Whaaaaaaaaaaat? I have seen quite a few YT vids where the best in class in thrown around. .....I ask -

The Fit is
practical yet fun
versatile yet cute
economical yet roomy
functional yet charming
(Anymore? )

The just is no other vehicle like the Fit to compare it to, imo. Am I the only one who thinks it's in a class by itself?

 

The Honda Fit is often compared to:

Toyota Yaris
Ford Fiesta
Hyundai Accent
Kia Rio
Chevrolet Sonic
Nissan Versa Note

 

The Fit isn't the best in each area of comparison, but its total score beats everyone of the above. It isn't perfect in every aspect, but it is close enough.

 

See, that's the thing. ....other than pricing structure, I don't see how any of the cars listed compare to the overall Fit packaging

 

I consider the Fit more than anything else to be the best value for the money. .Considering that it is the most versatile hauling both people and cargo with the 'magic' seats AND gets killer good gas mileage makes it to me the best in class. Both my wife and I are glad we picked it over much more expensive vehicles because of the high MPG's. The fact that PBP is a great color makes it even better.

 

I'm attracted to the practicality of the Fit. I do think there are much better looking cars in the class. But I'm more into function over form, so it will likely be a Fit for me.

 

I would have bought a diesel Renault Clio if they were commonly available in the U.S. I rented one in France and loved it. It had fantastic fuel economy and features not available in my Fit.

 

Really? What is the current exchange rate and the cost of importing at the price points of LX, EX, and EX-L? Oh, well, to each his/her own. The grass being greener on the other side of the pond.

 

About 2 years ago (I owned a GD3 Sport at the time) I was in NorCal for work. I had a 2013 Chevy Sonic hatch turbo which I rented from Hertz at SFO. It had all the bells and whistles. Leather, XM, sunroof, remote start, etc. Hertz called it a "premium compact".

As much as it pains me to say it, I actually really enjoyed that car. Back in the day, I would be the first to criticize any GM car, but having driven that Sonic for a week, they have come a long way.

It was slightly smaller on the inside than a Fit but about the same size on the outside. I played with the backseats to see how flat they folded, and they went almost all the way down but not completely flat like the Fit.

But it was a blast to drive. The turbo was nice and the car felt solid. It felt much heavier and substantial than my GD3, but on par with the feel of the GK5. On the rural interstates of Northern California, I was going 90-95 easily and I would never guess it if I didn't look down at the speedo.

When I decided to buy a new car, I did strongly consider a Sonic hatch turbo because of that week with that car. But my love for Honda and the Fit family won.

But trust me when I say, the Sonic is a good contender with the Fit.

Edit: also worth noting though, I get a substantial discount with GM through my job, which did tempt me towards the Sonic even more, but still went with the Fit.

 

What does the clio do, or features the fit doesn't have? Isn't a clio just a step above a bicycle? Fuel mileage?

What about a fiat 500 or vw golf? Those two I would compare to clio, although I have never driven a clio, more than a fit. What am I missing?

 

You could have bought a Golf TDI. I do agree, there's nothing like a well engineered TDI, in any vehicle class.

 

> What does the clio do, or features the fit doesn't have?


I only rented the Renault Clio dCi 90 for four days, but I enjoyed every moment driving it. Things I liked include:

The car automatically locks when the smart key fob gets 15' feet away from the car.

The engine turns off when the car stops moving, like a Prius. The engine starts when you do anything including lifting your foot off the brake, touching the GPS screen, activating the turn signal.

On paper it is rated for up to 80mpg. This is probably unachievable, but I can report that I filled-up the Clio, then drove for three hours on secondary roads and was still able to turn-in the car with a "full tank" because the needle pointed above "F".

Renault Clio Dynamique MediaNav 1.5 dCi 90 (2015) review by CAR Magazine

 

If I could suggest an additional feature it would be stop start.

