Hello.

I've been poking around the forums the last week or so as I've been considering buying a 2015 fit.

I told myself that I would never buy a first year car again after having a terrible experience in the past. But I figured "it's a Honda, it'll be fine" but after looking through some threads here I'm a little nervous.

There's a 2015 EX with 25,000 miles for $15k near me. It's more miles than I'd like for a year old car but again, it's a Honda.

Am I right to be nervous? I know forums are generally the place people go with problems so the perspective might be skewed. Would opting for a 2016 LX for a couple grand more be a better option? Any other thoughts?

Thanks

 

Is it from private party or dealer? Manual or CVT? My concern for you is that you only have 11,000 miles left on the factory warranty. If it's dealer certified that may give you more miles/time. I didn't want to commit to buying a brand new first year car and I didn't with the Fit. I still felt iffy with a new '16 LX with everything I've read. That was going to cost me $18,250 OTD with CVT.

I ended up buying a used '15 with far less miles and for less money private party. Things I need to address: It has two recalls, the left turn signal camera doesn't activate for some reason, and the molding on the right front passenger window is already warped. My appointment for all of the above to be fixed is Friday. I think I got a great buy so I am willing to roll the dice and give the Fit a try. That's because I still have 23 months and 33,000 miles of warranty left.

I'm new to these forums and see opinions on CVT vs. Manual and so on. I've had a few snarky responses as well. IMHO I probably wouldn't buy that car at that price. Let's see what the veterans would say...

 

I bought a 2016 base, similar to the US LX. I'd advise to go for a 2016 LX for just a little more. You get a full warranty, they've probably ironed out the kinks (We shall see), and you get the peace of mind that the car was not abused. If you are looking for a 2016 Fit CVT there should be more in stock now. Manual shift cars are rare and you need to order them.

Used Fits are just too expensive. And do not assume that because it is a Honda you'll be Ok, because this just is not the case, as you've read on this forum.

Isn't 25k miles/40.3km about the average mileage for a 2 yr old car? Is this car offered certified used from a Honda dealer? The Fit is not that rare a car. It is an econobox.

 

BTW...what does KBB say the value on the car is? I thought even at 15k I was getting a good deal, but KBB said 15 was the normal price. The seller in my case ended up taking 14.

 

KBB with guesses. 2015 LX CVT, SLC postal code, very good condition, private seller, 25k miles = $13,356US. OP, you need to run this analysis.

 

Pertinent details:

EX with CVT. Black.

The miles may be a little high but I suppose it depends on when the original owner took delivery.

KBB says "fair purchase price" is $16,359

NADA (which Utah banks base value on for loans) says "clean retail" is $17,925

It's from a dealer but not a Honda dealer. It's from a well reviewed local dealer. Does the factory warranty transfer when the car is sold or only when purchased used from a Honda dealer?

The newer LX is tempting for reasons of warranty and bang for buck but the keyless entry, additional speakers, alloy wheels and Siri button of the EX are very tempting. The other upgrades are just "nice to haves" to me.

 

Test drive the EX and try the radio. See if you can change the volume on the touch screen while safely driving. This is a concern for many owners. The workaround is the volume controls on the steering wheel. I found the touch screen to be slow. The EX also has the Honda Lanewatch, which has a camera that shows your right rear blind spot.

The LX has a simpler radio with a volume knob and colour but non-touch screen. I find it works very well.

There are lots of comparisons between the LX and EX models on this forum.

 

I actually sat in the Honda parking lot playing with the EX receiver for about 30 min to make sure I didn't hate it. Haha. The volume knob is very tempting. Other than the lack of Siri I'd prefer the LX receiver.

 

I wouldn't pay $16,300 for that car. I've had my Fit since Saturday. Called the Honda of America 800 number to get my contact information added so I get the alerts. I don't think they transfer anything for warranty support. I believe the rep said the warranty is just based off the VIN.

I didn't care about the LX features but was thinking down the line at resale value. Those features and with it being a CVT should help.

As a new owner here are my thoughts so far on the LX. The additional speakers...the audio sounds good, but I would like for it to be louder. Haven't tried anything with heavy base yet for rattling and distortion. It's good enough. As for the radio I miss a mute button more than the volume knob. Changing the source is a quick work-around for me so far.

The big screen is what younger people want. Personally I would mount my iPad using a nice arm get my media through it and I still may.

