that .. get the nissan and in 5 years get a fit4. i have an 08 with 220,000 miles on it. Its a champ. does it have some problems yes. do i still commute 100 miles a day reliably. Bet your butt i do.

 

So well said. I bought my 13' new last Feb and I love it. When you drive those other cars, I bet the chassis isn't as solid when going over expansion joints or railroad tracks. I've had XM for 12yrs so when I saw the Navi didnt have XM... Okay, np. The current stock XM radios other than Hyundai runs vers 2.0 of the radio which can pause, start music from the beginning once you turn it on as well as 25 more stations than stock cars have. I was fine buying XM Radio Onyx Plus. Dont let a lack of a 49.99 radio keep you from buying the best subcompact new or used.