 

Today's subcompact market is more competitive than ever and even the most basic economy cars are luxurious in comparison to their predecessors. There really aren't any bad cars nowadays.


I've had the good fortune to drive all those cars as rentals in my job and have spent many hours in each, except for the Fit which can't be rented and I own. It's hard to say that any one is the best in the segment, and it's really based on priorities.


The Ford Fiesta is the most fun to drive by far. It has a well planted feel and is a blast to drive on a windy, mountain road. It's steering is communicative and inspires confidence. It also feels stable at speeds as high as 90mph with minimal wind noise and no sensitivity to crosswinds or road imperfections. However, it's cabin is confining and cramped. The back seats are a joke and there's no versatility


The Chevy Sonic feels like the most substantial car. It rides like a big car; absorbing bumps with ease and is quiet and subdued in the cabin. Handling is secure and the front seats have plentiful leg room, and the rear seat/cargo hold nearly match the Fit, as someone else mentioned. Styling is funky and creative. This is the easiest small car to transition to if you're used to a large car, and would be my pick for a cross-country road trip without feeling beat up.


The Accent is a good all-rounder. It's fast and powerful, and feels solid and refined. The controls are straightforward and it's just a car that is easy to adjust to. Lots of front seat room as well, and a large trunk (but unlike the Fit and Sonic, the seat isn't flat when folded) While not the most sporting, it's still a likeable and livable car with an excellent warranty.


Otherwise, the Yaris, Note, and Rio just didn't stand out. The Rio does what the Accent does minus any personality, the Yaris just screams cheap and had some dicey steering, and the Note tries to do what the Fit does, but not as well, and the all-black, cheap plastic interior is just depressing.


The Fit stands out because of its unrivaled cargo versatility, the rear seat space is only matched by the Note, the high fuel economy, and in LX form, it's an excellent value with lots of standard features. But I do find it to be noisier, less refined, more cramped upfront (almost like Honda emphasized too much on the rear seat), and slower than most of the others.


So it really comes down to priorities and which one is best
-The Fiesta if you want driving fun
-The Sonic if you want a comfortable, cushy car
-The Accent if you want overall quality and ease of ownership
-or the Fit if cargo hauling and rear passenger comfort is important.

 

My friend wanted a sedan and just bought a Scion iA. I drove it, and it's extremely refined, quiet, high quality, and great to look at inside. It drove responsively and with excellent manners. Huge trunk, too. It's really let down only by its looks from the front. All for $19K all up including tax, title, and tint.

 

I almost bought a 2015 Versa Note. The seats fold down, flat, there's a tad more space than the Fit, and the price is competitive. It comes with air and cruise, and was well appointed. My wife wanted it, and we did not need to wait 1-2 months for the car.

I relented because I found the Fit a better car, for me: better handling, better acceleration, more power for the same fuel economy. These things are important to me, more so than comfort items. Function over form.

To say that the Fit is best in class, I'd have to disagree. Each car in the class has advantages and disadvantages for each buyer. I'll have to wait to see if my decision of the Fit over the Versa Note was the right one.

 

Reliability? Our Civic (2003) with well over 250,000 miles was the main reason for
buying the FIT. Now we wait.....

The FIT does what we need and does it well! Above 40mpg expressway driving
and 50+ at 45 to 35 mph.

Seems pretty easy to work on and I do my own wrenching.

Perfect car? No, the perfect car is the new Civic Hatchback (if it shows up).
But no regrets, yet. I will report back in 10 years, eh?

 

+

The perfect car has yet to be made and never will (barring a clarion call from on high). The best that can be done is find the best value for your needs and means. Even then it's a crap shoot. YMMV.

 

A lot has happened since this was posted, it is kinda funny now.

 

Sure, let's have more wear and tear on the starter and the motorcycle sized battery. No thanks. Cars these days have enough gimmicks. The 41 MPG I'm averaging over the life of the car so far is quite enough for me.