The alloy wheels look good. I wouldn't replace the standard hubcaps if I had the base model though. I have an Android so no Siri for me. I've only tested the basic blue tooth connection and people I speak with are impressed with the quality. Even at high way speeds with the wind/road noise it's good. My JVC unit in my other car sucks no matter what I try.

As long as it doesn't leak the sunroof is nice. Compared to my Saturn I love how it opens and closes with the touch of a button. It also doesn't stick out of the car when open. I think that's a Honda thing.

I don't really care for the push button start. I'd rather have a key and be done about it. I still don't know what I can and can't do with the thing. If I want to leave the car running do I leave the fob in the car? Am I allowed to bring it with me? Things I just need to read up on...lol.

 

You will probably have some repairs and surprises if you buy the used one. I adhere to the idea that no one sells a perfectly running car. If you plan to keep the car for a decade or more it would be easy to justify buying the new car.

 

I agree with the potential repairs but IDK about nobody selling a perfectly running car. My friend ate 2 grand on a Malibu because he wanted the new Cherokee. Impulsive people and people with disposable income come to mind as to who would dump a perfectly running car. This lady I bought the car from had an Element and her two old dogs (100 lbs a piece) wouldn't go in the new Fit. Even with a ramp.

Car Fax reflected what she said about the history. Granted I only had it a few days. If it's a clunker or I was duped somehow the forum will be the first to know.

 

Any time you find a used car thats about 2 years old on a lot its probably a lease return.
(Carafe shows this info fyi)
The upside is most lease cars get maintained. :shrug:

 

I sold a perfect car because it was boring and wanted something more fun to drive. So people do. That being said, 25k on a 1yr old car seems a lot. On average people drive between 10-12k a year. My 2013 Impreza had 24k when I sold it and was a daily driver and two road trips each year.

 

The advantage with high mileage is that it could have been a highway driven car. So that means less cold starts, less braking, etc. More wear on the engine in a sense but potentially less wear on other components.

 

My car has roughly 33,000 miles on it, 30,000 of those which were put on in a 12 month period. Like MTLian wrote, primarily highway miles. I think it would be difficult to rack up 25,000 miles in a year driving 30mph...!

25,000 is a lot of miles compared to the norm, but it isn't unheard of. I was a sales rep w/ a 4 state territory. I bought my car specifically because of my job, and though I've now moved on to other things, I'm keeping the car (I love it!!!).

However, I've had multiple men 6' and taller sit in my car, and none of them would buy a Fit. So, perhaps the person selling the car purchased it for its efficiency (companies usually do mileage reimbursement, and don't care what kind of car you have truck or econobox), and now want a comfier car?

New 2015 EX CVT base was $18,235 iirc. $19,500 out the door price (rough guess) - $15,000 sell price = $4,500 loss.

....25,000 miles driven = $13,500 in mileage reimbursement. - $1,579 for fuel (25,000 at $2.40/gallon assuming 38mpg) = $11,921

So $4,500 loss plus $11,921 net mileage reimbursement = $7,421. Minus a little for oil change, 10,000 + 20,000 mile inspections.

So if the seller primarily used the car for business, then he or she is coming out ahead, selling it at $15,000 :-)

 

I've bought used high-mileage cars and they performed OK for the next 100K miles. Hopefully a Carfax or Autocheck will not show any accidents.

As MTLian said, a high mileage in a short time indicates easy running.

 

Just piping in to say my 2016 Honda FIT LX was delivered to my home by my dealer on December 29. Manual transmission. Went over the body with a fine tooth comb and it looks perfect, as does the interior. The technology on this vehicle is amazing given the price. Love the smoothness of the transmission and responsiveness of the vehicle.

Only challenge I've had is I've driven a 5-speed Toyota for the past 13 years, so had to readjust for the 6-speed FIT.

Had four snow tires installed and it handles very well in the snow.

I'd spend the extra 2K for new, but that's me and I tend to drive my cars for a very long time.

 

Yes, you can get out of the car with the engine running. The car will "beep" at you to remind you that you left it running, but it will keep running without the fob. Yes, while you're doing that, someone else can jump in your car and drive off. The car will keep running without the fob. Once shut off, it won't restart, though, unless the fob is in the car.


I like the keyless entry because I don't have to fish in my pocket for the "unlock" button on the fob, just touch the door handle to unlock it.

 

The complaints about not having a volume knob are moot when you have steering wheel controls. Why would you ever take your hand off of the wheel to adjust volume/change inputs or stations when it is all right there easily accessible without even having to look?!?!?!!!???!!?

 

Uh, 40 year force of habit? Oh, and the passenger might want to change the volume too.